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“It’s beautiful,” she agreed weakly, but kept her gaze fixed on the ground.
“We should get a photo of us with that view in the background.” Keith held out his phone for Lily. “Would you mind?”
“Not at all.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Joyce croaked out before walking purposefully away from them.
Keith caught Lily’s eye and gave her an apologetic shrug before following his wife.
Hanging back, Lily did her best to appear absorbed with the view while surreptitiously straining to hear their conversation.
“Everything feels wrong,” Joyce said tearfully. “It doesn’t seem fair that we should enjoy this when Joseph can’t. Don’t you feel guilty getting on with life as though nothing happened?”
“There’s not much else we can do but get on with life.”
“I don’t understand you,” Joyce shot at him. “How are you so calm?”
Keith stepped closer to his wife, bowing his head and speaking so close to her ear that Lily had no hope of hearing his words.
“We should have been more supportive of Joseph…” Joyce’s words were difficult to make out and Lily took a subtle step closer to the couple. “…I feel as though we let him down.”
Keith put a hand on her back and led her further away as he whispered to her. With the extra distance between them, Lily gave up on her attempts to eavesdrop.
Instead, she switched to contemplating Joyce’s words, but even with her investigator hat on, nothing seemed suspicious. She sounded genuine in her remorse.
Lost in thought, Lily forgot she was still holding Keith’s phone until it vibrated in her hand. Fighting the urge to look only lasted for a moment, then she discreetly tilted the phone in her hand to view the screen.
A message from Kerry glowed in the centre of the screen.
Good that you managed to get Joyce out of the hotel, hopefully a change of scene will calm her down. Maybe we can even convince her to go along with …
That was all of the message that was displayed on the screen. Curiosity pricked at Lily, but there was nothing she could do to get to the rest of the message.
“Sorry,” Keith said, marching towards Lily, with Joyce’s hand clasped in his.
“It’s okay. I was just enjoying the view.”
“I’m afraid Joyce is struggling. We both are. Losing a close friend so suddenly is a lot to deal with.”
“I can’t imagine how you’re feeling,” Lily said, handing Keith’s phone back. He didn’t check the screen, but slipped it straight into his pocket.
“I’m sorry,” Joyce said to Lily. “I’m afraid I’m not great company.”
“You don’t need to be. I only thought it might take your mind off everything. I’m sorry if it’s too much for you.”
Joyce sighed. “It was a lovely idea. And I think it was good to get out of the hotel for a while.”
“Makes the time go a little quicker if nothing else,” Keith said as they started back towards the train.
When they got close, Lily broke away from them and made a beeline for Kit.
“Am I forgiven?” he asked, leaning casually against the front of the train.
“I suppose.”
He cast a glance in Joyce and Keith’s direction. “Have you found out anything interesting?”
“Not really.”