27. Drowning Sorrows
I saiah was opening the small gate to the villa when he heard a bell chime behind him.
“I thought you’d be gone a couple more hours,” Phoebe said, pulling up beside him on her bike. A tote bag filled with groceries was tucked into her bike basket.
“The police want me to bring Poppy to the station this afternoon. I told them everything and they’ve collected all the evidence, so there wasn’t much else I could help them with,” he said, taking the groceries from the basket and carrying them up for her.
He’d left out what he knew about Sophia.
Though he hated impeding their investigation, he didn’t want to break Poppy’s trust.
“Pity you’re back so soon. I was looking forward to gossiping about you with Poppy,” Phoebe joked as they walked down the side passage so she could lock up her bike. Chaining it to the wall, she paused. “Did you leave the side gate open when you left?”
“No, I used the front door,” Isaiah said, not liking the look on Phoebe’s face. He knew when she was worried. “Maybe it was the workers?”
“No, I checked it last night before Axel and I left, or at least I thought I did,” Phoebe said, walking toward the door and pushing it open. “Poppy could’ve gone for a walk.”
“I doubt it– not with her shoulder causing her so much pain.” Isaiah pulled her gently behind him and handed her the groceries, which she put back in her basket before following him.
“Stay here and call the police. Tell them you have an intruder.” He drew his gun.
Phoebe pulled out her phone immediately and started dialling, but before he could go anywhere, they both heard a loud splash.
“Poppy!” Isaiah shouted, bolting into the garden just in time to see Poppy sink beneath the clear water. He dropped his gun and dived into the pool without thinking, wrestling her back to the surface. Above the water, he prayed for her to open her eyes, but she was out cold.
Fear coiled around his heart, threatening to squeeze the life from him. He couldn’t lose her now, not when they had come so far.
“Please, Poppy, open your eyes for me,” he pleaded, wading through the water to the edge.
He was about to lift her out when they were covered by a shadow.
“Let her go,” Sophia ordered, and Isaiah stilled in the water. She must have hidden in the hedges when she heard him approaching.
He stared up at Sophia, pointing his own gun at him.How could he have been so careless? He should have left his weapon with Phoebe, just in case.
“Sophia, you don’t want to do this,” he said, trying to buy time until the police arrived; if she heard the sirens, she might run off.From the blood soaking through Poppy’s shirt, her wound had opened up.
“I really do, and I’m glad you’re both here,” Sophia said, smiling smugly. “I might as well do you now and save myself the time later.”
“I told the police about you,” he lied. “They’re already looking for you. You’ll never get out of the country without being arrested.”
Behind Sophia, Phoebe approached slowly with a brick in her hand.
“You have nothing on me. Even if I’m arrested, there’s no evidence other than your meaningless accusations. Now, let her go. Or I’ll shoot the both of you.”
“You didn’t plan on killing Calliope, and you were sloppy. They have hair fibres that will lead them to you, and she scratched her killer. How much do you want to bet that they find your skin cells under her nails?” Even if she killed them, she wasn’t going to get away with murder.
“I was her guest on board; it wouldn’t be a stretch to find my hair or DNA on her.” Sophia shrugged. Your delaying tactics aren’t going to work. You’re both going to die today.”
“I don’t think so,” Isaiah argued.
Sophia glared at him, aiming the gun, her anger making her less aware of her surroundings.
“I don’t think so either,” Phoebe said, bringing the brick down on her head.
Sophia went down like a sack of potatoes, bleeding from a nasty gash on the back of her head. Phoebe dropped the brick and looked like she was going to be sick.
“Help me,” Isaiah said urgently, getting Poppy to the ledge.
Phoebe snapped out of her trance and helped him ease Poppy onto the side. “She’s breathing,” she told him, resting Poppy on her side so she coughed up some water. Isaiah took some deep breaths as he scrambled out of the pool and got to Poppy’s side.
With Poppy safe, Phoebe grabbed Isaiah’s gun and pointed it at Sophia.
“Poppy?” Isaiah called, resting her on his lap. Her eyelids fluttered, but it seemed like she couldn’t focus on him. There was no blood around her head, so she hadn’t hit her head.
“These were on the sun lounger,” Phoebe said, her hand shaking as she handed him a bottle of pills in Martha Roe’s name. It was empty. “This must be how she got her into the water. She drugged her first.”
“The sedatives are keeping her unconscious,” Isaiah said, listening to Poppy’s shallow breathing until the ambulance arrived in case she stopped breathing.
The sirens were music to his ears, until he tried to move her.
Blood pooled beneath her as her stab wound opened.
Isaiah gritted his teeth to contain his rage at Sophia, putting pressure against the wound.
“Go to the front and direct the paramedics. Show them the bottle of pills, but don’t talk to the police unless I’m with you,” he ordered.
“Okay, I’m going,” Phoebe said, handing him the gun and rushing out of the side gate.
Poppy heaved awake. He rolled her onto her side again as she threw up her stomach contents. Hopefully, some of the pills hadn’t been absorbed yet. Her breathing was short and rough as she stared up at him.
Sophia grumbled as she regained consciousness, but he doubted she had the strength to do harm. If Sophia didn’t get help soon, she wouldn’t last long.
“I knew you’d come,” Poppy rasped, struggling to open her eyes.
“Of course. I’m here and not going anywhere.” He held her close, trying to keep pressure on her shoulder so she didn’t lose too much blood. “You’re going to be fine; help is almost here.”
A fierce cry startled them both. Blood pooling down her face, Sophia charged at them with a knife.
Everything became a blur. Isaiah threw himself in front of Poppy, knowing with a cold certainty that this was it. He was going to die.
Two gunshots rang out, and he stopped breathing for a second – then realised it was Poppy holding the gun. He stared at Sophia, who had been shot twice in the chest. She stood over them, frozen, before falling limply onto the grass. Her eyes stared up at the sky as life left her.
Poppy dropped the gun and passed out in his arms.
He didn’t have time to process anything before two paramedics followed Phoebe into the garden and crouched beside them.
Isaiah reluctantly handed her over to them so they could work.
In a blur, Poppy was loaded onto a stretcher, and Isaiah asked Phoebe to go with her while he checked Sophia’s pulse.
She was gone, and Poppy’s secret was safe.
She wouldn’t have to spend her life looking over her shoulder.
He wiped the gun clean and quickly kicked the brick Phoebe had used to knock Sophia out into the pool to wash away any prints. He didn’t want her to have to go back to court after what she had been through; he would tell them that he’d struck Sophia before getting into the pool.
Another set of paramedics arrived, along with the police, and Isaiah stayed with Sophia’s body to make sure they got the right story.
The police took his statement while the paramedics loaded Sophia in the next ambulance.
Thankfully, the officer didn’t keep him long and agreed to escort him to the hospital.
He didn’t want Poppy to wake again and find he wasn’t with her.