Page 93 of The Last One to See Him

‘I’ll see you next week, then,’ Kate says, heading for the door. ‘I’m booked in on my normal Friday.’

‘What? No, hold on. You don’t understand.’ Rowan crosses to her.

She turns around and waits.

‘Kate, when I said we need to end it – I meant our therapy sessions too. All of it. All ofus.’

All the blood feels like it’s draining from her face. Kate can easily accept their affair being over, but not this. Never this. She depends on Rowan. He knows all about her and there’s no way Kate can start over with a new therapist. No way can she let that happen.

‘No,’ she says. ‘Like I said, I’ll see you next Friday.’

Rowan stares at her. ‘Kate. Are you listening to me? I’m telling you I’m no longer your therapist. It’s not possible. I’m going to?—’

Kate walks towards him, standing close enough to smell his Calvin Klein aftershave. ‘I’m going to pretend we’ve never had this conversation,’ she whispers. ‘Wouldn’t it be awful if your wife were to find out what we’ve been doing? I’d really hate for that to happen. And I’d hate even more for your career to be over because someone reported you. What would you even do? This place is everything to you, isn’t it?’

Rowan’s eyes widen and sweat trickles down his forehead. ‘No, Kate, please?—’

‘I’ll see you next week,’ she says, leaving his office without glancing back. She doesn’t want to see the fear on his face.

FORTY-ONE

THE DAY OF JAMIE’S MURDER

Jamie knows in his gut that Harper doesn’t love him. She puts on a good enough show, but he sees through her act. What he can’t understand is why she’s still with him after everything he’s put her through. Of course it was his fault she lost their baby. He’s tried to tell himself it would have happened even if he’d been at home and had managed to get Harper to the hospital sooner, but in the core of his being he knows he’s responsible.

One more time. That’s it. He’s got to do it this one last time and then Jamie can get out of this black hole he’s in. After tonight, he will be free.

He stands in front of the mirror in their bedroom, smoothing down his jeans. He doesn’t notice Harper until he turns around and sees her standing in the doorway, watching him. ‘How long have you been there?’ he asks.

Her eyes narrow. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Out. With work people. Just for a couple of drinks.’Don’t push. Don’t ask any more questions.

‘Where?’

He’s used to Harper’s questions by now – that’s what happens when all trust is eroded. Again, his fault. ‘Probably into town,’ he says. ‘Leicester Square. Somewhere like that.’Nowhere near there.

‘You’re doing it again!’ Harper erupts. ‘Lying. You said you weren’t doing it any more!’

Jamie’s too defeated to argue. What’s the point? Harper always finds out anyway. He doesn’t know how, but she has her ways. ‘Just one more time,’ he says. ‘And that’s it. This will pay off all my debts. I’ll be free, Harper.’

A flash of anger crosses her face. ‘I don’t care! Find another way.’

‘Harper, I don’t have a choice.’

‘There’s always a choice. Choose me and Dexter. Isn’t that what matters?’

Jamie hangs his head – Harper is right, this is the choice he should make, but he’s trapped, buried alive with no way to get out until he sees this through tonight. ‘I swear to you – this is it. Forever. Will you just trust me?’

Harper snorts. ‘Trust you?’ she screams. ‘You’re delusional, Jamie. You really are.’ She folds her arms. Jamie hasn’t noticed until now how thin she’s got. ‘I’m not putting up with it any more. It’s over, Jamie.’ She pulls off her ring and throws it at him. He tries to catch it but misses and it lands by his feet.

‘Don’t do this,’ he says, picking it up. ‘We can work all this out. After tonight. There’s always a way to fix things.’

‘I don’t like the way you fix things,’ Harper snarls. ‘You don’t give a damn about Dexter, do you? What would he think if he knew what you were doing?’

‘He’ll never know. And after tonight it’s all in the past.’

‘That doesn’t make it right!’

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