‘We don’t know for certain. It’s possible they thought they had been recognized. They were clearly in a hurry to get away.’
‘We know they don’t have their mobiles with them as we were able to track these to a street bin near the bank where Abby withdrew the cash. I would like to reassure you that we’re very concerned for the safety of your daughters and we’re doing everything we can to find them.’
The Carabinieri left soon after and, feeling utterly exhausted, Matteo went outside to the terrace and collapsed into a chair. He couldn’t understand what was happening, how his wife whom he loved had suddenly become a person he didn’t recognize. Hearing a sound behind him, he looked up. Susanna was standing in the patio doorway, staying in the safety of the shade.
‘I know it’s hard,’ she said, ‘to hear these terrible things about Abby. Trust me, as a mother it’s hard to hear them too, but I have had a little longer to get used to it.’
She paused, waiting to see if he was going to speak, but he didn’t know what to say.
‘I just wanted to say how very sorry I am,’ she said softly, before turning to go back inside.
Matteo stayed on the terrace, staring up at the sky, knowing he should go to bed, knowing sleep would be impossible.
Susanna watched Matteo from the shelter of the living room and knew he’d be struggling to take everything in. It was hard to learn that the person you fell in love with was in actual fact going to let you down. Become someone who would lie to you and betray you. She knew this from personal experience. Susanna shook her head in sympathy, then moved out of the room and went upstairs. She closed her bedroom door softly behind her and went over to the window that looked out over the terrace. Matteo was still there, sitting in the chair. Making sure her window was shut, Susanna picked her phone up from the bedside table.
TWENTY-EIGHT
It was easy to allow herself to become preoccupied with the task of driving. When Abby had to keep her eyes fixed on the road, slow at tight bends, change gear, check mirrors, she didn’t have time to think about anything else. All she had to do was keep moving ahead.
Abby had followed the curve of Italy’s coastline, heading west. They had long since left behind the Tuscan hills and the road signs had been changing for a while. New cities were posted: Genoa, Sanremo, Monaco, Nice. They’d deliberately stuck to the smaller roads and Abby knew that when she got to France there was no real border control; she would be able to drive through.
Except she also knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid cameras. There may not be passport checks, but automatic number plate recognition for every vehicle that went across the border would be routine. And there was nothing she could do about it.
Ellie had been silent for much of the journey. Abby had glanced over every now and then and seen she was just watching the landscape slide by, not really paying any attention. As they got to the French border, however, Ellie sat up in shock as she realized where they were.
‘Just relax and don’t say anything stupid,’ said Abby anxiously as they slowed to the speed limit. Up ahead was a police station. Armed officials stood on either side of the road, patrolling the vehicles that drove past. Would their number plate ping on the system? Would one of the officers raise a hand and force them to stop? Sweat beaded on her upper lip but she didn’t want to draw attention to herself by wiping it away.
Abby tried to look nonchalant as she passed the police officers. A few seconds later they crossed into France. Abby realized she’d been holding her breath and exhaled loudly.
‘Can I speak now?’ asked Ellie, through gritted teeth.
Abby glanced behind in her mirror, saw the police station receding into the distance. ‘Sure.’
‘Where are we going? I mean, we can’t just keep on driving.’
Abby didn’t need to look at her sister to know she was about to kick off. It seemed safer not to answer.
‘What next? Spain? Portugal? We keep on going until we fall off the edge of Europe into the Atlantic?’
Again, Abby didn’t answer.
‘We need to stop!’ Ellie smacked her hand on the dashboard for emphasis.
‘And do what?’ said Abby.
‘I don’t know. Something! Anything!’
‘Neither of those suggestions are particularly detailed, or helpful.’
‘You always were patronizing.’
Abby looked taken aback. ‘Who, me?’
‘Yes, you! Always thinking you’re better.’
‘I don’t.’
‘Could have fooled me.’
