Page 24 of The Sunken Truth (Lily Larkin Mysteries #5)
Chapter Twenty-Four
Pippa didn’t bat an eyelid when Lily visited her in the cafe to ask if she could borrow their boat again.
She merely handed over the key with a warning that there was a storm forecast and she’d need the boat back early in the afternoon so she could head back home to Bryher before it hit. Lily assured her she wouldn’t be long.
Twenty minutes later, she cut the engine as she drew up alongside the jetty on St Martin’s.
She felt a swell of pride at how quickly she’d taken to manoeuvring a boat between the islands.
Managing it on her own felt like an even greater accomplishment and she made a mental note to look into getting the appropriate boating license.
With the dreary weather, she couldn’t spot a soul in any direction, and the long stretch of Higher Town Bay was deserted.
The dive boat was tied up at the quay along with a few other small boats. Lily strolled towards it as casually as possible.
“Hello,” she called, without much volume.
When she got no answer, she stepped aboard, hoping to go undetected since she didn’t have a good reason to be on the boat. The forgotten sunglasses excuse would be useless here. Not that it had worked brilliantly for her in the past.
Her eyes scanned the boat, which was slightly bigger than Ryan’s. She’d guess it was newer too. Everything was neat and tidy on deck. In the wheelhouse, the pristine navigation instruments were polished to a shine.
Steps down to the cabin were noticeably wider than on Ryan’s boat and the cabin itself had an entirely different vibe.
Pale leather benches offered a comfortable spot to sit, and a small galley in the corner included a glass fronted fridge with assorted drinks and snacks.
Polished brass portholes let in slanted light, and the air held the scent of sunscreen and citrus-fragranced cleaner.
Once again, Lily set to work searching through cupboards, her eyes darting over a similar array of supplies as she’d found on Ryan’s boat.
A couple of lockers in the corner stood open, but the insides revealed nothing but empty coat hangers.
Voices outside made her freeze in place, and she cursed under her breath when the boat rocked. That was more than the movement of the waves.
Someone had stepped aboard.
“Don’t you dare!” a female voice called out before the boat pitched again. “If you leave now without discussing this with me, I swear to god, I will go home and look up a divorce lawyer.”
Nat’s voice, Lily was sure of it.
Softly, she tiptoed to the far end of the cabin, where a door opened to a toilet and sink. Lily pulled the door behind her but left it slightly ajar.
Tilting her head back, she cursed herself. It was only a few weeks since she’d been trapped on a yacht, sailing out to sea. The thought of it sent a chill down her spine.
This was different, though. There was no need to panic.
She turned her ear to the door.
“All I want is a bit of peace,” Harry grumbled loudly – his voice coming from the cabin now. “Is that too much to ask?”
“You don’t want peace,” Nat said. “You want to avoid talking about things, which is what you always do. I’m sick of it. We’re married, we’re in this together.”
“I told you I would sort out the financial mess I’d made. There was no need for you to get involved. I’d have handled it. I told you that.”
“It’s not just your mess,” Nat said sadly.
“I know! We’re married, so my mess is your mess, but since I got us into it, it should be me who gets us out of it. You should have kept out of it.”
“That wasn’t what I meant,” Nat said quietly.
When the cabin fell into complete silence, Lily risked peeking through the gap in the door. The pair of them were sitting in the galley – Nat with her head in her hands.
“I messed up too,” she finally said. “So I wasn’t just trying to fix your problems, but mine as well. And I should have told you, but I saw a way out… and I knew you wouldn’t agree to it, so I just went for it.”
“What do you mean, you messed up?” Harry asked softly. “What did you do?”
“You know what I did,” she said. “Same thing I always do when I’m stressed.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry whispered.
“Why are you sorry?” Nat sniffed.
“Because it’s me who causes you stress.”
Nat put a hand against the side of his face. “We can sort this mess out. But I need you to stick around and help me work through everything instead of disappearing like you usually do.”
“Sorry,” he muttered.
“Can we go home before the rain starts?” Nat asked.
Lily shifted back against the wall, listening to the creak of the steps as they left the cabin. The boat swayed again, signalling they’d gone, but she waited a few minutes before making a swift exit.