Page 14 of Don't Believe A Word

‘It could take years to go through all this,’ she remarked to Sadie.

Sadie didn’t disagree. ‘What’s worse,’ she said, ‘is that nothing is in order. The pages I gave you last night? I found them by chance, clipped to the back of some notes that had no relevance to them at all, or not that I could find.’

Cristy checked her phone as it buzzed with a text. David wanting to know where she was.

‘Do you have anyone who can help you with this?’ she asked, looking around again and feeling increasingly daunted by the seemingly impossible task.

‘Anna,’ Sadie replied. ‘And Jasper when he has time.’

Cristy nodded thoughtfully, and turned back to the entrance hall where they found Mia waiting and holding up Cristy’s coat.

‘You left it in the sitting room,’ she said, handing it over. ‘I thought you’d be needing it.’

Cristy smiled at the gentle irony in her tone, while feeling slightly wrongfooted again. Was she being told it was time to leave?

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Your sister has certainly collected a lot of things over the years.’

Mia waved a dismissive hand. ‘She was such a hoarder. Had all sorts shipped in from all over with never a single idea of what she was going to do with it once it got here. But you know, it’s not only her stuff she kept, mine is in there too … Journals and notebooks, travelogues, endless photographs, and of course all her short stories.’

So they were Lottie’s now.

‘I’m sure she wrote six a day sometimes,’ Mia ran on. ‘They just came tumbling out of her in an unstoppable flow and I think I’ve probably read every one. They’re very good, but of course I’m biased. Shame so many were lost when we reset her computers, but she never wanted to keep them anyway.’ She turned away and disappeared back into the depths of the house.

Cristy turned to Sadie and smiled as the young woman shrugged.

‘I’ll keep going,’ Sadie promised, ‘and let you know as soon as I find anything else – presuming I do.’

‘It could drive us all nuts if you don’t,’ Cristy told her, ‘but you do realize, of course, that as soon as we go live with the story your aunt is going to know about it. And considering what serious ramifications there could be for her she’ll almost certainly try to stop us.’

Sadie pulled a face as she nodded. ‘I’ve been thinking about that,’ she admitted, ‘and I really don’t want to hurt her, or make her think I’m in any way unhappy or ungrateful for all she and Lottie have given me, because I’m neither of those things. But like I said before, I really do want to find out who I am. It’s like Ineedto. I hope you can understand that.’

Looking into her troubled eyes, Cristy said, ‘Of course.’ Who wouldn’t understand that, she was thinking as she put on her coat and turned to the front door. But did Sadie really have a full grasp on what it could do to her aunt?

*

A few minutes later, Cristy was back in the welcome layby outside the villa’s grounds,calling David.

‘Hi, where are you?’ he asked when she got through to him.‘Mum said you borrowed the car to go see Sadie and Mia. Please tell me you’re still in one piece.’

‘I am and I’m just heading back.’

‘The conditions are serious out there,’ he said gravely. ‘You shouldn’t have gone in the first place. Would you like me to come get you?’

‘I think I can manage, thanks. How are you feeling?’

‘You mean apart from the sore head? Like I’m in need of three pints of water and seeing you. Are you driving at the moment?’

‘No, I’ve stopped to make this call.’

‘Good. So tell me, how did you get on with Mia?’

‘She’s much like you described, but I’d say a lot smarter than she wants anyone to think.’

‘You could be right about that. Tell me more when you get here. Mum’s throwing together a late lunch … Will you be joining us?’

‘That’s certainly my intention. Who’s still there?’

‘Just about everyone who stayed last night. The fog’s too thick to go anywhere, although it apparently didn’t stop you.’