Three in the morning and Velma was looking out of her window and ready to run down to the beach.
Earlier she had confronted Fred about it all, and he'd been honest with her. Velma smiled as she remembered. He never could keep secrets from us all…
They'd researched Lily Roper on the net, but found almost nothing. It seemed as though all media interest in Lily Roper had dried up several years ago, as the most recent newspaper coverage was about seven years before, or three after Lily actually disappeared. They found out that she was fifteen when she vanished, and several photos of her as well. It felt strange to both, seeing a photo of her outside their heads on a computer screen.
Marina had come in halfway through.
"And why would you be looking at Leely Roper?"
"You knew about her?"
"I knew 'er in person. She was, 'ow you say, staying 'ere. I was 'ere with my family, to, er, work on my Eenglish. I was about ten when it 'appened. She 'adn't 'ad an argument wiz 'er family or anyzing, she was taking a walk on ze beach in ze moon. 'Er leetle sister, Rosa, wanted to go wiz 'er, but she said no, she would go on 'er own. Eef only Rosa 'ad gone too… Zen again, maybe Rosa would 'ave vanished too if zat 'ad 'appened…
"Zey searched ze 'ole beach for 'er for six weeks. Zen zey said she was not on ze beach, per'aps she 'ad been kidnapped for 'er looks. But I don't believe zat. It may seem likely, but eet ees not… 'ow you say… She would not 'ave let someone take 'er. I theenk she knew martial arts, sometheeng like zat, but she was not stupid eizer, she was a very careful girl. I theenk she eez still out zere somewhere."
Velma now dwelt on Marina's words as she slipped her shoes on. But she didn't have long to think.
"Come… Come… Come, Velma…"
Velma looked out of the window. Lily stood in the bay, beckoning with one slender arm. Velma caught her breath at the sight. She was so beautiful. For a second her heart ached with envy, but she turned and ran out of the door, careful of Daphne but in a hurry.
The run to the beach wasn't too long, but the marble stairs of the hotel were slippery if you were running and she tripped and slid to the end of the stairs. She had a funny feeling of déjà vu as she did so, but not the usual déjà vu. It was somehow different, as though she had done it before but not as the same person. She shook the feeling off and ran on, ignoring the pain in her knee where she'd landed on the foyer floor. Luckily, no-one had seen and no-one was around.
She took the same path they'd used earlier to get to the beach, past several couples on benches. Somehow the déjà vu continued, as though she'd done this before. She guessed it was some kind of spiritual déjà vu (although she didn't believe in it, of course) and tried to ignore it, focusing on the figure on the beach before her.
"Hello again, Velma."
The soft British accent was more pronounced than ever as she said this, very different to anything she was used to, but it felt nice.
"Follow me. I am determined that we shall not run out of time today."
She set off along the beach, seeming to glide rather than walk, and Velma followed, still out of breath from the long run but trying desperately to keep up with Lily.
Lily stopped at a sand dune about three-quarters of the way down the beach and ran her hand across her face.
"You must dig at this sand dune, you and Fred, at three in the morning when the moon is brightest, but the day after tomorrow. You place yourselves in grave danger if you try to dig here either tonight or tomorrow night."
"Why?"
"Tonight there is a beach party that will be starting in a minute. And tomorrow a man visits this dune, for reasons that he knows. He must not see you."
Velma nodded.
"It is very important that you dig here in the moonlight. I have heard of you and your friends, and your work. You always find clues, right? Well, it requires the moon to find this clue."
Velma gazed up at this strange girl, whose eyes were blazing as they looked back at her.
"Do you understand my instructions?"
"Yes."
"I am sorry that it must be you to do this, but it is the only way. You have experience in these things… In essence, mysteries such as mine.
"I told you earlier… Come, and my mystery shall be solved."
And with that Lily vanished, so abruptly that for a moment Velma wondered whether she had been there at all.
With a lead weight on her heart and shoulders, and the odd feeling of déjà vu back, she set off back up the beach path.
She looked in on the boys, wondering if Fred had been disturbed by Lily, having seen and heard her before. But he was fast asleep, and didn't stir when she whispered his name.
Daphne didn't stir either when Velma crept into bed, but suddenly rolled onto her side and started murmuring. Velma knew it was maybe a little nosy, but tried hard to hear what she was saying.
"Freddy… come back…"
Velma smiled and turned over.
Honestly, she thought. Why don't they just admit they love each other, rather than just go on in life making out that they don't?