Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
With traffic and breaks, Flynn’s expected five-hour drive took just over eight hours. Dark country lanes made the final stretch a slog. Only the thought of Lily’s face when she saw him on the doorstep kept his energy levels up.
His hire car contained everything he’d need for Scilly, but he’d packed a smaller sports bag with clothes and essentials for the next few days. Outside the row of holiday cottages in Malporth, he pulled it from the back seat and felt a burst of excitement about seeing Lily.
A sudden rush of wind ruffled his hair as he walked quickly up the steps to the cottages. He glanced at the plaques beside the doors of the cottages and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach when his gaze landed on Kingfisher Cottage. Hastily, he went to the door, which stood wide open.
Nerves prickled over the back of his neck.
“Hello?” he called as he stepped inside. “Lily?”
The house was eerily still as he ventured through the downstairs rooms, then made quick work of the stairs. In the bedroom, he caught the fleeting scent of Lily, as though she’d just walked past him.
“Where are you?” he asked, crossing the landing to the second bedroom and taking his phone out as he went. It had only been half an hour since she’d tried to call him. His stomach lurched at the thought that she might have actually needed him and not just been calling for a chat as he’d assumed.
With no sign of anyone in the other bedroom, he was turning to leave when a piece of paper on the bed caught his eye. He picked it up and read the handwritten note:
Dear Lily,
If I don’t come back, look for my phone near the steps.
I love you,
Gran x
That didn’t sound good. His heart pounded furiously as he moved swiftly back to the landing, calling out for Lily as he went. The voice that answered was male and confused.
“Who are you?” the man said as Flynn descended the stairs.
“Flynn. Lily’s boyfriend. Who are you?”
“Roy.” His features softened. “Formerly PC Morley.”
“Lily mentioned you,” Flynn said.
He looked around. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I arrived to surprise her and found the door wide open and nobody here.”
“She messaged me not long ago.” He pulled his phone out and swiped through photos.
“It seems she figured out who started the fire that killed her parents. I came straight over. I’ve also forwarded these to a detective who had agreed to look at the case.
She said she’ll come over.” He headed for the door. “Let’s see if Vanessa’s home.”
“Vanessa?” Flynn asked, striding after him.
“She owns the holiday cottages. And she’s the one who Lily believes started the fire.”
“Do you think she’s right?”
“Yes. It all makes sense.” He stopped outside Primrose Cottage and hammered on the door.
“I found this,” Flynn said, holding out the note from the bed. “Do you know which steps it’s referring to?”
Roy swore under his breath, then turned on his heel and told Flynn to follow him. Down on the road, he broke into a jog, and Flynn did the same.
“How far is it?” Flynn asked.
“Not far. Just at the end of the road.”
With a feeling of dread, Flynn sped up, passing the houses and streetlights and aiming for the place where they faded to darkness.
“Wait!” Roy called out to him at the exact moment a scream ripped through the darkness.
“Lily,” Flynn breathed, turning towards the sound.
At the bottom of the steep steps, Lily stood on a small jetty with someone else beside her. Flynn didn’t have time to figure out what was going on before Lily leapt from the platform and into the dark water.
Instinct had him shouting her name as he dashed down the steps.
Frantically, he scanned the water while fear pulsed through him.
There was no sign of her.
She was gone.