Soul Fire

Sagrada Familia is better from the outside than the inside, so do not bother to
queue. The Ciutadella Park is very nice all year round. Very pretty. Oh. And do you like chocolate brownies?’
    I feel impatient. There are guidebooks for this. I need to know how I can help him. ‘Yes, of course, but—’
    ‘Go to the Dulce café, on Carrer de Balboa. They have the best brownies in town, served warm, with ice cream on the side. Best waiters in town, too. Tell the cute one you know me.
But, beware, he might drop your plate.’
    ‘And that’s all?’
    ‘You’re a smart girl, Alice. I trust you will understand what is required once you are there.’
    And then he reaches out to hug me, something he never does. I let him hold me, and I feel his heart beating against my chest. He wants this. I will do my best.
    After Javier leaves me, I walk towards the huts that lie beyond the beach bar, taking careful steps in the dark. All I can hear is slow breathing; no one is awake. The
intensity of the blackness here is making my own eyelids heavy.
    I peep through the door of the first hut. A single candle burns in a fisherman’s lantern, illuminating my sister’s face, and Tim’s next to her. Strange how two people who died
such awful deaths can look so peaceful. They’re holding hands in their sleep.
    For a moment, I consider waking them up. This weekend could bring the breakthrough we all need, and if I manage to corner her killer, then it might possibly mean the end of her time on the
Beach. And my own.
    My breathing quickens. That would be too soon.
    But she looks too sweet to wake, and anyway, what could I tell her without being banned? Plus, I can’t believe the journey will end in Spain. Surely it would be right for justice to be
done in London, where she died.
    Or perhaps that’s just me trying to convince myself that I have any control over what happens to her or me or any of us.
    ‘Sweet dreams, Meggie. I will be back soon. Promise,’ I whisper. She smiles in her sleep and I think she might have heard me.

33
    In the departure lounge Cara is still singing the Barcelona song.
    I’m drinking Diet Coke, Sahara’s got a soya protein shake, and Ade is eating a breakfast panini. And we’re all wishing Cara would change the record. I was already on edge at
the thought that I’m going to be in Spain with three murder suspects and this huge responsibility towards Javier.
    The tune is making me even edgier.
    ‘Does she have to announce where we’re going to the entire bar?’ Sahara mutters. Though she doesn’t seem to have the guts to tackle Cara directly. Perhaps she’s not
really scary at all.
    The singing stops.
    ‘ Adrian? ’ says Cara, twisting a strand of newly dyed white hair round her finger. ‘Alice and I would love a tiny drink. Just to, you know, help us get in the holiday
mood.’
    Sahara frowns. ‘We promised your parents we’d take care of you. And anyway, it’s not even half past nine yet.’
    ‘Mum always lets me have wine with dinner. She says it’s the reason why French children don’t turn into binge drinkers,’ Cara replies. Sure, her mum does let her
have a small glass in the evening, but that doesn’t stop Cara necking more in the pub afterwards.
    ‘I suppose they are on holiday,’ Ade says to Sahara. ‘And I quite fancy a beer myself.’
    Sahara holds up her hands, and those long pointy fingers seem to have grown since I last saw her. ‘So what I think doesn’t matter to you?’
    ‘It’s not that, I just—’
    ‘Can I get anyone a drink?’
    The voice is the last one I was expecting to hear. I turn round.
    ‘Lewis?’
    He smiles at me. His face is red behind his designer specs, as though he’s been running. ‘What a coincidence, bumping into you guys!’
    ‘What are you doing here, Lewis?’ I’m surprised – he didn’t exactly jump at the idea of coming with me when I joked about it at his flat.
    ‘There’s a conference in Barcelona this weekend. Lots of potential contacts are going.’
    ‘You never said.’
    ‘Only confirmed my place at the last minute. Thought you’d be pleased. I’ll be busy during the day, but I was hoping to hang out with you guys at the fiesta!’
    ‘Great!’ I say. And it is great – he’s probably the only person here I really trust. It’s just a bit weird that he’s showed up like this without mentioning it
before.
    Lewis parks his black leather trolley case under our table, then takes a step forward. ‘You must