Page 7

SIX

TUESDAY 21 JANUARY

A flash of heat burns through Kate’s body as she turns back to Harper, who’s still waiting at the counter for her coffee, leaning on it as if she needs the support to keep her upright. This time Kate takes in the woman’s appearance fully: dark reddish-brown hair, shiny and smooth, a wide mouth and thin lips, large green eyes.

‘Are you sure?’ she asks Aleena, horror spreading over her like a disease. The woman at the counter can’t be Jamie’s ex-wife. ‘How do you know?’

‘Jen told me. She knows everything, doesn’t she? Working in the school office has to have its perks. But please don’t tell anyone you know – I don’t want Jen to get in trouble.’

‘What’s her son’s name?’

‘Dex.’

Kate’s breath is sucked from her lungs. It’s true, then. Jamie had said his son was called Dex.

‘But…’ Kate struggles to form words. She has to be careful. ‘How come her son’s back at school? Shouldn’t he have taken some time off? I read about it and wasn’t it only a few days ago?’

‘I thought that too,’ Aleena whispers. ‘But maybe it helps him to be at school. Takes his mind off it?’

Before Kate can respond, Aleena calls out to Harper, beckoning her over.

‘What are you doing?’ Kate hisses. ‘We have to go – we’ll be late.’

‘I feel bad for her,’ Aleen replies. ‘She can’t know many people yet so I think we should talk to her. I met her yesterday but I should introduce you so there are at least two parents she knows.’ Aleena is oblivious to Kate’s torment, and she smiles at Harper as she reaches their table. ‘Hi, we met at the school – I’m Aleena, Theo’s mum, and this is Kate – her son Thomas is in Year 5 too. I’m so sorry for your loss.’

Harper nods. ‘Thank you.’ She turns to Kate. ‘Hello,’ she says. Her voice is strained, as if she’s trying to force her words out. And she looks uncomfortable, as if talking to other school mums is the last thing she wants to do. Unsmiling, she doesn’t even hold out her hand. ‘Dexter told me he’s been playing with a boy called Thomas. Unless there’s another Thomas in Year 5? It’s a big school, isn’t it?’

‘Only one Thomas,’ Aleena says. ‘And, yep, it’s definitely a big school. That put me off at first. Three classes in each year. Impossible to keep up with everyone.’

Which is why Kate failed to notice that a boy called Dex had started in Thomas’s year.

Harper doesn’t look at Aleena, but keeps her eyes fixed on Kate. ‘We should get the boys together,’ she says. ‘As they’ve been playing together. It’s hard to start at a new school when friendships are already established, isn’t it?’

‘Totally,’ Aleena agrees. ‘And yes, getting the boys together sounds like a great idea. Anything to help, you know, after what you’re both going through.’

‘Actually, I meant just with Thomas, if you don’t mind.’ Harper smiles at Aleena. ‘Dexter finds it a bit overwhelming being in a crowd. Probably best if he gets to know one child at a time.’

Aleena’s smile fades and she folds her arms. ‘Oh. Yes, of course. Whatever’s best for him.’

The atmosphere has shifted and Kate feels like Harper Nolan is homing in on her. ‘So when are you free?’ Harper asks, pulling out her phone.

Kate glances at Aleena. ‘I, um, I’m not sure. Afraid I never use my phone calendar. Still write things on the paper one in my kitchen. But I can find you on the WhatsApp group and message you some dates.’

‘I’m not in that group,’ Harper says. ‘Bad experience in Dexter’s last school. I find it much better to stay off things like that. All that endless pinging. It’s all a bit much. How about we just exchange numbers?’

While Aleena turns away to pack up her laptop, mouthing something behind Harper’s back, Kate has no choice but to recite her mobile number, listening to the click of Harper’s fingernails as she taps on her phone.

‘Shall we all go, then?’ Aleena says, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder.

Harper nods, looking at Kate instead of Aleena. ‘Thank you, yes, I’ll walk with you. It feels a bit weird being the new parent. Everyone hangs around in groups and it’s hard to get to know anyone.’

‘Just stick with us,’ Aleena says. ‘We’ll look out for you, won’t we, Kate?’

‘Yes,’ Kate says, swallowing the heavy lump in her throat. ‘Of course.’

At home, while Thomas watches football on TV, Kate sits on the sofa and scrolls through the local news, once again hunting for any mention of Jamie’s murder. Before meeting Jamie, she’d avoided the news; reading anything only served as a reminder of Graham White’s murder being plastered all over the news. She’d been a minor so they’d never mentioned Kate’s name, and she’d pore over every article, forming a picture of the man whose life ended that summer night. The man who had without a doubt intended to kill her that same night.

The police have no leads in Jamie’s murder investigation, but they believe the person was someone known to him. There was no sign of a break-in, so it appears he let the person into his apartment. Guilt churns in her stomach when she reads that they’re still appealing for witnesses, anyone who might know anything about what happened to him. She closes the app and considers calling the police. But it’s been days, and her keys are somewhere in Jamie’s flat – how could she possibly explain why she hasn’t come forward until now? And when they found out about Graham White – which they would – the police would never believe she’s innocent of Jamie’s murder. The whole truth will come out – and then what?

There’s barely any information about Jamie other than he was a thirty-five-year-old dad of one, who worked for the financial conduct authority. Jamie had been telling the truth about that, then. Kate replays the conversations they had that night in his flat; despite her tendency to mistrust people, she’d never once doubted that he was being authentic and honest.

Kate glances at Thomas then slips her phone in her pocket. Whatever she does, protecting her son at all costs is her priority.

‘What’s Dexter like?’ she asks.

‘It’s Dex, Mum. No one calls him Dexter.’ Thomas keeps his eyes fixed on the TV. ‘He’s okay. He doesn’t like football, though.’

‘Well, everyone’s different, aren’t they?’ Her son is obsessed with football, and silently Kate hopes this means a bond won’t develop between the two boys.

‘Yeah, I know,’ Thomas says. Dex is okay, though. I like him.’ He glances at Kate then turns back to the TV.

‘Remember your dad’s taking you to football training tomorrow,’ Kate says.

‘Is Maddy coming?’

Kate flinches. It took a few weeks, but Thomas seems to be accepting his father’s new partner, and Kate is proud of how respectful he is about her, despite his initial protests that it was Maddy’s fault that his parents’ marriage ended. It had been a shock when the two of them had ended up together after Ellis and Kate separated, after what had started as a one-night mistake.

Kate isn’t bitter about this; even though it’s hard to hear Maddy’s name mentioned, she’s glad that Thomas is at peace with it all. And she’d never had to have a difficult conversation and explain that things happen sometimes between adults. They make mistakes. And one day, when he’s older, she hopes Thomas will understand about the mistakes she has made herself.

‘I don’t know if Maddy will be there,’ Kate says. ‘But I’m glad you like her.’

‘She’s quite nice,’ Thomas says. ‘And I just want Dad and you to be happy.’ He smiles. ‘Do you think you’ll ever meet anyone, Mum?’

Jamie Archer’s face flashes into her head: alive with passion and longing, then quickly morphing into pale and lifeless. ‘I don’t need anyone,’ Kate says. ‘I’ve got all I need right here.’ She hugs Thomas, and tears he can’t see fall softly onto his hair.

Kate’s in the bath when her phone buzzes by the sink. She wants to ignore it, but the warm water and bubbles are doing little to relax her mind. She steps out of the bath and grabs her phone, getting back in to keep warm.

Instantly she regrets her decision. It’s a text message from Harper Nolan. She stares at the name, tempted to drop her phone to the bathmat and ignore it, but she’s compelled to read it.

It was lovely to meet you this afternoon. Are you and Thomas free to come over tomorrow after school? I know the boys are old enough for a non-supervised playdate, but I thought it would be great for us both to get to know the two of you.

This is too much, too soon. How can Kate possibly start a friendship with a woman whose ex-husband she slept with?

Kate types a reply: Sorry, I have plans tomorrow. Another time, though. And then she hesitates. Rather than avoiding Harper, it could work in Kate’s favour to get closer to her. There is scant information about Jamie online, so befriending Harper might be the only way she can keep up with the investigation.

Deleting the message, she replies that she and Thomas can come over after school.

A wave of regret hits her the moment she’s sent it.

She’s playing with fire. And she’s starting to believe that it’s no coincidence Harper Nolan has come into her life.

Downstairs, Thomas sits at the kitchen table, his homework book open in front of him. ‘Need any help?’ Kate asks.

‘No thanks. I’m fine.’

The doorbell rings just as Kate pulls out a chair to sit with Thomas. She pulls her dressing gown tighter around her and heads to the door.

‘Who’s that?’ Thomas asks. ‘It’s really late.’ His words echo Kate’s thoughts.

She checks the peephole, as Thomas rushes up to her. Outside their house, a white van drives off. ‘Just a delivery,’ Kate says. ‘I haven’t ordered anything, though.’

Frowning, Kate opens the door, and stares at the long cardboard box on their doorstep. ‘They’re flowers,’ she says, noticing the Bloom & Wild Logo.

‘Maybe they’re from Dad?’ Thomas says, smiling.

‘No. They won’t be from him.’ Kate picks up the box, peering once more into the street, even though the white van is long gone.

At the kitchen table, she carefully opens the box. ‘Maybe they’re from a customer at work,’ Kate says.

‘Well, you do save animals, Mum.’

But Kate freezes when she sees what’s inside. A bunch of dead lilies, crumbling and withered, coated in something black that makes them look more haunting. She gasps, shutting the box.

‘What’s happened?’ Thomas asks, his eyes wide.

‘Oh…don’t worry. I think they must have needed water and died in transit.’

‘That’s a shame,’ Thomas says, turning back to his homework.

But Kate knows this was deliberate. She just doesn’t want to think about what it means.