the chance to actually eat something after Victor had disappeared. The twins were amusing themselves, so I finally took the opportunity to ask Mum why we’d specifically returned to Galanikos.
Claire: I’d literally never heard of that island before Victor told me we were invited on a family holiday. I was really confused when I found out it wasn’t Victor’s family holiday.
Vic said his dad’s business partner used to visit Galanikos every year. There was Geoff and Bethan – plus their two grown-up kids: Julius and Emma. Julius was separated but he had twin girls. That was six of them, so that’s a family, isn’t it? I could just about understand Geoff and Bethan thinking of Daniel and Liz as family, given they worked together so closely. What I never really understood was why Vic and I got to go along.
Emma: Mum said we’d had loads of good times on the island before Alan died.
Claire: We were just about to take off when Vic said that someone had died on the island nine years before and that was why everyone stopped going. If we’d been getting on better, I’d have probably asked a few more questions. You talk about red flags and they’re all there. I think I was seduced by the words ‘free holiday’ and ‘all-inclusive’. It was a bit late by then anyway.
Emma: Mum said the island was her favourite place and that she might not get a chance to return. They’d given her about eighteen months to live at that point – although she never said that specifically. Perhaps it was the truth, but, even then, I thought that it was probably Dad who wanted to go back.
I remember one Christmas before I went to prison. Julius was still with Simone and I suppose everyone was happier. We’d all gone to Mum and Dad’s house – and it was Dad who was talking about how great it would be to go back to Galanikos one day. I don’t think Mum said anything about it.
Julius: I don’t know whose idea it was to visit Galanikos specifically. It wasn’t mine. Did someone say it was?
Emma: Mum has this way of shutting down when there’s a subject she doesn’t want to talk about. If she’s into something, she’ll look you in the eye and, even if she doesn’t say anything, you can tell that she wants to know more. If she’s said or heard enough, she’ll look away and it feels like you’re a naughty child being sent out of class.
When she looked away, I figured we were done. I was feeling a bit tired anyway, so said goodnight to everyone and headed into the hotel. It was probably about eight o’clock, but I don’t know for sure.
I was going to flick through the TV channels and find something to send me off to sleep, but it was only when I closed the door to my room and stared at the suitcase sitting on the bed, still packed, that I realised I didn’t want to be by myself.
I know there’s a contradiction because I was so used to being on my own – plus I’d just walked away from a table where people would have actually talked to me. I can’t really explain it. I wanted to be around people… just nobody that I actually knew.
Claire: I figured Emma had gone to bed.
Emma: I ended up going to the bar in the hotel next door. I’d ordered a Coke and was sitting by myself, watching everyone do their own thing.
I think I’ve always been a bit of a people-watcher. When I was at school, me and my best friend would sit high on these steps that looked out over the playground. We’d spend our whole breaks watching everyone else and talking about them. You could figure out a lot about people by keeping an eye on them when they didn’t realise they were being watched… That’s true in prison as well – although only if you’re smart enough to not get spotted.
Paul Bosley (sound technician, Garibaldi Media): I was in the hotel bar half watching the football on TV. I can’t remember which game was on, but I think it was a replay from Copa America, or something like that.
I was on my way over to the bar to get another drink when I spotted a woman sitting there. She stood out, partly because she was on her own – but also because she was so… normal. You had to be