“Is he always this hilarious?” I say drily.
“Apparently so.” Izzy scowls, taking the iPad from me and typing furiously.
Fliss:Not funny, Noah. We’ve had a horrible night.
Unknown:Seriously, are you all okay? I can see police cars from where I’m staying. S x
“S must be Scarlett,” I say, half annoyed at Noah’s poor timing but mainly relieved it’s not the killer messaging me, which was my first thought. A message appears from the final number.
Unknown:Are you both home safe? F
My shoulders relax a little. Ford. And that question is easier to answer, at least. I take the iPad and type.
Fliss:Yes, we’re at home. Thanks for checking.
Scarlett:What happened?
I start and delete the same sentence three times. I know they can see my little bubble promising a message. The problem is, I don’t know what to say.
Noah:Fliss? Are you really both okay?
I sigh and commit to the words, sending a message that is brief but to the point. Better to get it out there now, and it’s not like the detectives said we couldn’t discuss it.
Fliss:The waitress from the catering agency is dead and we found her body. I think the police are investigating it as a murder.
I peel my eyes open slowly, taking a second to rouse myself. There’s a buzzing sound somewhere below me, and I pat around for my phone before remembering I don’t have it. Izzy is snoring softly next to me, so I slip out of bed to avoid waking her and spot the iPad on the floor as it lights up with a video call, vibrating along the wooden floor. As I scoop it up, the memory of finding Helen’s body slams into my mind with such force that I gasp. “Oh god,” I croak, my waking mind recoloring the scene, eventhough I really don’t want it to. I leave the room as quietly as I can, swiping the screen to accept the call.
“Mom!”
“Felicity!” I almost weep as she appears on-screen. “Baby, are you all right? Your dad called me. He said someone from the gallery told him what happened. I’m looking at flights right now.”
“You don’t have to do that. Give me a second, I don’t want to wake Iz.”
I tiptoe to the living room and slide the doors shut before I burrow down on the sofa and bring the iPad with me, turning it on its side as I curl up in the fetal position. Mom looks healthy—tanned, even—after a few days in the sun, and her hair is in its natural curly state, not straightened within an inch of its life as usual.
“I’m okay. You just woke me up, that’s all. It took a minute to get my bearings.”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. I’ve been frantic, but Darren said it would be best to let you sleep for a while.” I flick my eyes to the corner of the screen. Just after eleven. We’ve slept for almost twelve hours and missed the pottery class. “How is Izzy?”
“She’s okay too, I think.” My vision blurs as silent tears stream down my face. They grow cold as soon as they touch my skin, seeping into my hair before pooling on the cushion. “It was horrible, Mom. How could somebody do that to another person?”
“I don’t know, baby.” She furrows her brow in concern, and I sniffle back more tears. “But Ethan is as happy as anything here with Darren and his grandparents, so I can be on the first available flight home if you need me.”
“No, you need to be there for Darren while his mom has surgery. Plus, Ethan’s only little—he won’t understand why you’re not there. Did Dad say what he was doing?” I sit up.
“He’s changing their return flights. He has to be back for some legal stuff at the gallery.” Mom pulls a face but doesn’t say anything else, and I know that “legal stuff” is actually the police investigation.
“So he probably won’t be long, and I have Izzy until then.”
Mom smiles this time. “Well, you say the word and I’ll be there. I mean it, Fliss.”
“I will, thank you. Have you spoken to Izzy’s mom yet?”
“No, but I will. Should we let them talk first? I know there’s a lot going on with Sophie at the moment.”
“Yeah, there is. I’ll tell Iz to talk to her and then let you know. Is that okay?”
“Just don’t wait too long to—oof!” The screen wobbles as if it has taken a knock, and then my baby brother’s chocolate-stained face fills it. “I think Ethan wants to say hi,” Mom says.