Page 42 of The Last One to See Him

Faye frowns. ‘No offence, but that’s not why we’re here. You said you have new information.’

‘I do,’ Harper says. ‘But I need to check a few things with you first. I need to know what you know about the case.’

Faye eyes her suspiciously. ‘Have you tried actually listening to my podcast?’

‘I did. Every word. But there must be stuff you couldn’t fit into the episode. Or any thoughts you’ve had since then. It’s been two years since you recorded it. Has anything changed?’

Faye clasps her hands together, resting her chin on them. ‘Hmm. And what’s in it for me? How do I know what you’re going to tell me will interest me?’

Harper’s been anticipating this. ‘I know Kate Mason.’

Faye’s eyes widen. ‘Interesting. Tell me more.’

‘And I think she’s killed someone again.’

For a brief moment, Faye’s mouth hangs open, before she composes herself again and once again becomes laid back and calm. ‘If that’s true, then shouldn’t it be the police you’re talking to, not a true crime podcaster?’

Harper has expected this question. ‘This woman is too clever. She’s already got away with it before, and I’m sure she’s covered her tracks this time. She was fifteen then – now she’s a grown woman.’

‘I’m going to need more than that,’ Faye says.

‘Wouldn’t you like to break this story onBeneath the Surface?’ Harper asks. ‘Imagine how many subscribers you’d get if you had an exclusive.’

Faye rolls her eyes. ‘I’m not a tabloid journalist.’ She pauses. ‘But you do have a point. What’s in it for you?’

‘Nothing but justice,’ Harper replies. ‘That’s all I care about.’

Faye takes a long sip of her cocktail. ‘Okay. I’ll tell you my thoughts on Graham White and then you can fill me in on what you know about Kate Mason.’ She raises her head, appraising Harper. ‘And I really hope you’re not wasting my time. I get a lot of that, I’m sure you can understand. Time is precious.’

Harper nods. ‘I assure you, this will be totally worth your while.

‘Okay. At first glance, it seems like an open and shut case, right? Man tries to attack young girl. Girl fights back. Accidentally kills him. Police are happy with that conclusion. But upon further examination – I don’t think it happened quite like that.’ Faye rests her elbows on the table.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Kate Mason had a best friend – Mona Shaw. She wouldn’t come on my podcast but I managed to convince her to speak to me off the record. To give me some background that I wouldn’t use in the podcast. Believe me, it took a lot of convincing.’

Harper’s pulse races. ‘What did she tell you?’

‘Mona said that on the afternoon Kate claims she was attacked, she and Kate had had a huge argument. Apparently, Kate said some vile things to Mona and really lost it with her. She even lashed out and punched her.’

‘Why?’

‘She wouldn’t tell me. But then Mona broke down and said she didn’t believe that man was trying to attack Kate.’ Faye sighs. ‘Then she shut down and wouldn’t tell me anything more. She seemed nervous. Actually, it was more like scared. She said she’d already told me too much.’ Faye rolls her eyes. ‘Which was hardly anything, really. At least, nothing I could use in my podcast. But her words stayed with me, and made me mistrust Kate. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t just believe everything I’m told – definitely not. But there was something about Mona and I felt the pain and honesty in her words, especially when she broke down.’

Harper nods. ‘What happened after that?’

‘She said she’d moved on with her life, put all that behind her. She said the church was a huge part of her life now and she didn’t want to think about anything that came before. Then she told me she had to cut Kate out of her life straight after it happened and she wants to keep it that way.’

Harper understands this. The sooner Kate Mason is out of her own life, the better. ‘What’s your take on it all?’

Faye taps her fingers together, her shiny nails glinting in the light. ‘I’ve done extensive research on Graham White and I can’t find anything to suggest he was a bad person. He’d never hurt a woman before. All his work colleagues said he was extremely respectful to all the female employees in his office. So you tell me – how does that fit with this idea that he wanted to attack Kate?’

Harper ponders this for a moment. ‘You’re right, it does seem odd. To suddenly become someone who would attack a teenage girl doesn’t make sense.’

‘And the police found nothing suspicious on his computer.’

Harper nods. ‘Did you ever speak to Graham White’s ex-partner?’

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