Sleeping Cruelty

Chapter twenty-one

William had sent out one of the orderlies for some coffee and sandwiches, which he now looked at with distaste. Angela, however, sipped her coffee, rocking backwards and forwards on her seat.

‘What did you hope to gain by getting us over here?’ she asked. William said nothing. ‘Oh, come along, there must have been some ulterior motive, knowing you.’

‘It was your husband I wanted,’ William replied wearily.

‘Good God, why?’ she asked.

‘I wanted to humiliate him, make him a social outcast, like he did to me.’

‘Really? And how were you going to do that?’

‘Catch him in the act, with his trousers down, photograph him.’ He told her about the hidden cameras and the way the island had been set up. ‘Laura and Justin agreed to give me explicit footage of your husband, the Baron and Baroness, the Hangerfords, every guest in fact, including their children.’ He sighed and stood up. ‘I know it all sounds petty, but for a while I was unbalanced. It seemed everyone was against me and I contemplated suicide. Everything in my life had turned sour, and you’ll be amused to know that even making money had lost its appeal. I have never known such loneliness.’

Angela put down her cup. All she could think of was her lovemaking with Laura. ‘You have all the rooms fitted out with hidden cameras?’ she said.

‘Yes.’ William flushed. ‘Only now I see it wasn’t really set up for me at all.’

Angela tried to make sense of what he had just said, but all she could think of was the video of her. What would her husband say when he found out? ‘Were you going to blackmail us?’ she asked.

‘It had nothing to do with money. I simply wanted everyone who had made me feel like a worthless piece of shit to know what it felt like. If I chose to, I would be able to make headlines in every paper, especially with your husband being who he is. Can you imagine what his competitors would have done to get their hands on a single photograph? They would have had a field-day with it.’ William took a deep breath. ‘Now I know that what was really going on was a lot more devious and dangerous than anything I could have dreamed up.’

‘What do you mean?’ Her chest felt tight.

‘It’s Laura and Justin Chalmers. This is their revenge.’

Angela was now very scared. ‘Why should they want revenge?’

William took out his wallet and passed her some newspaper cuttings. ‘Because of these. Read them for yourself. Most importantly, see the name of the young journalist. Your husband built his reputation on the exposure of those two poor kids.’

Angela began reading, then looked at William. ‘This can’t be the reason, for God’s sake! These are years old. And if Humphrey had anything to do with this, don’t you think he would have remembered them?’

‘He obviously didn’t. As you said, it was a very long time ago, more than twenty years. Why should someone like him remember? They were probably just a step up the ladder. He must have hurt a lot more on his way to the top.’

‘Like you,’ she snapped, and he turned on her, his face pale with anger.

Before he could reply, a nurse tapped lightly on the door and peered in. ‘May I speak with you for a moment, Sir William?’ she said, and held the door ajar.

William got up and walked out. In the hospital corridor she told him to call the coastguard station immediately.

Laura was growing impatient. There was still no word from Justin and it was now after two. She had been down to the jetty three times. She knew Matlock would be drugged by now and that Justin should be returning for the final part of the game. She was worried that, if they left it any longer, she and Max would not get away. She had forced herself not to go to him, but had occupied herself with her packing, her obsessive method of laying a sheet of tissue paper between each garment, tucking it into sleeves and around collars. Now her case was ready. They would soon be together.

At four, she saw the fishing-boat return and hurried down to the quayside. Justin stepped off the boat alone.

‘Where is he?’

Justin hooked his arm around her. ‘You want the good news or the bad?’

‘What happened, Justin? Don’t play games with me. You said twelve thirty. I’ve been waiting and waiting,’ she said.

Justin withdrew his arm. ‘What the hell has got into you lately, huh? You’re so impatient.’

‘I’m sorry, but I’ve been here all by myself.’

‘William’s back,’ Justin said flatly.

‘Where’s Matlock?’

‘Probably on his way to see William.’ Justin laughed, reached into one of the cool boxes near the edge of the quay and opened a can of Coke. ‘I just wish I’d had a camera because it was worth seeing. But at the same time there was nothing I could do. William contacted the goddamned coastguards to take Matlock off the boat to go and see his son in the hospital.’ Justin gulped the Coke and burped. ‘Well, dear Humphrey will be in hospital now, close to his beloved son. You should have seen it — he was all bloated and green in the face—’

‘Is he dead?’

‘Yes, and I’m sorry. I know what it meant for you to be in at the kill but it just couldn’t be helped. I had to do it myself.’

‘So, it’s over,’ she said softly. She hugged her slender body and snorted with laughter.

‘Yes, he’s gone. They’re all gone, all the bad people, darling, all gone.’

Laura gave a soft sob, and spread her arms wide. ‘I feel like I could fly now it’s all over.’

‘I guess it is, bar the diamonds,’ he said, moving close to her and rubbing her neck.

Laura looked at her watch. Four fifteen: only two hours to go before she could escape. She had never felt so in control of herself. ‘When is William going to show up?’

His hand felt warm and comforting but Laura winced as he gripped her tightly. ‘I dunno — but I’m starving. You want to grab a bite to eat with me?’ He nuzzled her and kissed her softly, but laid his hand firmly on her neck.

‘No, I’ll stay here.’

She inched away from him but Justin drew her closer. This time he kissed her mouth, then broke away and withdrew his hand. ‘We’ll leave this place soon and go back to the villa. I’ve missed Marta, missed our home.’

‘Me too,’ she said. Justin was all hands, touching her, needing her. He wouldn’t leave her alone. He cupped her face and kissed her lips again. She felt as if she was suffocating.

‘We’ll be able to live easy now. I’m sorry about you not being there, but maybe it’s for the best — it looked accidental. And with old Willy back, you know what a fuss-pot he is... Still, he’ll have some exhilarating home movies to watch.’

She held him tightly. ‘I love you, Justin, I always will.’

He stepped away from her and looked at her. The way she had said ‘I love you’ hadn’t sounded right. It was as if she had been saying it for the last time. ‘And I love you, Laura, and only you, always. We’ll always be together, won’t we?’

She nodded. ‘Nothing will ever come between us. Whatever happens.’

His eyes narrowed. He could feel how tense she was, and his concern deepened. ‘Maybe you should lie down. Have you been taking your medicine? I mean, do you think you need it?’

‘I’m fine, just...’ She plucked at her skirt. ‘Maybe you’re right. I’ll go and lie down. Join you later.’

Angela had been given a sedative, but was adamant she would accompany William to identify her husband’s body. He suggested that to keep the media at bay they tell no one until the body was ready to be flown back to England. There would be an inquest and the usual documentation to deal with, all of which William promised to handle. At first he was shaken when he heard of Matlock’s death, then afraid to ask for details: he was so sure he had been murdered. When the police told him it was an accident, he was relieved. When they said Justin had risked his life trying to save Matlock, he was puzzled, but then even more relieved because he must have been wrong about him... and he hoped desperately that he had been.

William’s speedboat arrived at Tortola stacked with the Matlocks’ cases and a neatly packed envelope containing their passports and money from the private safe in their suite. Angela’s jewels were in a small leather case, guarded by one of the boat-boys who handed it separately to William. He arranged for all the luggage to be delivered to the hotel he had booked for Angela. When he slumped into the boat to return to the island, he was in need of a shower, a change of clothes and a good night’s sleep. But he doubted if he’d be getting any sleep for a while. He knew he was going to have to face both Justin and Laura.

Justin strolled into Laura’s room, where he found her lying on the bed.

‘“Why so pale and wan, fond lover?”’ he quoted, throwing himself on the bed beside her. ‘It’s odd, isn’t it? Now that we’ve done it, somehow it’s unsatisfying.’

Laura sighed, and Justin rolled on top of her, tickling her. She tried to move away from him.

‘Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds...’ he said, with a wide grin. He pulled her close and tickled her again. She couldn’t stop him; it was the way it had been ever since they were children. He began mimicking Matlock’s death scene, plunging off the bed on to the floor, swimming on the carpet. He mimed coming up for air, clinging to the sheet as if it was the edge of the boat, wailing as he fell back.

They laughed until they were exhausted, then lay wrapped in each other’s arms. She started to cry and he rocked her back and forth as if she was a baby, making soft sounds to calm her. Then he started to sing. He loved it when she sang with him.

Max had put away the windsurfer, and now strolled to his room to fetch his case. There was an hour to go. He wandered round the house. It was strangely quiet when no one was about.

‘Justin?’ he called. He stood in the large empty hall, and his eyed drifted to a door he’d frequently seen Justin disappear through. The office, he supposed. ‘Justin?’ he called again. No reply.

He entered some sort of control room — it was full of switches and a great panel like you saw in documentaries about rock-stars. Amused, Max sat at the main desk and pressed a button. A monitor overhead flickered and came on. Max discovered he was watching some porn film. But the girl looked familiar. The man had his back to camera and she was sucking him off. God, it couldn’t be? It was! Clarissa Hangerford and Justin!

Max didn’t like being a voyeur. He stabbed at another button; the VCR stopped, and the monitor flicked to what looked like security mode. The screen showed the front hall. Max pressed the button again. His parents’ bedroom! Again. The sauna! This was fun. He wondered whether his own room was included. The dining room, the swimming-pool, the jetty, another bedroom, and another, and another. He flicked again, then flicked back. The last bedroom had people in it: Laura and Justin lying on a big double bed.

‘We did it,’ said Justin, throwing his head back against the pillow. ‘We got every single one of those motherfuckers.’ He turned to face his sister. ‘Tonight, Laura, we’ll dance. I want you to wear that gold dress.’

Laura smiled. She had a faraway look. Max knew it was because she would not be dancing with Justin that night but in his own arms speeding away from this place for ever. ‘It was fun killing him, sweet one, I wish you could have seen how cleverly I did it. I pulled him down into the water, and they all thought I was trying to save him. Really I should get an Oscar.’

Laura faced her brother. First he’d mimed it all, now he seemed to want to go over every detail again. ‘Justin,’ said Laura, ‘you’re not kidding me, are you? He is dead, isn’t he?’

‘Would I lie to you?’

She stroked his head. ‘You lie to everyone else. Maybe you would. You know how much it means to me, and now with Angela and James not here, he might just have gone to join them.’

Max leaned in close to the screen. His heart was beating rapidly.

Justin nodded sombrely. ‘Would I lie to you? Jesus, how can you even think for a second I would lie about something as important as this? For Christ’s sake, he’s dead, and the others are ruined.’ He wrapped Laura tighter in his arms. ‘Oh, sweetness, I’ve missed lying in bed with you, holding you in my arms. Believe me, I never lie to you, you are the centre of my universe.’ He leaned on his elbow, tracing her face with one finger. ‘Just as you’d never lie to me. Right?’

She gave a small smile, as he moved his index finger across her perfect lips.

‘But I’ve been jealous of Max. I admit it. For some stupid reason I thought that maybe you really did care for him. I’m glad I was mistaken,’ said Justin. ‘I understand it now. Max was just part of the scam, wasn’t he? He never meant anything else to you?’

Laura shook her head. ‘Of course not,’ she said, her lips only an inch away from her brother’s. ‘The only man I have ever loved is you.’

They kissed, at first almost innocently, then the kiss became deeper and more prolonged.

Max gasped. His breath felt as if it had been squeezed from his lungs and his heart felt as though it was jumping out of his chest. He ran out of the office, out of the house, out into the oncoming dusk. His body felt as if it was on fire. He hurt inside so much that he couldn’t get the sight of Justin with Laura out of his mind.

William’s stomach churned as the boat crashed over a wave; the sea always got rougher as they headed inshore towards the island. He stretched, then stood up in the boat to admire his paradise as they approached. This evening it looked glorious, with the sun sinking into the horizon and all the outside lights twinkling, making the island appear like a magical mirage. He moved closer to the rails and took deep gulping breaths. It made him feel better: all the anxiety and emotional strain of the day were blown out of him. He was glad to be coming home, and once he’d said that word in his mind, he knew it was his home. This was where he wanted to be more than anywhere else.

He had a future he wanted to live his own way, without any interference or guilt. He knew now that it was linked to Justin, because none of what he saw or felt would have existed without him. Now he acknowledged the effect this man, this wild crazy boy, had over him. Never before had he craved to see someone, or felt his belly churn with anticipation at the prospect of being close to somebody. His heart fluttered and he laughed. He would never have believed it was true.

He could hear Justin’s laugh, see his face in a multitude of expressions. They overlapped and juggled for space in his mind until he felt weak and had to sit down. Like a lovesick boy, he ached to see Justin, no matter what had happened in the past.

But as the boat drew closer to the jetty his confidence began to waver, leaving him with a terrible dread that Justin might not want to remain his friend. After all, hadn’t Justin used him as he had used everyone else? Suddenly he was afraid he would lose Justin. He was unsure whether he could deal with such a loss: Justin was closer to him than anyone else, and no matter what he had done, William would have to confront him with all he had discovered. He fell into contemplation of how he would approach him: he knew he had to be told the truth, no matter what.

When Laura couldn’t find Max in his room she was worried. Then she remembered they’d agreed to meet at Suicide Point. She reprimanded herself for being so stupid. She had made the arrangements, after all. She checked her case, stashed behind some ferns, before starting along the winding path up to the point. She’d thought Justin was never going to leave her room. But he’d suddenly heard a boat coming in, and rushed out. It was either William or the mail-boat arriving, he’d called. She waited ten minutes before she dared leave.

Laura ran, panting, to the peak, the highest point on the island. As she turned the last blind corner to climb higher she caught a glimpse of Max in the distance, standing with his back to her, facing the sea. He was barefoot, wearing dark trousers and a white shirt, billowing in the wind. His hands were on his hips and he was standing so still he might have been a statue. Laura began to run, but as she drew closer she froze.

It wasn’t Max, it was Justin. She stared at him for a moment, frightened. Where was Max? What had he done to Max? She clenched her fists and forced herself to continue towards Justin, who stared out to sea, watching William’s speedboat approach the island.

‘Where is he?’ She was only a few feet behind him.

Justin tensed. He said nothing.

She came closer and her voice was shrill: ‘Where is he? What have you done to him? If you’ve hurt him, I’ll...’ She was close enough now. One hard shove and he would topple over Suicide Point into the crashing sea below.

‘He’s not coming, Laura,’ Justin said.

She raised both hands to push him over but Justin grabbed her wrists. ‘He’s on the jetty, ready to leave. He’s going alone.’

He still held her wrists as her body relaxed and the anger subsided. She shook her head, smiling. ‘Oh, no, not this time. I don’t believe you. He’s waiting for me.’

He grabbed her and held her in his arms so she could hardly breathe. He guided her to the cliff’s edge, and forced her to look down towards the jetty. Max was standing with his suitcase beside him. She eased away from him, and stepped closer to the edge. Justin dragged her back.

‘What have you told him?’ Laura screeched. Justin threw her to the ground and bent down to her. She kicked him between his legs and he howled in agony. ‘You bastard, what did you tell him? He loves me.’ Laura clawed at the grass. Her eyes were demented and her face twisted with uncontrollable rage. ‘You had to spoil it. I knew you would if you found out because you were always jealous, jealous that I had a chance to be free of you. I hate you! I hate you!’ she hissed, and with that she came for him, scratching and snarling like a savage.

Then she began to sob. ‘I never told him anything. I wouldn’t have done that to you.’ She could taste the blood in her mouth and gasped, taking deep breaths. She was calming down, bringing her anger under control.

Justin watched her fearfully. The rage quietened, but he could still see it swirling inside her. Her wild eyes belied the smile on her lips.

‘You never told him anything, did you, about us?’ Laura pleaded.

‘I swear on our graves.’

Laura knew he was telling the truth. When they were children they had dug their graves ready for them to lie side by side. They had often laughed about how they would have to dig them deeper and wider if they were to fit into them as adults. His sad, vulnerable face made her open her arms to him and cradle him against her breasts.

Justin was crying. He was so afraid for her when she was like this, when her eyes frightened him. When Laura hid her fury she was very dangerous. He had to stop her seeing Max. He sobbed out, ‘I will never leave you, I will always be here for you.’

‘Ssh, ssh,’ she whispered, kissing his head and rocking him. ‘We have to leave each other some day, Justin,’ she said. She felt as if her heart would burst open and bleed. Max was not going to get away from her, but she knew that if Justin suspected anything he would never let her go. ‘Haven’t you ever wanted to be free of me?’

Justin shook his head and slumped to the ground.

She crouched down beside him. ‘Oh, yes, you have. Come on, Justin, you can admit it to me. You have wanted to be free of me, haven’t you?’

‘Sometimes,’ he admitted.

‘You know, if you could find someone to love and be loved by, I wouldn’t stop you or try and spoil it. You do know that, don’t you?’

He gave her a sidelong look. This was a route they had never travelled down before. He could not see her eyes or her expression: her hair fell like a curtain across her face. ‘Okay, Laura, would you feel the same way about me? You know, if I found someone?’ His heart pounded. Could he leave her and not feel guilty? Justin took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. Her hair still hid her face and she made no reply. The pain inside him was like razors slicing into him. A terrible sense of loss consumed him. ‘Laura? Is it over now?’

Laura stood up and brushed her skirt down, then took a deep breath. ‘I have to go to Max.’

He closed his eyes. ‘Let him go, Laura. Let him go.’

She looked down at him. ‘No, I won’t. It’s you I’m letting go, Justin. It’s time.’

He had found her hidden suitcase, and knew now she had lied. It hurt him so much.

‘We love each other,’ she said firmly. ‘Not the same way as you and me, that will always be special, our secret. But I have made a decision and you can’t stop me. He can take care of me now.’

‘No, he can’t,’ Justin said, his voice breaking.

‘Yes, he can. He has a big trust fund and we’ll find a little house, perhaps close to the villa in France.’

‘I think he went into the control room,’ he said softly. But she was talking rapidly to herself, making plans as she brushed down her skirt.

‘We could hire you to make our house special.’ She cupped his face between her hands. ‘This will all be perfect, you’ll see. I had better go now, I don’t want to miss the boat.’

Justin stared at her as tears rolled down his cheeks. Her eyes were empty. She was already somewhere out of his reach, so he let her go. He watched her walking to her case, brushing aside the ferns, picking it up then turning to wave to him. He couldn’t stop her, not this time.

William stepped on to the jetty and was surprised to see Max there, sitting on his case. He rose to greet William. ‘Would it be possible to be taken to Tortola, sir?’ he asked.

William looked back at the boat-boys. They had made the crossing so many times that day and they looked worn out. ‘I’d prefer it if you waited for the mail-boat,’ he said. ‘It should be along at about six. It’ll be a longer trip but my boys are tired out.’

Max checked his wristwatch. It was just past six o’clock.

William raised an eyebrow. ‘It’ll be here, give or take half an hour. It depends on the tides, and how many deliveries they have to do.’ He headed for one of the golf carts then glanced back.

Max was shading his eyes and looking out to sea. He called out, ‘I can see it!’

‘Goodbye, then, have a safe journey home,’ William shouted and continued towards the golf cart.

The mail-boat crew agreed to take Max aboard, but said they would need a half-hour break. Max returned to sit on his suitcase. He didn’t want to go near the house again. All he wanted was to leave. The more he thought about Laura, the more thankful he was he’d found out. It had been a stupid fantasy. He could not have married Laura. He would never have been able to finish his studies or been able to provide for her. It was just one of those stupid holiday things.

The longer he brooded, the more he reverted to the boy who had stepped off the launch on his arrival. He cried a little, and wiped away the tears with the back of his hand. She was a cheap whore, a slut. Thank God he’d walked into that office. Thank God he’d switched on the tapes.

Laura hurried down to the jetty. When she saw William in the golf cart heading towards the house, she paused, remembering the diamonds. That didn’t matter, she’d contact him after she and Max were married: they might need the diamonds to help buy a little house. William wouldn’t cheat her. She kept walking, talking rapidly to herself, making her plans.

She didn’t realize she was stumbling, almost falling. She felt slightly dizzy. She was so intent on seeing Max that she was unaware of the signals, and blamed the way she was feeling on the weight of her suitcase. She tossed it aside: she didn’t want to miss the boat.

Suddenly her legs almost buckled beneath her as the darkness crept upwards. Then came the fear, making its way up her legs to her thighs. Soon it would be dragging at her intestines. Laura gasped for breath as she crawled back to her suitcase. She fumbled with the clasp and got it open to find her medicine box. At any moment now she would be incapable of helping herself. As she opened the box, spilling tablets on the ground, the horror seized her. She tried to stand but her body jerked backwards and she fell heavily on the floor, cracking her head against the paving. Blood seeped into her hair, but she couldn’t feel the pain, and she thrashed around, slithering across the stone-flagged path, twisting and turning, spittle at the corners of her mouth.

Not a quarter of a mile away, Max walked along the narrow gangplank to jump down on to the deck of the mail-boat. He watched the boys haul in the planks, the engines started up, and the boat eased away from the jetty. He saw Justin running like a man possessed along a narrow path, saw him bend out of sight. The next moment he was carrying Laura in his arms. Max turned away, not wanting to see them, not wanting to remember what he had seen. He only wanted to forget, but it would take a long time.

Justin pushed open the bungalow door and laid his sister on the bed, praying that it was over, that it would not take hold again. But just as she seemed peaceful, it began again in such force that her body seemed to lift itself up, as if hurled by unseen hands. In a panic he rummaged for her medicine box and realized it was back down the path in her suitcase. He ran out of the bungalow.

Justin’s breath heaved in his chest. He’d picked up the pills and the medicine box, shoved them in the case and dragged it back up. Now he opened the box, took out a thick wedge of rubber and stood over her. He calculated how long it had been going on, and tried to hold her down, but her strength was awesome.

‘What the hell are you doing?’ William shouted from the doorway.

‘She’s having a fit. It’s been going on for a long time. It’ll kill her. Help me get this into her mouth — she’s biting her tongue. She’ll choke herself.’

William could not believe the strength of the fragile woman. At last Justin gripped her head long enough to prise open her mouth, and used a platinum spatula to force her teeth apart. Blood trickled from her mouth where she had bitten through her tongue, but at last he was able to insert the wedge. He stepped away from her, then filled a syringe and injected her with a sedative.

‘Get away from her. There’s nothing we can do except hope it’ll be over soon.’

They stood watching Laura as she continued having spasms and slithered across the floor like an eel. Slowly the fit subsided and she lay twitching and snorting. Her body was black and blue where she had slammed against the furniture and the wound to her head bled freely.

As soon as she was calm enough, Justin lifted her and carried her to the bed.

William fetched wet towels to wipe the blood from her head, then watched as Justin dressed her in a satin nightie. He tucked the sheet tightly around her and took the wedge out of her mouth. She was still now, in a deep sleep. William was moved by the tenderness Justin showed her.

At last Justin turned to him. ‘I’m so glad to see you, Willy.’

‘And I’m glad to see you, Justin. I’ve missed you.’

Only then did he see the scratch marks on Justin’s face, the bruises on his neck. ‘Dear God, don’t tell me she did that to you?’ William said, shocked.

Justin shook his head. ‘No, I fell. It looks a lot worse than it is.’

William made him sit down, got some disinfectant and bathed the cuts. Some were so deep they bled profusely. Justin remained silent throughout.

Tears slid down Justin’s cheeks, which William wiped away. He did not know why it happened, but suddenly he took Justin’s face in his hands and kissed him on the cleaned wounds and his neck, but was afraid to move to the lips he wanted more than anything to touch with his.

Justin clung to him as though he never wanted to let go, and the kiss, when it came, was instigated by him. For William it was shocking but also the ultimate pleasure of his life. The embrace took him to a world of love he had believed was beyond his reach. He was filled with desire and hope. This was where he knew Andrew Maynard had been; this was the love he had written about. A shining peace swept through every fibre of his body.

‘I’m so glad you’re here, Willy,’ Justin murmured.

‘Me too.’ William hesitated before he spoke again. ‘I’ve missed you, Justin. I’ve also been so afraid, but it’s all going to be all right now. I’m here for you both. It’s all going to be all right, I’m sure.’

‘Is it, Willy?’ Justin said. ‘Promise? I bet you daren’t! There’s so much you don’t know about me and Laura. We’re not good people, Willy. I’m not a good person.’

‘Justin, trust me, I know everything about you and Laura now, and it doesn’t make any difference to me. Marta told me. She loves you and... and no one will ever hurt either of you again. I’ll see to that.’

He went to the door, overwhelmed by his emotions, but he knew it was not quite over yet: he had to know more. ‘I’ll arrange for Dahlia to sit with her and we’ll get Marta over here.’ He faced Justin. ‘I have to eat. Would you join me?’

Justin followed him. ‘I’m so glad to be with you, Willy. I don’t think this time I could have coped. I’ve been on my own for so long, and I’m tired. Laura needs to be taken care of, she always has. These fits get worse. I’ve been told that each time it happens, her brain is damaged a little and it terrifies me.’

William put his arm around Justin’s shoulders. To his delight, Justin caught his hand and threaded his fingers through it.

‘You’re not on your own, Justin, not any more. You’ve got me, and I’ll get Laura the best medical attention money can buy. She’s my responsibility now.’

‘Why?’ Justin asked.

‘I love you both, that’s why.’

Justin appeared to accept his answer and they strolled on into the house.

William fingered the stem of his glass. He had to choose his words carefully. They had both bathed and changed, and now sat across the table from each other. Yet again, he had a feeling of peace and calm, as if his life at long last had come into focus.

‘I have never been what I would call a happy man,’ he began. ‘There has been little joy in my life. But suddenly I realized... you have given me that. It hasn’t been plain sailing, but I look forward to seeing you more than anyone. And when I began to think you were...’ he sipped the champagne ‘...planning murder, it was not that you were about to commit a crime that concerned me, it was the thought that I might not see you again. I realized you had become a very important part of my life. But I need to be told the truth, all of it, so that, if need be, I can protect you both. You must tell me everything. I want the facts, no matter what they are.’

‘Maybe you won’t like me if you know it all, Willy. You might have taken on more than you bargained for.’

‘Try me. I’m offering you this island as your home, a place to stay for ever. What is your alternative? Where else will you go?’

Justin shrugged. ‘Oh, back to the villa, get some more design commissions. This place will do me a lot of good as far as that goes.’

‘And Laura will go with you?’

‘Yep, that’s the game plan. I’ll earn enough to look after her, and she loves the villa.’

‘Isn’t that where you both suffered so much? Isn’t that the very place she shouldn’t return to — or you for that matter? It’s there, no matter how you disguise it with waterfalls and flowers, that it all happened to you both.’

‘I guess it is, but I’ve never let us think about it. What it looked like then, and what it now is... It’s different. It’s home.’

‘This could also be your home, and you could work from here. You love it here, don’t you?’

‘Yes, you know I do, but...’

‘I would like to make it my home, live here with you both.’ William sat back, twisting the stem of his glass. When he looked up, Justin was staring at him and his body was rigid. Twice he started to say something and then stopped.

William tried to ease the tension. He poured more champagne. ‘I read Andrew Maynard’s diaries, and I was envious of his joy at finding love. He wrote of being so happy that it had changed his life. In many ways, you have changed mine, Justin.’

Justin’s eyes flicked to the dark ocean. ‘Ask me if I killed him, Willy. That’s what you really want to know. All this bullshit about being envious, just cut it out.’

‘Andrew committed suicide,’ William stated.

‘Did he?’

William gripped the stem of his glass.

‘I wrote the note, Willy, let it sink into the bath-water so the writing would be hard to read. I’ve always been expert at copying signatures. I also wrote the yellow sticker to make sure you would be called...’

‘I don’t believe you. How could you know that the housekeeper would call me and that I would remove Andrew’s diaries?’

Justin leaned back in his chair. ‘Because you were in love with him. Maybe you weren’t even aware of it. Andrew sussed that you were. Even if it wasn’t love, you must have desired him in some way. You certainly saw him often enough.’

William stared at the tablecloth. ‘I admired him, I trusted him, I believed that he would have a great future—’

Justin leaned across the table and grabbed his hand. ‘You want me to be truthful — why don’t you start playing the game straight as well? You didn’t lay out all that cash just to be his paymaster. What did you want out of it?’

William flushed as he said angrily that he had wanted Maynard’s success, nothing more. ‘I admired him, yes. Truth was, I bathed in his glory, and I got my knighthood through him, but...’

‘But?’ Justin asked softly, and William couldn’t meet his eyes. He told Justin about a little kid who had sat next to him at school, a stammering boy with long eyelashes who had kissed him and had been killed on a level crossing.

‘Andrew reminded me of Peter Jenkins, that was his name. Maybe there is something latent in me. I doubt if I could face up to it, but I often wondered why I was so distressed about him. But with Maynard I only wanted him to succeed. I wanted him to be my son. I had little or no relationship with Charlie then.’

‘Did you doubt your feelings or did you just not dare show Andrew what you really felt about him?’

William stared hard at him. ‘I don’t want to answer that, and we’re supposed to be talking about you, not me.’

‘But it all has to be ironed out, don’t you think? Lean forward, Willy.’

William did so, and Justin kissed his lips.

‘Are you afraid to love me?’ Justin asked, and rocked back in his chair. ‘You keep on saying how much you love me and Laura, but let’s take just me. Are you afraid to lie naked next to me, Willy, afraid to let me make love to you?’

‘Yes, I am, and that’s not why we’re here. I have offered—’

‘To take care of me and Laura. But you want me to tell you all my secrets yet refuse to tell me yours, or admit them. I’m not your son. I’m not Charlie. I’m Justin. To what depth does your love want to go?’

‘I won’t answer that. I’m just confused, and I need to know — did you kill Andrew?’

Justin kicked his chair back and walked to the window. ‘Yes. He had to die because he was becoming dangerous. He found out about my background. He was always delving into drawers and trying to find out more and more about me and Laura. Then he found out about his fucking sister and—’

‘She died in a car accident,’ William said, hardly audible.

‘I know. I fixed her brakes. I even followed her along the motorway and saw her car veer across the lanes. Camilla Maynard gave exclusive interviews to Humphrey Matlock. She was part of it. By the way, I held Matlock under the water until he drowned. What do you say about that? I mean, surely you don’t need to ask me why? You said you knew why. You said you knew everything. Well, now you do, and what do you think of me?’

William pushed back his chair and crossed to Justin. He held out his arms and Justin’s bravado evaporated. Like a small boy, he went to William and clung to him, sobs shaking his body. William held him tightly, soothing him, letting him weep until he was silent.

The thoughts that zigzagged through William’s mind made it difficult for him to remain calm. What Justin had said was shocking, yet he had suspected it all along, suspected and been afraid of it since he had talked to Marta at the villa. But it did not feel as if he was holding a killer in his arms, only a wounded boy whose suffering had obsessed him.

‘You’re the only friend I have ever had in my life,’ Justin whispered. He rested his head against William’s shoulder. ‘Sometimes I feel like I am insane. But the need to hurt those who tortured me and Laura would never go away. I had to do it, William, otherwise I would have gone crazy, like Laura.’

William led him back to the table and sat him down. He patted his shoulder, then used a napkin to wipe his tears. ‘How much a part of it is Laura?’

‘Oh, nothing but the planning. We planned everything together. We’re not just brother and sister. We’re lovers. We could only ever trust each other, you see? Can you understand what we became to each other? We were each other’s parents. We were all we dared to love because everyone else seemed intent on destroying us, and the more pain we experienced, the more we were drawn together. Only by being so close could we protect each other.’

William returned to his seat. His mind was in turmoil as he tried to assimilate the terrible things Justin had just told him. But he knew he must not allow Justin to see how affected he was by the truth.

Justin drained his champagne. ‘You’re confusing me,’ he said softly. In the candlelight his face was astonishingly beautiful, his high cheekbones shadowed, his jaw-line chiselled and his eyes glittering like azure stones.

William turned away on the pretext of pouring more champagne. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to... er, confuse you. I’m trying to be as honest as I can. You’ve helped change my life. Now I want to help you straighten out yours. After what you’ve told me...’

‘What if it’s too late?’ Justin said.

‘It’s never too late. Look at what you did for me. And I’m not just referring to making me lose my gut. It’s what you did for me up here,’ William said, tapping his head.

‘But what if my confessions repel you, frighten you? You may betray me out of fear.’

William kept his gaze steady. ‘I will never betray you, Justin, and I mean it. This island will be a safe place. Do you understand what I’m saying? No one can get to you, or harm you or Laura. I will protect you both.’

‘Does that mean you can forgive me and forget what I have done?’

William watched as a multitude of emotions played across Justin’s handsome face. ‘No one is aware of what you have done. Unless they are told or the police reinvestigate Maynard’s suicide, they probably never will be.’

‘Unless you tell them. You see what I’ve just done? I’ve put my life in your hands.’

‘I have promised that I will protect you.’

‘Why? What makes you want to do that? Or, for that matter, what will stop me killing you? Now that I know you know, and you are the only one apart from Laura who does, what do you think will stop me killing you?’

William met Justin’s eyes, and this time he didn’t look away. ‘Because I love you, and you have made a difference to my life. I am prepared to—’

‘Be my lover?’

‘No! Stop that! I am offering to be... like a father to you.’

‘My father is dead,’ Justin said. Suddenly he stood up and his chair fell behind him. ‘Just give me Laura’s diamonds, the ones you promised, and we’ll both leave. I don’t want to hear any more crap from you. You’ve had too much to drink.’

William stood up too. ‘The diamonds are under your sister’s pillow.’ He noticed this freaked Justin. He continued, ‘I’ve also destroyed the tapes. You will never be able to use them against anyone.’

‘Oh, I see. So you want to destroy me next,’ Justin snarled.

‘No, I don’t. You’ve not been listening to what I’ve been saying. I’m offering—’

‘What the fuck do you want from me? What do you expect me to say to you? Do you want to keep me here like some fucking plaything? What’s happened, Willy? You still afraid to come out of your closet? Why don’t you admit it now? Go on, look at me. Tell me you want me to fuck you. Do you think that’s what I want? You? With your wispy hair and flaccid belly? I don’t want you near me, you repel me, and this bullshit about protecting me is all for one reason. You want my body just like that prick Maynard did.’

William hit him hard across the face. Justin stumbled to one side then laughed and started to give William a slow handclap. Then he glared and became the waspish, lisping man Laura and William hated. ‘Well, well, how the worm turns!’

‘What did I say that was so bad, Justin?’ William was not going to be drawn into a shouting match.

Justin pushed his face forward so that he was almost nose to nose with William. ‘You wiped my precious tapes. I needed them. You’re a liar and a two-faced bastard. And you, Willy-boy, are not my father. If you were you’d have a knife stuck in your chest. As it is, if you keep me prisoner on this island you’ll never be safe. I’ll hurl your body off Suicide Point. Just another accident.’

‘You wouldn’t do that to me.’

‘You want to bet?’

Justin turned and walked out, knocking aside the waiter as he carried in their tray. The dishes crashed to the floor but Justin did not turn back. William sat up and shook out his napkin, anything to stop his running after Justin. He had just seen the madness in him, the killer, and it scared him. Whatever he had dreamed up about being a fatherly figure to that wild creature was insanity, and he knew it. But he did not want to back away. He had come to see Justin and to explain himself. But explain what? The reality was that he was in love with Justin. He wanted that love reciprocated, and for a moment when they had embraced, he had felt sure that it was. But instead of telling Justin this he had offered to be a substitute father, and Justin had snarled in his face. And he did want to lie naked beside him, to make love to him. He wouldn’t let Justin’s rejection alter the fact that he was still the most important person in his life, and he would stand by what he had offered: his protection.

William forced himself to eat his dinner. Each mouthful was hard to swallow, but he was not going to chase after Justin. He needed to cool off. They had to talk again.

Dahlia put her finger to her lips and pointed to the bed. Laura was propped up with pillows. Her hair had been combed and tied with a ribbon, and there was a plaster across the cut on her head. However, her eyes were clear and bright and her cheeks slightly flushed. She looked like a little girl. A square of black velvet lay across the white sheet. It was covered with sparkling diamonds.

‘She’s had a sedative,’ Dahlia whispered, gesturing for William to move to her side. ‘She doesn’t seem to know where she is.’ Dahlia showed William the tablets, vials and hypodermic needles in Laura’s medicine box. ‘Justin was here. He told me she sometimes reverts back to childhood. It takes time for her to readjust, he said. He also said—’ She faltered.

‘Said what?’

‘That in the past she had electro-convulsive therapy if she remained in her own world. But it was a last resort.’

William nodded then asked her to make him some coffee. As she left, he took her seat by the bed. ‘How are you feeling, Laura?’ he said softly.

She turned and gave him a sweet smile. He was uncertain whether she knew who he was: there was a deadness in her eyes. She blinked slowly at him, then turned her attention back to the sparkling stones.

‘They are diamonds,’ she said slowly, as she began moving them from one side of the black velvet to the other. ‘One for Lord Cedric, one for his wife, one for Clarissa, one for James, one for the Baron, one for the Baroness, this big one for Matlock, and this one for Angela.’ She counted them again, moving them back to the other side of the velvet, her brow furrowed.

Dahlia returned with a tray. ‘She’s been doing that for quite a while. She remembers who was here, so she can’t be that bad,’ she said.

They both turned as Laura spoke. ‘One missing! There’s no diamond for Max. Max should be the biggest.’ She turned to William. ‘Are you jealous, like my brother, because I love Max? I’m going away with him.’ She busied herself again, smoothing the black velvet.

William leaned forward. ‘I must have miscounted, Laura, I’m sorry. You’ll have another tomorrow, the biggest one of all. And then Marta’s coming to look after you,’ he said.

‘Thank you,’ she said.

‘Do you like being here?’ he asked. She made no reply. ‘If you want to stay on the island for ever, I will always take care of you, Laura.’

‘Thank you,’ she said.

He turned to Dahlia. ‘Is that true, about Max?’

‘They were planning to elope, but I think the boy changed his mind.’

‘Thank you,’ said Laura, to nobody.

Dahlia stood behind William and put her hand on his shoulder. ‘I have never heard anyone say those words so sweetly, or so sadly. When Justin said he was leaving, that was all she said to him. She looked up, smiled just as she did now and said, “Thank you.”’

William gasped. ‘Justin said he was leaving? But he can’t have! The mail-boat went ages ago.’

Dahlia nodded. ‘I know, but it stops off at all the islands. Fifteen minutes ago he said he was taking the speedboat with one of the boys to catch it up.’

William left the room and ran panic-stricken to the jetty. The speedboat was just returning. There was no sign of Justin. His heart sank. He called to one of the boys swabbing down the decks on the cruiser. ‘Have you seen Justin?’

‘He left, sir. I took him to the mail-boat. He went aboard at Mustique. He and the young man, Max, left for Tortola together.’

William felt as if his panic would spiral out of control. He shouted orders for the crew to come immediately to the dock and get the speedboat ready.

‘But, sir,’ said the boy, ‘look at the sky! There’s going to be a storm.’

‘Just do it!’ he shouted.

He had to sit down, his legs were shaking so much. Why had he said it all? He had forced Justin to run away. Then he thought of what Justin might do to Max. He knew he had to get to the mail-boat — had to reach Justin before he killed Max.