Page 23

TWENTY-TWO

SUNDAY 2 FEbrUARY

Kate hasn’t heard from Ellis since last night, when he’d messaged to say he was on his way to Harper’s, cameras in hand. The four messages Kate’s sent since then have been ignored, and now she’s starting to worry.

And now, while Thomas is still asleep, Kate calls Ellis again, surprised when he answers this time, his voice heavy with sleep.

‘Finally! Why haven’t you answered?’

Kate hears the rustle of sheets.

‘Because I’ve been sleeping. It’s not even six o’clock. Is Thomas okay?’

‘Yes, he’s fine. Did you, do it?’

Ellis sighs. ‘So that’s why you’re calling? Yes, the cameras are installed.’

‘Oh, good. Can I get the app on my phone?’

‘I don’t think so because it’s on mine.’

‘Have you watched her? Has she done anything?’

‘Yes. She’s currently making breakfast. Real criminal stuff, Kate.’

‘Can you come over? Now?’

Another pause. ‘Yeah…but there’s really nothing to see right now.’

‘It’s not that. I need to talk to you. It’s important.’

‘You’re doing it again, Kate. Acting weird. You need to tell me what’s going on with you. Talk to me. Or someone at least. Are you still seeing that therapist? Because I’m not convinced he’s doing a good job.’

‘I have to go,’ Kate says, ignoring his flurry of questions. ‘See you soon.’

Ellis arrives within half an hour, and Kate’s surprised to find him looking so unkempt.

‘Before you say anything – I rushed straight here. And I left my phone at home by accident. Didn’t have time to brush my hair or shave. I know this must be important for you to drag me here urgently. So what’s going on? Is this about us, Kate?’

Kate registers the glimmer of hope in his eyes. ‘Come in the living room. I don’t want Thomas waking up.’

Ellis follows her, standing too close.

‘This isn’t about us,’ Kate says, backing away. ‘There is no us any more. I can’t keep saying that.’

For a moment Ellis is silent, scrutinising her. He looks upset, until his expression changes into something colder. ‘Then what is this?’ he snaps. ‘What is going on with you, Kate? First, you’re interfering in my relationship and then discussing my personal business with people. Getting me to spy on people. This isn’t you – what are you playing at?’

She backs away – it’s not that she fears Ellis; he’s never lifted a finger towards her – but the legacy of Graham White lives strongly in her mind and body.

‘Hey,’ he says, stepping back and holding up his hands. ‘I didn’t mean to get in your face. I just want to understand what’s happening here.’

Kate straightens up; she won’t cower to any man. ‘There’s nothing going on. And I could ask you the same question.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

She’s about to tell Ellis that she knows he’s lying about not recognising Jamie Archer when she showed him Jamie’s photo, but right now she needs him to stay with Thomas – there’s somewhere Kate needs to be. They will have this conversation later. ‘Nothing,’ she says. ‘Sorry. I’m just…there’s some stuff I need to take care of.’

‘So that’s the real reason I’m here.’ Ellis sighs.

‘I need you to stay here with Thomas,’ Kate says. Just keep an eye on him. Watch him like a hawk. I won’t be long.’

‘Watch him like a hawk? What aren’t you telling me, Kate? And don’t tell me nothing’s going on.’

Kate switches off – the exasperation in his voice is too much for her. She scrawls a note to Thomas and slips it under his cereal bowl. ‘I won’t be long,’ she says, pulling on her coat and rushing outside before Ellis can question her further.

Reaching the car, her eyes fix on the piece of paper under the windscreen wiper. Her throat constricts when she unfolds it and reads the typed words.

R.I.P Jamie

R.I.P Graham

Who’s next?

Kate knows Rowan’s home address because she’d followed him one day, after their third or fourth session, when she knew he was the therapist she wanted, but she needed to be sure about him. To get a picture of the man he was outside of his practice, to be sure she could trust him.

Now, though, as she stands across the road from his house in Fulham, Kate feels like a stalker, and guilt clutches her chest, destabilising her. She shouldn’t be here. Rowan would report her to the police if he saw her, particularly as he’s made it clear that he can’t be her therapist any longer. He wouldn’t hesitate to tell the police what she told him about Jamie Archer. But Kate knows she didn’t harm Jamie. She knows it as sure as she knows that Thomas is her son.

She won’t let Harper Nolan reduce her to this. Kate takes a deep breath and crosses the road. Rowan’s is the only car in the driveway, so there’s every chance his wife is out. But as Kate gets closer to the house, a light comes on in one of the downstairs windows, and a woman appears, closing the shutters.

Kate turns around and walks back across the road. She can’t knock now. Instead, she picks up her phone and calls the mobile number Rowan gave her over a year ago in case she was having a panic attack and needed help getting through it. But Kate has learned to deal with those attacks herself, and has never had to call him for help. Until now.

He picks up on the fourth ring. ‘Hello?’

‘Hi, it’s Kate. Kate Mason.’

‘Where are you? Is everything okay? I’m sorry I haven’t sent you the name of a new therapist yet. I promise you I’m working on it – it’s just got to be the right fit.’

‘I know. I understand. But can we talk? Please? Everything’s got worse. There’s stuff happening and I don’t know where it will lead.’

Rowan sighs. ‘Kate, I really don’t think this is?—’

‘I promise you I’ll go to the police straight after. Just meet me. In an hour. At Labakery on Kensington High Street. I’ll explain everything.’

There’s a long pause before he answers. ‘Okay. I’ll see you there at ten.’

Kate heads straight to the coffee shop to wait. She orders a chai tea and wraps her hands around the large mug to warm them. Snow has been forecast, and grey clouds hang ominously in the sky. When her phone pings, she rushes to read the message, assuming it might be Rowan telling her he’s running late. But it’s an email from [email protected].

Hi, Kate.

This is Faye Held, podcast host of Beneath the Surface . You contacted me a couple of years ago to complain about my podcast episode.

I’m working on a new episode and I could really do with your help. It’s about the murder of Jamie Archer. I believe you know his wife – Harper Nolan.

I’d love to speak to you about her as a matter of urgency.

Best,

Faye Held

Numb with shock, Kate re-reads the email, carefully scanning for underlying meanings. This woman’s podcast brought back all the memories Kate had so carefully buried, sending her spiralling, seeking out help from Rowan Hess. And Kate won’t forget that Faye Held had suggested there might be more to his death than self-defence. Kate should reply immediately and tell her to go to hell, before deleting the email and blocking Faye Held.

But she wants to know what this woman has to say about Harper. It could be the lead Kate is looking for.

With her stomach churning, Kate ignores her tea and checks the time. Quarter to ten. She needs Rowan to get there fast, as inappropriate as it is for her to drag her therapist into this. Ex-therapist. She’s not sure what help she’s expecting from him; all she knows is that she needs to see him, and it’s fast becoming clear that there’s no one else she can trust.

She begins drafting an email to tell Faye Held to stop contacting her, but changes her mind. Maybe Faye Held can help her. She deletes what she’s written and sends off a different response: I can meet today.

By ten past ten, Rowan still hasn’t appeared. Kate looks up every time the door opens and lets in a gust of icy air. But it’s never Rowan. And then a text comes. Rowan telling her that he can’t come. He’s sorry, but it’s for the best. He’ll send her the name of a therapist as soon as possible.

Kate drops her phone and it crashes to the floor, and all eyes in the coffee shop turn and stare.

She reaches down to retrieve it, smoothing her finger over the spiderweb of cracks on the screen, blurring the photo of her and Thomas that she loves so much.

It was Faye Held’s choice to meet in Hyde Park. A strange request, considering the weather. And now, as Kate sits shivering on a bench, heavy doubts set in. Saying even one word to this woman, whose only goal will be to get as many listeners as possible, is dangerous. But clearly she knows something, and Kate needs to know what that is.

Faye is right on time, strolling towards the bench with a confidence Kate has never possessed, and Kate knows immediately that it won’t be easy to lie to this woman. She’s wearing a long, belted coat and flat knee-length boots, with a bobble hat over neat braids. Faye smiles when she reaches the bench, holding out her hand. ‘Thanks for coming. This will be so helpful for me.’

Kate takes her hand. ‘Tell me why I should help you after you dragged my name into your podcast?’

Faye’s eyes widen. ‘It was nothing personal. You do know that, right? Just doing my job.’ She appraises Kate. ‘There were a lot of people who vowed that Graham White was a decent man. That he would never have attacked a young girl.’

But Kate knows the truth. ‘That’s what people have said about murderers before. Things like they were kind and thoughtful neighbours.’

Faye raises her eyebrows. ‘True. But normally you’d expect some kind of unusual behaviour. Even if it’s only picked up in hindsight. With Graham White there was nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.’

‘That doesn’t mean anything. I was there. I know what he did. And even if I agree to talk, I’m not sure how you think I can help you.’

‘Let’s sit.’ Faye says, gesturing to the bench. I’ll get straight to the point. Like I said in my email, I’m covering the Jamie Archer case on my podcast. First time I’ve covered something that’s current. And I’m looking into his wife. They say always start with the person closest to the victim, so that’s what I’ve done.’ She smiles.

‘I barely know Harper,’ Kate says. ‘I’m not sure what help I can be.’

‘Oh, any acquaintance of Harper’s will be able to shed light on her. By all accounts she’s a bit of an enigma. And I’ve discovered some…disturbing things while I’ve been doing my research.’

‘Like what?’

Faye pulls out her phone, tapping on it with bright orange fingernails. ‘Firstly, I can’t find any record that she and Jamie were actually married. Yet she’s calling herself his wife.’

Kate sucks in her breath. ‘But wouldn’t the police have checked that?’

‘Have you read any of the articles about Jamie Archer. None of them mentions he was married.’

‘But they have a son. And I’ve seen their wedding pictures in their house.’

‘Well, I can’t explain the photos but this isn’t the nineteen twenties,’ Faye says. ‘You can have a kid without being married. Now, I think I’ve said enough. Your turn.’ She folds her arms and waits.

Kate clutches her bag to her chest. She doesn’t trust this woman, and Faye already knows too much about her. And what Faye doesn’t know, Kate’s sure the woman will make it her job to find out. ‘I told you I don’t know Harper that well. But since I met her a couple of weeks ago, she’s been doing some weird stuff. Pushing our sons into a friendship. Messaging me all the time. She sent me dead lilies and left a threatening note on my car. And she put a photo of her husband in my son’s school bag. She insisted it wasn’t her, but I know it was.’

Faye raises her eyebrows. ‘Is that right? And why do you think she’d do something like that?’

Kate shrugs. ‘To get to me.’

‘Why would she want to get to you?’

‘I have no idea,’ Kate says. ‘Because she’s disturbed.’

Faye considers this. ‘Okay. So I’ve gone over several scenarios. Jamie left her, or cheated on her, and she killed him in a jealous rage. Or…there’s some other reason she had for needing Jamie dead.’

Kate stares at her, unsure how to respond. She’s had her own suspicions about Harper, but hearing someone else say it is still surprising.

‘Oh, I can tell you’re shocked,’ Faye says. ‘But it’s my job to go over all this stuff. It’s not for the faint-hearted, is it? The trouble is – she has an alibi. She was at home with her son. And there’s a Ring doorbell in the house opposite them that would have shown if she’d left for any reason. She couldn’t have gone out the back as she’d have had to climb over several garden fences to get out of her road.’ Faye crosses her legs. ‘Still, doesn’t mean she didn’t find a way to get out and slaughter Jamie. People do manage to evade cameras.’

Kate takes in Faye’s words – is it possible that Faye might actually be on her side after all? ‘She could have got someone else to do it,’ Kate says. ‘Then she wouldn’t have had to leave her house at all. You said she might have had another reason for wanting Jamie dead. Like what?’

‘That’s what I’m hoping to find out,’ Faye says. ‘Was he abusive? Threatening her in some way?’

‘I wouldn’t know about that. She’s barely said anything about their relationship. But then, why would she to me? We’ve only just met.’

Faye studies her. ‘And you never knew Jamie?’

‘No.’ Kate forces herself to maintain eye contact with Faye.

‘That’s a shame,’ Faye says, sliding her phone back in her pocket. ‘And also interesting.’

‘Why interesting?’

‘Because if you didn’t know him, how come I have a photo of the two of you together. And let’s just say you don’t look like strangers in it.’