Page 39

NOW

August 2023

Lily

Plaza de los Naranjos, Marbella, Spain

‘I want to come back to Spain with Michael and Ben one day,’ Lily said as they arrived in the old town of Marbella.

Zach swung his car into a space that looked too small for their rental, with the ease of a seasoned driver.

‘It’s addictive, isn’t it? I could live over here. Might be a holiday villa, one of these days,’ Zach said. ‘Listen, before we head off, when we find this Ortega dude, let’s not tell him that we think I’m Robert.’

Lily smiled at Zach. ‘You are always so positive. You haven’t even considered we might not find Ortega! I like that about you. But why don’t you want him to know?’

‘If we tell him, he might call it into his buddies in the Policia. And, before we know it, this whole thing has legs, and we’ve lost control of what happens next.’

Lily could see the logic in Zach’s assumptions. She reassured Zach, and they made their way along a narrow cobbled street with tall, whitewashed buildings, all with colourful hanging baskets of flowers, until they arrived at the Plaza de los Naranjos. Ornate terracotta flagstones, with landscaped gardens, tall orange trees and sprinkling fountains were a feast for her eyes. On a whitewashed wall hung dozens of bright blue flowerpots with red flowers.

Zach told her that Marbella streets were full of pots like these, and Lily couldn’t help but take a couple of photos. Zach insisted on a selfie, and she snapped one of them both looking into the camera with matching grins.

‘Our first photo together,’ Lily said to him. And they shared a look that silently expressed the wish that it would be the first of many more to come.

They made their way across the square to a long row of restaurants with seating outside, perfect for enjoying an espresso and people-watching.

‘Let’s see if fortune does favour the brave once more,’ Zach said. He marched into the first café and began chatting to one of the waitresses.

‘She doesn’t know the inspector, but I did get her socials.’ Zach winked, then dodged a swipe from Lily. They moved to the next café and began the same process, but once again had no luck. Once they’d hit a blank wall for the sixth time, Lily was ready to give up. As they were about to leave, a waitress beckoned Zach over and told him about a small café, hidden on a nearby side street, that Ortega favoured.

Within a few feet of the café, Lily spotted him. Unmistakable, even from his side profile, there was Ortega, sitting at a table outside, cigarette smoke wafting up from behind a newspaper.

Lily’s heart hammered so loudly in her chest that she was sure the restaurant would hear it. But only when she cleared her throat did the man in front of them put down his newspaper and regard them both quizzically.

‘Senor Ortega? Inspector Ortega?’ Lily asked. Her voice was steadier than she felt.

‘ Si ,’ he replied, flicking ash into an almost full ashtray, and taking another long drag.

‘Do you speak English?’ Lily asked.

He shrugged, giving little away. He looked them both up and down suspiciously.

Lily licked her lips, wishing she had a glass of water. ‘My name is Lily Murphy and this is my friend Zach.’ There was no flicker of recognition. But that was hardly surprising. It was, after all, over forty years ago. ‘You were the inspector in charge of an investigation into the disappearance of my brother—’

‘Robert,’ Inspector Ortega butted in. He motioned to the seats before him, so Lily and Zach took a seat each. ‘You grew up.’

Lily smiled, feeling a little shy as he scrutinised her.

‘I’m retired, so I cannot help you now, any more than I could help your mother forty years ago.’ His face clouded for a moment.

Lily cursed herself for not rehearsing what to say to him. Truthfully, she never expected to find him.

Inspector Ortega continued, ‘I have looked at the case occasionally over the years. It always pained me that I never found Robert for your mother. How is Kimberly?’

Lily noted that he didn’t say he regretted not finding Robert for her dad. Maybe her dad wasn’t wrong that the inspector did not like him.

‘My mother is as well as she can be,’ Lily replied. ‘She runs the family business and enjoys that.’

Ortega sucked in air between his teeth. ‘You didn’t come here to swap idle chit-chat.’ He stubbed out his cigarette, then drained the last of his espresso. ‘What do you want to know?’

A waitress hovered, so Zach ordered a round of coffees and water for them all.

Lily answered in a quiet voice, ‘I suppose I want to ask you about the investigation, and whether you believe Robert is alive.’

Ortega examined his fingernails for a moment before answering sadly, ‘No. I believe he died the night before the Carousel docked in Barcelona.’

‘How?’ Lily asked as her stomach flipped and turned in protest. She looked at Zach and saw that he had blanched a little under his dark tan too.

‘That I do not know. But I believe your father holds the answer to that question.’

Lily felt the hair on her neck bristle at the inspector’s blatant insinuation.

‘You think Jason had something to do with Robert’s disappearance?’ Zach asked. He gave Lily’s arm a quick pat of reassurance.

Ortega looked between Zach and Lily. ‘Yes. I do.’

‘Do you know that my father has not stopped looking for Robert? He’s obsessed with finding out what happened to my brother. Why would he dedicate his life to this if he himself had killed Robert?’

Ortega shrugged, drumming his fingers on the table.

Lily blundered on, determined to make the inspector admit that her father could be innocent. ‘Dad has admitted it’s possible he left the door of the cabin open that night. My theory is that Robert walked out, perhaps sleepwalking, then someone saw the opportunity and grabbed him.’

‘Perhaps,’ Ortega answered, but he still looked doubtful. ‘But how did that person leave the ship? All passengers and crew were accounted for as they left once the Carousel docked. Only a handful of staff had left before the alert was raised, and camera footage at the exits showed that none of these had a child with them.’

Lily cursed under her breath. This felt like trying to push water up a hill.

‘Does the name Sister Monique mean anything to you?’ Zach asked.

Ortega grabbed another cigarette and considered the question. Once lit, he took a long drag while watching Lily and Zach. ‘No. I do not recall that name. Why do you ask?’

‘My mother mentioned her – that’s all,’ Lily responded, telling a white lie. ‘I think she may have met her while in Barcelona.’

Ortega leaned closer to Lily and asked her, ‘What do you think happened to your big brother?’

Lily’s mind returned to Ben’s birthday celebration, the row between her parents and her mother’s breakdown. ‘I’ve spent years puzzling over this. I have changed my mind many times, from his accidental death, to his abduction, but I’ve begun to believe that he is still alive.’ She glanced at Zach quickly, and he half-smiled back at her.

‘Maybe,’ Ortega said. ‘But that leaves me two questions, not only who abducted him, but how .’

Lily felt unexpected tears rush to her eyes. ‘My mother has never got over the loss of Robert. I don’t know what she was like before he was taken from us because my only memory of her has been of a broken woman.’

‘A parent never gets over the loss of a child,’ Ortega said matter-of-factly.

‘Yes, but I think it’s more than that. She got distraught last week and spoke about guilt. When I questioned her, she clammed up, saying I would never understand. She looked so scared. There’s something more to this story. I can feel it.’

‘ Dios mío ,’ Ortega muttered as the waitress placed their drinks before them. ‘You may never know what happened that night.’ Ortega waved his cigarette at Lily. ‘The truth has been hidden for decades. And I’m not sure it will ever be uncovered.’

Zach’s jaw tightened and he said, ‘In my experience, the truth always finds its way to the surface.’

Ortega ignored Zach and focused on Lily instead. ‘Kimberly was terrified back then. And I’m not only talking about the terror of having your child disappear. There was something else going on. I felt an undercurrent whenever she looked at your dad.’

Ortega’s cigarette smoke hit her nostrils, and the smell made Lily gag. She had to escape from this man who was so resolute in his accusations. She stood up, thanking Ortega for his time. Zach left twenty euros on the table to cover the bill. And they left, walking in silence back to the car. No selfies, no chit-chat – just dark thoughts swirling around Lily’s head.

She loved her parents.

They were flawed, yes, there could be no doubting that. But they’d done their best with Lily as they’d learned to live with their grief.

Or was it their guilt rather than grief with which they had to live? Lily’s mind went back to Ben’s birthday again.

Guilt never allows you to let go – that’s what her mother had said.

What had her parents done that night?