I quickly park the minibus round the back of the hotel where I found it then walk back to the front entrance.
‘Beth, where have you been?’
I swing round, it’s Helen, she’s sitting by herself on the terrace watching me.
‘Didn’t Christina tell you?’
‘I haven’t seen her, we just came back, I stayed out here to have a cigarette, David went inside to see if everything was alright.’ She looks at me strangely. ‘I thought you were looking after the hotel?’
‘I am but a group of guests wanted to go to Malaga. There were no cabs, nobody to drive them, so I offered to take them. Don’t worry, Christina’s looking after things.’
I quickly walk inside and over to the small TV room where they still sit watching TV.
‘Where’s your Mum, Jose?’
They both turn round.
‘She’s in the restaurant with Uncle David.’
‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ I say waving the keys. ‘Must give these back to your Mum.’
Christina’s at the bar talking to David, they see me and stop.
‘Beth!’ David walks over to me shaking his head. ‘You didn’t have to do this, you should have…’
‘No problem, I enjoyed the ride.’ I’m not going to tell him what I just witnessed on the coastal road, but I am going to tell Dev. I wonder if David knows what Miguel’s up to. He didn’t seem very happy the other day when his friend Tony said he’d seen us with him and his sister in Malaga. At the time I put it down to a bit of jealousy on David’s part, but maybe he has his suspicions.
I go back to the TV room. ‘Time for bed Jamie, see you tomorrow Jose.’
He nods and Jamie reluctantly follows me to the elevator. He undresses quickly, brushes his teeth then falls into bed.
‘You had a good day?’ I ask, sitting on his bed watching him.
‘Yeah, we swam a lot in the pool, it’s huge, can I do it tomorrow, Mum?’
I give him a hug. ‘Of course.’
He rolls over and closes his eyes. ‘Night, Mum.’
I go to the fridge take out a bottle of wine, fill up a glass then take it onto the balcony. Helen’s in her room having a shower, the door is closed, it’s not the same as when we had adjoining rooms in Athens, but that’s probably because Jamie’s here.
It’s a lovely evening, I sit staring at the sea, I must call Dev, he’s the only one I trust with something like this.
Damn you Dev, pick up the bloody phone, I have to speak to you!
‘Dev, I thought you’d never answer!’
‘Beth! Is everything okay, you sound strange.’
I lower my voice. I don’t want to wake Jamie and I don’t want Helen to hear. ‘Dev, I saw something tonight on the coastal road in Malaga. I saw people, lots of them, they came from a boat and were taken somewhere, I followed them to a house and a friend of Helen’s was with them.’
Dev’s silent.
‘Did you hear what I said?’ I mumble, wondering why he’s not saying anything. ‘I saw the boat going back across the sea.’
‘I’ll try and come for a day, but it’s difficult right now, things are bad here in London, you probably heard it on the news.’
I don’t say anything, I can’t stop thinking about Miguel, then I stop - Heard what on the news? Then I remember the plane at Heathrow with its wing on fire.
‘Sorry, I know you’re up to your eyes in it, I just didn’t know who to call.’
‘Listen Beth, don’t do anything, okay? Now I must go, I’ll see you soon.’
One last gulp then I have a quick shower.
Jamie’s fast asleep, I slip on my nightshirt and sink into the bed. The French window’s open slightly, and there’s a gentle breeze. I fall asleep inhaling the scent of the sea and flowers.
23
HELEN
Hotel Costa Tropical
I fill my glass with wine and glug it down. It must have been Dev she was speaking with just now, who else would she call. She said she followed them to a house and a friend of mine was there. What the hell is she talking about?
I need another drink, I feel myself swaying and grab hold of the balcony chair, maybe I should have a coffee I had a lot to drink tonight.
I sit staring out at the sea thinking about what Beth said, then get another drink.
I know, I’ll call Dev say I’m worried about Beth, then he’ll tell me what she said.
‘Dev, how are you?’
‘Helen!’
He sounds surprised.
‘Sorry to call so late but I’m worried about Beth.’
‘Why, what’s happened?’
‘Oh, it’s nothing, I just don’t want her getting into trouble, you know what a hot head she is.’
‘She's worried about you Helen, it's not long since — well you know, she doesn't want you to get hurt.’
‘I’m really worried about her Dev; I don’t think she ever got over what happened in London.’
He doesn’t say anything, so I carry on. ‘I don’t blame her if that had been me I would have gone to pieces.’ I stop for a second then carry on. ‘I think that’s why she’s…’
‘What happened in London?’
Shit, I thought he knew. ‘Oh, nothing, it was a long time ago…’
He’s silent for a while. ‘Look Helen, I can’t talk now but please don’t worry, okay?’
‘Yes, sorry, I know you’re busy.’
I snap my phone shut.
What the hell was Beth talking about?
24
BETH
Hotel Costa Tropical
Next Morning
Jamie’s impatiently waiting for me to go down for breakfast.
‘Come on Mum I'm hungry.’
‘OK, wait a minute, let me get my shoes on,’ I say, just a little too sharply. He gives me a worried look, I smile. ‘Sorry, I’m just a bit tired, I'll be okay in a minute.’
I go to open the interconnecting door to Helen’s room, but it’s locked on the other side.
Jamie rolls his eyes.
‘OK,’ I laugh. ‘I’m ready.’
We're just finishing breakfast when David comes over and sits next to us.
‘Mind if I join you?’
‘Of course not! Have you had breakfast?’
‘Yes, I had mine earlier at six this morning.’
‘Wow, you're up early.’
‘Yes,’ he gives me a worried look. ‘I saw Helen leave early this morning.’
‘What!’ Coffee spurts out of my mouth, David hands me a serviette. ‘Where was she going?’
‘I’m not sure.’ He shrugs his shoulders and frowns. ‘She was getting into a sports car.’ He turns and looks at me his face full of concern. ‘It could have been Miguel’s car.’
Jamie suddenly jumps up. ‘Mum can I go swimming with Jose?’
‘Don’t you want to come with me? We can walk along the beach, maybe go swimming if it isn’t too cold.’
He frowns and wrinkles his nose. ‘I’d rather stay here with Jose, can I?’
‘Are you sure you don’t want to go for a walk?’
He shakes his head.
I laugh, what can I say, I’m just happy he’s found a friend to have fun with.
David grabs his phone and stands up. ‘Come on Beth, I want to get out of here, Christina can look after the place for a while.’
‘Are you sure? I don’t want to drag you away if you’re busy.’
He smiles. ‘I’m sure.’
We walk down the little slope to the beach, the sea sparkles in the morning sun making me feel a bit better.
David's walking so quickly I have to run to keep up with him.
‘Hold on David, wait for me.’
‘Sorry, I was miles away.’ He slows down and smiles. ‘It’s such a lovely morning isn't it?’
I give him a sideways look. ‘What's wrong, David?’
He doesn’t reply, then he stops and looks at me. ‘I'm worried about Helen, there are rumo
rs about Miguel.’
‘What do you mean?’
He doesn't say anything for a minute, it’s as if he’s deciding what to say.
‘That he's involved in smuggling drugs and other things, he always has lots of money, he drives a fast-expensive car and yet he never seems to work. If I say anything to Helen she'll only think I’m jealous.’
‘Are you?’
He smiles cynically. ‘Perhaps, but I'm also worried.’ He runs his fingers through his hair and looks at me. ‘I shouldn't say this to you Beth, I don't want to spoil your holiday, but when I saw her this morning with him well…’
Should I tell him what I saw last night? But then he might do something like call the police, I decide against it. ‘Let's sit on the terrace of that café over there overlooking the sea it looks so relaxing and let’s stop talking about Helen.’
We walk over to the café and order two café cortados.
‘I saw something on the news about terror attacks in London this morning.’ He turns and looks at me with his intelligent dark eyes. ‘You said Dev’s in London so is he...’ He raises an eyebrow and waits for me to say something.
‘Yes, there’s a high alert.’
We sit sipping our coffee each with our own thoughts, it’s very relaxing, then his phone rings.
‘I knew it wouldn’t last.’ He puts his phone in his pocket and stands up. ‘They need me back at the hotel.’
I get up to go back with him.
‘No, stay here enjoy your coffee, Jamie’s with Jose so there’s nothing to worry about.’
I sit flicking through my phone wondering what Helen is up to. I feel very restless so start getting ready to leave, I'll go to the pharmacy and collect a few things then go back to the hotel.
Just then my phone rings, it's Helen
‘Hi Beth, I'm sorry I didn't leave a message for you but I'm with Miguel in Granada, he was passing by the hotel this morning and gave me a lift. He wants to come back to Athens with me for a weekend, isn’t that great?’
Don't get your hopes up I want to say but don’t. I’m tempted to tell her what I saw last night, but maybe now's not a good time, I'll wait till she comes back.
‘What time will you be back, Helen?’
There’s a long silence. ‘I'm not sure, probably this evening, I'll give you a ring.’
She closes the phone.
Now what?
25
HELEN
Granada
Miguel’s at the bar talking to someone, we just had breakfast at this quaint little bar in the old part of Granada. I went to the bathroom so I could call Beth to let her know where I am, I don’t want her to worry. I still can’t get over what she said. I asked Miguel what he did last night and he looked surprised, said he was at his mother’s house, so that proves Beth was mistaken when she said she saw him last night.
The man suddenly leaves, Miguel looks up as I walk over. ‘I'm sorry Helen, I have some urgent business, I’ll drop you off at your hotel, I’ll make it up to you later.’ He pulls me towards him, the scent of him wafts over me like a drug. ‘I’ll take you somewhere nice, we’ll have dinner and then…’
He stands up and we walk back towards the car.
Suddenly the man who was talking to Miguel walks over, he obviously wants to talk to him again. For some reason I take an instant dislike to him, he looks rough and mean. I walk a little ahead, the man speaks in Spanish.
‘Te veo luego no llegues tarde!’
Then he leaves.
From my basic Spanish that was easy to understand.
I'll see you later, don’t be late
BETH
I went back to the hotel and tried calling Dev, but my call went to voicemail. Jamie was playing with Jose - David was busy, something to do with a delivery not arriving for the restaurant. I sat chatting to Christina for a while and she suggested I visit the Picasso museum; she gave me some leaflets and a map.
I don't have much longer in Spain, just a couple more days then I'll be back in London, so I took her advice and I’m now on a bus going to Malaga.
I sit staring out of the window of the bus listening to soft flamenco music and watching people strolling along the beach. Unless Miguel has a twin brother it was him I saw last night, but how am I going to prove it to Helen? I should have taken a photo, but there wasn’t time and I was worried he would see me.
The bus suddenly stops, we’re in Malaga, is this the stop for the museum? I glance at the map Christina gave me, then as quickly as I can I move down the crowded bus to the driver, I’ll ask him if it’s the stop.
¿Es esta la parada del museo Picasso?
He nods.
‘Gracias,’ I murmur, as I clamber down the steps.
Now where is it?
I think I’m in the right street, but I can’t see the name. There are so many shops and restaurants but where is the name of the street? I start walking to the end that’s where the name of the street usually is. It’s 11.20 and already quite hot. I suddenly wish I’d stayed at the hotel and gone swimming. I’m nearly at the end - where is the damn street name. As I stand looking around my eyes come to rest on a bar and then at a guy sitting on the terrace. I’m suddenly icy cold all over, its Miguel and his sister, they’re two feet away from me.
As fast as I can I hide behind a nearby tree and pretend to look at my phone. Suddenly it lights up, it’s a message from Helen:
I’m at the hotel where are you? Miguel went to Malaga on business so dropped me off.
I feel like an idiot standing here, I’m wearing a white dress, if they turn they’ll see me.
Shall I just walk past them and pretend I didn’t see them?
Miguel’s talking to his sister in Spanish, then he stops, he starts to turn round, then someone calls him. He looks up, a man sits down next to him, now he’s talking in English. I lean closer so I can hear them, it’s something about a shipment coming over tonight.
The other guy leans close to him and speaks quietly. ‘How many?’
Miguel lowers his voice. ‘Ten - maybe fifteen.’
‘Are you sure it’s okay? Last time...’
I’m suddenly back in the Cotswolds. It’s Nick, I’d know his voice anywhere!
All the horror of it suddenly comes back to me. I sway and bite my lip.
Keep still don’t let them see you.
Suddenly Miguel's sister stands up, she says something in Spanish too Miguel, then leaves.
I can’t stop shivering, it’s so hot but I’m icy cold. I hear chairs scraping.
Are they getting up?
I wait a few seconds then take a peek at the bar. It is Nick, I can tell it’s him by the way he walks, but his hair’s different, it’s very long and blond. Miguel walks with him to the end of the road, then they’re gone.
I quickly run into a nearby supermarket grab an ice-cold drink from the fridge and go to pay.
Suddenly someone hisses, it’s a young woman she's Arabic but dressed in western clothes, she has a small boy next to her.
'Get to back of queue,' she hisses in English. ‘He was here before you.'
I turn round, nobody's there.
The woman hisses the same words again, this time more violently. 'Get to back of queue.'
I’m utterly speechless, then the woman points to an Arabic man about three yards away, holding onto a trolley.
'But, he's not in the queue!'
'He is,' she spits out, angrily. Her black eyes glint, she looks pure evil.
I shake my head. 'He’s not in the queue, but never mind, if it means so much to you.'
I beckon the man forward. He looks embarrassed and quickly pushes his trolley behind the young Arabic woman. She turns to be served. Nobody in the supermarket seems to have seen what happened or they’re just ignoring it. I pay for my drink then run back to the bus stop.
I can see one coming; I have no idea where it goes but jump on. Luckily, it’s going to where my hotel is. I take a seat at the back of the bus
and sit thinking about Nick and Miguel.
26
HELEN
Hotel Costa Tropical
I start walking around, all I can think of is Miguel. Jamie’s swimming in the pool with Jose having fun, David's busy and I'm stuck here by myself.
Maybe I should change into my swimsuit and take a swim in the pool. But I can't stop thinking about Miguel. He’s done nothing wrong, why did she say that, what’s wrong with her!
I walk over to the pool and stand watching them play. I don’t blame Beth, I’d probably be the same if it happened to me, it was terrible what happened to her in the Cotswolds and then London - I don't think she'll ever get over it, that's probably why she's so over-protective with me.
I wonder what time Miguel is coming to collect me, maybe I should give him a ring, I don't really want to go for a swim.
I'm just about to call him when my phone lights up, it's Miguel.
‘Helen, I finished my business. Are you still at the hotel?’
‘Yes, I'm still here.’
‘Do you want me to collect you on my way back? We can go for a swim if you like, then I'll take you back to Granada with me. We can have something nice to eat… I have to make up for leaving you so soon this morning.’
As I listen to his voice my heart skips a beat. ‘Okay, I don't really feel like going swimming.’
I don’t want David to see him, but then maybe he means go for a swim in the sea?
‘I will meet you outside the hotel, yes?’
‘Okay, when?’
‘About an hour, I'm in Malaga so it won't take long to drive to the hotel.’
I run upstairs wondering where he’s going to take me. I should text Beth. I look at my phone, it's nearly two, we should be in Granada about 4.00. I'll get ready, then text Beth to let her know where I’m going.
An hour later I'm downstairs on the terrace.
Suddenly, Miguel’s red sports car turns into the hotel entrance. He parks just outside and winds down his window. I give him a wave then for some reason I turn round and see David watching me. Shit! I stand trying to decide what to do, should I wave to him or just get in the car.
The Beth Papadakis Thriller Box Set Page 39