Page 153 of Private Lives

Louise nodded.

‘I told her not to do it, but she was determined. She knew where he lived and sent the wife a letter saying her husband was having an affair.’

‘And that obviously didn’t work.’

‘Apparently not. But she wasn’t going to give up that easily.’

She curled her slim arms around her legs and peered over the top of her knees.

‘About a week before Amy died, we went out for drinks. I asked her how it was going with Peter and she smiled this little smile, like she was really happy. I said, “Has he finally decided to leave his wife?” and she said no, but it was only a matter of time before he would.’

‘Why? She’d tried telling the wife and that didn’t work.’

‘She had something else on him. Something about his job.’

‘Do you know what it was?’ asked Sam.

Louise shook her head.

‘Apparently one of Peter’s close friends had committed suicide a couple of months earlier. Peter was devastated about it. In fact he broke down in front of Amy. He was sobbing, saying, “it was my fault, it

was my fault”.’

She took a breath.

‘Amy found something out about Peter and she told him she’d go to the press with it. She was blackmailing him. She was desperate for him to leave his wife, and that was the only way left she knew how to do it.’

‘She told you that?’

Louise nodded.

‘I told her not to be stupid, but she was so headstrong.’ She started crying again. ‘If only I’d managed to persuade her, she’d still be alive. That drink. That was the last time I spoke to her. A week later, she was dead.’

‘Do you think Peter killed her?’

‘He paid for the flat so I assume he’d have a key. Even if he didn’t, Amy would have let him in. Maybe they just quarrelled. Maybe she slipped. Maybe it wasn’t murder but he just walked away without a second look back.’

‘What did Amy have on Peter? Do you know?’

‘I don’t know. If I did, then maybe I’d be dead too.’

‘Is that why you’re out here?’ asked Sam.

She nodded.

‘When Amy died I got scared. Maybe I overreacted coming out here, but I just wanted to step back from it all. I guess I’m a coward.’

She stood up stiffly and walked over to the shutters, pulling them open.

‘Rain’s stopped,’ she sniffed. ‘It does that. Over before you can blink. Now if you hurry, you can catch the five o’clock ferry.’

47

Sam and Anna didn’t speak at all on the boat back to Alappuzha. Raj was waiting for them at the dock, and they got into the taxi, each preoccupied by their thoughts.

‘Where to, boss? Ajunta?’ asked the driver.

‘Is Ajunta the hotel?’ asked Anna.