Chapter 16
Poppy didn’t remember falling asleep.
At some point, exhaustion must have taken hold, because when she opened her eyes again, pale morning light was seeping through the blinds and her neck ached from lying half propped up against the headboard.
For a few seconds, she didn’t move, the events of the previous night creeping back to her. The broken wine bottle and the sense that someone had been outside on the terrace.
Now, daylight brought fresh perspective, and as the rational part of her mind reasserted itself, it brought with it a flush of embarrassment.
Had she worked herself up over nothing?
She pushed back the duvet and padded down the hallway. The villa looked exactly as it had before she’d gone to bed. Tidy, still and harmless.
The kitchen still smelt a little of stale wine. Although she’d cleared up the mess, the broken glass was in a carrier bag on the floor, waiting to be taken outside to the bins.
Last night she hadn’t been brave enough to do it.
Now, she told herself it had been a simple accident, and yes – she couldn’t quite explain it – but there would be a logical explanation for how the bottle had fallen.
She checked the doors again, mostly to prove to herself that nothing sinister had happened. Finding them all locked reaffirmed that she was right.
Outside, the terrace looked smaller than it had in the dark. The pool sparkled in the morning sun and the edge of the throw that had fallen on the floor lifted lightly in the breeze, proving that it could have easily become dislodged from the lounger.
It had to have been the wind.
She unlocked the patio doors and went outside to pick it up. As she shook it out, she was annoyed by how jumpy she still felt.
‘Get a grip,’ she muttered to herself.
Still, she didn’t linger, locking the door again behind her and heading back into her bedroom to get dressed. Spotting her phone beside the bed, she picked it up and checked her WhatsApp trail with Keira.
Her message had now been read and Keira had hearted it, but there was no reply to Poppy’s question.
Trying to shrug it off, she focused on making coffee and having some breakfast, before she set up camp at the dining table again.
She managed a couple of hours of work, finding it a little easier to focus than yesterday, though the villa seemed so quiet. It had a different presence without Keira there. Not threatening, but the place felt too large for one person.
Tom lived here alone, she reminded herself. But then, this was his home. He was used to it.
By mid-morning, she couldn’t stay inside any longer. She needed noise. People. Proof that the world was normal.
Even though she didn’t need any groceries, she wandered in the direction of the mini-market, relieved to see the usual man behind the counter.
He greeted her with his customary nod.
‘You are settling in?’ he asked, as she selected an ice cream from the freezer and took it to the counter to pay.
‘Yes, thank you,’ she lied, before asking, ‘Is it usually very windy at night?’
He frowned, thinking, then shook his head. ‘Sometimes. Not last night. It was very calm.’
His answer unsettled her more than expected. She had hoped the weather might explain how the throw had fallen off the sun lounger.
‘Why?’ he asked.
‘Oh, no reason. I thought I heard something.’
He smiled sympathetically, which made her feel a little ridiculous. ‘It’s quiet here at this time of year. Takes some getting used to.’
‘I guess it does,’ she agreed.
Outside the shop, she peeled the wrapper from her ice cream and put it in the waste bin, before tucking into the treat.
Although the sun was out, there was more of a chill to the air today. Not cold, like it was back in England, but definitely cooler than it had been.
It felt too soon to head back to the villa and the thought of spending the rest of the day there alone just didn’t appeal.
She could message Jem, she supposed, but they already had dinner plans for tomorrow night.
Besides, she didn’t want to crowd him. He already had enough going on with sorting out his dad’s villa.
Perhaps Sue and Ian were home.
They had offered for Poppy to stop by any time.
Two days ago, she had wanted to avoid them, but right now she needed human noise.
Hoping she wouldn’t come to regret it, she pinged Sue a WhatsApp message.
Is it a convenient time to pop in for coffee?
Sue’s reply came almost immediately.
Of course. Come on over. We’d love to see you.
Twenty minutes later, Poppy was heading up the dirt track road to their villa.
As she passed Jem’s place, she noticed his car wasn’t there.
Hearing the sound of a door opening, Sue peered out. She must have been looking out for her. ‘Hello, Poppy! This is a nice surprise.’
‘Hi, Sue. How are you?’
‘Very well, my darling. You’re alone. I take it Keira did go home then?’
Poppy nodded. ‘Yes, she had an emergency.’
Immediately, she wished she hadn’t admitted that. If Sue tried to pry, Poppy had nothing to tell her. She still had no idea what Keira’s emergency had been.
Fortunately, the woman seemed to have already moved on.
She stepped back and waved Poppy in with theatrical enthusiasm. ‘Come on in. Don’t stand out there.’
The villa was immediately warmer than Tom’s. Not temperature wise, but in feeling. In fact, it was cosy to the point of being crowded.
The hallway opened straight into the living space, where a patterned rug covered the tiled floor, and matching sofas faced a large television that was mounted on the wall.
A crocheted throw lay neatly folded over one armrest, and the faint scent of air freshener – floral and obviously artificial – permeated the air.
It was unmistakably British.
Framed photographs crowded a sideboard: holiday snaps, Christmas dinners, smiling faces in pubs.
A Union Jack cushion sat defiantly among softer Mediterranean tones, and a bulldog doorstop with no door to guard sat on the floor beneath the TV, like a patriotic mascot.
On another wall hung a wooden sign that read ‘Home Is Where We Park It’.
Had they ever owned a caravan?
The décor was cheerful, but busy. Cream walls were punctuated with bursts of navy and red, while patterned curtains were tied back with thick rope. Even the coffee table held coasters with London landmarks printed on them.
It felt like Sue and Ian had tried to bring Essex with them.
Yet, despite the clutter, everything was tidy. Cushions were plumped and surfaces polished. Nothing looked out of place.
Ian stood near the kitchen archway with a glass of lunchtime wine in his hand. He offered her a friendly nod, while Sue bustled towards the kettle.
‘Poppy might fancy something a bit stronger, love,’ he suggested. ‘We have a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio open outside.’
‘Thanks, but I’m happy with coffee,’ Poppy told him.
Ian shrugged, smiling to himself, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was passing up the opportunity of a lunchtime drink.
As he disappeared outside, Sue took a mug from one cupboard and a jarful of coffee from another.
‘Milk, sugar?’ she asked.
‘Just a little milk please.’
‘We can go and sit by the pool if you like instead of staying indoors,’ she suggested, handing Poppy her drink.
She followed Sue through to the back garden, grateful to once again be in the sunshine.
Their outside space was compact, but there was enough space for a decent-sized patio table and chairs, while the pool was small, but looked clean and functional.
Again, Sue and Ian had made their mark, with quirky gnomes and windmills.
A high wall hid the garden from view, even though they only had a handful of neighbours.
‘You look tired,’ Ian observed as Poppy sat down and sipped at her coffee.
‘I didn’t sleep very well,’ she admitted.
‘That’s probably because you’re in a new place,’ Sue declared. Like Ian, she was on the wine. ‘It happens to everyone. The first few nights you hear every little noise.’
Poppy nodded. It had been her first night without Keira. Maybe the incidents that had spooked her really had been in her imagination.
She stayed for an hour; glad she had ventured out and grateful for the Pritchards’ hospitality. Yes, they could be a little bit much at times, but they seemed like kind and friendly people, and they meant well.
Before she left, Ian mentioned again that she should come over for dinner. He included Jem in the invite too, as if they were a couple.
Poppy had no idea how Jem would feel about that, but she agreed to have dinner with them on Sunday night, figuring it would get her out of the villa.
As she headed back towards Tom’s place, the sun was higher and the cool breeze had died now, making it feel warmer. From the road, everything looked peaceful. White walls, blue sky, still air, and the gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore.
It soothed her soul, easing her worries and making her realise maybe she had overreacted yesterday. To everything. To Keira’s departure and also to what had happened during the night.
She walked up the incline towards the villa, pausing as she reached the gate.
It was open. The same as yesterday when she had returned to find Keira gone.
This was like déjà vu.
Except yesterday there was at least an explanation, as Keira must have forgotten to close it as she left in a hurry. Now Poppy hesitated before stepping inside.
She knew with certainty that she had closed it behind her this morning, remembering hearing the latch click in place. It unsettled her slightly.
There was no sign of anyone about, though, and the front door was still locked. She undid it, letting herself into the villa.
Inside, nothing appeared to be disturbed. Still, she locked the door as a precaution.
Although it was a nice afternoon, she stayed inside, making an effort to get back into her manuscript, checking her phone periodically to see if Tom had messaged.
She didn’t want to harass him, conscious that he was doing her a favour by going to see Keira.
Eventually, her phone vibrated on the table, Tom’s name appearing on her screen.
I’m about to head to Keira’s. I’ll let you know once I’m there.
Poppy’s throat tightened. Although Keira had read and hearted her last message, her behaviour was still odd. She was desperate to know her friend was okay.
Quickly, she replied.
Thank you.
She put her phone back down and released a deep breath, realising now just how badly she needed this. Someone actually taking action and checking in on Keira.
Unable to focus on work now that she knew Tom was on his way, she got up and wandered over to the patio doors, unlocking them and stepping outside, needing the fresh air.
The breeze had picked up again, combing through the olive trees and disturbing the surface of the water in the pool. In the distance, she could see the swell of the sea and hear the thrashing of the waves.
There was maybe another hour or two of daylight left before the sun would start to set, slowly lowering into the hazy seam where the Aegean Sea met the sky.
It was something that she and Keira had enjoyed watching together each evening as they sat out on the terrace, a glass of wine in hand.
The fierce daytime glare softening to amber, then catching a kaleidoscope of colours: coral, apricot, rose and lilac.
The sky burning over the shimmering gold water, before darkening to violet and smoky blue as the sun dipped beyond the horizon.
Poppy had missed it yesterday as she worried about her friend but promised herself that she wouldn’t tonight.
On the table inside, her phone buzzed again.
Another message from Tom.
There’s no answer. I knocked twice.
Her stomach dipped.
You definitely have the right house? No. 9? Navy front door.
She was clutching at straws.
Yes. There’s a ginger cat at the window glaring at me.
That would be Dustin, Keira’s lovable orange menace.
Definitely the right house.
Deflated, she typed back:
Thank you for going there.
His reply came quickly.
Of course. I know you’ve been worrying. Look, I fly to Paris tomorrow afternoon for the wedding, but I can come back here in the morning if you like. Try again. I know you’ll feel better if you actually speak to her.
No. You’ve already done more than enough. Thank you, really.
Okay, well, if you change your mind, let me know.
Deciding she was done with work for the day, she shut down her laptop and carried her empty mug to the sink. She would have a shower and change her clothes, then sit outside for a bit with her Kindle.
As she headed down the hallway to the bedrooms, she spotted that her door was half closed. She was certain she had left it open.
It was a small detail. Meaningless really. Perhaps it had been the wind from when she’d had the patio doors open. Shrugging it off, she pushed it wider.
Everything looked normal at first glance and just how she had left it that morning. The bed neatly made and her suitcase tucked away down the side of the dresser.
Then she saw it.
One of the cushions on top of the duvet had been flipped over.
Poppy had purposely placed the palm leaf pattern facing in the correct direction. So how come it was now upside down?
Her chest tightened.
Had Martin and Elena been in today? There was no other sign that they had. The bins were still full, and her breakfast things were sat in the sink when she returned from Sue and Ian’s.
The vast openness of the villa with its high ceilings and sleek furnishings was supposed to be a paradise getaway, and there was no denying it was beautiful, but the longer she was here, the more unsettled she was becoming. The silence almost suffocating.
She told herself it was because she was still a little rattled by Keira’s abrupt departure, and, in truth, that hadn’t helped. Although she had initially planned to come here by herself, she hadn’t realised that the quietness would also feel lonely.
And a tiny part of her yearned for the cosiness of home.