Page 29

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWO MONTHS AGO

Harper’s been following him for a few days now, cataloguing his every move, getting a feel for him. It’s staggering what you can learn about someone just by following them, learning their routines. All of this was necessary before she could even think about approaching him.

Harper has learned that he works for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Embankment as a senior manager in network information security. She has little idea what it involves, something to do with cyber security, but she does know that he works from home two days a week, and when he comes into the office, he leaves work at around the same time every day. He’s usually on his own, and heads straight for the Tube where he takes the District line to Wimbledon. It’s easy to follow someone when their movements rarely vary.

And this evening she’ll approach him, when he gets off at Wimbledon. There’s a coffee shop by the station and she somehow needs to convince him to go there with her. That will be the tricky part – once he’s in there, the minute she opens her mouth she’ll have his full attention.

But Harper is a stranger – will she even be able to get him alone?

She starts to feel sick as the Tube stops at Southfields, and there are only two more stations to go. But Harper is fully prepared for this moment.

Outside Wimbledon station, she approaches him from behind, and, taking a deep breath, taps him on the shoulder.

Ellis spins around, frowning. He’s a private person, she’s worked out. ‘Yes?’ he says, his voice laced with annoyance. He probably just wants to get home.

‘Hi, I know you don’t know me, but I really need to talk to you about your wife.’

Everything changes now, and he stares at her. ‘Kate? Is she okay?’

‘Yes, yes – it’s nothing like that. Please – can we just talk quickly? There’s a coffee shop just over there.’ Harper points across the road.

He flicks his wrist and glances at his Apple Watch. ‘I suppose so. But Kate and I are separated. I’m moving out soon and we’re getting a divorce. Unless this is about our son, then?—’

‘It’s not about Thomas. But this is very important.’

He raises his eyebrows; Harper has got his interest now.

‘Let me buy you a coffee,’ she says. ‘Or would you prefer a drink? There’s a bar just a bit further down the road.’

Ellis nods. ‘Okay. Let’s have a drink.’

Once they’re inside the bar, nerves get the better of her. It was one thing getting him here, quite another to convince Ellis to believe what she’s about to say.

She offers to get the drinks, but he insists on getting them and heads to the bar without giving her a choice. At least it gives her a few more moments to prepare.

‘There’s no easy way to say this,’ she says, when he comes back with a beer for himself and tonic water for Harper. ‘And I know this situation is a bit…bizarre because I’m a stranger to you. But…I recently found out that my husband is having an affair.’

‘Oh. I’m sorry,’ Ellis says.

‘And the woman he’s been having an affair with is your wife.’ She watches him, registering the shock on his face.

Ellis composes himself and puts down his glass. ‘I don’t think so. That doesn’t sound like something Kate would do. Honestly. Let’s just say she doesn’t agree with people having affairs.’ He drinks some beer, wiping froth from his mouth with a napkin. ‘I know that from personal experience.’

Harper knows all about Ellis’s affair with the woman he worked with. A one-night silly mistake that came back to haunt him. Hardly comparable to what she’s sure Jamie and Kate Mason have been doing. It was weeks ago she first found that picture of Kate on Jamie’s phone. ‘Forgive me, but isn’t that why Kate left you? Because you had an affair?’

‘How do you know that?’

‘Does it matter? Am I right? Kate ended your marriage because you made a mistake. Once. No second chances.’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Ellis says. ‘I betrayed her. And the whole time we’d built our marriage on trust. I don’t blame her for leaving me. She’s always been completely honest with me about…everything. And I threw it back in her face with my deception.’

‘Are you listening to what I’m saying, though?’ Harper says. ‘Why did your marriage end?’

Ellis hangs his head. ‘Because I slept with another woman. But it was just once.’

‘So Kate left you because you had an affair, but she’s been having one too!’

Ellis lifts his head. ‘What?’

‘It’s true. I found a photo of her on my husband’s phone. A few weeks ago. And the date on it was six months ago. That’s before you had your affair, right? And that means that Kate was cheating way before you did.’

In silence, Ellis studies her, scrutinising every inch of her. The atmosphere has changed now, just as she’d expected. ‘Why are you telling me this?’ he says eventually.

‘Because I need proof. I need to get Jamie out of my life and this will help me.’

‘Just confront him. Tell him you’re leaving him.’

Ellis is right – if Jamie were a normal person, then she could do that. But he isn’t, and she will never be rid of him unless she confronts him with irrefutable proof. Conning all those women out of money is one thing, but whatever he’s doing with Kate is something else, and she needs to know what it is.

‘We have a son,’ she says. ‘It’s not straightforward just to walk away without proof.’ She pulls out her phone. ‘This is Jamie. Can you think of any other reason your husband might know Kate?’

Ellis studies the picture. ‘I’ve never seen him. And I’ve never heard Kate mention anyone called Jamie.’ He sighs. ‘We have a son too. Divorce messes kids up.’

‘Then please will you help me?’ Harper urges. ‘So I can make sure I’m doing the right thing. For my son’s sake.’

Ellis considers her request. ‘Not sure what you think I can do? Kate and I are separated now. I’m moving out as soon as my new place is ready.’

‘But you’re still there now. Can you see if you can find any evidence of them being together? Anything at all. Look through her things. There might be something there.’

When he doesn’t answer, Harper pushes. ‘Don’t you want to know if you’ve been lied to? She ended your marriage because of your affair. But what if that’s not the case? She’s been lying to you, Ellis. Pretending she’s innocent in all of this, and that it’s your fault. And I need to know why. I need to know what she and Jamie are doing.’

Ellis’s cheeks drain of colour. ‘Okay. I’ll try and help. Give me your number.’