Page 121 of Heart of The Night

Nathan rubbed his neck. ‘When you talked with Oliver, did either of them share how they knew each other?’

I shook my head. ‘No. But William mentioned afterwards that he met him while he studied at Cambridge.’

Shelby reached for a bottle of water on the table, unscrewed the cap, and set it down in front of me. I let go of John’s hand and quickly grabbed it, taking a grateful swig. All this crying was drying me out.

Nathan leaned forward again, asking, ‘Do you know whether William was seeing anybody else before you came along?’

I nodded. ‘He’s got an ex named Kate – I forget her surname – but they split about five years ago.’

‘Katelyn Leigh Irving,’ John interjected. As he spelled it out, Shelby quickly wrote it down.

‘Nobody more recent?’ Nathan asked, his tone neutral.

I frowned. ‘Seeing anybody’ was a bit ambiguous. ‘Do you mean romantically or sexually?’

Shelby shrugged. ‘Either, or both.’

‘Then, yes,’ I said, the confirmation heavy on my tongue.

‘Yes?’ Shelby subtly cocked her head to the side. ‘Meaning?’

‘He was.’

‘Sexually, romantically, or both?’

‘Sexually,’ I clarified, glancing briefly at John. His expression was unreadable, his eyebrows giving a quick twitch that revealed nothing of his thoughts.

‘Have you met them?’ Shelby asked.

I paused, parsing her words. Was she implying she knew about multiple partners, or was it a general inquiry? Her use of the plural form gnawed at me. Could she know about William’s past liaisons? It seemed improbable given William’s discretion and her lack of direct contact with him. Could Andy have disclosed something?

‘Yes,’ I finally responded, maintaining my composure. ‘I’ve met them.’

‘What’s their name?’

I didn’t fail to notice her switch to singular form. She didn’t know, then; she was fishing.

I clenched my teeth, torn between naming Francesca or Violet, but lingering too long on the decision might arouse suspicion. Trusting my instinct, I said, ‘Francesca Strafford.’

Shelby looked at Nathan, who quickly typed something, then swivelled his laptop around to show another photo. My heart contracted as I recognised the striking features of the dark-skinned beauty, her hazel eyes gazing back at me.

Francesca.

‘Is this her?’ Nathan asked.

One of them.

‘Yes,’ I said, feeling a heavy weight drop in my stomach. How was Francesca related to this?

My gaze fell on Shelby’s freckled face as Nathan turned his laptop back toward himself. Each new revelation hit me harder than the last, filling me with dread. I feared what might still be lurking in their files – some hidden detail that could, with just a few misplaced words from me, perhaps cast William in an unfavourable light.

Shelby leaned back in her chair, toying with her pen. ‘How would you describe William’s relationship with her?’

‘You don’t have to answer that,’ John cut in firmly. I gave him a nod, grateful for the reminder.

‘Next question, please,’ I said.

Shelby’s lips tightened momentarily, a sign of her frustration. Beside her, Nathan shifted in his seat and inquired, ‘Has William ever mentioned any boyfriends or exes of Francesca to you?’

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