Page 64 of The Last One to See Him

‘Then please will you help me?’ Harper urges. ‘So I can make sure I’m doing the right thing. Formyson’s sake.’

Ellis considers her request. ‘Not sure what you think I can do? Kate and I are separated now. I’m moving out as soon as my new place is ready.’

‘But you’re still there now. Can you see if you can find any evidence of them being together? Anything at all. Look through her things. There might be something there.’

When he doesn’t answer, Harper pushes. ‘Don’t you want to know if you’ve been lied to? She ended your marriage because of your affair. But what if that’s not the case? She’s been lying to you, Ellis. Pretending she’s innocent in all of this, and that it’syourfault. And I need to know why. I need to know what she and Jamie are doing.’

Ellis’s cheeks drain of colour. ‘Okay. I’ll try and help. Give me your number.’

TWENTY-NINE

SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY

‘I shouldn’t be here,’ Ellis says, shuffling from one foot to the other. He hovers in the hallway, his eyes darting around the house.

‘It’s fine,’ Harper assures him. ‘Dexter’s asleep.’

Ellis still doesn’t move further into the house. ‘What’s this about? We said we wouldn’t have contact unless it’s to do with our sons.’

‘That’s rich. You didn’t exactly keep your distance when you turned up here with those cameras. I think you were intending to plant them for Kate, and you only changed your mind at the last minute. And don’t forget you’re the one who came over to me at football earlier in the day.’

‘All part of the act.’ Ellis closes his eyes and exhales. ‘I don’t want any part of this any more, Harper. It’s over, it has to be.’

‘Just come in the kitchen. I don’t want Dexter waking up and hearing us.’

Reluctantly, Ellis follows.

‘You make it sound like we’re having a relationship,’ Harper says, closing the door.

‘No, this is worse than an affair. An affair people might understand. But this deception?—’

‘Is necessary. Your wife’s a murderer, Ellis.’

‘Soon to be ex-wife.’

Harper rolls her eyes. ‘That’s irrelevant. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll rephrase – the mother of your child is a murderer.’

‘All you’ve got is that photo of them together. That doesn’t mean she was the one who killed him. How do I know it wasn’tyou?’ Ellis shoves his hands in his pockets and stares at her.

‘Don’t you think the police have looked into me? Harper asks. ‘And that photo was taken on the night he was killed. Which means Kate was the last person to see him.’ Harper walks to the door and listens out for Dexter. ‘There’s got to be something in Kate’s house,’ she says.

Ellis ignores her. ‘That photo was taken from a camera thatyouwere watching from. Highly illegal.’

‘Yes, but I had to do that. I had to know what Jamie was doing. Because Kate didn’t fit his normal mould. I just wish the camera hadn’t stopped working. Otherwise it might have shown Kate coming back in the bedroom. She could have had Jamie’s blood all over her.’

Ellis shakes his head. ‘This is crazy. What more do you want from me? I told you that was the end of it. I’m not doing this any more.’

Harper needs to get through to Ellis, and so far it’s not working. She steps closer to him. ‘Remember Maddy? Surely you haven’t forgotten her already? Love really is fickle, isn’t it?’

‘What’s Maddy got to do with this? Leave her out of it.’

‘It wasn’t Kate who warned her off you.’

Ellis’s eyes narrow to slits as he digests this new information. ‘So Kate was right. It was you. What did you do? Why bring Maddy into it? She had nothing to do with it.’

‘I needed to prove to you how easy it is to mess with someone’s life. Jamie was having an affair with your wife – that gives you every reason to want him dead. What would the police think about that?’ Harper forces a smile. She’s not enjoying this – Ellis hasn’t done anything to her – but she’s doing what needs to be done.

‘I was with my son that night,’ Ellis says. ‘What do you want from me, Harper?’

---