Page 36 of The Last One to See Him

Kate ignores that comment. ‘Whatever she said about Ellis is not true. She doesn’t even know him. And why would you listen to this woman? She’s a stranger to you.’

‘Not entirely. I remember her now.’

Kate’s leans forward, her pulse racing. ‘How do you know her?’

‘I met her through Ellis.’

Horrified, Kate stares at Maddy. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘It was a while ago now. In the summer. I’d randomly messaged Ellis the day before, just to see if he wanted to meet up. He seemed happy to hear from me and we arranged to meet the next day after work. It had been a while since I’d seen him. When I got to the bar, he was talking to a friend of his who he’d bumped into. They were deep in conversation so Ellis didn’t notice me at first.’

‘Who was this friend? Did you know him?’

Maddy shakes her head. ‘Never seen him before. And now that I think about it, Ellis seemed a bit shocked that I was there, as if he didn’t realise what the time was, and that he was supposed to be meeting me. Anyway, his friend quickly left, saying his wife was waiting for him outside.’

Kate gasps. Her body turns rigid.His wife. Ellis was meeting Jamie. She pulls her phone from her pocket and finds a photo of Jamie. ‘Is this the friend Ellis was with?’

Maddy studies it. ‘Yes, that was him. Who is?—’

‘What happened next?’

‘I watched him leave and saw his wife through the window. It was Harper. Definitely. I told you I never forget a face.’

Kate struggles to make sense of what she’s hearing. ‘Are you sure it’s her?’

‘I’m one hundred per cent sure. But Harper never really saw me. Unless she looked through the window. That’s why she was adamant that she didn’t recognise me.’

‘When exactly was this?’ Kate asks.

‘Why does that matter?’

‘Please, can you just think when it might have been.’

Maddy sighs. ‘I can’t remember the exact date. But as I said, it was definitely during the summer – I remember she was wearing a red sundress and I thought it went really nicely with her hair.’ She smiles thinly at Kate. ‘What a small world it is. And now you know her.’

‘Did Ellis see her?’

‘I don’t think he was looking out of the window. He was just asking what I wanted to drink and then we discussed where to go for dinner.’ Maddy glances at her watch. ‘Look, I need to leave for work now.’

‘Listen, Maddy. That woman – Harper – is…not a good person. I think she was stalking her husband. They were separated but she’s making out that they were still together when he died.’

‘Well, they looked like they were still together to me,’ Maddy says. ‘When I saw them in that bar. Anyway, I don’t want anything to do with this. Please can you just go?’

‘We’re just stopping by Dad’s for a bit,’ Kate tells Thomas when she picks him up from school.

‘What? Both of us? You’re coming in too?’

‘Just for a bit, yeah.’

‘Are you getting back together?’ Thomas’s face brightens and hope glints in his eyes.

‘No, I’m sorry. It’s not that. Your Dad’s feeling really sad at the moment, and might need some company. He and Maddy have split up.’

‘What? Oh. Why?’

‘It’s complicated adult stuff. But let’s just go and see him. I’ve parked around the corner to save time.’

When Ellis opens the door, his hair is unruly and there are grey circles under his eyes. ‘Don’t ask how I am,’ he says to Kate. ‘Hey, Thomas. School okay?’

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