Page 68 of Between the Lies

‘And you have no clue either?’

Robert shook his head. ‘I didn’t even know Anne had a locker.’

That didn’t sound like a trusting relationship. Nina didn’t know what couples shared with each other, but if she’d sequestered things in a locker, she would let her partner know. Unless there was something in there she didn’t want him to see.

Nina sat back in her seat. ‘What do you think was in there?’

‘Personal documents, passports, important stuff. I think she probably bought that locker as a student. It’s not the best place to store important documents.’ Robert picked up the key and studied it. ‘But I searched the flat. I couldn’t find her passport anywhere, and I know she had two – a Ukrainian one and a British one. We visited Spain for our first anniversary, so she needed a passport for that.’

Nina placed her elbows on the table and leaned in once more. ‘Would it also have had her other documents, like a graduation certificate?’

She’d expected Robert to nod and say, ‘Aye, it would’ve.’ Instead, he snorted out a laugh. ‘What did I just say about evidence and logic? Anne liked to tell people she graduated with a business and economics degree. In reality, she dropped out. She had a sharp brain, don’t get me wrong, but academics weren’t her thing. Why else would she have been working as a receptionist?’

Nina sighed. She’d wasted all that time digging into Anne’s history, yet the mystery could have been easily solved if only Nina had asked him, and she’d have been one step closer to clearing her name and rebuilding her life.

She stared at her black canvas backpack resting against the wall by their table. She hadn’t trusted Jonas, but she’d put up with him. Working with eye candy like Robert, knowing how good he was in bed… It wouldn’t be that bad, would it?

She sighed again and held out her hand. ‘You have a deal. We team up and get this drama over with ASAP.’

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

Robert had assumed he’d have to grovel more. If she’d been his lover, he’d have gone into Central Station and picked up a large bouquet from the florist – not one of those pre-made options from the supermarket. But his instincts had told him that if he showed up with flowers or anything flamboyant, he’d get a kick in the nuts.

So he’d done the opposite to what he’d have done for Anne.

Robert was genuinely sorry. He’d let Nina down in the worse way possible. And despite all her talk about not working with people, she’d just agreed to team up with him. He eyed her, trying to figure out why.

They were sitting in Nina’s apartment again, their mugs of masala chai growing cold on the kitchen counter, while Nina placed various papers on the table. She hadn’t bothered explaining what they were, but the papers said things like ‘trafficking’, ‘passports’, ‘refugees’…

When Nina stepped back from the table with a frown on her face, Robert cleared his throat. ‘What are we doing?’

She waved a hand towards the table. ‘Anne worked for Malcolm and Associates, didn’t she?’

He nodded.

‘And she was at the building that night. I want to see if she could’ve been my lead. Did she say anything about her work, her boss, anything that might’ve been a cause for alarm or just strange?’

Robert stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to think back to the times he and Anne had taken the time for an actual conversation in the months leading up to her death. His memory had nothing to offer. ‘We didn’t exactly talk about work. But she seemed happy enough with her job.’

‘And you found no documents at home?’

‘Nothing.’ Robert leaned in to read Nina’s notes. ‘How is all this linked?’

Nina picked up the sheet of paper she’d set at the top of the table. ‘About two years ago, after I’d written an article on alcoholism in today’s youth, I was contacted by an editor at theDaily Mailwho wanted to do a follow-up piece on sham marriages. I checked them out, and they were legit enough. When I agreed to write that article, I was transferred over to another editor, who insisted I work with their photographer: Jonas Pedersen. I didn’t like it, but I needed the work. I don’t do well with sitting idle.

‘So I began digging into the case. But I eventually uncovered a bigger issue than people gaming the immigration system by entering into fake marriages. I had two leads. They both had a similar story. They’d immigrated to this country alongside their friends, and these friends had been tricked into a fake marriage.’ Nina found another sheet of paper. ‘Their friends had come to the UK as refugees and had attained British citizenship. The lawyers who helped them get settled then asked them for a favour – to get married. They told these women their marriages were perfectly legal.’

Robert nodded. ‘A fake marriage isn’t legal, but?—’

‘They trusted those lawyers. Only, their marriages turned out to be abusive. But going to the police wasn’t an option. If they were caught in a fraudulent marriage – they’d face dire consequences. Still, when they approached a third party for help, both women went missing. No one’s heard from them in over six months.’

Robert sighed. ‘I’m guessing they’re not the only ones?’

‘I found several people – those who’d moved to the UK pre-Brexit, or who came into the country and were told by lawyers they now had British citizenship. However, those passports are fake and owned by a group of… thugs. Seeking help from the authorities isn’t an option, so these immigrants are forced to work odd jobs and live in less-than-safe conditions. A gang of agents and lawyers make money out of this almost free labour.’ Nina huffed out a breath and dropped into the armchair. ‘So naturally I wanted to investigate that.’

Robert considered that. Human trafficking was a sensitive subject, with whole task forces and only elite-law enforcement officials entrusted to deal with it. With the amount of money to be made in human trafficking and the scum who were involved in it, the area was as risky as it could be, especially for a lone reporter.

‘When did you pivot to researching that?’ Robert sat down on the sofa. ‘And are Malcolm and Associates somehow involved in it?’

---