Final Cut(76)

Bryan returns her greeting, then, once she’s continued towards a rear pew, turns back to me.

‘Not her. I just … I can’t believe it.’

A young couple push past us, trailing their child.

‘I’d be dead without her,’ he goes on. ‘She’s the one who set me right.’

‘She loved you.’

People are still coming in, though it’s slowed to a trickle. It looks like it’s about to start.

‘It weren’t just that. She’s a good person.’

‘So, why did it end? What happened?’

‘I stopped needing to be rescued, I suppose. It turned out there wasn’t much more to what we had, once you took that away.’

At the front the vicar clears his throat. ‘Welcome!’ he says. I fade him out.

‘How old were you?’

‘Teenagers,’ he hisses. ‘Look, why these questions? Monica wouldn’t hurt anyone.’

‘You know she takes the kids to the stables?’

‘To give them something to do, yes. They love it.’

‘That’s not all she does it for.’

The woman in front of Bryan looks round, her eyes narrowed in admonishment. She smiles when Bryan mouths an apology.

‘Let’s get out of here,’ he says. ‘There’s a door at the back.’

I duck down and half jog towards the back of the church, Bryan a few paces behind, eyes on me the whole time. For a second it feels naughty, adventurous, like we’re sneaking out of assembly to go and have a fag behind the toilet block, but then I lock my gaze with Monica.

‘I can prove it,’ I say, once we’re out in the cold air. ‘Look.’

I take out my phone.

‘Don’t,’ he says. ‘Please. Just drop this, okay?’

‘No,’ I say. ‘You have to watch.’

I find the film Kat sent me and press Play. At first he refuses to look at the screen – a sense of loyalty to Monica, I suppose – but then he watches. Watches as Ellie takes the joint, as Grace and the other girls are told about the party, as they’re warned not to say too much in front of me.

‘Who filmed this?’

‘I can’t be sure. Kat, I think.’

‘You’ve spoken to her?’

‘I can’t find her.’

‘And this was before Ellie ran away?’

‘I’m guessing so. And I don’t think she ran. I think she was taken out there, as a punishment.’

‘By Monica? But it doesn’t make sense.’

‘No,’ I say. I pause, unsure for a moment. ‘I can’t prove it, but I think there are more people involved.’

I tell him about breaking into Monica’s cottage, about the book I found, the photographs, the men’s names.

‘And there’s something else,’ I say. ‘She interrupted me, and …’

‘What?’

I hesitate. I want him to help expose Monica, find out who else is involved. But do I trust him enough to risk him finding out the truth about who I am?

I have no choice. I need help.

‘She was on the phone,’ I say. ‘I heard her say “She’s back.” ’

He tilts his head towards me. ‘She’s back?’

‘Yes.’

‘She meant Ellie.’

‘No,’ I say. ‘She didn’t sound relieved.’

‘Who, then?’

My stomach clenches as it comes to me. Maybe Monica doesn’t know who I am. How could she? She’s back. They were talking about Daisy.

I say it out loud. ‘Daisy.’

‘What?’

I nod, but in voicing it, it’s all become clear. He shakes his head, incredulously, as it tumbles out.

‘She’s been seen,’ I say. ‘On the Rocks. At Bluff House. And I saw her, too. I was down at the beach, the day Ellie went missing. I saw her – Daisy, I mean – just standing there outside Bluff House, watching me.’

He pauses. ‘My god. You’re serious.’

I remember last night, when I was up at the bandstand looking for Kat. The figure in the gloaming. Maybe she’s following me.

‘It was her. I’m sure of it.’

‘But she was seen jumping.’

‘By Monica.’

He shakes his head.

‘And what about David’s confession—?’

‘You believe him?’

‘Do I believe what someone wrote in their suicide note?’ he says. ‘Yes.’

I take a deep breath. ‘It was faked. David’s note. I think someone tried to kill him.’

‘Slow down—’

‘I think Daisy tried to kill him.’

‘Alex, really—’

‘She sent me this film of herself,’ I say, in a hurry to get it all out before I’m dismissed completely. ‘It was a warning. And I know David’s note is a lie, because I knew Sadie.’

‘What? How—?’

‘Back in London. It’s why I’m here. She asked me to come up and see what was going on. But the point is, she’s alive, so—’

‘So he couldn’t have killed her. But—’