body?”
“Yes.”
“How did that make you feel?”
Even beneath the TV make-up, Alicia could see Natalie’s skin blanch.
The silence stretched on. Camilla made no attempt to fill it, waiting patiently until Natalie had to either answer or tactfully evade the question.
“Everything I’ve done, the person I have become, has all been influenced by my sister’s death,” she said at last. “It’s tainted my entire life and I admit I’ve become obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened that night.”
“Sarah’s killer was never found?”
“No.”
“There was extensive press coverage at the time. The police issued a warrant for a fairground worker named Geraint Llewellyn. Did you ever meet him?”
“No, he was Sarah’s friend, not mine.”
“You must really miss her.”
“She meant everything to me,” Natalie told her. “She was a typical big sister - one minute moaning at me for borrowing her clothes; the next, taking my side in an argument. That’s the very worst thing, having to live my life without her.”
“I can’t imagine what you went through, at such a young age too. How on earth did you cope?”
There was only the slightest hesitation before Natalie said, “I saw a bereavement counsellor for a time, but there comes a point when you just have to get on with it. I still have bad days but, when I become really down, I like to re-read her diary. It feels as though she’s talking directly to me.”
“What did Sarah write about in this diary?”
“The usual things - school, clothes, music, parties - ”
“Did she talk about her friends?”
“Yes, Sarah was very popular.”
“Did she have any boyfriends?”
“Of course,” said Natalie. “My sister was stunning.”
“Was Geraint Llewellyn her boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Did she ever mention him in the diary?”
“No.”
“Could one of these other boyfriends have killed your sister?”
“The police did interview everyone at the time, so I think it’s unlikely.”
“Does she mention the names of these boyfriends?”
“Not really. It’s typical teenage girl stuff. You know, ‘I saw ‘M’ at school today, he asked me out again’ - that kind of thing.”
“No names then?”
“Only initials, or silly nicknames, like ‘the doctor’ or ‘the teacher’ - ”
“Your sister dated a teacher ?”
Alicia seized the remote and hit the off switch. “Time for school, kids!” she said brightly.
James stared at the blank screen as though in some kind of trance. “I can’t believe she said that.”
“Perhaps we could discuss it later?” Alicia nodded in the direction of the children. Will, bored, was drawing faces with his egg yolk but Lexi, like her father, had become completely absorbed in the interview. “Kids, could you please get ready for school?”
Muttering beneath their breath, Lexi and Will removed themselves from the table.
“And what’s this about a diary?” said James. “Isn’t it evidence? Shouldn’t the police have it?”
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard Natalie mention a diary. I didn’t even know Sarah kept a diary - and I was her best friend.”
He frowned. “I think I remember Natalie saying something about a diary, a long time ago.”
Alicia wanted to scream. Why couldn’t he let it go?
“I’ll check with her later, if you like?” Wary that the children might still be in the hall, and therefore able to overhear any conversation, she added, “You and I can discuss this tonight .”
“Sarah went to Calahurst Comprehensive. If she dated a teacher, it could be one of ours.”
Alicia felt a dark shadow move inside her but attempted cheery reassurance. “It was fifteen years ago.”
“Some of the staff have actually been there that long.”
“If it was significant, the police would have acted on it. I expect she felt obliged to mention it to drum up publicity for her new book.”
“If that’s true, she’s playing a dangerous game. Once the
“Yes.”
“How did that make you feel?”
Even beneath the TV make-up, Alicia could see Natalie’s skin blanch.
The silence stretched on. Camilla made no attempt to fill it, waiting patiently until Natalie had to either answer or tactfully evade the question.
“Everything I’ve done, the person I have become, has all been influenced by my sister’s death,” she said at last. “It’s tainted my entire life and I admit I’ve become obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened that night.”
“Sarah’s killer was never found?”
“No.”
“There was extensive press coverage at the time. The police issued a warrant for a fairground worker named Geraint Llewellyn. Did you ever meet him?”
“No, he was Sarah’s friend, not mine.”
“You must really miss her.”
“She meant everything to me,” Natalie told her. “She was a typical big sister - one minute moaning at me for borrowing her clothes; the next, taking my side in an argument. That’s the very worst thing, having to live my life without her.”
“I can’t imagine what you went through, at such a young age too. How on earth did you cope?”
There was only the slightest hesitation before Natalie said, “I saw a bereavement counsellor for a time, but there comes a point when you just have to get on with it. I still have bad days but, when I become really down, I like to re-read her diary. It feels as though she’s talking directly to me.”
“What did Sarah write about in this diary?”
“The usual things - school, clothes, music, parties - ”
“Did she talk about her friends?”
“Yes, Sarah was very popular.”
“Did she have any boyfriends?”
“Of course,” said Natalie. “My sister was stunning.”
“Was Geraint Llewellyn her boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Did she ever mention him in the diary?”
“No.”
“Could one of these other boyfriends have killed your sister?”
“The police did interview everyone at the time, so I think it’s unlikely.”
“Does she mention the names of these boyfriends?”
“Not really. It’s typical teenage girl stuff. You know, ‘I saw ‘M’ at school today, he asked me out again’ - that kind of thing.”
“No names then?”
“Only initials, or silly nicknames, like ‘the doctor’ or ‘the teacher’ - ”
“Your sister dated a teacher ?”
Alicia seized the remote and hit the off switch. “Time for school, kids!” she said brightly.
James stared at the blank screen as though in some kind of trance. “I can’t believe she said that.”
“Perhaps we could discuss it later?” Alicia nodded in the direction of the children. Will, bored, was drawing faces with his egg yolk but Lexi, like her father, had become completely absorbed in the interview. “Kids, could you please get ready for school?”
Muttering beneath their breath, Lexi and Will removed themselves from the table.
“And what’s this about a diary?” said James. “Isn’t it evidence? Shouldn’t the police have it?”
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard Natalie mention a diary. I didn’t even know Sarah kept a diary - and I was her best friend.”
He frowned. “I think I remember Natalie saying something about a diary, a long time ago.”
Alicia wanted to scream. Why couldn’t he let it go?
“I’ll check with her later, if you like?” Wary that the children might still be in the hall, and therefore able to overhear any conversation, she added, “You and I can discuss this tonight .”
“Sarah went to Calahurst Comprehensive. If she dated a teacher, it could be one of ours.”
Alicia felt a dark shadow move inside her but attempted cheery reassurance. “It was fifteen years ago.”
“Some of the staff have actually been there that long.”
“If it was significant, the police would have acted on it. I expect she felt obliged to mention it to drum up publicity for her new book.”
“If that’s true, she’s playing a dangerous game. Once the
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