Page 46 of Death on the Rocks

“Does it strike you as odd that the police aren’t looking more closely into Vinny’s death?” she blurted out.

The question seemed to shock Mrs Miller so much that she physically tensed. “How do you mean?”

“I mean they quickly assumed it was an accident without looking into it. I can’t help but think they should investigate more thoroughly.”

“Why would they need to?” Mrs Miller asked, gathering her composure and standing ramrod straight. “The poor man fell. What’s to investigate?”

“Maybe he didn’t just fall,” Lily stated. “Maybe there was someone else with him.”

Red heat crept up Mrs Miller’s neck, then turned her cheeks a fiery shade too. “What an outrageous allegation,” she spat, a sudden fury in her eyes that Lily wouldn’t have thought her capable of. “It’s absurd, and I can tell you exactly why the police didn’t follow that line of enquiry… because it would turn a heartbreaking tragedy into a circus. I imagine his poor family is suffering enough without a bunch of wild stories flying around. Why would you even think of that?”

There was a whole list of reasons that she didn’t care to get into, but there was also one very basic piece of information which no one was talking about.

“He was a physically fit young man. I realise it was foggy, but that makes it even more strange that he’d be hanging around at the edge of a cliff. But also, the cliff wasn’tthathigh. If he just slipped off the edge, he should have been able to at least break his fall.”

Mrs Miller pushed her fidgeting hands over the front of her blouse. “Those rocks are treacherous after the rain. Have you ever tried walking over wet, slippery rocks?”

Lily thought back on all the times she’d spent exploring rock pools as a kid. “Yes,” she said flatly. “Lots of times. It just never occurred to me that wet rocks would be considered deadly terrain. Mostly because people aren’t usually stupid enough to walk on wet rocks on the precipice of a cliff.”

“What a disrespectful way to speak about the deceased,” Mrs Miller huffed. “Sometimes tragic accidents happen. That’s a fact of life.” With her nose in the air, she stalked away before Lily could question which scenario it was: a tragic accident, or an inevitable occurrence on treacherous rocks. Because she’d flicked from one argument to another incredibly quickly.

Why had she been so defensive, anyway?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

WEDNESDAY

After another nightof disturbed sleep, Lily woke feeling defeated. Yesterday’s investigative attempts had provided more questions than answers, and at some point in the night she’d become entirely frustrated with herself for spending so much mental energy on it.

If the police didn’t deem it worth their time, why was she so determined to look into it?

Deep down, she knew the answer. It was the same reason she’d spent the last six months searching for an ice cream shop. She needed to keep her mind occupied to keep her from dwelling on the fact that she was all alone in the world with no idea what to do with her life.

Making a plan for her life would be a more sensible use of her time. Or she could use her remaining time on the island for a holiday. She could spend a few days relaxing and then go back to Truro and find herself a job to give some structure to her life.

The idea of a holiday didn’t spur any warm feelings. Especially when she pulled the curtains back and took in the thick fog which remained, hanging in the air like industrial smog. In a place renowned for its natural beauty, the weather made it difficult to get out and take in the sights.

Her phone pinged with a notification and she sank back on the bed as she opened her email. She’d signed up to Alanna’s blog and had a notification about a new post. Idly, she clicked the link.

Her shoulders tensed as she read the title:Heartbreak of Vinny’s Final Photographs.It went on to describe how upsetting it had been for Alanna to look through Vinny’s most recent photos on his camera. She’d uploaded a selection. Lily cringed as she peered at the ones she’d chosen to share. All of Alanna. Given the circumstances, she could probably have chosen some scenes of nature, but apparently that hadn’t occurred to her.

Looking again, Lily realised she’d seen some of the photos before. When she’d found the camera in the shed. Which meant…

With a quick shake of her head, Lily went back to read the blog post again. It stated that Alanna had ‘the heartbreaking task’ of poring over Vinny’s camera the previous day.

When would she have had access to his camera? Oscar had found it and handed it to the Millers, who had passed it to the police. Had PC Grainger returned it to Alanna? He’d said it would be given to Vinny’s sister with the rest of his things, but maybe he’d let Alanna have it. It seemed like an odd move, but then again so did not investigating his death properly.

Lily stretched her neck, contemplating. Maybe she should leave it alone. Even with the miserable weather, she should be able to find something to do that didn’t involve tying herself inknots trying to make sense of a situation that only made her more confused at every turn.

Her stomach rumbled, giving her the nudge she needed to get moving and go in search of food. When her conversation with Mrs Miller came back to her, she decided finding breakfast elsewhere would probably be a good idea.

Sadly, her attempt to slip out of the house unnoticed didn’t quite work out. Mrs Miller seemed to be waiting for her and popped out of the breakfast room as soon as her foot hit the stairs.

“Good morning,” she said, a slight quiver in her voice.

“Morning,” Lily replied with a polite smile. “I don’t need breakfast today, thank you.”

Mrs Miller didn’t respond until Lily reached the foot of the stairs. “I don’t blame you,” she said quietly. “But if you have a moment, I would like to speak to you.”

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