Page 41 of The Last One to See Him

‘We’re doing this for Thomas,’ Kate says. ‘I need to find out what Harper wants with our family.’

Ellis sighs. ‘I’m sure she wouldn’t?—’

‘We don’t know that!’

‘Where am I supposed to put it? I don’t know anything about hidden cameras.’

‘There are loads of photos hanging on her walls. With white frames. The cameras are white so there’s every chance she won’t notice them.’ Kate pulls out the small package from her pocket. ‘See how small they are. And then you’ll just need to get her Wi-Fi code. Tell her you need it for your phone.’

Ellis stares at the package, but when she pushes it into his hand, he takes it without another word.

‘I was having a late lunch – didn’t have time earlier. Do you want to join me?’

‘I can’t. I need to go.’

Ellis looks hurt. ‘Fine.’

‘But there’s something I need to ask you first.’ Kate was going to wait, but she needs to get this over with. Pulling out her phone, she scrolls to a photo she found online of Jamie. ‘Do you know this man?’

Ellis takes her phone and glances at the picture, handing it back to her immediately. ‘No. Why?’

‘Are you sure? Look properly. For longer than one second.’ She thrusts the phone out.

This time he studies it more carefully. ‘Nope. Still don’t know him. Who is he? What’s going on, Kate? Why are you asking me this?’

Her chest tightens, as if all the breath is being slowly sucked out of her. Ellis is lying to her, she can tell by the way he’s firing questions at her. ‘Are you sure you’ve never seen him before?’

‘Positive. Are you going to tell me who he is?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Kate says, snatching back her phone. ‘I have to go.’

‘Wait, we need a more solid plan about the cameras!’

But she’s already at the front door, throwing it open and rushing outside into the foggy air.

Now she knows there is no one she can trust.

NINETEEN

THURSDAY 30 JANUARY

‘Thanks for meeting up with me.’

‘I’m intrigued,’ Faye Held says, holding out her hand to Harper. They’re in a bar in Covent Garden – Faye is due to have dinner with friends in a couple of hours so it was the only place she could meet this evening. It should be more than enough time for Harper to plant the seed.

Faye’s an attractive woman in her late twenties; her smooth dark skin seems to shimmer, matching the sparkle in her large brown eyes. The mojito she ordered sits in front of her and she taps on her phone, her long, burgundy manicured fingernails clack-clacking on the screen. Harper tries to stifle her annoyance; she needs this woman’s full attention.

‘Sorry,’ she says, her eyes still fixed on her phone. ‘Work email. You wouldn’t believe how many messages I get every day from people requesting specific cases onBeneath the Surface. But there are only so many that hold my interest. I have to choose carefully. One – I’ve got to be excited about it, and two – I need to know there’s more to it than just what people see on the outside.’

‘Like the Graham White case,’ Harper says. She’s got a still water in front of her.

‘Exactly. That one certainly piqued my interest.’ Faye stops tapping on her phone and places it on the table. ‘I’m obsessed with true crime. Scares a lot of people. But I look at it like this – I’m doing a service to society. I’m the voice for people who can’t speak for themselves. Have to be impartial, though. I pride myself on that. I really can see things from all perspectives. But there can be only one truth.’

Harper smiles. In some ways she admires Faye Held – who at such a young age already has the confidence and wisdom of someone far older.

‘So what is it you wanted to see me about?’ Faye asks. ‘You said it relates to the Graham White case, but what is it exactly?’

‘I need to know everything you know about the Graham White case.’

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