Chapter 36 Rosie – Day 8
Rosie swallows. ‘I had a plan. I thought it would be simple. I needed to get in with the family, come to Laprezia, look in their holiday home—’
‘Look for what?’ Fenna interrupts.
‘Clues. Signs that Dani had been there. I don’t know.
’ She drops to the sofa. Her legs are unable to hold her upright any longer.
‘My dad was looking into who could have killed her before he died. I had no idea about this research until six months ago. I found his notes and decided to finish what he started.’
Fenna paces in front of her. She wishes she’d sit down too.
‘Go on . . .’
‘There was an incident with another student who broke the hair straighteners that Dani had lent her. It got violent. My dad had to step in and told Dani’s host family she should be grounded for the night.
He also confiscated her phone. At some point in the night, she breaks curfew.
Her host family don’t realise she’s missing until eleven o’clock the next morning because no one had checked her room.
They thought she was being a lazy teenager and missed breakfast. That’s when the alarm is raised.
Rumours were that she went to meet my dad.
But that’s not true. She went to meet someone called “Fraser”. ’
Fenna scrunches up her nose as if a bad smell has wafted across the lounge. ‘Fraser? How do you know this?’
‘Because there was a text sent around midnight from “Fraser” apologising for something, saying she’d left them no choice. They clearly met and the night didn’t go to plan. This person knows where Dani is.’ Her breathing is coming out too fast.
Rosie tries to analyse Fenna’s reaction. She never imagined saying all of this out loud, especially not today, with the rest of the family on the deck above. Who knows who is in earshot?
Fenna frowns. ‘This was never reported in the news.’
‘I know. The Italian police lost Dani’s phone. There’s no evidence of texts from “Fraser”, apart from in my dad’s notes . . .’
‘Wait. So why the hell are you here? What are you planning to do? Avenge your dad’s death? You’ve lied to everyone, created a fake relationship with Theo—’ Fenna snaps.
‘It’s not fake.’ Her voice wavers. She loves him, more than she ever thought she could. But she can’t forget that he’s a Fraser, too. ‘I want to find the truth.’
‘What truth? The truth is your dad had Danielle’s phone. He abducted and murdered a schoolgirl and made up this stuff, trying to pin the blame on someone else. Everyone thinks the same – your dad was a paedo.’
‘He’s not a paedo. He was stitched up.’ The vein in her head is going to explode.
‘He’d confiscated Dani’s phone, hours before she went missing.
The papers reported it wrong.’ She tries to calm her breathing.
‘And on this phone was evidence that he told the police, but they ignored him. His DNA was never found on her clothing by the lake. He had an alibi. But lies were spread. Mud sticks. He killed himself because he couldn’t live with the guilt of letting her down, not because he killed her!
’ Rosie tries to keep her voice down but she’s shaking with anger.
‘I will tell you everything I know but you can’t tell Theo. ’
‘You accepted his proposal,’ Fenna hisses. ‘I can’t believe what I’m hearing—’
‘Can you help me or not?’ She swipes the tears streaming down her face. Her make-up will have run. How will she explain the state she’s in to Theo?
Theo.
‘No.’ Fenna turns to leave.
The boat rocks suddenly. Rosie grabs on to the shelving unit and as she does she knocks a vase to the ground. Her stomach lurches at the sound of it smashing.
‘Please,’ she begs.
Someone calls their names. Rosie can’t let Fenna walk out. She presses her fingernails into her palm.
‘I think Luke has something to do with it.’ The words are out of her mouth before she can stop them.
Fenna stops still. The muscles in her back tense. It is an eternity before she turns to face her. The colour has drained from her face. She looks deathly ill.
‘. . . What did you say?’
Rosie swallows.
‘Someone in his family knows more than they’re letting on. I think he has been lying to you. Do you trust him? One hundred percent trust him?’
‘Are you threatening my family?’ Fenna’s eyes blaze with anger.
The door handle turns.
‘No, I’m not. I promise. I . . .’ She releases the breath trapped in her lungs. ‘I really need your help. I know this is a lot to take in, but I need you to listen to me. Appearances can be deceptive. Give me twenty-four hours. Watch him and tell me that I’m wrong. Please.’