Page 20

NINETEEN

THURSDAY 30 JANUARY

‘Thanks for meeting up with me.’

‘I’m intrigued,’ Faye Held says, holding out her hand to Harper. They’re in a bar in Covent Garden – Faye is due to have dinner with friends in a couple of hours so it was the only place she could meet this evening. It should be more than enough time for Harper to plant the seed.

Faye’s an attractive woman in her late twenties; her smooth dark skin seems to shimmer, matching the sparkle in her large brown eyes. The mojito she ordered sits in front of her and she taps on her phone, her long, burgundy manicured fingernails clack-clacking on the screen. Harper tries to stifle her annoyance; she needs this woman’s full attention.

‘Sorry,’ she says, her eyes still fixed on her phone. ‘Work email. You wouldn’t believe how many messages I get every day from people requesting specific cases on Beneath the Surface . But there are only so many that hold my interest. I have to choose carefully. One – I’ve got to be excited about it, and two – I need to know there’s more to it than just what people see on the outside.’

‘Like the Graham White case,’ Harper says. She’s got a still water in front of her.

‘Exactly. That one certainly piqued my interest.’ Faye stops tapping on her phone and places it on the table. ‘I’m obsessed with true crime. Scares a lot of people. But I look at it like this – I’m doing a service to society. I’m the voice for people who can’t speak for themselves. Have to be impartial, though. I pride myself on that. I really can see things from all perspectives. But there can be only one truth.’

Harper smiles. In some ways she admires Faye Held – who at such a young age already has the confidence and wisdom of someone far older.

‘So what is it you wanted to see me about?’ Faye asks. ‘You said it relates to the Graham White case, but what is it exactly?’

‘I need to know everything you know about the Graham White case.’

Faye frowns. ‘No offence, but that’s not why we’re here. You said you have new information.’

‘I do,’ Harper says. ‘But I need to check a few things with you first. I need to know what you know about the case.’

Faye eyes her suspiciously. ‘Have you tried actually listening to my podcast?’

‘I did. Every word. But there must be stuff you couldn’t fit into the episode. Or any thoughts you’ve had since then. It’s been two years since you recorded it. Has anything changed?’

Faye clasps her hands together, resting her chin on them. ‘Hmm. And what’s in it for me? How do I know what you’re going to tell me will interest me?’

Harper’s been anticipating this. ‘I know Kate Mason.’

Faye’s eyes widen. ‘Interesting. Tell me more.’

‘And I think she’s killed someone again.’

For a brief moment, Faye’s mouth hangs open, before she composes herself again and once again becomes laid back and calm. ‘If that’s true, then shouldn’t it be the police you’re talking to, not a true crime podcaster?’

Harper has expected this question. ‘This woman is too clever. She’s already got away with it before, and I’m sure she’s covered her tracks this time. She was fifteen then – now she’s a grown woman.’

‘I’m going to need more than that,’ Faye says.

‘Wouldn’t you like to break this story on Beneath the Surface ?’ Harper asks. ‘Imagine how many subscribers you’d get if you had an exclusive.’

Faye rolls her eyes. ‘I’m not a tabloid journalist.’ She pauses. ‘But you do have a point. What’s in it for you?’

‘Nothing but justice,’ Harper replies. ‘That’s all I care about.’

Faye takes a long sip of her cocktail. ‘Okay. I’ll tell you my thoughts on Graham White and then you can fill me in on what you know about Kate Mason.’ She raises her head, appraising Harper. ‘And I really hope you’re not wasting my time. I get a lot of that, I’m sure you can understand. Time is precious.’

Harper nods. ‘I assure you, this will be totally worth your while.

‘Okay. At first glance, it seems like an open and shut case, right? Man tries to attack young girl. Girl fights back. Accidentally kills him. Police are happy with that conclusion. But upon further examination – I don’t think it happened quite like that.’ Faye rests her elbows on the table.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Kate Mason had a best friend – Mona Shaw. She wouldn’t come on my podcast but I managed to convince her to speak to me off the record. To give me some background that I wouldn’t use in the podcast. Believe me, it took a lot of convincing.’

Harper’s pulse races. ‘What did she tell you?’

‘Mona said that on the afternoon Kate claims she was attacked, she and Kate had had a huge argument. Apparently, Kate said some vile things to Mona and really lost it with her. She even lashed out and punched her.’

‘Why?’

‘She wouldn’t tell me. But then Mona broke down and said she didn’t believe that man was trying to attack Kate.’ Faye sighs. ‘Then she shut down and wouldn’t tell me anything more. She seemed nervous. Actually, it was more like scared. She said she’d already told me too much.’ Faye rolls her eyes. ‘Which was hardly anything, really. At least, nothing I could use in my podcast. But her words stayed with me, and made me mistrust Kate. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t just believe everything I’m told – definitely not. But there was something about Mona and I felt the pain and honesty in her words, especially when she broke down.’

Harper nods. ‘What happened after that?’

‘She said she’d moved on with her life, put all that behind her. She said the church was a huge part of her life now and she didn’t want to think about anything that came before. Then she told me she had to cut Kate out of her life straight after it happened and she wants to keep it that way.’

Harper understands this. The sooner Kate Mason is out of her own life, the better. ‘What’s your take on it all?’

Faye taps her fingers together, her shiny nails glinting in the light. ‘I’ve done extensive research on Graham White and I can’t find anything to suggest he was a bad person. He’d never hurt a woman before. All his work colleagues said he was extremely respectful to all the female employees in his office. So you tell me – how does that fit with this idea that he wanted to attack Kate?’

Harper ponders this for a moment. ‘You’re right, it does seem odd. To suddenly become someone who would attack a teenage girl doesn’t make sense.’

‘And the police found nothing suspicious on his computer.’

Harper nods. ‘Did you ever speak to Graham White’s ex-partner?’

‘Jennifer Seagrove. Yes – and she found it hard to believe that he would be violent. She said they’d broken up but he didn’t go crazy or anything like the media suggested. She thought he handled it well. Although she’d only left him the day before he was killed, so there’s no telling what he might have done. Who knows what goes on in people’s minds? But my take is this – the dead can’t speak for themselves, so someone has to do it for them. And that’s me.’

Harper thinks of Jamie, how she has become his voice. ‘Can you give me the contact details for Mona and Jennifer? I’d really like to talk to them.’

Faye frowns. ‘Why? I’ve told you everything they said.’

‘I know. But I’d still like to speak to them.’

‘Hmm.’ Faye studies her with narrow eyes full of mistrust. ‘I can’t give you their details. Data protection – you know how it is. But I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I can contact them both and give them your info. You’ll just have to hope they respond.’

That will have to do; this is as far as Harper can push Faye Held, and she’s already got more than she’d expected. ‘Great. Thanks.’

‘First things first, though. Tell me what Kate Mason has done.’

Harper takes a deep breath, forcing away an image of Jamie lying dead on the floor. ‘She killed my husband.’

Faye’s mouth drops, her eyes widening with shock and something else. Glee.

‘I need to know exactly why you’re saying this. And why you haven’t gone to the police if it’s true. Over to you.’

Harper is ready for this moment, because if she can get Faye Held onside, then Kate’s life will be over. Even if the police never prosecute her, a podcast reaching hundreds of thousands of people will be enough to wreak havoc on her life. A lump catches in Harper’s throat – poor Thomas; he’s a nice kid and doesn’t deserve this. But he also doesn’t deserve a murderer for a mother.

‘I know for a fact that Kate Mason slept with my husband the night before he was killed.’

‘How could you know that? Did he tell you?’

‘No. But I saw them. There was a…a camera in the bedroom of the flat we normally rent out. I saw them together. They were in bed. They…they slept together.’ Harper’s surprised she’s able to get these words out with no emotion. She’s never uttered them aloud but somehow manages to bury her feelings because she just needs this done – she needs Faye Held to believe her.

‘You were filming them? That’s hardly ethical.’

‘I know…but it wasn’t like that. I didn’t watch – I just had to know what Jamie was doing with her.’

Faye raises her eyebrows. ‘Show me,’ she says, beckoning with her hand. ‘Not the whole video, just a still of it.’

‘I don’t have the video any more. I wasn’t able to save it, but I took a screen shot.’ Harper reaches into her bag and pulls out her phone. ‘Here.’

The picture is blurry but it’s clearly Kate Mason with Jamie, her lips caressing his chest.

‘Jesus!’ Faye says, her eyes glistening. ‘That’s…I have no words. Why haven’t you shown this to the police?’

‘Because I can’t prove when it was taken.’ And the truth is, if the police know Harper knew Jamie was having an affair, then they’d start to look into her. She can’t have that – not even for a second. She is all Dexter has left. Jamie was estranged from his parents and Harper’s both died before Dexter was born. Before she’d even been pregnant with Molly. Her mum never got to see Harper become a mum.

Harper will never admit her fear to Faye – she doesn’t want the woman to start investigating her instead. What destruction that would cause.

‘The police would be able to ascertain that it’s legit,’ Faye says, leaning back and folding her arms.

‘Do you have kids yet?’ Harper asks.

‘Well, that’s rude. But no – not yet. I’m only twenty-seven. Plenty of time for that. I’ve got a podcasting goal to reach. One million followers by next summer.’

‘And you’ll get there,’ Harper says, meaning every word. Even the one episode she listened to of Faye’s was enough to show her that this woman is compelling, and that Beneath the Surface has more potential than maybe even Faye realises. ‘The reason I’m doing this,’ Harper continues, ‘is for my son. He lost his dad and I need to make sure that justice is served. But I need to be sure. And you investigating this for your podcast will prove that I’m right. Then the police will have to listen.

Faye’s expression is inscrutable.

‘Please, Faye. You’re the only person who can help me.’

Faye purses her lips and drums her fingers on the table, and Harper focuses on the click-clack of her burgundy nails, willing her to agree.

‘Sod it – what have I got to lose?’ Faye says, finally. ‘But if you’re lying to me about anything I will make sure this ends up in court – got it?’

‘I wouldn’t expect anything else,’ Harper says, holding out her hand.

Faye takes her hand. ‘You’ve got a deal.’ She loosens her grip and rubs her hands together. ‘I knew there was something about Kate Mason when I investigated the Graham White death. Let’s make sure that this time, she doesn’t get away with taking someone’s life.’