‘She’s in Costa, on the ground floor,’ Marianne told her. ‘You will let us know how she gets on with her results, won’t you?’
‘Of course, and I’ll make sure someone collects your things,’ she said to Joely.
Showering her paper gown with crumbs as she replied, Joely said, ‘The nephew’s card is in my handbag. His name’s Edward Martin.’
Andee gave her a thumbs up and Joely looked at her mother to see if anything about the name had affected her, and it clearly had. Joely’s appetite faded. ‘Have you seen her?’ she asked, her head starting to pound again.
Marianne shuddered slightly as she nodded. ‘She came to the house. I didn’t … I hadn’t met her before, but I knew who she was. She’d already sent me a copy of the memoir.’
‘So you are the girl she got me to write about?’
Marianne nodded again. ‘She wants me to admit that I lied …’ She pressed her fingers to her mouth. ‘It was so long ago … I’ve told her what happened, but she doesn’t want to believe me.’
‘Did she …? Where is she now?’
‘I don’t know. I left her at the house when we got the news about you. I expect she left soon after we did.’
Joely swallowed drily and looked up as Callum came in with more coffees and croissants. Her heart hadn’t fluttered this way since they’d first met, and seeing his dismay that Marianne had beaten him with breakfast made it fold around all the love she had for him. ‘Have you spoken to Holly this morning?’ she asked, taking one of his croissants so he wouldn’t feel left out.
‘No,’ he replied. ‘She rang last night to ask how you were and she sent her love. She wants you to call as soon as you can.’
‘I’ll do it now,’ Joely said and held out a hand for someone’s phone.
Marianne passed hers over. ‘She probably won’t be awake yet on a Saturday morning, but I’m sure she won’t mind if it’s you.’
‘She’ll think it’s you,’ Joely reminded her as she scrolled to the number.
The phone rang several times at the other end telling her Holly probably was still asleep, but then it stopped and Joely was about to say, ‘Hi, it’s me,’ when to her horror Freda’s voice said,
‘Hello, Marianne. How’s Joely?’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Marianne’s face turned white. ‘What do you mean, Freda answered?’ she cried.
‘Are you sure it was Holly’s number you connected to?’ Callum cut in, scrolling to it himself.
‘I don’t have Freda’s,’ Marianne told him.
Fear and confusion were welling up in Joely. ‘What is she doing answering Holly’s phone? And why the hell did I just ring off? What a fool. Call back …’
‘Holly? It’s Dad, are … Christ, it’s her voicemail. Holly, ring me as soon as you get this. I need to hear from you.’ Clicking off, he stared hard at Joely and her mother. ‘What exactly is going on?’ he demanded, his face tight with confusion and concern. ‘Who is this Freda person, and what is she doing with Holly’s phone?’
‘She’s the woman you saw at the house, before we left,’ Marianne reminded him, more agitated than ever.
‘The one Joely’s been working with?’
‘She must still be there,’ Marianne said to Joely. ‘We were in such a rush to leave … Oh God, Holly must have turned up …’
‘We need to get back to London,’ Joely said to Callum, and ignoring the pain she struggled to her feet. ‘Someone help me into those clothes …’
‘Is Holly in some kind of danger?’ Callum insisted, snatching up the carrier bag as Marianne tore off the paper gown. ‘Is this woman … What the hell is she likely to do?’
‘I don’t know.’ Joely grabbed his arm as she stepped into the panties her mother was holding out. ‘Probably nothing, but she’s not …’ She broke off as a nurse came into the room. ‘Mum, you tell him,’ she said, gesturing for her mother to hand the clothes to the nurse.
‘Do we need to call the police?’ Callum persisted. ‘Christ, Joely, this is our daughter …’
‘I know who she is,’ Joely snapped. ‘And the woman we’re talking about is nuts, so yes, we probably should ring the police. Mum will know what to tell them.’ She yelped as her damaged left side became trapped between her and the nurse.
‘It’s her!’ Callum cried as his phone rang. ‘Holly? Are you OK?’
Joely’s right hand tightened like a vice on the nurse’s arm.