Page 102 of Don't Believe A Word

‘OK?’ he asked, reaching for her hand.

She nodded and felt grateful to Iz all over again for the way she’d swung into action yesterday, getting their sponsor Open Destinyon board to arrange this flight to Miami where they were due to spend the night before a hire car was delivered in the morning for them to drive across the state to Naples.

Closing her eyes, she sat quietly wondering what might lie ahead, if there was danger lurking, maybe answers to questions they hadn’t even thought to ask. Would Evie Baker turn out to be the same Evie who’d been Lukas’s girlfriend back in 2015 when Natalie had last heard from him? If so, and she was with Symmonds-Browne in Florida, how on earth had that come about? Perhaps more to the point, what had happened to Lukas?

*

‘OK, all aboard for Alligator Alley!’ David declared the next morning as he started the engine to their rented SUV.

Cristy turned to look at him.

He shrugged. ‘It’s what they call the highway between Miami and Naples,’ he explained.

‘But we’re not likely to see any?’

‘Who knows. We’ll be going right through the Everglades andlast I heard it’s where a lot of them hang out. So, do you have the address?’

Pulling up the latest email from Evie Baker, Cristy programmed in 4456 Verbena Circle, Naples, FL, and hit go. It was true, their journey was going to take them right through the heart of the swamp and as far as she knew there was only the one road, but if people were doing it all day, every day … Anyway, she should probably record a description of the drive in order to set the scene and maybe share some of her feelings about what might or might not be about to happen as a result of this unexpected swerve into territory unknown. What she wouldn’t do was mention David. Given his central role in their last podcast, it would seem beyond weird that he was figuring in this one, especially on a transatlantic trip to the sunshine in the middle of an English winter.

Glancing over at him, taking in his profile and letting her eyes fall to his hands on the wheel, she felt amazed all over again to think of how only a few days ago they’d been caught up in a ludicrous misunderstanding of how their relationship was going. And now, here they were, in sunny Florida, almost like a honeymoon couple with, perhaps, as much to look forward to from one another as they had from the real reason for being here.

‘Are you going to tell?’ he asked, indicating to overtake a slow-moving truck.

Realizing he meant her thoughts, Cristy said, ‘I’m trying to make myself believe you’re really here.’

He glanced at her in surprise. ‘Last night wasn’t enough for you?’ he said dryly.

Smiling as the reminder lit through her, she said softly, ‘We should probably try harder.’

With a laugh, David reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth for a kiss. ‘We could have a priority issue facing us,’ he said, ‘so I’ll put it out there now that I’m OK with being second fiddle while you’re working. I’ve brought my bikini.’

She started to laugh.

‘Just the bottom half,’ he added, ‘and happy to share.’

Still laughing, she said, ‘Do you realize Iz – or Open Destiny – have booked us into the Ritz-Carlton, which is apparently right onthe coast and starts at around fifteen hundred dollars per night? All I have to do in return is mention it in the podcast.’ She looked down at her phone as it started to ring, ‘Ah ha! Evie Baker,’ she declared, and quickly clicked on.

‘Hi, have I reached Cristy?’ The voice was female, cheery and sounded both American and … There was something else, but it was too soon yet to tell what it was.

‘You have,’ Cristy told her, hitting record in case the conversation proved useful later. ‘Good morning, Evie. How are you?’

‘Oh me, I’m fine. We’re excited to see you. Have you set off yet?’

‘About half an hour ago so already on Alligator Alley.’

Evie laughed. ‘You watch out for them naughty little critters now, they’re not to be messed with. We’ve got a big old boy in our pond here, snappy as fuck he is.’

Startled as much by the language as the pet, Cristy said, ‘Please tell me you’re not serious.’

‘I could have been, once, but he got taken off to the marshes a while ago. We’re not even sure how he came to be where we found him, but we’ve got someinterestingneighbours in this community with their own kind of humour. By the way, when I say pond, in British terms it would be a lake, like Windermere or Ullswater – probably not that big actually, never was good on size. Just not the kind we Brits keep our goldfish in.’

‘Can I ask where you’re from?’ Cristy said, as they pulled up to pay a toll.

‘Liverpool, born and bred,’ Evie answered, exaggerating her Scouse accent. ‘Been a long time since I was there though. Now, I’m calling to redirect you to our country club. We’ve booked a table poolside for lunch and that’s about the time you should arrive. It seemed easier than getting our cook in on her day off. I’ll pop the address into an email so you can just click on. It’s only about fifteen minutes from the house … You’re staying at the Ritz-Carlton, is that right?’

Having sent the information yesterday, Cristy said, ‘Correct. Is it far from the club?’

‘Twenty to thirty minutes, depending on traffic. It’s a cool place, great beachside café, but you have to get there early, they don’t take reservations. How long are you staying?’