Deep Blue Sea by Tasmina Perry Page B

been the one who kept the family together – sorted out the bills, the domestic chores, whilst their mother had fallen to pieces. And when Diana had got pregnant with Charlie, after a stupid, drunken holiday one-night stand, Rachel had convinced her that her life was not over. That she could still achieve her dreams and ambitions; she would just have a baby to take along on the journey. Julian and Rachel hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but that was because they were so similar in so many ways. Strong, accomplished. Dependable. More than that – they were the two most brilliant people she knew.
    Diana took a deep breath in a final attempt to make her change her mind.
    ‘Look, you’re convinced David Kelly was murdered. Same with Princess Diana; you never believe the official line on anything.’
    ‘And look where it got me.’
    ‘Exactly. And you still believe that Malcolm McIntyre was guilty, don’t you?’
    Diana knew it was a low blow, but she was desperate. Malcolm McIntyre was the flamboyant businessman Rachel had been chasing when she was caught on the phone-hacking charge. She had been convinced he was involved in a sex ring and had set out to prove it with methods that had got her arrested.
    ‘That’s different,’ said Rachel icily. ‘I knew he was dirty before I started. I just got too . . . close when I was looking for evidence to back it up.’
    ‘But this is my Malcolm McIntyre, Rach. I know Julian’s death is wrong somehow, I know it, it just doesn’t add up. And I need the evidence to back it up. That’s all.’
    Diana squeezed her eyes shut, not knowing what else to say, her heart feeling leaden with defeat.
    ‘You know the flights out of Bangkok are pretty busy this time of year.’
    Her sister’s comment made her sit up straight.
    ‘You might be forced to pay for a first-class ticket,’ added Rachel.
    ‘I think I can manage that.’ Diana swallowed.
    Her sister took a mouthful of curry. Her whole mood had changed. A switch had flipped, and dynamic, unstoppable Rachel was back. Diana almost grinned with relief.
    ‘All right, tell me exactly what happened at the party,’ Rachel said. ‘Don’t leave anything out. Start with the guest list – no, start with the invitations; whose idea was it, yours or Julian’s?’
    Diana let her breath out. Her sister was coming home. She hoped it would be worth it.

9
    ‘You’re going to need warmer clothes than that.’ Liam was standing in the doorway of her bedroom as Rachel threw a bunch of T-shirts into a holdall on the bed.
    ‘Well it’s all I’ve got. I haven’t exactly kept up with the latest fashions in Soho.’
    ‘Are you sure you really want to do this?’
    As soon as Diana had gone back to her hotel on the island, Rachel had phoned Liam for a summit meeting, explaining everything that had happened in the past few hours: Diana’s visit, her plea for Rachel to return home with her.
    ‘I thought you were all for me going back to England. Go and make up with your sister before it’s too late, isn’t that what you said?’ she added sharply.
    Rachel knew she was being unnecessarily harsh, that Liam was only concerned for her well-being, but she was taking it out on him because the answer was: no, actually she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to go back to England. And yet she had allowed herself to be emotionally blackmailed, allowed Diana to make Julian’s death seem like a story waiting to be unravelled. Once she had got over the shock of the news, Rachel’s first thought had been that something felt wrong about his suicide. That Diana thought so too only sent prickles of macabre curiosity around her body.
    She picked up a hot-pink vest top emblazoned with the words Keoni’s Tiki Beach , then threw it back on to a chair. Liam was right about that too: she wasn’t at all prepared for going back to England, clothes or anything else. She sat down on the edge of the bed and let out a long breath.
    When she glanced up, she saw that