didn’t return until two days after they died. You can check with the hotel and the airline if you don’t believe me.”
“I believe you. Your alibi is airtight.” Faith had already checked. “I know you aren’t the assassin.”
“That’s comforting.” Layla eyed her over the rim of her glass. “My sister and I may not have been on speaking terms recently, but I wouldn’t resort to killing her. Daniel was a different story.” She laughed mirthlessly. “Sorry, that was in bad taste. I’m joking.”
“Where were you when you heard of your sister’s death?” Faith didn’t like the way Layla was toying with her.
“I saw reports of the murders on the news when I landed at Dublin Airport, but I didn’t think it was Amira because I had no idea she was in Killarney at the time. I went straight to bed when I arrived home. It was a tough few days and I was exhausted. My friend called me at dinnertime and said she had bad news. She asked if I’d heard about what had happened in Killarney. She thought it was Amira and Daniel who had been killed. I told her it was unlikely that they were in Killarney because the girls should have been at school. Later that evening, two police officers came to visit me and they told me what had happened.”
“But you didn’t feel the need to go to Killarney to be with your nieces, or to identify your sister’s body? Shouldn’t that have been your natural reaction?”
“I wanted to be there, but the press was camped outside my apartment building, and I couldn’t leave. It was a nightmare.”
“I can imagine. Were you and Amira close?”
“We were sisters.”
“But you mentioned that you weren’t on speaking terms.”
“We were opposites; Amira was the serious one, whereas I was more light-hearted. We used to holiday together, but Daniel didn’t like me much. The feeling was mutual. Amira lost her spark when she married him. For all his charisma and charm, he wasn’t an easy man to be married to; he liked to be the centre of attention. I had no problem telling Amira what I thought of him, which didn’t go down too well with her.”
“That’s the first I’ve heard of anything like that,” said Faith. “From all accounts, Daniel was a decent, down-to-earth man.”
“That’s the impression he liked to portray. You know that old saying: ‘if you want to know me, come and live with me?’ It was true in Daniel’s case. He was a control freak. I don’t know how Amira put up with him, but she wouldn’t hear a word said against him.”
“I heard that you and Amira argued about the house. Is it true that your parents split the property between you?”
“It’s true, I owned half the house that Amira and Daniel inhabited,” Layla admitted reluctantly.
“Were you trying to force your sister to sell the house?” asked Faith.
“Forced is a strong word.” Layla stood up and walked to the window that overlooked the busy main street below. “I wanted Amira to see the sort of man she had married. She was blind where Daniel was concerned, but I knew he was a user. I didn’t want someone like him living in my parents’ house. Why should he?” She turned blazing eyes on Faith. “He’s supposed to be a man. Why didn’t he man up and provide a home of his own for his family? I didn’t want my share of my parents’ house funding his lifestyle. There were rumours he cheated on Amira. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen. She tried to say I was jealous, just because she was married, and I wasn’t. It’s not true. I felt sorry for her being with a man like Daniel Gleeson. He was the type of man who used Amira to make himself feel good without appreciating that he was nothing without her.”
Faith was taken aback by Layla’s venom. “Why did you stop speaking to Amira?” she asked.
“I was sick of her naïveté.” Layla kicked off her shoes and sank into the sofa. “We communicated via our solicitors in the months before she died. Once
“I believe you. Your alibi is airtight.” Faith had already checked. “I know you aren’t the assassin.”
“That’s comforting.” Layla eyed her over the rim of her glass. “My sister and I may not have been on speaking terms recently, but I wouldn’t resort to killing her. Daniel was a different story.” She laughed mirthlessly. “Sorry, that was in bad taste. I’m joking.”
“Where were you when you heard of your sister’s death?” Faith didn’t like the way Layla was toying with her.
“I saw reports of the murders on the news when I landed at Dublin Airport, but I didn’t think it was Amira because I had no idea she was in Killarney at the time. I went straight to bed when I arrived home. It was a tough few days and I was exhausted. My friend called me at dinnertime and said she had bad news. She asked if I’d heard about what had happened in Killarney. She thought it was Amira and Daniel who had been killed. I told her it was unlikely that they were in Killarney because the girls should have been at school. Later that evening, two police officers came to visit me and they told me what had happened.”
“But you didn’t feel the need to go to Killarney to be with your nieces, or to identify your sister’s body? Shouldn’t that have been your natural reaction?”
“I wanted to be there, but the press was camped outside my apartment building, and I couldn’t leave. It was a nightmare.”
“I can imagine. Were you and Amira close?”
“We were sisters.”
“But you mentioned that you weren’t on speaking terms.”
“We were opposites; Amira was the serious one, whereas I was more light-hearted. We used to holiday together, but Daniel didn’t like me much. The feeling was mutual. Amira lost her spark when she married him. For all his charisma and charm, he wasn’t an easy man to be married to; he liked to be the centre of attention. I had no problem telling Amira what I thought of him, which didn’t go down too well with her.”
“That’s the first I’ve heard of anything like that,” said Faith. “From all accounts, Daniel was a decent, down-to-earth man.”
“That’s the impression he liked to portray. You know that old saying: ‘if you want to know me, come and live with me?’ It was true in Daniel’s case. He was a control freak. I don’t know how Amira put up with him, but she wouldn’t hear a word said against him.”
“I heard that you and Amira argued about the house. Is it true that your parents split the property between you?”
“It’s true, I owned half the house that Amira and Daniel inhabited,” Layla admitted reluctantly.
“Were you trying to force your sister to sell the house?” asked Faith.
“Forced is a strong word.” Layla stood up and walked to the window that overlooked the busy main street below. “I wanted Amira to see the sort of man she had married. She was blind where Daniel was concerned, but I knew he was a user. I didn’t want someone like him living in my parents’ house. Why should he?” She turned blazing eyes on Faith. “He’s supposed to be a man. Why didn’t he man up and provide a home of his own for his family? I didn’t want my share of my parents’ house funding his lifestyle. There were rumours he cheated on Amira. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen. She tried to say I was jealous, just because she was married, and I wasn’t. It’s not true. I felt sorry for her being with a man like Daniel Gleeson. He was the type of man who used Amira to make himself feel good without appreciating that he was nothing without her.”
Faith was taken aback by Layla’s venom. “Why did you stop speaking to Amira?” she asked.
“I was sick of her naïveté.” Layla kicked off her shoes and sank into the sofa. “We communicated via our solicitors in the months before she died. Once
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