‘Your mum said that?’
‘Yeah, and I knew it was a matter of time before she was filing for divorce – and demanding a big payout. Makes me shudder to think what might have happened to the business if she was still…’ He didn’t finish the sentence, he didn’t need to. But I couldn’t help but wonder if Dan had more than one good reason to go down to the pool at dawn and push her in.
* * *
The heat and tension continued for forty-eight hours, pulsating through the villa as police wandered the beautiful place in big boots and a forensic team arrived. The children were mesmerised and Alfie kept asking his crazy questions loudly: ‘Where is Auntie Ella, is she up in the sky yet? I can’t see her,’ and ‘Who’s going to heaven next, Mummy?’
It was extremely difficult, with everyone walking round the villa in shock like zombies, and the carabinieri still swarming. They’d checked the pool thoroughly, talked to each of us in broken English and, between us all, we’d tried to give them as much information as we could to help.
I hadn’t slept much. I hadn’t told them that the TV offer was fake, and it was me, and I was worried this might come back to bite me. The family still didn’t know, and I didn’t really want them to, it wouldn’t help. So I asked the detective if I could have a word with him on my own.
‘But we interview you already,’ he said; he was shuffling papers on the table outside.
‘Yes I know, but… there’s something I didn’t mention.’
‘Okay,’ he sighed, and gestured for me to sit down.
Once seated, I waited for him to put down his papers, and eventually he sat back and gestured for me to speak. I took a deep breath and said, ‘The TV offer was something I made up.’
He seemed confused and inclined his head like he was trying to understand.
‘It wasn’t real… the television offer,’ I repeated.
He nodded, but I still wasn’t sure he really understood.
‘The thing is, Ella bought it… she believed a TV show wanted her, but then I told her it was me and she was upset and said she was going away.’
‘Upset?’
‘Yes, but I still don’t think she killed herself, she just needed to lick her wounds and she’d have been fine.’
‘Lick his wounds?’
‘Her wounds. Like an animal? It’s a phrase. I just mean she was upset, but she’d have got over it. I mean, she clearly wasn’t committed to Jamie – if she was, she wouldn’t have said she was single to the fake TV company, would she?’
‘No?’ He still looked slightly confused. His English wasn’t great and my Italian non-existent, so I wasn’t sure if he was understanding me. I was rambling, worried that the police might find the messages on her phone and get the wrong idea. But even to someone who spoke English I wasn’t making any sense. Nevertheless, I continued with my story.
‘She was angry with me, but I don’t think it was relevant to her death. I just thought you should know.’
‘Angry, you say?’
‘Yeah, she was, but then again, she seemed angry with me most of the holiday. We didn’t get on… instantly didn’t like each other,’ I added to try to help him understand.
‘Ah. Yes… yes, Signora Taylor, she says—’ He looked down at his notes. ‘You and the vittima… er, the victim? You hate…’
‘Hate is a strong word,’ I said. ‘Signora Taylor – Joy said that? To you?’ I was surprised that Joy had felt the need to mention this.
‘Yes, I made the notes. Not to worry.’ He waved his hand at me like it didn’t matter, but before I could say anything, one of the officers called him away.
I’d now told the police everything and felt much better. It was all so complicated though.
I joined the others for breakfast straight after my interview. It was the last day of our holiday and we were desperate to leave but had to stay until the police had finished. The atmosphere was heavy and tense, and the heat continued to lie like a thick, airless blanket over us all. We tried to be upbeat for the children, but it was hard, and somehow the conversation always returned to Ella. She’d left but was still with us, and because of what happened she’d always be with us now.
It was a strange time of grief, regret and fear, because we didn’t know what had happened. But, to Joy’s delight, Jamie was back in the fold, his attention had now turned back to her and she seemed strangely happy.