Page 25 of The Last One to See Him

David smiles. ‘Just don’t forget you hardly used any leave last year. And you covered for me loads so I owe you.’

‘You had your daughter’s wedding – it was the least I could do.’

‘Still. Just think about taking a break once in a while.’

Kate had met David eight years ago when they’d both worked for a large veterinary practice in Hammersmith. She’d immediately liked his strong work ethic, and the way he cared for the animals, and they’d hit it off. She’d kept that wall around her though, meaning he would never know the whole of her, but she felt as comfortable as she could around him. As long as they didn’t talk about anything personal, which thankfully David never did. Sometimes he’d look at her as if he wanted to ask her something, but he’d always refrain. At forty-nine, with a wife and three grown-up children, their lives never crossed outside of work.

When he’d asked her if she wanted to start a practice with him, Kate had initially said no. Being tied to something that she couldn’t easily walk away from terrified her. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and two years ago The Pet Clinic opened. At the same time as the podcast about Graham White. Kate shudders to think of this, of how it triggered memories she’d thought she’d managed to bury. All of this – owning the surgery, and having to confront her past – is what led Kate to seek help from Rowan.

‘Being at work is like a break,’ Kate tells David.

‘Oh, I almost forgot,’ David says, pulling off his coat. His cheeks are red from the cold and he rubs his hands together. ‘A man came in asking for you the other week. It must have been a Friday as you were off.’

‘Oh?’

‘Yeah, sorry I forgot to mention it last week. It’s been a busy week.’

Kate looks up from her computer. ‘What did he want? Did he leave his name?’

‘No, don’t think he did. He just said his dog didn’t respond well to male vets so he wanted a female. Told me you’d been recommended to him. He said he’d come back on Monday but he never did. I’d forgotten all about it. Thought it was a bit weird to be honest.’

‘Maybe he’ll come back,’ Kate says. ‘Or maybe he found somewhere else.’

‘That’s the thing,’ David says, pulling out his phone. ‘I don’t think he will.’

Kate stares at him. ‘Why?’

‘Because I’m sure it’s this guy.’ David holds out his phone to Kate, and she finds herself staring at a photo of Jamie Archer. The only one she’s found of him online when she’s checked each day. ‘And he was found dead last Saturday.’

Focusing on the animals forces away all the disturbing thoughts clouding Kate’s mind, masking the sense that her life is rapidly imploding. But when the morning consultations are over, once again darkness spreads over her. She’d let herself believe that meeting Jamie had been nothing more than a chance encounter, but David’s revelation is proof that he knew who Kate was before they met at the bar that evening.

Kate can’t wrap her head around how he could have known she’d be at Tequila Mockingbird – only she and Aleena knew where they were going. And they’d only decided on that bar earlier that week. It had been Aleena’s recommendation, and nobody else’s…Kate realises that Ellis also knew – she’d mentioned it to him when he’d picked up Thomas that evening. They’d laughed at the name.Tequila Mockingbird.Now she can’t see how they ever found it funny. Kate considers messaging Aleena to ask her if she’d mentioned to anyone where they were going that night, but how would she ever explain why she was asking?

Questions burn in Kate’s head as she finally sits down and pulls out the salad she brought from home. What did Jamie want with her? Since the incident with Graham White, Kate’s kept her head down, minded her own business and never had any trouble with anyone. Whenever she’s felt her temper rising, she’s walked away, stifled emotions that must be trapped inside her, ready to erupt.

Graham White is the only enemy she’s made, but whenever Kate’s checked online, there’s been nothing to suggest any connection between Jamie and Graham White. So what is she missing?

Her phone buzzes in her bag and she checks her messages. Three from Harper, all sent within the same hour earlier this morning. One asking how Kate is, another suggesting they go for a coffee after school today, and the last one telling Kate she’s worried she hasn’t had a reply from her.

Kate stares at her phone and considers switching it off, but she needs it on in case the school need to contact her about Thomas for any reason. Though Harper’s obsessiveness is really unsettling her.

In a couple of hours Harper will be at the school gates – they both live too far from school for their children to walk on their own – and Kate is sure Harper intends to look for her. There’s nowhere to hide. She pulls out her phone and sends a message to Ellis.Could you pick Thomas up from school? Emergency at work.

Within seconds his reply comes.Working from home today so fine with me. Everything okay?

Kate hastily replies, telling him she needs to stay later at work.

As soon as Ellis’s response comes – a thumbs up and two kisses – she slips her phone in her bag and shoves it in her drawer. ‘I’ll do the surgery on the Taylors’ cat,’ she tells David when she finds him in the reception area, sorting out a problem with the booking system with their receptionist Lara.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes. You leave early. I’m happy to stay late and monitor Lucky.’

‘Thanks, Kate,’ David says, turning back to the computer. ‘I could actually do with getting home early today.’

Envying their normality, she watches David and Lara for a moment, engrossed in their task, their minds free of turmoil. And with her stomach twisting into knots, Kate slips out to her office.

She attempts to reason with herself: It’s been nine days since Jamie was murdered; if the police had any idea that Kate was in his flat, they would have knocked on her door by now. Her keyring had nothing personal on it that could lead them to her. Yes, her DNA will be all over Jamie’s sheets, and the glass she drank from, but they’d have to know about Kate to link her to it. If Harper or anyone else had any evidence, then it would be in the hands of the police. But now it seems likely that Jamie sought her out and made sure he bumped into her that Friday night. He couldn’t have predicted that she’d go back to that flat with him, or that she’d sleep with him. She casts her mind back and finds nothing predatory in the way Jamie acted towards her. He never once pushed her to do anything – Kate had done what she wanted to do.

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