Page 16 of Someone in the Water
The only subject that Izzy has been muted on is Salvo, and why she thinks he’s worth steering clear of. She did finally admit that she’d seen him hanging out with a group of dodgy-looking men in the middle of the night, but wouldn’t say any more than that. It’s not enough evidence to condemn him – not nearly enough – but her warning has still left its mark on me, especially after our unsettling conversation on the beach. I’m always polite when I see him now, but I keep my distance.
When I think about how far Salvo travelled to pay his final respects to my dad, I feel bad for judging him harshly. But the fact is, I don’t know him. And neither did Dad really – they hadn’t seen each other since they were teenagers. And people change. My instinct is to trust Izzy, and Mum has always taught me to trust my instincts.
‘Shall we get another drink?’ Izzy says. ‘Another Long Island iced tea?’
‘Yeah sure, but do you know where Harriet is?’ I ask. ‘She owes me a drink.’
‘She’s waiting by the pool with Dom,’ Izzy says, with an exaggerated booty shake.
‘Waiting for what?’
‘I said I’d get more wine. Then I heard Beyoncé, and saw you, and well, here we are.’
I burst into laughter, more raucous than Izzy’s answer deserves, another clue to my drunkenness. ‘They are going to be so mad with you!’
Izzy winks. ‘Harriet is constantly mad with me. Dom is too desperate to be liked to be mad with anyone. But I guess I should probably make good on my promise at some point. Shall we go and find them now?’
The music changes to Steps, and that feels like a good time to leave. ‘Yes, but I need to pee. I’ll see you up there in a few minutes.’
Izzy nods, then weaves her way through the revellers. I jump off the wooden block of the beach bar, and onto the sand. The staff aren’t supposed to use the guest toilets. The others regularly flout the rules, but I’m too fresh out of school for that, and anyway, a walk along the beach to the accommodation block might sober me up a bit.
While the gardens and top section of the beach are busy with people, it’s quieter by the water’s edge, and I enjoy the sense of privacy it gives me. Like nobody knows I’m here, except the tiny fish in the shallow water, darting away as my shadow looms over them. The view sways a little and I giggle. Wow, I am pretty drunk.
‘Francesca.’
I gasp. ‘Jesus! You scared me.’ Why is my heart racing so much? It’s only Salvo. I eye the beach bar. ‘What are you doing down here?’
‘I was out fishing, but I think the noise from the party has scared the fish away, so I came in.’ He tilts his head. ‘What’s wrong, Francesca? You look nervous.’
‘No, I’m fine,’ I say, privately panicking that he’ll guess he’s the source of my fear.
‘Has something happened? Are you not enjoying the party?’
I look towards the beach bar again. The music is still loud, but it feels distant now. Muffled. The exhilaration of my drunkenness replaced by a blurred anxiety. ‘I was just going back to my room for a bit. But I’m meeting up with my friends again soon.’ I burrow my toes into the sand.
He keeps staring at me, and I have a sense of him peeling back my skin and levering open my skull until he can read my mind. ‘Raphael said you’re sharing a room with the French sailing instructor,’ he finally says.
‘What? Yes, that’s right, Izzy,’ I whisper.
‘And you get on?’
‘Yes.’
He nods, and keeps nodding, as though he wants to say more.
‘I should probably go,’ I mumble, taking advantage of the silence. ‘My friends will be wondering where I am.’
‘Francesca …’
‘I prefer Frankie, if that’s okay.’
‘Izzy hasn’t said anything to you, has she? About me?’
‘What? No, nothing.’ Even in the darkness, I can see Salvo’s face flood with relief, and it makes my stomach churn. I don’t know what Izzy has against him, but it’s clearly something. And now he’s worried about what she knows too. ‘I mean, why would she?’ I hear myself ask.
Salvo looks away, towards the sea, and I follow his gaze. There are about ten fishing boats moored to buoys, swaying gently in the waves. One of those will be Salvo’s, I think. Despite how much I love the sea, I can’t imagine fishing at night, alone in the darkness.
‘Maybe she doesn’t know anything,’ Salvo murmurs. ‘She was there, but not involved at all. I hope, for her sake, that she’s unaware.’
