Page 130 of The Dead Ex

Then he disappeared. I thought back to that noisy call. Had he been at a station or an airport? From then on I tried to tell myself it must be something to do with his dodgy deals.

Nevertheless, Ithrew away my phone and bought another. Just in case. Thank God I did that or the police might have traced my calls. I was too scared to tell them the truth in case they held me responsible for his disappearance. Later, when he’d been gone for months, I began to fear that he really had killed himself.

Now it looks as though my original instinct was correct. He’d simply gone AWOL. I listen tomy ex-husband with a mixture of hatred and admiration. He always was so convincing.

Still, at least the police can no longer suspect me of his murder. Then the thought strikes me. What ifDavidhad something to do with Tanya’s death?

The prosecutor is still questioning him. ‘Why didn’t you come back earlier? Weren’t you aware that your wife had been murdered?’

He rubs his jaw. His voice israw. ‘I only found out recently, after leaving the retreat.’

‘Did your wife Tanya know where you were?’

‘I’m afraid I told no one. Not even my daughter. I’d been going through a lot of stress in my personal life, as I said. When I was well enough to come back to the UK, I saw the headlines about the case in the newspaper at theairport. It’s why I’m here.’ Then my skin chills as he looks straightup at me in the dock.

‘I believe that my ex-wife is responsible for Tanya’s death.’

‘That’s not true!’ I yell.

As I speak, the defence lawyer leaps up to object to David’s comment and the judge agrees, telling the jury to ignore it. He also orders my lawyer to keep his client quiet.

David seems unrepentant. ‘My ex-wife was violent.’

‘I was not!’

‘This is your final warning, Mrs Goudman,’says the judge.

The defence again leaps up to object about the violent bit. ‘No,’ says the judge. ‘Let’s see where this is going.’

David looks pleased. ‘Vicki used to hit me during arguments. It’s one of the reasons our marriage broke up.’

‘He’s lying,’ I want to yell.

‘So it wasn’t because you were having an affair with Tanya, then your secretary?’

He shrugs. ‘That only started because mywife was impossible to live with. I’m not proud of being unfaithful, but there you are. Vicki, however, couldn’t accept it. She would keep ringing me because she said she missed my voice. She even called me at the airport on the night that I went to the retreat. I can prove it with my phone records.’

I put my head in my hands. This bit I can’t deny.

‘Every time she moved, she sent me her address.I’d keep it just in case I needed to contact the police. It was my insurance policy in case she attacked me. Then someone else would know where she was. She used to followme all the time.’ He rubs his eyes. ‘It really upset my poor Tanya.’

There’s a hushed silence in the court.

The prosecuting barrister is handing him a photograph. ‘Do you recognize this?’

‘Yes. It was taken by a photographerI was having a business meeting with. A woman called Helen Evans who was a work experience student at my company.’

David looks uneasy. Was he having an affair with her? I knew all too well what his ‘business meetings’ usually meant.

‘Can you confirm who this woman in the photo is?’

David frowns. ‘It’s Vicki. Which only goes to prove my point about her stalking me.’ He faces the jury. ‘It’swhy I came rushing here as soon as I saw that headline. My ex-wife murdered Tanya out of jealousy. And she should pay for it …’

‘We’re not here to speculate,’ cuts in the judge.

But I can’t help thinking that the damage is done.

56