happening with the boat where the bodies were found.’
‘Oh yes, keeping the seat warm for some hotshot to come and take all the credit for your hard work.’
Alex laughed. ‘Hardly, Lin. But—’
‘But you quite enjoyed the thrill of the chase and now you want to stay on it?’
‘Something like that.’ Alex paused, trying to marshal her thoughts. ‘I came alive again today. Felt I was doing something, not just writing about, I don’t know, the Aldeburgh Festival or the price of beach huts in Sole Bay. Or even extreme couponing.’
‘Extreme what?’
Alex waved her hand. ‘Never mind. It’s too dull to go into.’
‘Okay. But I thought you liked doing those features?’
‘I do. Though—’ She frowned.
‘Today was more exciting.’
‘I think that’s what it is, yes.’
‘So don’t let Heath Maitland take all the glory. Get in there.’
‘Maybe.’ She thought about the tingle of excitement she’d had when she’d spoken to Colin Harper. How she had felt she belonged when she sat at the presser.
‘No “maybe” about it. It’s your story.’
That’s what she liked about Lin – that she was so loyal, so behind her. She looked at her friend and grinned. ‘You seem awfully keen to keep me on this story. You’ll have to talk to Bud.’ A thought suddenly struck her. ‘Heath Maitland. How did you know it was him who came up from London?’
Lin poured them both some more wine. ‘You told me.’
‘Did I?’
Lin nudged her gently. ‘Yes, you did. Over dinner.’ She looked at Alex over the rim of her glass. ‘So tell me how far you’ve got. With your investigating. Sounds so grown-up.’
‘Ha! Not really. And I haven’t got very far at all. I managed to get the addresses of Derek Daley and Roger Fleet. Mind you, I expect Bud knows Daley’s address anyway – and I had a tour around a boat similar to the one Daley and Fleet hired.’
‘Is that it?’
‘Yep. Why, did you think I should have unmasked the killer by now?’
‘Of course,’ Lin laughed. ‘I have every faith in your abilities.’
‘And what were you doing there this morning?’
‘Where?’
‘Down at the staithe?’
‘I told you, heard there was something going on and I wanted to find out what it was. Plus I needed some pictures for my artwork. You know, of all those ducks and geese. And the fisherman for that matter.’
‘And the bird shit?’
‘That too.’
Alex smiled. They looked out over the grey sea.
‘So. What’s on your mind, Alex? I know there’s something.’
Alex sighed deeply and shut her eyes. She knew she was going to have to face this sooner or later. Sooner was probably better. ‘You’re right. It is about Sasha.’
‘Okay. And now you’ve told me all about her, you can tell me what the latest is.’ She leaned across and kissed Alex softly on the cheek. ‘That’s what friends are for.’
Alex opened her eyes. ‘She’s been released from the mental health unit.’
‘Right.’
‘I had an email this morning asking me how she was getting on now she’d been with me for two days. I didn’t know how to reply; well, I haven’t replied, because she’s not with me. She left the unit and could be anywhere.’
Lin sat back. ‘Not with you? You must be frantic. Where could she be?’
‘That’s just it, I know I should be worried, chasing around and I am, but …’ She hugged her knees.
‘You have made some calls?’
‘Yes. But she hasn’t got many friends.’
‘Police?’
Alex shook her head. ‘I haven’t gone down that road yet.’
‘But she’s a vulnerable person—’
‘I know.’ Alex managed to stop herself shouting. She took a deep breath, steadied herself. ‘I’ve tried her phone, left a message.’
‘You need to do more than that.’
Alex felt the tears prick at the back of her eyes. ‘I will. I will. I keep thinking she’ll phone me. Or that she’s gone to stay with someone she met in the unit. That she wanted to have a bit of time to herself. That if I don’t hear anything I will go to the police tomorrow.’
‘Right.’ Lin sounded doubtful.
Alex sighed. She had to go on, tell Lin the truth. She took a deep breath. ‘The thing is, I’ve been dreading having her with me.’
And that dread was why she had pushed the problem of Sasha to the back of her mind. And that in itself was unusual for her. All her life she had been the one caring about her sister, trying to do right by her, shielding her as much as she could. Not that it had done any good in the end. But now she had had several months with Sasha not being her responsibility, and, though she hated to admit it to herself, had enjoyed the freedom that had brought.
‘Okay,’ said Lin, slowly. ‘But you want to have your sister back home with you, don’t you? So you can look after her?’
‘Yes. But—’
‘But what? She’s your sister, Alex. And you need to know where she is.’
Alex blinked at the harshness in Lin’s voice.
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ said Lin, shaking her head. ‘What am I like? I should know better, what with my brother and his problems.’
‘No, you’re right. But – I don’t know if I’ll be able to cope,’ she whispered. It wasn’t just that. Alex thought she might let Sasha down again. Not be able to look after her properly. Or was it something else entirely – something Alex couldn’t bring herself to think about: that she didn’t want her troubled sister with her?
‘Of course you’ll cope,’ Lin said. ‘She’s your family. If you think you can’t manage, what about your parents?’
Alex shook her head. ‘No. Mum’s got enough to do with Dad and everything, and anyway, Sash says she’s caused them enough grief.’ She laughed, but it was hollow. ‘As if she hasn’t caused me any over the years, sabotaging my life, my relationships.’
‘Your relationships?’
Alex wished she hadn’t said anything. ‘You know.’
‘No?’
‘Well, she married my boyfriend, Jez.’
‘What? She nicked him off you? More fodder for Jeremy Kyle.’
Alex couldn’t help but smile. ‘Not exactly. We had finished with each other. And they did fall in love. Married young. Had the twins shortly after. And that’s when the depression and the self-harming got worse. After the two children died, Sasha needed even more looking after, until it came out she had killed the children herself.’
‘Shitstorm.’
‘You could say that.’ Alex leaned back. ‘You know, you really are easy to talk to. I hardly ever, well, never really, tell people about Sasha. Not all about her. You’re the first person in a long while.’ Only Malone knew this much about her.