Page 143 of All the Forbidden Things

Aaron?

No. I want the wrath of Hellfire and damnation to rain down on Whitney’s lying, deceitful, cheating, fake, skinny arse, so I bite down on my bottom lip and try and think like her. What would that bitch do in my situation?

The answer hits me instantly, and I make the call as I head up the stairs to my flat.

“Are you sure it wasa woman screaming?” the operator asks.

“Yes. Yes, I’m sure.” I add an edge of hysteria to my voice, you know, just for effect. I think I might be enjoying this a bit too much.

“The only other resident here is a disabled woman. I’d go down and check to see she’s okay, but I can hear a man’s voice, and I’m a lone female.”

“No, don’t go down. Remain in your flat and keep the door locked, we’re sending someone now.”

I already gave the 9-9-9 operator my name and address when I called, but the police will need the gate code.

“There are electronic gates to get into the property, the code’s 1-2-0-9-1-9.”

The operator offers to stay on the line with me until the police arrive, but I have other calls to make, so I hang up.

I sit at the window in my bedroom, which overlooks the pool, and I call Max, but the call goes straight to voicemail, I try Micky next and get the same response. Finally, I try Aaron.

“Billie, everything okay?”

“Not really, but also, yeah, kinda fucking fantastic.”

“Talk to me.”

“I’m at my flat. There’s a party going on in the pool house . . .”

“What? Please tell me Max hasn’t gone on a bender?”

“Max is still at the hotel as far as I know, but he might wanna come home to see this.”

“Go on . . .”

“I’ve just videoed Whitney Federov with a man’s head buried between her legs.”

“You did what?” My nerves have me laughing at how that must have sounded to Aaron.

“Not in a pervy way. She was lying back on a sun lounger, some random had his head between her legs before she sat up and snorted what I assume was a couple of lines of coke. But that’s not the best bit.”

“Go on …”

“The coke must be class A+plus and then some because as soon as she snorted just two lines, you’ll never guess what happened?”

“I can’t, tell me.”

“She stood up, walked to the edge of the pool, and dived right in.”

“What the fuck?” Aaron lets out his own laugh and I chuckle along with him.

“I kid you not Al.”

“And you caught all this on camera?

“Yep. The police are on their way, so you might wanna get your arse over here.”

“Does Max know? It might actually be better if he’s not there. I’m on my way. Are you somewhere safe, Billie? Don’t approach her, just let the police do their thing. This won’t look good for Max at first, but in the grand scheme of things, it could be the best thing ever.”