answer, but Susanna was inscrutable.
EIGHTY-EIGHT
Ellie continued to look at her sister, horrified. Abby had to stop moving; she had to do what the police were saying! In desperation, Ellie’s hands fell to her sides and, as they did, they brushed against the pocket of her jacket and she felt something hard and weighty. She froze – the gun!
Awkwardly, she moved her hands away.
She didn’t notice Santini clock her movements, see her nervousness, her fear. She didn’t see his eyes light up, as he instinctively understood what she’d felt in her pocket. She didn’t see him swing his arms so that his weapon pointed at her instead of Abby.
EIGHTY-NINE
Susanna waited. Surely it was only a matter of seconds now? The police suspected that Abby was armed and there was no way they’d let her keep on coming at them. She half wondered about provoking Abby into launching at her, just to get to the end of this nightmare. Maybe she should say something that would cause Abby to make a sudden movement. Then it would be over. Susanna would deny anything Kathleen claimed – that ‘confession’ she’d made would never stand up. If she could just silence Abby then Susanna knew she’d be safe forever and no one would ever find out what she’d done.
‘She doesn’t care for you, you know,’ said Susanna.
Abby frowned. ‘Who?’
‘Ellie. She’s been talking to me this whole trip.’
‘You’re wrong. We get on now, we’re close.’
Susanna shook her head. ‘You never have been and you never will be. I’m sorry about that but it’s the truth.’
Susanna turned to smile at her younger daughter and as she did so she caught sight of Santini pointing his gun in a different direction to all the other cops. She frowned, trying to understand, then it all happened so quickly. She was distantly aware of Abby lunging for her, Baroni shouting a warning. But Susanna wasn’t even looking at her eldest daughter; she was staring at Ellie, who was rushing towards them – not to her, Susanna, but to Abby – with fear and love etched across her face. Susanna reeled around to see Santini, his gun at eye level, and in a split second she knew what he was going to do. She screamed out in denial, throwing herself at her favourite daughter. There was a blinding pain, then she fell to the ground.
NINETY
The world seemed to slow down. Ellie was aware of a deafening bang, an explosive sound that made her ears ring and suddenly left her feeling as if she was watching everything from a distance. Her mother was lying on the ground next to her, blood seeping from her back. Ellie felt dizzy . . . Must not fall, she thought and tried to right herself. Abby was gesturing at her wildly, trying to get away from the police, but they pinned her hands behind her back and restrained her with handcuffs. Ellie knew that if she tried to walk towards her she would tumble. The ringing in her ears just wouldn’t go away. She closed her eyes for a moment but felt herself sway so opened them again. The policewoman who’d held the megaphone was now on the ground next to her mother. She’d rolled her over, was pushing on her chest, but Ellie knew she was dead.
Her mind suddenly swirled and she couldn’t focus properly. In despair she tried to grab hold of something, but there was nothing but thin air and she collapsed to the ground.
EPILOGUE
Eight months later
‘Trust you to take the best position,’ said Abby. Holding a tray with two glasses of iced lemonade she’d just brought from the house, she looked down at her sister, lying on a lounger beside the Tyrrhenian Sea. Ellie had already made herself comfortable in the shade, cast by the new umbrella that Matteo had put up before he went to work. The other lounger was in full sun.
‘I need the shady one, the heat worsens the MS,’ said Ellie.
‘I thought we weren’t meant to wrap you in cotton wool?’ said Abby, but she spoke lightly as she placed the tray down on the rocks and handed her sister a drink.
‘I forbid it,’ said Ellie. ‘But I’m allowed the occasional perk. Just don’t ever make a fuss, OK?’
Abby held her hands up. ‘I promised, didn’t I?’
‘I didn’t even want you to know . . .’ mused Ellie. ‘I didn’t want anyone to know.’ She’d kept her illness secret ever since she’d been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nearly