Page 28 of The Last One to See Him

Kate rips it open and pulls out the folded sheet of paper, freezing when she sees the photo printed on it.

Smiling back at her, his blue eyes gleaming in the light of the camera lens, is Jamie Archer.

THIRTEEN

TUESDAY 28 JANUARY

After another night devoid of sleep, Kate wakes Thomas earlier than usual. He rolls over and stretches, taking his time to open his eyes.

‘Thomas, I need to ask you something,’ Kate says, sitting on the side of his bed while slowly her son becomes alert. ‘I found a white envelope in your school bag. Did you see who put it in there?’

Rubbing his eyes, he frowns and pulls himself up. ‘No. Why? What is it?’

Kate’s already prepared her answer – a harmless lie she must tell to shield Thomas from this. ‘Nothing important. It was for another parent in a different year. I just wondered how it got in your bag. It wasn’t for you. Are you sure you didn’t see anyone put it in there?’

‘No. I don’t know why it was in my bag. Why are you being weird, Mum?’

Kate takes a deep breath. ‘Sorry. I just wondered how it could have got in your bag. ‘So you definitely didn’t see anything? None of the teachers put it in there? None of your school friends?’

‘No.’ He pulls the duvet back and stretches again. ‘You’re still being weird.’

‘Sorry.’ Kate stands up. ‘I’ll let you get ready.’

Downstairs, she boils the kettle, trying to organise her thoughts so she can work out what to do. It could only have been Harper, and she could have got Dex to put the envelope in Thomas’s bag – no one other than the teachers would have access to it during the school day. Ignoring the kettle, to quell her nausea Kate quickly drinks the water that’s been sitting on the worktop since last night.

Thomas could have opened the envelope – it had his name and class on it after all, not hers – and how would she be able to answer the questions he’d have? He might even tell Ellis. Thinking of her ex-husband reminds Kate that he picked Thomas up from school yesterday – so he might have looked in the bag himself.

‘Mum? Are you okay? You look worried.’

Thomas’s voice startles her – she hadn’t heard him come downstairs. ‘Sorry, just work stuff on my mind. Nothing for you to worry about.’

Kate drops Thomas at the school breakfast club, relieved that Harper doesn’t send Dex to it – at least not yet. Then she walks to the surgery, preparing herself to tell more lies.

David’s already in when she gets there, sitting in his office, frowning as he stares at his computer. He doesn’t look up but waves his hand.

‘Everything okay?’ Kate asks.

‘Yeah. All good with you?’

‘Actually, I need a favour.’

David stops tapping on the keyboard and looks up.

‘Could you cover for me this morning and then I’ll return the favour in the afternoon? There’s something I have to take care of and it really can’t wait.’

‘Yeah, of course.’ He frowns. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Just stuff going on at school with Thomas.’ She winces at her lie.

‘I hope he’s okay?’

‘He’s fine. I just need to go in and sort something out.’

David offers a thin smile. ‘We’ve actually got a quiet morning for once, so don’t worry. Take as long as you need.’

Kate thanks him, offering to make him coffee before she leaves, and as she makes her way to the kitchen, she can feel David’s questioning glance on her. He knows something is wrong. How long can she keep it hidden?

Standing across from the school, Kate waits for Harper and Dex to arrive. A steady flow of parents come and go, and with one minute to go until the gates are locked, Kate wonders if Harper has chosen to keep Dex at home today. If Harper is the one who put that photo in Thomas’s bag, she’ll assume that Kate’s found it by now, and she’ll have no way to know how Kate will react.

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