Page 68 of The Last One to See Him

‘Sadly, it doesn’t work like that. Ethically. You were my patient for two years. I’ve referred you to someone else but that hasn’t quite gone through yet.’

Kate ignores him. As soon as she talks, Rowan will understand. And he will help her. ‘I think Jamie’s wife tried to kill someone today.’

Rowan’s eyes widen and he stares at her. ‘Why do you think this? Who?’

Kate explains about her meeting with Faye Held yesterday, and how the two of them were due to meet this afternoon. How Faye was going to help her gather evidence that Harper was responsible for Jamie’s murder.

Rowan is attentive as he listens, his expression unreadable. ‘Kate, I must insist that you tell the police this. Immediately. Have you even gone to see them yet? You promised, Kate. You know that’s the right thing to do. Even more so if what you’re saying has any plausibility.’

‘It does,’ Kate says. But now she needs to lie to Rowan – it’s the only way she’ll get him onside. ‘Ihavebeen to the police.’ It’s all she can do not to look away from him.

Rowan’s shoulders relax. ‘Okay. Good. I know that won’t have been easy. What did they say?’

‘They’re looking into everything.’

‘Did you tell them everything, Kate? That you were with Jamie Archer that night?’

She nods, shame flooding through her body.

‘Okay. But I’m a bit confused – you said you need my help.’

Kate stares up at the ceiling. ‘I don’t know how this happened. How my life turned in this direction. All I care about is Thomas. Keeping him safe. Protecting him. He doesn’t deserve to be dragged into this.’

‘Youareprotecting him, Kate. It’s always been clear to me how much you love him. And even with your…challenges with anger, you’ve always been calm and rational with him.’

‘I would never even raise my voice to him,’ Kate says. ‘Even when he’s trying my patience. So you understand my need to protect him, no matter what?’

‘Yes,’ Rowan says, frowning. ‘But what is it you need me to help with?’

‘It’s very difficult. When I think…I think Ellis might be tied up in this. I don’t think for a second he’d hurt Thomas, but?—’

‘Kate…this is hard to believe?—’

‘I know. But…he was seen with Jamie in the summer. They were in a bar together. Socialising. But when I showed Ellis a photo of Jamie, he claimed he’d never seen him before. And I’ve been thinking about finding that photo of Jamie in Thomas’s school bag. Ellis picked him up that day and was alone in the house until I got home. He could easily have slipped it in there ready for when I got back. He knew Thomas would never bother checking in his bag after school. He just waits for us to check it. What if I’ve got it wrong and it wasn’t Harper at all?’

‘I suppose that’s possible,’ Rowan says. ‘But it doesn’t really prove anything. Circumstantial. Maybe Ellis is telling the truth. And the person who saw them is mistaken? You have to look at it from all angles, Kate.’

‘I know. And I am. But…I’m scared, Rowan. It feels like something awful’s going to happen. Well, it has already – to Faye, the podcaster. And she was only involved on the periphery. I’m right in the middle of it all.’

‘Again, I need to ask you, what do you need from me?’

‘I need you to take me back as a patient. I didn’t realise how much I’d come to depend on our Friday sessions. You helped me rebuild my life, and now it’s crumbling and I need to get it back.’

‘Kate. You just said you’d be happy to move on to a new therapist. And youcanget your life back. You did it before and that was without me – you’ve done all the hard work yourself.’

‘Please reconsider, Rowan.’

‘Kate, I’m sorry, but I can’t. It’s not possible.’

‘Please. You need to reconsider, Rowan.’ Kate says, feeling her cheeks flame. She’d been so certain that Rowan would change his mind.

They both turn around at the sound of a gentle cough to see Rowan’s wife standing in the doorway, smiling.

‘I’m sorry,’ she says. ‘I thought you’d finished with your patients for the day.’

‘I have,’ Rowan says, standing ‘Kate is an ex-patient who just came in to update me on how she’s doing. Kate, this is my wife, Daniella.’ He turns back to his wife. ‘I thought we were meeting at the theatre?’

‘Thought I’d surprise you. Tear you away from your paperwork.’ Rowan’s wife wanders towards him and kisses him. ‘But I can wait in reception if you need to finish your chat.’

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