Page 58 of The Last One to See Him

‘I don’t blame you, you know,’ Jennifer says, sitting back down. ‘I never have. You were a child. But I will never understand why it happened,’ Jennifer continues. ‘What you were doing in his van.’

Kate looks away. She could repeat that Graham White attacked her and forced her into the van, but Jennifer will clearly never believe her. ‘What was he like?’ Kate asks, looking at Jennifer through a hazy window of tears.

‘Do you really want to know? It’s not going to change your mind about him, is it? Like I said, none of this is healthy.’

‘I’m eighteen now,’ Kate says. ‘I need to try to heal. I need to know this stuff.’

‘Fair enough,’ Jennifer says. ‘Graham was…he had this way of making you feel special. Like you were the only person in his world. Whenever I was with him, his whole attention was on me. Nothing else mattered. He made me feel like a queen. It was intoxicating, really.’ He had his faults. A bit of a short temper. Easily irritated. But nothing I was ever concerned about.’ She lets out a deep breath. ‘People said that because I’d just left him, he was angry and lashing out at someone. Anyone. They tried to make out he must have been angry with all women. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.’ She pauses. ‘When I left him he was crushed, no doubt about it. But he handled it with dignity. He didn’t get angry with me. If anything, he got more…I don’t know. Determined? He was going to get on with his life.’

‘Why did you leave him?’ Kate asks, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands.

Jennifer frowns. ‘Now why would you ask me that question?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean – why would you ask me why I left him when you already know.’

‘I… don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Really? You’re playing that game, are you? Just what is it you’re really doing here, Kate?’

Kate shakes her head. ‘I’m not playing any games. I really don’t know.’

The room falls silent as Jennifer stares at her. ‘Are you wondering why I didn’t go to the police?’ she says.

‘I don’t?—’

‘Come on, you seem like an intelligent girl. There was no way I could have them knowing the truth about Graham. Because how would that have made me look? I would have been tarnished by what he’d done.’

‘What do you mean? I don’t understand.’

‘It was better this way,’ Jennifer continues. ‘Better that everyone thought he attacked you. But I know the truth, Kate. I know all about you two. It was going on for months, wasn’t it? You were fifteen and he was thirty-nine! Did you seriously think no one would ever find out about your relationship?’

TWENTY-SIX

SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY

Kate stares at Faye Held, hoping she’s only imagined Faye’s words.

I have a photo of the two of you together

‘What… what photo?’

‘Glad you’ve asked,’ Faye says, tapping on her phone. ‘This.’ She hands it to Kate, who slowly takes the phone.

And there it is. A photo of Kate with Jamie in his bedroom, taken from a camera that must have been high up in the corner of the bedroom. The satin sheets she remembers from that night wrapped around their naked bodies. An intense rush of heat surges through Kate’s body.

‘That’s you, isn’t it?’ Faye says, easing her phone out of Kate’s hand.

Kate nods. There’s no point in lying now. She needs to tell the truth to this woman and convince her that she’s innocent.

‘Where did you get this?’ Kate asks. ‘Was it Harper?’

‘I never give away my sources. Confidentiality means everything to me. Sorry.’ She gives Kate an apologetic smile. ‘Care to explain the photo?’

‘I was at Jamie’s flat for a few hours, but I left his house around two or three in the morning. And he was fine. We talked before I left.’

Faye studies Kate’s face, and her absence of words is excruciating. ‘D’you know what? I’m actually inclined to believe you, even though you’ve clearly just lied to me by telling me you didn’t know him. But I still think there are things you’re not telling me.’

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