Page 95 of The House Swap

She is going to wait for Tom before she goes to the police. That buys me time. And although she has her suspicions, she can’t prove I am responsible. If asked, I will deny everything.

What matters now is getting the lifeline back. Without the cameras, she’s gone. Out of reach. She is supposed to go home in four days. I am running out of time. But how? She doesn’t trust me now, that much is clear, so she won’t let me in the villa. I will have to hope she goes out, then I can use my key.

I’ve been patient with her.

She is mine. I just need to take back control.

31

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER

Poppy heard the sound of Jem’s car before she saw the sweep of headlights across the front of the villa, and she quickly grabbed her bag and keys, letting herself out of the door.

She had been ready early and watching for him, eager to have some company. She hadn’t slept properly last night, and food had been an afterthought, her stomach too tight with nerves to manage more than a few bites. Despite heading out for a long walk to try to clear her head, she hadn’t seen a soul. Too much time alone had allowed the events of the past twenty-four hours to play on a loop in her mind.

She knew that wasn’t helping.

Although she had spoken to Tom a couple of times today, both calls had been brief and disappointing. He hadn’t been able to get a flight back. Not today. He had managed to book one for tomorrow, but it would mean another night alone. He’d said he would speak to Martin when he got back. Deal with everything face to face.

At least she had Jem for a distraction tonight. She needed the normality of dinner with a friend and was glad she hadn’t cancelled.

He was already out of the car before she’d locked the door, opening the gate and meeting her on the pathway.

‘How are you?’ he asked, his gaze skimming over her appreciatively. ‘You look nice.’

‘Thank you. So do you,’ she told him, earning herself a quick and easy smile.

She meant it. The fitted sage-green shirt he was wearing loose over the top of his dark jeans hugged his body in all the right places and complemented the colour of his eyes, while the unruly curls of his dark hair added a little bit of perfectly imperfect chaos.

‘I found another restaurant a bit further along the coast, so I booked a table. I hope that’s okay. I know there’s not much open midweek and I guessed you wouldn’t want to go back to Manoli’s.’

‘That sounds good,’ Poppy agreed gratefully, understanding that he had purposely avoided Manoli’s because Sue and Ian were likely to be there.

The air had cooled noticeably since sunset and the breeze was much colder than it had been on previous evenings. It ruffled Jem’s hair as she followed him to the car.

‘So, how was your boat trip?’ he asked, once they were both in the car and heading down the track towards the coast road.

Poppy had been mulling all afternoon about whether to say anything. Jem knew Martin. What would he think if she told him what had happened? Would he say she had overreacted?

And then there were the cameras. She couldn’t prove her suspicions that Martin was involved.

‘It was eventful,’ she said.

He took his eyes briefly off the road to look at her, one eyebrow raised, his face dark in the shadowy interior of the car. ‘Eventful good or eventful bad?’

Poppy sighed, making a decision.

‘Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly what I expected.’ She hesitated. ‘My friend, Tom. The one whose villa I am staying in, he arranged for his friend, Kostas, to take me out on his boat. But Martin showed up instead.’

‘Martin Roe?’

She nodded. ‘Yes. Apparently, Kostas couldn’t make it, so he stepped in.’

‘Okay. But you’ve met Martin.’

Jem said it as a statement, not a question.

‘Yes, I have.’ Poppy gave a small shrug. ‘I know it’s stupid, but I always feel a little uncomfortable around Martin. I didn’t really want to go with him, but I felt awkward backing out, especially after Tom had arranged it. So I went anyway.’