The Survivors(106)

‘Did Ash and I really give you that much shit?’

Sean just shook his head. ‘It’s not your fault.’

Kieran stared at him across the water. ‘Sean? Mate? I’m sorry. I really am. You didn’t deserve that. Not from Ash, and definitely not from me.’

Sean rubbed a hand over his eyes. At last, he opened his mouth. ‘I’m pretty sure Toby and Finn found my note.’

Kieran thought of the message scribbled in haste by Sean as Gabby waited on the dock.

4.15 pm. You were late. Gone to caves.

‘After I left here, I went straight back to the marina,’ Sean said. ‘I thought Gabby would follow me there, to get her backpack from the boat. But the boat was gone. I had a couple of missed calls from Toby on my phone, but the signal was already patchy by then. The weather was –’ He broke off. ‘It was bad.’

Kieran didn’t say anything. He knew how bad the weather had been. He remembered it very well.

Sean was also silent for a moment. ‘The storm was so much worse than I’d expected. I know Toby would have been worried about me out here. Finn too.’ He breathed out. ‘I think they came looking for me.’

Kieran took another step closer. ‘They might have gone out looking for you,’ he found himself saying, ‘but the emergency call came in for me.’

Sean shook his head. ‘They didn’t head out here because of you.’

The water was lapping at Sean’s thighs now but he still didn’t move, simply staring into the grey-green sea with an odd look on his face.

‘What did you think when Gabby’s bag washed up?’ Kieran said.

‘I was relieved. I didn’t know how badly the boat was damaged so I was worried they’d find her bag still in the box, but I guess it got washed away in the accident.’

It hadn’t, Kieran knew now, but looking at Sean standing deep in the water, he didn’t want to get into it.

‘Gabby’s name was all around town when Trish realised she was gone,’ Sean went on. ‘I was so scared when she didn’t come back. Then I was scared that she would, and that she’d tell everyone what I’d done. But when her bag washed up, it all kind of stopped. Everyone was so worried about other things. Toby and Finn were still dead and you were back from hospital and we had the funerals, and after all that was over, the whole thing with Gabby –’ Sean opened his hands in the empty air. ‘It was weird. It felt in some ways like it had never happened.’

‘Until Bronte?’

Sean closed his eyes as though in pain. ‘Yeah. Until then.’





Chapter 40


The beach outside Fisherman’s Cottage was dark, even in the moonlight. The warmth of the day had disappeared with the sun hours earlier and that stretch of shoreline was empty, the daytime visitors all long gone.

Sean stopped outside the cottage, relieved to see lights still burning through the windows. It was late, after 11.30 pm already according to his phone, but he could tell from the shadow of movement inside that someone was still up. He dusted the sand off his feet and pulled his shoes back on before walking up the side path to the front door. He thought that was better than knocking on the back. He didn’t want to give Bronte a heart attack.

Sean rang the bell and heard the sound of footsteps in the hall. The front door opened, sending a shaft of light onto the path. Bronte’s face appeared in the gap. Her look of mild suspicion turned to surprise when she saw Sean standing there.

‘Oh, hello. I thought –’ Bronte started.

‘Sorry –’ he said at the same time.

They both stopped.

‘Sorry to turn up like this so late,’ Sean tried again.

‘No, it’s okay.’ The door opened wider. ‘I thought you were Liam. He just left.’ Bronte glanced over Sean’s shoulder, as though perhaps half expecting to see his nephew still loitering. She looked a little relieved that he wasn’t. The road was empty. ‘What brings you here?’

‘I wondered if I could grab my torch back? That yellow waterproof one that Ash gave you?’

‘Oh. Sure.’ The door opened all the way and Bronte stepped aside to let him in. She was still wearing her orange waitress uniform, but had taken her hair down. ‘Sorry to have kept it so long. I hadn’t realised you needed it.’

‘It’s okay. But I was checking the weather and it looks like tomorrow might be my last chance for a while to get right down inside the wreck.’ Sean followed her in. The house smelled cool and fresh. ‘I’ve got this group from Norway coming soon, so I need to get in while I can.’

‘No worries. It’s in here.’ Bronte led him down the hall towards the glow spilling out from her bedroom. ‘Olivia was going on again about stuff lying around, so I put it away.’ She flashed a smile at him. ‘Do not tell her I said that, it’ll make things worse.’

‘You guys not getting along?’

‘Oh. We’re okay.’ Bronte shrugged. ‘It’s not really me she’s annoyed with.’

‘No?’

She laughed. ‘Well, that’s what I tell myself anyway. But I know she hates work. And I’m not sure what’s wrong with her mum, but there’s some issue there. Maybe when I’m gone she’ll let Ash move in here. She’d be happier with him around.’