My hand was gripping his as if we were about to topple over the edge of a cliff.
‘This is where it gets interesting,’ he said. ‘Pamela’s cell-mate was none other than Karen Morley.’
Chapter 38
Suddenly I was terribly hot, as if an inferno had ignited inside my stomach.
I stared at him, my mouth gaping. ‘Karen’s been in prison?’ I was astounded. ‘It can’t be the same person – not my Karen.’ I’d raised my voice and people in the restaurant were turning their heads.
‘It’s definitely her,’ he said, patting my knees. ‘Jim has only just confirmed it. That’s why I couldn’t say anything before now. I still haven’t got the details.’
‘What did she do? Why was she put away?’
‘Like I say – we don’t have the full facts yet. He’s working on it.’
‘I can’t…not Karen…what could she have done...?’
An image of Karen standing in the snow beside the bonfire, burning the stool, came into my mind. I thought about how methodical she’d been about getting rid of Charlie, how in control she’d been the whole time. I thought about how she’d appeared to call the police straight after we found the body and they hadn’t come. About the car that wouldn’t start. The phone socket in the sitting room she said she knew nothing about…
‘You’re in shock,’ he said, a look of concern darkening his face. ‘Do you want to get out of here?’
‘No…’ I was staring into space, trying to figure it all out. Did she know Charlie? Did she know why he had come to the cottage?
For the first time, the idea that Karen had killed him solidified in my mind. I hadn’t dared let it take full hold before, but with everything else – and her subsequent actions – it made sense.
‘She didn’t want the police involved,’ I muttered, not realising I’d said it out loud.
‘What?’ he said.
‘Nothing…I don’t know…’
He held me close and I hid my face inside his jacket. Everything seemed to be flashing; shapes in the room, pictures in my head. I closed my eyes hoping it would stop, but it only got worse.
He gently shook my arm. He’d been speaking to me and I hadn’t heard him. ‘I said, do you want a coffee?’
‘Oh…a brandy, I think…’
He disappeared for a while and returned with two glasses – a double shot for me and a soda and lime for him, as he was driving.
‘When will you know more?’ I asked him, gulping down half of my glass in one go.
‘Jim will be in touch later today. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from him,’ he promised.
‘Thank you.’
He settled back, one ankle on the other knee, his arm around me. It felt so natural to be cuddling up against him. Suddenly my life split into two parts – before Stuart and now; this chance of a new beginning with such a compelling man at my side. If only…
At that point he mentioned the police. ‘Did you hear? They’re sending divers down into the lake – Loch Tierney.’
I tried not to stiffen. ‘Why?’
‘At least two families say they saw something early on Saturday morning. A boat in the lake, something dropping into the water – sounds very dodgy.’
I knew this beautiful encounter with Stuart was too good to be true. The reality of the situation came flooding back over me again. Everything wasn’t going to be alright. Karen and I had been seen.
I kept my gaze on him, tried to keep my hands still. Now the police were going to find Charlie and start asking yet more questions. Stuart would be beside himself. I couldn’t face a round of enquiries, omissions and lies. I’d break – I knew I would.
‘Did the police say what they’d seen?’ my voice had weakened to a hoarse whisper.
‘I don’t know. It was just a short update on the local news.’
Nina might know more. I made an excuse to go to the Ladies’ and gave her a call. I told her I’d heard a boat was seen at the loch and asked whether she could tell me any more.
‘Not really. Ted and Lorrie – do you remember? They saw something. And a couple in the cottage further down, closer to the water. They spotted the boat right in the centre of the loch very early on Saturday morning, apparently. The sun had barely come up and they were out at the crack of dawn looking for wildlife with their binoculars.’
I shuddered at her last word.
‘Did they…see what happened?’
‘Only that there were two figures in the boat – and they threw something over the side. Something heavy. The police think it’s the boy.’