Page 11 of The Last One to See Him

Even though she’s done it before, Kate types Jennifer’s name into Google, once again coming up with no match for the woman who was seeing Graham White. Anything could have happened to her – it’s been over twenty years so she may not even be alive.

Graham had no children or siblings. Parents who were now both dead. Nobody who would be seeking vengeance for his death. And even if there was someone out there, why would they wait twenty-two years?

Slipping her phone back in her pocket, Kate assures herself it’s just coincidence. That she has just been unlucky twice in her life. Wrong place, wrong time. Jamie could have gone home with anyone the other night – it just happened to be her.

She walks towards the café near the school, pausing outside; she’s still too early to turn up at the school gates.

Stepping inside, a blast of warm air envelops her, and she unzips her coat. It’s too warm in here, and she considers ordering her coffee in a takeaway cup and sitting outside where she’ll be able to breathe.

Kate places her order and hears someone call her name. She scans the coffee shop and sees Aleena sitting in the corner, at the table the two of them always try to commandeer whenever they’re here. Aleena beckons her over, and with no choice, Kate forces a smile and makes her way towards her friend.

‘Where have you been?’ Aleena asks, standing up to hug Kate. ‘I haven’t seen you since you abandoned me at the bar. I can’t believe you went home so early.’ She sits again and taps something on her laptop before closing it.

‘Work’s been so busy,’ Kate says. ‘You know how it is. Anyway, it’s only been a few days.’

Aleena frowns. ‘Yep, a few days of silence.’ She pauses. ‘Well, at least you’re alive. Hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you look exhausted.’

‘I haven’t been sleeping too well.’

‘You know what that could be, don’t you?’ Aleena lowers her voice. ‘Perimenopause. I read about it – it can start in your thirties. Did you know that? And sleep disruption is definitely a symptom.’

‘Yeah, it must be that,’ Kate says, assuring Aleena she’ll make an appointment with the doctor.

While Aleena catches her up on what’s been happening with her this week, a woman in a quilted coat and baseball cap walks in, her reddish-brown ponytail protruding from the gap at the back. She keeps her head down and speaks softly to order her drink, as if she’s trying to avoid being noticed.

Aleena stops talking and looks up, staring at the woman for a moment. ‘There’s that new mum whose son’s just started Year 5,’ she whispers. ‘Her name’s Harper Nolan. I wonder if Theo has played with him today.’ She turns back to Kate. ‘I mean, what do you say?’ Aleena continues. ‘Poor kid. I can’t even imagine what it must feel like.’

Kate turns back to the woman. ‘I didn’t know a new boy had started. And what do you mean? What’s happened?’ She takes a sip of coffee, ready to switch off when Aleena tells her whatever rumours she’s heard. Kate wants no part of it.

Aleena frowns. ‘He started after the October half term. Didn’t Thomas say anything? Theo always tells me when there’s a new kid starting. He thinks it’s exciting or something.’

‘But what’s happened to this boy?’

‘You really haven’t heard? I thought everyone knew. Well, I suppose you’ve had a lot going on. It was mentioned in the WhatsApp group.’ Her eyes narrow. ‘Oh, I forgot – you haven’t been checking your phone.’

Guilt wedges in Kate’s throat. ‘Aleena, I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

Aleena glances at Harper Nolan again, and when she speaks her voice is barely audible. ‘Her husband was the man who was found murdered at the weekend in his apartment. His name was Jamie.’

FIVE

THREE MONTHS AGO, 19 OCTOBER

Harper stares out of the window at the tree-lined street. She feels claustrophobic here, in this Victorian terraced house that has plenty of square footage but is hemmed in by the houses either side of it, and the identical homes opposite. She’d told Jamie moving here was a bad idea; they would have been fine in Southend, and at least Harper had been near the sea. She needs that. To be close to the vast ocean that extends further than she can see. Moving to Wimbledon has been a huge mistake.

Allof it’s a mistake. And she wants out.

Jamie appears behind her and puts his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck.

‘That won’t win me around,’ Harper says, shrugging him off. She pulls the black hair tie from her wrist and fixes her hair into a ponytail. ‘I still hate it here. I need sea air, Jamie. Not this.’ She flaps her arms. ‘And it’s not fair on Dexter.’

‘He will be fine. He’s resilient,’ Jamie says, pulling back. ‘You know this is for the best. A fresh start for us. We couldn’t stay in Southend. Too many…’ He trails off, leaving his unspoken words to cast darkness over them.

‘Always running,’ she says. ‘When will it stop. I still don’t see why?—’

‘Youknowwhy. How could we have a fresh start when we were still in the same place. With everything that happened.’

‘We didn’t have to come to Wimbledon. I’ve never liked London. It’s too busy. Too many people. How can that be good for us? We could have?—’

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