Page 12 of Plot Twist

Me:Riley, it’s so kind of you to have offered. You have a deadline. I need a break. We both want to work on our books. It’s the perfect solution really, isn’t it?

Riley:Well, I think so. But I don’t want you feeling pressured. Maybe having a friend will help? I did think maybe you’d like to do some yoga with me too? I’ve been at some outdoor sessions recently. . .

Me:Now you’re taking it too far ;). I’m booked on the ferry later but I’ve still got a lot to do. I forgot to pack any pants, for a start. I guess. . . I’ll see you later?

Riley:This is going to be so great!

It was on.

I repacked my suitcase (replacing the miniature whiskies with practical things, like a toothbrush) and ignored the nagging doubts in my mind. Yes, I’d made an irrational move, but in the sober light of day, it was still a good decision.

I was going. I could do this.

7

22 minutes to Rathcliffe.

‘I know what I’m doing, Dad.’

I realised Google Maps was upside down on the phone, which was positioned on my dashboard. I’d taken the wrong turn down a one-way street.

Bollocks.

‘Is that right, Becca? You don’t even know this woman. She might be a serial killer. Or, even worse, a Man United supporter,’ he joked.

‘Dad, she’s not. I do know a lot about her. Well, enough anyway. She has a daughter called Ivy and she’s a real author. A romance writer. Published and everything. And she likes yoga.’

He exhaled loudly in disgust.

‘Authors can be psychopaths, Becca. Where do you think they get all the ideas for their murder books? And just because she does a bit of deep breathing doesn’t mean she’s not a crackpot.’

‘Thanks for that insight, Dad. I think I’m going to take my chances. Plus, I knew Rae most of my life and she was keeping a huge secret from me. I guess you never really know anybody. I can’t believe that Rae and Drew were a couple.’

‘Couple of fannies, by the sounds of it.’

He’d been so relieved when Rae and I became best buddies when I was younger. It meant I wasn’t begging him to play dolls or paint nails. He let her stay over and treated her like his own daughter. Dad never really said no when it came to Rae. A bit like me. The whole idea of her being dead was far too much for him to bear, too.

‘Well, let me know when you arrive and what this Riley is like. She better not leave you babysitting while she goes off gallivanting around the pubs.’

‘Dad, I know how to handle myself as an actual adult human being, you know. I am in charge of a class of children. I manage to count out my pennies to pay a mortgage every month. I am a grown-up,’ I declared.

I wondered whether this was strictly accurate, given that I’d called him to scoop a spider out of my bathtub recently. But that’s what dads were supposed to do. I was pretty sure he’d forgotten about it, anyway.

‘I know, I know. Listen, drive carefully over there.’

I’d been to Belfast a few times with my dad, as a child. My great-grandparents were Irish and Dad had spent his summers there growing up. He’d booked a boat for us whenever he wanted to take a trip down memory lane. The journey always seemed to last forever. I remembered the pangs of jealousy as I watched siblings playing games on board, squabbling over cards or laughing over lunch. Instead, I’d kept my head down and leafed through whatever book I was reading while Dad concentrated on completing the crossword.

‘I will. And stop worrying. It’s better for me, being with real human beings than being alone in my flat. Or worse, haunting you at your house.’

He paused.

‘You can come and stay with me anytime, Becca Bear, you know that,’ he said, eventually.

‘I do, Dad. Thank you. I’ll call you soon, OK?’

17 minutes.

The views were incredible. Rolling fields of all different shades of green whizzed by, with the majestic mountains sitting proudly in the distance. Despite the dismal weather, which would be described in Scotland as ‘dreich’, it was still beautiful, and for the first time since I’d learned about Rae’s death, I felt like I could breathe. Or, at least, like I was going to be able to breathe soon. Breathing was in my reach.