by Dan Scottow
‘Do you think she’s okay? I mean… mentally,’ Lucy asks.
‘Diana? I think so. I can’t say I know her that well. We exchange pleasantries when I drop her groceries, and I’ve done the odd job in the garden for her, mowed the lawn, that sort of thing… but that’s about as far as it goes.’
He eases off the throttle, and the noise from the engine quietens. His eyes flick towards her again.
‘Why do you ask?’
‘It’s lots of things. She drinks. A lot. And she’s on all sorts of medication. Her behaviour is… erratic.’
‘In what way? She’s eccentric, I think. Typical artist. And let’s not forget the impact that solitude can have on a person’s mental well-being.’
Lucy sits on the edge of the boat, looking intently into Mylo’s eyes.
‘I know. But it’s more than that. She’s downright odd. Like… the other day she threw a complete fit because there was this stone stack in the garden. At first she was apoplectic, but then… she seemed afraid. Terrified, in fact. Come to think of it, it was right before you arrived at the door. You might have noticed her lingering in the kitchen looking odd.’
Mylo seems to be somewhere else briefly. His eyes glaze over, but he doesn’t reply.
‘It was weird. That’s all. Scared me a little if I’m being honest.’
He looks at her.
‘A stone stack, you say?’
‘Yeah. You know the ones… they’re all over the place here. Where they’re piled up, and the stones get smaller towards the top?’
The colour drains from Mylo’s face. He looks away.
‘I’ve seen loads of smaller versions, but this one was quite tall. Almost as big as her, and it was right outside the door to her studio. I think that was the issue. Kids playing a joke maybe.’
‘Yeah, probably.’
There’s something in the tone of his voice… He sounds upset. Lucy decides to drop it. They skim along, bouncing over rippling waves in silence, the hum of the engine, and the occasional bird call the only noise. Lucy watches his face. He is focused, serious.
Although the air is warm, the speed of the boat causes her to shiver, despite her long sleeves. She wraps her arms around her body. He glances towards her.
‘There’s a jacket in the cabin if you’re cold.’
She rifles through clutter on a comfy-looking bench, finding a fleece. She pulls it on over her shirt.
‘How far is it?’ she calls out.
‘Not long now.’
25
Lucy
They round a small island, and a tremendous glass-and-steel structure emerges from the trees before them. The marina is nothing short of amazing. It looks like something from St Tropez rather than the west coast of Scotland. The sun breaks through the clouds, glinting off the glazing. Colour-changing LEDs illuminate a dark overhang from an angular roof, and expensive-looking yachts line long pontoons that extend out towards the mouth of the basin they have entered. To the left, just outside the main building, a large infinity pool trickles over the edge of a low cliffside. Glamorous girls in revealing bikinis sit sipping cocktails. The entire place is breathtaking, yet it seems to be swallowed up by the scenery… if you weren’t watching for it, you’d never know it was there.
As the boat glides through the water, sheer slate rock faces on either side tower above them. Electric-blue agapanthus blooms and lilac buddleias cover the banks where plants are able to grow. Scatterings of heather cling to the rocks, colouring them deep purple. Behind the marina, tall trees and hills hide the entire sight from prying eyes. It blends seamlessly into the landscape, looking like it has been carved directly into the stone.
‘Wow,’ Lucy whispers. Mylo smiles.
‘Something else, huh?’
‘It’s… amazing.’
Sailors wave as they slow to a stop. An old black Labrador scurries along the pontoon, wagging its tail as Lucy steps from the vehicle. She crouches down to stroke it, and it licks her face excitedly. Mylo cuts the engine and ties off, stepping ashore to join her. The dog limps away.
‘You wouldn’t expect this to be here, would you?’
‘It’s like something out of a James Bond film, Mylo. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.’
He smiles again. He’s much more handsome when he does. She removes the jacket, tossing it back onboard.
‘Come on.’
He trots off down the boardwalk, and she follows behind him. He speaks to various people as they pass. Everyone seems to know him. Mylo is a popular guy.
They climb a ramp at the far end, and head towards the glazed structure. Lucy stops and looks out over the water. It glistens, and as the sunlight hurts her eyes, she thinks she could be absolutely anywhere in the world right now.
Mylo carries on walking towards a group of thirty-somethings. Lucy holds back, shy as ever when faced with large groups of strangers.
He greets them, and there is a flourish of hugs and kisses. Three girls, two guys. A curvy brunette in a T-shirt and shorts steps forwards, stroking Mylo’s shoulder. A leggy blonde, a little younger than the others, embraces him in a tight hug. He seems happy. An Asian girl waves and smiles.
The guys exchange fist pumps and mock punches.
Mylo says something, and all eyes dart towards Lucy. The blonde, who is facing away from her, turns and stares, then looks back at Mylo. Whatever he is saying, there are no smiles. The Asian girl frowns, her eyes flick towards Lucy, then away.
Mylo turns, beckoning to Lucy. She walks towards the group, fiddling with the sleeves of her blouse.
She holds up her hand, waving nervously. She feels like she is at school; never been good at meeting groups where everyone else knows each other.
‘Everyone, this is Lucy.’
A chorus of hi’s and hello’s fill the air.
Mylo makes the introductions. Cassie, the leggy blonde. She is the first to step forwards. She’s pretty, in a Barbie-doll kind of way. A deep all-over tan suggests she has spent many hours reclining in the sun. She embraces Lucy tightly. One of those huggy types. She smells of moisturiser and expensive perfume. Fresh and subtle. Pleasant.
Her tousled, sun-bleached hair has that perfect I’ve just been to the beach wave, that in reality took her an hour to style. A single thin braid is tucked behind her ear. Perfectly manicured nails are painted a fluorescent pink, matching the straps of her bikini, which poke out from beneath an oversized white T-shirt, almost see-through, which hangs loosely off one shoulder.
Lucy imagines she has never worked a day in her life.
The Asian girl who has been hanging back until now, steps forward, introducing herself as Sadiya. She shakes Lucy’s hand. Very matter of fact. She is impossibly beautiful, in that natural way that would make some other women uncomfortable. Caramel skin is framed by long, extremely straight black glossy hair. Her eyes are huge, like a Disney princess, lashes thick, curly. Everything about her exudes exotic.
‘Lucy, is it?’
She speaks with a very slight accent.
‘Hi.’
‘Sadiya lived in London for years too,’ Mylo offers.
‘Whereabouts?’ Lucy fidgets.
‘Oh all over. Most recently in East. You?’
‘Same really. Minus the last bit.’
Molly, the curvy one, waves and says hello. She’s plainer than the other two. Lucy wonders if she feels uncomfortable around them or if their friendship transcends that. She has a kind face and seems genuine when she smiles. Her plump skin is pale, almost opaque white.
The guys: Lucas; tall, about six feet of rippling muscle. Handsome, well-dressed and impeccably groomed; probably gay. Red hair sporting far too much gel. Colin; shorter, good-looking, thinning hair, wearing a wedding ring and a cheeky grin. His eyes linger on Lucy’s chest for a second too long. They wave, but don’t approach. Cautious of this interloper in their group. Another female making them outnumbered.
‘To the bar!’ Lucas shouts, and they scu
rry away. Lucy hangs back. Cassie spins round, grabbing her hand.
‘Come on! Let’s get some shots!’
She skips towards a huge set of sliding doors, dragging Lucy behind her. They spring open as the group approaches. The men, a few steps ahead, line up, surveying an impressive gantry.
‘Tequila!’ Cassie squeals, holding up seven fingers to the barman.
She winks, and he blushes, as he places a bottle and some shot glasses in front of them, with a plate full of lemon wedges and a saltshaker.
Cassie is the first to grab one. She licks her hand, pouring a little salt onto it, then waits expectantly, watching the others. They follow one by one. Mylo takes his last, leaving them all staring at Lucy.
‘I’m really not good with alcohol,’ she says pitifully.
‘Bull-SHIT! Pick it up now!’
They egg her on, so she reluctantly follows suit.
‘One, two, three…’ Cassie chants, and they all perform the ritual. Lucy shudders as she sucks her wedge. After two more rounds of slammers, Mylo slinks away to chat to the guys, and Cassie orders a bottle of rosé. She grabs two glasses, dragging Lucy to a small rattan table out on the veranda. The glass wall leading outside has been neatly folded to one end, opening the whole bar up to the decked area. Lucy sits, staring out across the water. White sparkles of sunlight dance around, as her eyes drift towards pale-blue hillsides in the distance.
Some sort of electronic jazz-fusion lift music blares from inside. Handsome men and beautiful women surround them, drinking expensive bottled beer, and goldfish-bowl-sized glasses of gin and tonic.
‘It is stunning here. I never knew anything like this existed in Scotland. You wouldn’t even realise it was here… it’s very well hidden,’ Lucy breathes as Cassie pours her a glass of wine.
‘Isn’t it? That’s the idea. It’s… exclusive. Very A-list, you know?’
Lucy laughs.
‘Really? What are we doing here then?’
‘My father owns it,’ Cassie says, shrugging nonchalantly. Lucy’s eyes bulge a little, as she picks the wine up nervously.
‘You’ll be fine. You can’t come here and not drink! Especially on a day like this.’ Cassie glances up to the cloudless sky, grinning.
Sadiya sits at the end of the bar, watching them. Molly is babbling away to her, lots of big hand gestures and laughing, but Lucy gets the distinct impression Sadiya is not listening to her at all. She looks into her eyes. She holds her gaze for a moment longer than is comfortable, before looking away.
‘So Mylo seems nice.’
‘Oh, he is the sweetest. He can seem aloof, but it’s more that he’s painfully shy. I met him in London, and we got on like a house on fire.’
Lucy raises an eyebrow.
‘No, no. Not like that. Not at all. Not my type in the slightest. I like them beefy… More brawn than brains. Mylo is definitely the opposite. He and I are just good friends. Great friends, in fact.’
Lucy watches him as he messes around with the lads. For the first time since she has met him, his smile seems genuine. He is relaxed… comfortable. It’s nice.
‘He likes you,’ she sings, winking.
‘Mylo? Shut up. He doesn’t even know me.’
She blushes and looks across at him again. He’s listening intently to a story Colin is telling. His eyes shift towards the girls, and when he sees Lucy looking back, he glances down at the ground quickly.
‘He couldn’t stop going on about you last week after he met you. And then when you called him… of course, he’s been on cloud nine.’
‘I must admit I’m surprised. He hasn’t been overly friendly towards me.’
Cassie looks over at her friends, a sad smile creeps onto her face.
‘He’s a troubled soul. He’s not really overly friendly towards anyone these days.’
She bites her lip, staring at her friend.
‘He really deserves to be happy.’
Lucy nods.
‘He’s had a rough couple of years,’ Cassie continues, testing the water. She sips her wine, eyeing Lucy over the rim of the glass. She takes a gulp.
‘Diana told me that his father had died suddenly, and that’s why he moved back here.’
‘Yeah. It was terrible. He had a great life in London, but he came home for his mother. He’s… loyal like that. He feels so guilty that he wasn’t around. He hadn’t been back for some time before his dad passed away. He’s struggled with that.’
Lucy lets out a slow breath, thinking about how hard it must be for him.
‘But it’s not only that. I take it he hasn’t told you?’
Lucy shifts in her chair, crossing her legs.
‘Told me what? Diana hinted at something earlier but wouldn’t say anything. I got the impression she was teasing me. Point scoring almost.’
Cassie makes a dramatic show of tutting and rolling her eyes.
‘That fucking woman… she takes advantage of him. She has him mowing the lawn and doing all sorts of things around the house for her. I think it’s because she fancies him. Dirty old cow.’
Lucy laughs.
‘No. Seriously. He hasn’t told you about Rose?’
‘No. Who is Rose?’
Lucy feels a bead of sweat form on her brow, as her mind flashes back to the driver’s licence she found under her bed.
‘Rose was… well, she did your job before you.’
Lucy raises both eyebrows as she downs the contents of her glass. Cassie refills it and continues.
‘But she was also Mylo’s soulmate.’
‘Oh right.’ Lucy shifts awkwardly in her seat, looking out across the water.
‘That’s so odd. Diana implied I was the first helper she’d had.’
Cassie frowns.
‘Not at all. Rose was with her for a few years.’
‘Can I just ask… what was her surname?’
‘McNulty. Why?’
Lucy leans forwards in her chair.
‘I found her driving licence in my room, but when I asked Diana about it, she said it must have belonged to the previous owner. Told me to throw it away. That is so weird! Why would she do that?’
‘That woman is weird. Full stop. Between you and me, Rose absolutely hated living there. It creeped her out. Hated being out in the sticks, all alone. No wifi, no phone signal. It’s like the dark ages!’
There’s silence as both girls drink some more wine.
‘So what happened?’
‘It was terrible. Honestly… I still can’t believe it.’ Cassie leaves a perfectly timed dramatic pause, watching Lucy like a hawk.
‘She died.’
26
Lucy
Lucy stares at her, eyes agog.
‘Yeah, it was so… sad. Tragic.’
She dabs at the corner of her eye to emphasise the point.
‘How?’
‘She fell down the stairs. Banged her head at the bottom and bled out.’
The stain on the floorboards flashes into Lucy’s mind. She thinks of Mylo’s face when she was telling him the man was there to sand it away. Her eyes drift towards him, and she bites her bottom lip.
‘That’s… awful.’
‘Oh, it was. Poor Mylo was beside himself. Heartbroken. They were engaged, you see. They had literally just announced it that day. She’d had a few drinks here with us all and then he dropped her home. She had to go back to see to Richard.’ Disdain creeps into Cassie’s voice.
‘I know you shouldn’t listen to local gossip, but I hear she lay there all night in a pool of her own blood. Diana was too fucked up on drink and pills to wake up and didn’t find her until the next morning.’
Cassie’s eyes follow Lucy’s and they both stare sadly at Mylo for a moment.
‘She might have survived… you know, if… if that stupid cow had found her sooner.’
Cassie begins to sob. Lucy reaches across the table, stroking her arm, her eyes on Mylo the entire time.
Now and then, his eye
s dart towards her, and he looks away, guiltily. Caught out.
Cassie leans away, wiping tears from her eyes.
‘I’m sorry. Please don’t tell Mylo I got upset.’
‘I think he saw.’
Cassie shakes her head.
‘Shit. It’s difficult… the circumstances were odd. He was looking for someone to blame… you do, don’t you, when something like that happens. But he was adamant that Diana had something to do with it. I mean, I don’t particularly like the woman, but that… I don’t think so. Rose was pretty wasted that night… it was just a very sad accident.’
‘Why would he think that Diana had anything to do with it?’
‘Let’s just say that Diana and Rose didn’t have the best relationship.’
Mylo glances up from his conversation once more, and without warning, breaks away from the group, sauntering over to join them. They go quiet as he approaches.
‘Don’t let me stop you. What are you ladies gassing about?’
They both shoot each other a nervous glance. Cassie grabs her wine.
‘Girl stuff,’ she shouts, draining her glass.
Two empty bottles sit on the table. Cassie pouts.
‘Shall we swim?’
Mylo looks at Lucy.
‘You want to?’
She bites her lip, looking away.
‘We don’t have to.’
‘I didn’t bring a bathing suit.’
‘I have tons!’ Cassie offers.
‘I’m not really a swimmer.’
‘We can just pose!’
‘No, I’m good. You guys go though.’
‘Your loss.’ Cassie runs off towards the other women.
Mylo sits down in her chair.
‘You can go if you want to,’ Lucy says. ‘I’ll go for a walk or something.’
‘It’s fine. I can live without it.’
Lucy is looking out to the edge of the basin, across the water. She glances at Mylo, opening her mouth as if to speak, but then thinks better of it.
‘What?’ he says, a worried expression on his face.