Page 69 of Dead in the Water

Sliding the small drawer closed, she scanned the room before lifting the pillows, then feeling stupid. What was she expecting to find under the pillows?

She was contemplating moving to have a look around the other cabins when she opened the drawer of the tiny bedside table. A pair of reading glasses were nestled between a packet of tissues and a pack of indigestion tablets. She lifted the pill packet, but only found a phone charger beneath it.

“What are you doing?” Kerry’s voice was loud and demanding. She stared at Lily from the doorway.

“Oh, my god!” Instinct had her whipping her hand behind her back, hiding the tablets as she forced her features to a smile. “You scared the life out of me.”

“One of the risks of sneaking around in places you’re not supposed to be, I imagine.”

“Oh.” Lily aimed for a light-hearted laugh, but it came out a little manic. “I wasn’t sneaking around. I called out, but there was no one here.”

“So you thought you’d just come in?”

“Sorry,” she said breathlessly. “I think I left my sunglasses behind yesterday. I didn’t think anyone would mind me having a quick look for them.”

“I don’t suppose anyone would mind. I’m not sure why you thought you might have left them in my husband’s bedside table, though.” Her gaze drifted to the open drawer.

Lily shook her head and opened her mouth to protest, but Kerry strode over and snatched the box of tablets from behind her back.

“What on earth are you up to?” Kerry asked, sounding more bored than annoyed. “I can’t figure it out. Why would you want to spend your time with a bunch of old people? It makes no sense. And I don’t believe for a moment you’re in any way attracted to Russell. You don’t seem the type to chase a man for his money.”

“I’m not,” Lily blurted out.

“What are you doing, then? And what’s so interesting about Vic’s indigestion tablets?”

“Nothing.” Lily shook her head. “I saw a pair of glasses sticking out of the drawer and I thought maybe they’d been put in there by mistake.”

“They’re Vic’s glasses,” Kerry said.

“I know that now. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be in here. I’ll just go.”

“That’s probably best,” Kerry agreed curtly. As she went to return the tablets to the drawer, the blister packs fell from the box.

With a wrinkled brow, Kerry bent to scoop them up.

Lily really should leave, but her eyes were fixed on the blister packs – clearly two different tablets.

“That’s odd,” Kerry muttered, staring at the packets in her hand.

Before Lily could question her, Vic appeared in the doorway.

“What’s going on?” he asked, looking quizzically at Lily.

“I lost my sunglasses,” she mumbled, but her gaze flicked quickly back to Kerry.

“What’s this?” Her voice was high-pitched as she held up one of the blister packs to her husband.

He stepped into the room. “What’swhat?”

“Zopiclone,” she said, reading the packet.

Vic frowned. “Sleeping pills,” he said, taking them from her. “Where did you find these?”

“In with your indigestion tablets.”

“Weird.” After a moment, he smiled and shook his head. “I bet I know what happened. When I was packing to leave, a bunch of stuff fell out of the bathroom cupboard. I picked things up in a rush. I’ll bet they got mixed up.” Pushing them back into the box, he returned the packet to the drawer. “I see you found your sunglasses.”

It took Lily a moment to realise he was speaking to her. He thrust his chin towards her head and she reached up to her sunglasses.

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