Page 38 of Midnight

‘I’ll see you at our first kayaking excursion, if not before,’ said Olivia, relieved the pair were leaving. She didn’t like the way Maxwell was continuing to stare at her, a strange rictus grin on his face. She wanted to get back to the cabin, maybe look over the passenger list again.

But Maxwell blocked her exit, waiting for Lucinda to walk away. When she was out of view, he gripped Olivia’s arm, his fingers digging into her bicep. She looked up at him in alarm, her eyes wide. ‘So did he give it to you?’

‘G-give me what?’ Olivia stammered.

Maxwell snarled, releasing Olivia from his grip. ‘When you hear from Aaron, you tell him he’s ruined everything,’ he hissed at her. ‘And he still owes me.’

17

‘Are you OK? That looked serious,’ Janine asked Olivia after Maxwell stormed off. ‘Want to talk about it?’

Olivia shook her head, but a shiver ran through her entire body. ‘I’m going back to the library. I … I have to reply to Aaron.’

‘That’s a good idea actually. I’ll come with you,’ said Janine. ‘I wanted to send an email to my parents anyway. They’re probably desperate to hear from me.’

‘Have you been travelling long then?’ Olivia asked as they made their way back up the stairs from the mudroom.

‘A few months. It’s what I do – I travel and document my trips online.’

‘Wow, this trip is full of either art aficionados or travel influencers. I’ll introduce you to two others I met yesterday – but you might know them already.’

‘Probably only by their handles,’ Janine said with a laugh. ‘I was thinking about doing a video on the art stuff on board. That might interest my followers. Is the artist himself on board too? I should do an interview.’

‘Sadly not. He passed away a few months ago. But his legacy is in good hands with Aaron.’

‘Such a shame he couldn’t make it. Maybe I can interview you?’

‘I doubt anyone will be that interested in what I have to say. But I can introduce you to the auctioneer, Stefan?’ Olivia asked.

‘Perfect! And I know it’s not nice to be on your own, but at least we can stick together.’

‘That would be great,’ Olivia said. And she meant it. It was nice to have someone to talk to who wasn’t directly connected to the art world.

When they arrived, they weren’t the only ones inside. Annalise was reading in one of the armchairs, her legs up over the side.

‘I wouldn’t bother,’ she said without looking up from her page. ‘It took about twenty minutes just to open a search engine.’

‘I have to try.’ She cursed herself as she sat down at the laptop, while Janine browsed the bookshelves behind. She should have replied straight away, instead of playing a stupid game by making him wait. Her encounter with Maxwell had been terrifying. What could Aaron still owe the man?

But Annalise was right. Olivia burned through several minutes of internet time with nothing but a frustrating wheel under the cursor spinning around and around.

Eventually she gave up, slapping down the lid of the laptop.

‘Told you.’

Olivia closed her eyes. ‘Guess you did.’ She sighed, then sat down in one of the chairs opposite Annalise. ‘Reading anything good?’

‘Still studying.’

‘I’ve been studying what feels like my whole life, so I know how you feel.’

Annalise looked up. ‘But you’re not at university still, are you?’

‘I’m working towards my actuarial qualification. Soeven while I’ve been working, I’ve been taking exams. It’s never-ending.’

‘Oh wow. I looked into doing that but an average of seven years to qualify sounded like a nightmare. Do you like it?’

She bit her lip before replying. ‘Hard to say. I kind of fell into it, being good at maths and needing a secure job. I’m sort of taking a leave of absence from that. I’m now helping my boyfriend with his art advisory.’

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