The Genesis Secret

51

Rob and Christine wanted a small and simple wedding: on that they were agreed. The only question was where to have it. But when Christine heard that she had inherited Isobel’s house in the Princes Islands, the dilemma was solved. ‘And it’s a way of honouring her memory: she’d approve, I know it.’

Isobel’s beautiful garden was the obvious place. So they co-opted a beardy and bibulous Greek Orthodox priest, and hired some singers who were happy to be paid in beer, and even found a trio of very excellent bouzouki players. Close family and best friends were invited. Steve came over from London, with a smattering of Rob’s colleagues; Sally brought a big present; Rob’s mother was smiling and proud in her finest hat. And Kiribali attended in an extremely white suit.

The ceremony was sunlit and simple. Lizzie was a barefoot bridesmaid in her best summer dress. The priest stood on the terrace and intoned the magic spell. The sunshine filtered through the pines and the tamarisks, and the Bosphorus ferry hooted as it crossed the deep blue waters to Asia. And the singers sang and Rob kissed Christine and then it was done: they were married. Rob was wived, again.

There was a party afterwards. They all had lots of champagne in the garden, and Ezekiel chased a golden butterfly into the rosebushes. Steve chatted with Christine, Christine’s mum chatted with the priest, and everyone danced very badly to the bouzouki players. Kiribali quoted poetry and flirted with all the women, especially the older ones.

Halfway through the afternoon, Rob found himself standing next to Forrester, in the shade of the trees at the very edge of the lawns. Rob took the chance to thank the detective, at last: for turning a blind eye.

Forrester blushed, his champagne glass poised at his lips. ‘How did you guess?’

‘You’re an astute guy, Mark. You let us just walk off with the Black Book. That’s why you were arguing with Dooley, in Dublin. No?’

‘Sorry?

‘You knew where we were going. You wanted to cut us some slack, and you persuaded Dooley to let us keep the box.’

Forrester sighed. ‘I suppose I did. And yes I knew where you were heading. But I couldn’t blame you, Rob. I’d have done the same, if…if a child of mine had been in danger. Taking the official route might have been disastrously slow.’

‘Yet you rang Kiribali just in time. So I really mean it. Thanks for…keeping an eye on us.’ Now Rob was struggling for words. A fleeting and terrible image of Cloncurry, white teeth bared, passed through his mind. ‘I just dread to think,’ he added, ‘what would have happened if you hadn’t got involved.’

Forrester knocked back some of his champagne, and nodded. ‘How is she?’

‘Lizzie? She’s amazing. She seems to have, basically, forgotten it all. A little frightened of the dark. Think that was the hood.’

‘But no other traumas?’

‘No…’ Rob shrugged. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘The charm of being five years old,’ said Forrester. ‘Kids can bounce back. If they survive.’

The conversation dwindled. Rob looked at the dance party at the far end of Isobel’s lawns. Kiribali was leaping up and down, clapping; doing a sort of impromptu Cossack dance.

Forrester nodded in Kiribali’s direction. ‘He’s the man you should be thanking.’

‘You mean the shooting?’

‘I heard all about it. Incredible.’

‘Apparently he was an Olympic marksman or something. Expert shot.’

‘But it was crucial, yes?’

‘Yes,’ Rob agreed. ‘Kiribali could see how far away Cloncurry was, and they couldn’t reach us in time, because of the floods. So he took out his hunting rifle…’

The music was boisterous. The bouzouki players were really going for it. Rob drained the last of his champagne.

The two men walked back towards the wedding party. As they did, Lizzie came running over, laughing and singing. Rob leaned down and tenderly stroked his daughter’s shining hair; the little girl giggled and reached for her father’s hand.

Gazing at the father and the daughter, strolling hand in hand, smiling and alive, Forrester felt a stab of sharp emotion: the usual grief and regret. But his sense of loss was touched by something else, something much more surprising: the faint and fleeting shadow of happiness.