Page 118 of Don't Believe A Word

‘Put her on speaker,’ Cristy instructed.

‘… still at the villa,’ Sadie was saying. ‘She’s a mess, but she deserved it.’

‘What do you mean, a mess?’ Anna cried, turning frightened eyes to her father.

‘I recorded it all,’ Sadie answered, her voice sounding shredded by exhaustion.

‘Jesus, we need to get over there,’ Connor muttered.

Snatching Anna’s phone, David said, ‘Sadie, we’re on our way. You need to open the gates.’

When Sadie didn’t answer, Anna cried, ‘What did you find in the journals, babe?’

‘You need to come,’ Sadie said weakly. ‘Please come. I’ll go up to the lodge and see you there.’

*

Less than half an hour later Cristy and Connor were in the lodge’s small sitting room, all pale oak beams and cosy furniture, with Sadie hunched into a capacious armchair looking both dazed and beaten, as though she’d just fought her way through some sort of storm. Anna was on the floor next to her, while David was outside dealing with the security guard who’d just turned up. Cristy didn’t know yet whether they were going to head down to the villa to check on Mia, or wait until Sadie had explained what had happened during the past hour.

‘You can listen to it all,’ Sadie said quietly, half-throwing her mobile onto the coffee table between them. ‘I told her I was recording, but I’m not sure it went in. She’s … I don’t know what she is … Crazy, cruel …’ Her breath caught on a dry sob and Anna reached up to take her hand.

‘I’m OK,’ Sadie assured her. ‘Just a bit …’ Her eyes went to Cristy, and for a fleeting moment Cristy thought she sensed something horribly dark inside her.

‘Did they come back with you?’ Sadie asked, suddenly seeming so much more vulnerable than she had a moment ago.

Knowing who she was referring to, and understanding how bewildered and conflicted she must be feeling, Cristy said, ‘They were very keen to, but you said you wanted to sort things out with your aunt first so they’re waiting …’

‘I’m glad they’re not here,’ Sadie interrupted, seeming to mean it, then her voice faltered as she said, ‘but I really … I really want to see my dad.’

Feeling her heart swelling with empathy, Cristy said, ‘What would you like me to do?’

Sadie shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I … It’s all so messed up …’ She looked at her phone and said, ‘You’ll find it in voice notes. I want to listen to it too just in case …’ She gulped as she swallowed another sob, and pressed her hands to her face.

Still amazed that she’d recorded everything, Cristy found the file and after hitting play she placed the mobile back on the table and kept her eyes on it as it began to reveal why Sadie was in such an emotional state.

SADIE: ‘I’ve read the truth, Mia. I know everything …’

MIA: ‘What are you talking about? I don’t understand you.’

SADIE: ‘I’ve got it all here, in this journal …’

MIA: ‘All what, for heaven’s sake?’

SADIE: ‘Everything you did to my mother.’

There was a lengthy silence, broken only by the sound of muted voices, too indistinct to decipher.

‘This is where I’m telling her I’m recording,’ Sadie explained.

‘Did she object?’ Cristy asked.

‘She accused me of being in thrall to you “people” and that I’d end up regretting it.’

‘Is she saying anything,’ Connor asked, ‘aboutwhathad been done to your mother?’

Sadie shook her head. ‘Not really, only that I was a fool to believe everything I read, especially if it was written by Lottie.’ She stopped as her voice became clearer on the recording.

SADIE: ‘So here it is, are you listening? Isaid, are you listening?’