Anne Arbizu

Anne Arbizu is a largely offstage but pivotal figure: her affair with Freddy helps explain Ros’s departure, while her violent death becomes central to Amaia’s accusation that Flora killed Víctor in response to what he did to Anne. The evidence presents Anne through other people’s memories and competing interpretations, leaving the nature of her connection to Flora uncertain.

Relationship with Freddy and Ros

Freddy admits to Amaia that he fell in love with Anne and thought only of himself. Ros, who had loved him, cared for him, and been faithful, left their home after discovering his involvement with another woman. Freddy names Anne months later, and the name still hurts him. He says that learning Anne had been murdered was more than he could bear, though this exchange does not spell out the act to which he alludes.

Anne and Flora

Freddy recalls seeing Anne leave through the back door of a storage space after speaking briefly with Flora; the two parted with an affectionate embrace. The following Sunday, during a vermouth gathering, Flora stopped to greet Freddy and Ros, saying she had come from church. When Anne then passed in the street, Freddy noticed that both he and Flora concealed their recognition, while Ros seemed unaware. Freddy later asked Anne about the meeting. She denied that he had seen what he thought he had seen and became angry, so he let the matter drop, saying it had not mattered to him.

Death and its place in the accusation

Amaia confronts Flora with the connections she sees: Anne had been involved with Freddy, her relationship with Freddy had caused Ros pain, and Anne and Flora had shared an affectionate farewell. Amaia states that Víctor, Flora’s former husband of twenty years, killed Anne in the river, and accuses Flora of killing Víctor rather than acting in legitimate self-defense. She argues that Flora was not moved by the deaths of the girls Víctor targeted, but by his having harmed Anne. This is Amaia’s interpretation of Flora’s motive, not a settled account of Anne and Flora’s relationship; Flora remains silent during the accusation.