Page 19 of The Last One to See Him

‘They all talked me into it. I would never have agreed otherwise.’

‘This doesn’t sound like you, Kate. You’ve never struck me as someone who can be manipulated.’ He frowns again. ‘Which makes me wonder if there’s more to this story.’

‘You don’t believe that she wants to harm me – do you?’ she asks Rowan.

His mouth twists. ‘I think it must feel like that to you. But it’s all a bit messy. Especially if she’s grieving now. We can’t be sure what state their relationship was in. You and Ellis have worked hard to have an amicable split, but not everyone can manage that. And when people are hurt, they can act out of character. If you’re worried about this woman, then I’d stay clear of her. And if she does anything at all that threatens you in any way then?—’

‘Call the police.’

Rowan nods. ‘Please, Kate. I know you’d find it hard, but?—’

‘I think that’s time up,’ Kate says, pointing to the clock on the wall.

‘Oh, yes.’ Rowan stands and walks her to the door. He doesn’t look happy, and Kate knows it’s because he won’t feel that he’s been professional in this session. Handing advice out to her instead of allowing her to talk things through and come to her own conclusions. ‘Look after yourself, Kate. I’ll see you next week. Have you booked in with Frieda?’

‘Definitely,’ she assures him.

Outside in the reception area, Rowan’s secretary sits behind her desk talking to a tall woman in a long, belted wool coat and knee-high boots. She seems overdressed for a therapy session, and when the woman laughs, a deep, hearty laugh, and says Rowan’s name – Kate knows for sure she must be Rowan’s wife. Kate’s been coming here for two years now and has never set eyes on her.

‘Thanks, Frieda,’ the woman says. ‘I’ll pop in now, then.’ She smiles at Kate as she walks past, flashing bright white teeth.

Kate smiles back and watches the woman make her way to Rowan’s office, opening the door without knocking. Rowan seems so down to earth, so immune to money and material things that Kate would never have pictured him to have such a glamourous wife, so perfectly made up. So confident.

‘Would you like to rebook?’ Frieda asks.

Kate turns to her and considers telling her she’ll call on the phone and book, but Rowan’s appointment slots fill quickly and she needs him now more than ever. ‘Yes, please. Friday again. My usual time, please.’

‘Of course.’ Frieda smiles then taps on her keyboard.

Kate thanks her and walks out into the icy cold air, her thoughts a jumbled amalgamation of too many things, none of which make sense.

Ellis calls when she’s walking to the station, asking if they can talk.

‘I can’t now,’ she says. ‘I’m on my way to pick up Thomas.

‘It’s important, Kate.’

‘Is this to do with Thomas?’

There’s a pause. ‘Um, no. But?—’

‘Then it can wait. I’ll call you later.’ She hangs up and shoves her phone in her bag before disappearing into the Tube station.

NINE

FRIDAY 24 JANUARY

No matter how prepared she’d thought she was for this moment, now that Harper is in her house, a cyclone of nausea twists around Kate’s stomach.

‘The other mums at the school don’t like being around me,’ Harper tells her. She’s sitting on the sofa, her back ramrod straight and her legs crossed. Today she’s wearing a long, black ribbed jumper dress with a turtle neck, and her hair hangs in loose red waves around her shoulders. And even though her skin looks paler than before, almost translucent, it’s clear that she’s made an effort for this visit, despite her grief.

‘Why do you say that?’ Kate asks, sipping bitter green tea she doesn’t want.

‘Because they don’t know what to say to the grieving widow.’ She smiles. ‘But you’re different. You seem…comfortable around me.’

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Harper has wormed her way into Kate’s life, and Kate’s only allowing her in so that she can find out what Harper wants, and what happened to Jamie.

Upstairs, Thomas and Dexter are playing with Thomas’s Harry Potter Lego, their muffled voices drifting down to the living room. ‘Maybe you just need to give people time to get to know you?’ Kate suggests. ‘You’ve only been at the school a couple of months. How about I call Aleena?’ she says. ‘She could come over too so you could get to know her. I’m sure Dex would love Theo. He’s a lovely boy.’

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