Page 40 of The Last One to See Him

‘Hi, Kate,’ Harper says, standing up and walking over to her. She wraps her arms around Kate. ‘How are you?’

Stunned, Kate can’t find any words to respond

‘Well, it looks like the two of you have got things to talk about,’ Harper says, smiling. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ She reaches for her bag and slips it over her shoulder, turning to Kate. ‘Don’t forget the boys have a playdate tomorrow.’ She turns to Aleena, ‘Thanks for the coffee – it was lovely chatting to you. We really have to do it again.’

‘I’ll see you out,’ Aleena says, glancing at Kate.

Kate listens to their muffled voices drift from the hallway. Aleena telling Harper what a lovely morning she’s had, then Harper suggesting they go for dinner. Kate’s body stiffens. First, Harper got to Maddy, and now Aleena.

She walks to the window when she hears the door open, and watches Harper walk down the driveway. At the end, Harper glances back, smiling when she sees Kate; a smile full of menace.

‘Well?’ Aleena says, standing in the living room doorway with her hands on her hips. The tension between them is palpable, and Kate knows this conversation won’t be easy. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t confide in you after everything you’ve told me. I…I’ve just tried to put it behind me. It was such a long time ago – I wasfifteen. And that man tried to?—’

‘I know it must have been horrific,’ Aleena says. ‘It just hurts that I sat there telling you all about my experience with that man at college, but you didn’t say a word about yours. I feel like our whole friendship has been a lie.’

Kate crosses to her. ‘I promise you it hasn’t. It’s just…hard to talk about what happened.’

‘I can understand that. But after all the things we’ve talked about. I told you aboutmyattack. By a man I trusted. You could have told me about Graham White.’

‘He’s dead because of me.’ Kate sinks to the sofa. ‘Do you know how hard that is to live with?’

‘I don’t exactly know but I can imagine. You never gave me a chance to understand. Did you think I wouldn’t support you?’ She sits opposite Kate and folds her arms. ‘I can understand why you wouldn’t tell most people, but this isme.’ She shakes her head.

‘Graham White would have killed me. I know that for sure. I’d seen his face – he would never have let me live to tell the police he’d attacked me.’

Aleena listens silently.

‘I’m still the person I’ve always been. Nothing has to change our friendship. In fact, you knowing the whole truth now can make it even stronger.’

Aleena shakes her head. ‘It’s not as simple as that, Kate. How do I know I can ever trust you to be honest? Isn’t that the most important thing in friendship? Trust and honesty? That’s why you left Ellis, isn’t it? You couldn’t trust him any more. He made a mistake but you didn’t forgive him.’

‘That was different.’

Aleena shakes her head. ‘I want to be okay about this, but it’s hard. I can’t think straight right now. I need space.’ She stands, signalling that she can’t give Kate any more time. ‘I have to get back to work.’ She shakes her head. ‘I don’t think things can ever be the same between us. Please can you go now?’

Resigned that she won’t be able to change Aleena’s mind – at least not right now, Kate makes her way to the door, turning back when she gets there. ‘What was Harper doing here?’

‘We’d arranged to have coffee. Why? I’m allowed to have other friends, Kate.’

Kate could confide in Aleena, tell her everything that happened with Jamie, but the stony look on Aleena’s face stops her. ‘How did you find out?’ Kate asks. ‘About Graham White.’

Aleena hesitates. ‘Oh, I came across an old podcast.’

Kate turns and walks away.

Now Aleena is the one who’s lying.

Kate knows Ellis is working from home today, so she makes her way to the house he inherited from his dad a few weeks ago. It’s not far from Kate’s house, which makes things easier with co-parenting Thomas. The house is in need of modernising, but it’s a good space for him, and Thomas when he’s staying there.

‘Kate,’ Ellis says when he opens the door. ‘I was hoping you’d changed your mind about the cameras.’

‘No. We need to do this, Ellis.’

‘We…’ he says, letting the word float around them. ‘It’s not often you ask for my help with anything.’

‘Well, now I am.’

He closes the front door. ‘I’m not sure about this.’

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