Long Gone

by Paul Pilkington

  Downstairs was busy, so she heaved her weekend bag up the stairs to the top deck. As she sat down, the bus moved away. She took a few deep breaths and tried to steady herself. But the relief of escaping that awful place was tempered by the lingering horror of what had happened. She still couldn’t really believe it. Sir Kenneth had abused his position, wanting some kind of sexual favour. And the way he had turned on her – the look on his face.

  She shuddered at the memory of him, squaring up to her, angry and aggressive.

  Then she thought back to what Catharine had said. Or what she had tried to say.

  There’s something I think you should know, something about Sir Kenneth New…

  Had she been trying to warn Natalie that something like that might happen? But how would she have known? Unless he’d done something like that before. She remembered some of the high-profile cases in the news over the past few years, where men in positions of power had got away with such behaviour for years, even though it had been an open secret among sections of their profession. It certainly wasn’t far-fetched to believe that the same might have been true with Sir Kenneth New.

  Catharine had tried to warn her.

  But not Diana Saunders.

  And not Tabitha.

  Now that this was starting to sink in, she was beginning to think ahead. How would she deal with what had just happened? She already felt conflicted – the urge to run, forget and move on was strong, but so too was the desire for justice. To see justice done, not just for her, but for all the other women that he might have done the same to.

  She thought about Jack.

  He had got away with it.

  He would be free to do the same again, treat other girls with scorn, control them for his own pleasure. She shook her head. She had barely felt able to extract herself from his clutches, never mind turn around and face up to him and what had happened. And that’s what reporting him to the authorities would mean – it would mean maintaining that link with him.

  So she’d walked away, putting all her energies into the upcoming opportunity at Brand New. It was the thing that had given her the strength to finally end things with Jack. But in reality, she’d been stepping into a new horror. Indeed, it had been planned in advance and in detail by Kenneth New.

  She pulled out her mobile and typed a text message to Amy. She desperately wanted to speak to her, but now wasn’t the right time, surrounded by strangers on the top deck of this London bus.

  She kept the message short, deleting bits several times. She didn’t want to worry Amy.

  Can’t wait to get home. Made a terrible mistake coming here.

  NATALIE WAS ALMOST SLEEPING when her phone, perched on her lap, buzzed.

  Natalie. So sorry I missed your call yesterday.

  It was Russell Cave.

  She felt a frisson of excitement as she re-read the message. She typed out a reply.

  No worries :)

  Before she could type a follow-up message, the call came through.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Natalie,’ Russell said. ‘Lovely to hear from you. I’m so sorry I missed your call yesterday. I tried to call you back, but your phone was off.’

  ‘I was calling from another phone,’ she explained. ‘They still had my mobile phone behind the reception.’

  ‘Yes, I thought that would be the case. I’m so glad you gave me your mobile number. So, how’s things? I assume, given that you’ve answered your phone, that you’re out of the house?’

  ‘I’m on my way back to Paddington,’ she said, dodging the question about her well-being. There was no way she could explain things at the moment, so she decided to keep things light. ‘Although I got on the wrong bus, so I’m going to have to change at some point – at Hyde Park, I think.’

  ‘Which side?’

  ‘South entrance. Why?’

  ‘I’m not too far away from there now,’ he explained. ‘I’ll come and pick you up. Drop you off at the station.’

  ‘It’s okay, you really don’t need to…’

  ‘It would be my pleasure,’ he interjected. ‘And honestly, I’m just a few minutes away. Where are you at the moment?’

  Natalie looked out of the window. She knew London well enough to tell they were getting close to Hyde Park. ‘Probably about five minutes away.’

  ‘Great, if I’m not there when you arrive, I’ll be no more than a few minutes longer!’

  HE WAS ALREADY STANDING at the bus stop as Natalie alighted.

  ‘Hey,’ he smiled, squinting in the bright spring sunshine. He moved towards her for a loose embrace. ‘Lovely to see you again, Natalie.’

  ‘You too,’ she said, as the bus powered away across the busy junction. She pulled back, feeling rather uncomfortable now with this almost stranger.

  ‘So,’ he said in a friendly way. ‘How are things?’

  She just nodded. ‘Okay…’

  He frowned. ‘Doesn’t look like it. What’s up?’

  ‘It’s a long story.’

  ‘I have time. And so do you, don’t you? Isn’t your train at eight thirty-five?’ He glanced at his smart watch. ‘Which means you have quite a few hours to kill.’

  ‘I was hoping I might be able to change my ticket for an earlier service,’ she explained.

  ‘You’re that desperate to get out of the Big Smoke?’ he said.

  She shrugged. ‘I’m looking forward to getting back to Bristol. It’s been a tiring few days.’

  ‘Fair enough. London Paddington it is then. My car’s just across the road.’

  They crossed and Russell gestured towards the light-blue Porsche parked in the side road.

  ‘Did you think I’d drive a hearse?’ he joked, as he popped open the boot.

  ‘I wouldn’t have been surprised,’ she said, appreciating the lightening of mood after her melancholic bus journey.

  She climbed into the passenger seat and belted up, as Russell slipped in beside her. They pulled away and accelerated out towards the row of traffic lights.

  ‘So,’ he said, as they waited on red, ‘don’t keep me in suspense.’

  ‘What?’

  He seemed surprised that she didn’t immediately know what he was talking about. ‘Who won?’

  ‘Oh,’ she replied. ‘I did.’

  ‘Wow. That’s amazing, Natalie! Wow!’ He shifted his gaze back to the road as the lights went to green. ‘That’s just amazing news.’ He glanced across. ‘I’m so pleased for you.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘We must do something to celebrate,’ he continued, not seeming to notice how subdued she was at this apparently amazing news. ‘Let me show you my place. There’s a fantastic deli just around the corner, they do amazing lunches. You won’t regret it.’

  Natalie was thinking again about those awful minutes in Sir Kenneth’s apartment. She shuddered at the image of the billionaire boring into her with his angry eyes.

  ‘Lunch will be on me.’

  She nodded, not really listening.

  ‘Fantastic! You won’t regret it. It will be another experience to remember.’

  45

  Cullen had only just pressed send for the text message to Amy and was still standing in front of the tube station when the call came through.

  ‘Detective Chief Inspector? Zack Carter here.’

  ‘Zack.’ Cullen took a step away from the station entrance. ‘How’s things?’

  ‘Good. Very good. Have you seen the front cover?’

  ‘I have. In fact, I’m standing next to a pile of them now.’ He watched on as a young guy handed copies to passers-by.

  ‘I hope you’re happy with the story?’

  Cullen saw a girl with the paper folded in two in her hand, looking intently at the photo of Natalie. ‘Very happy.’

  ‘Good, good. I wasn’t sure what you’d think of the headline.’

  ‘Goes with the territory,’ Cullen reassured him. ‘And I know you didn’t have control over that.’

  ‘No, I did
n’t,’ Zack said simply.

  ‘So, is there anything I can help you with, Zack?’

  ‘There’s something I might be able to help you with,’ the young journalist replied.

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘We’ve had a few calls come in already following the story. Some suspected sightings, which we’re passing on to the police as per your wishes, although to be honest they’re all a bit vague so far, and I’m not holding out a lot of hope.’

  ‘I know those type of leads well.’

  ‘Yes, well, we’ve had one more interesting call, just a few minutes ago.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘From a lady called Catharine Houghton, works at EXCEL-ENT. She saw the newspaper report and says she wants to speak with you.’

  EXCEL-ENT. Cullen had heard that name already today. It was the agency Natalie had visited on Saturday. ‘Did she say what about?’

  ‘No, but she was very keen to speak to you in person. I have her number,’ Zack added, before Cullen had a chance to reply. ‘She said it was okay if I passed it on to you.’

  ‘Thanks, Zack. I’ll give her a call now.’

  ‘CATHARINE, IS IT?’

  The girl nodded and rose politely from the table.

  ‘Yes, hi,’ she smiled, shaking his hand.

  ‘Thank you for coming over to where I was,’ Cullen said. ‘It’s a big help for me.’

  ‘Oh, no problem. Like I said, it’s not far from where I live anyway.’

  They both ordered coffees.

  ‘So,’ Cullen said, while they waited for the drinks to arrive. ‘Zack tells me that you work at EXCEL-ENT.’

  ‘Used to,’ she corrected. ‘I quit at the weekend.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘I’ve been meaning to do it for a long time. I just hadn’t plucked up the courage until now. But now I’ve actually done it, it feels great.’

  ‘Good for you.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Anything in the pipeline?’

  ‘A charity to improve reading among children.’

  ‘Sounds like a very noble job.’

  She smiled sadly. ‘I hope so.’

  ‘So, you saw the newspaper story and wanted to talk?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘There’s something you need to know.’

  ‘I’m all ears.’

  ‘It’s about Kenneth New.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘There are rumours about him. Strong rumours – about how he treats the women who work for him.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘One rumour is that he propositioned someone in a hotel room. He invited her back to discuss business and then emerged from the bathroom totally naked, wanting a massage.’

  ‘Sounds like the kind of thing that’s been happening in Hollywood.’

  She nodded in agreement. ‘It’s never got into the public eye. Probably because people are scared of taking him on, scared of what he could do to their careers. Plus, he has friends in high places. So in the public eye he remains the generous philanthropist who had donated millions of pounds to local hospitals and charities across London.’

  ‘That’s certainly the Kenneth New I’ve read up on in the past few days. He’s very well thought of, by the sounds of it.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘So what do the stories say?’

  ‘That over the past ten years a number of women have alleged that Sir Kenneth propositioned them and pressured them in various ways. I’m sure you know what I mean.’

  ‘How do you know this?’

  ‘It’s an open secret in the business. We work closely with his company Brand New, and I’ve got friends there. But everyone is too scared to say anything publicly. Not only is it risky career-wise, it might also mean financial ruin, as Sir Kenneth is known for going after people with the best lawyers. Rumour has it that some of the accusers were paid off, while others were scared away by threats of litigation.’

  Cullen pondered on the hypocrisy. Sir Kenneth’s Wikipedia page documented how he was a key voice on equality in the workplace and had come out as a strong advocate of women’s rights in the aftermath of the #Me Too movement, where women across the world had come forward with their experiences of harassment.

  ‘You think Natalie’s disappearance might have something to do with Sir Kenneth New?’

  She shrugged. ‘I read that Natalie said in her text message that something had happened over the weekend.’

  ‘And you think that might involve Sir Kenneth?’

  Another shrug. ‘I don’t know. Probably not. But, well, I wanted to warn her about him. I tried to warn her, but we were interrupted.’

  ‘You were that concerned?’

  ‘Yes. I was. I know I’d only just met Natalie, but she seemed… she seems like such a nice person, I just wanted to warn her, in case, just warn her to be careful. It was an instinctive thing, you know, to look out for a fellow woman.’

  ‘I understand.’

  ‘So when I saw the headline, I was just so shocked, so upset, I felt responsible. I had to speak to someone.’

  ‘You did the right thing. And whatever has happened to Natalie, please, don’t blame yourself.’

  She thought on that. ‘Do you know if he was there, at New House, over the weekend?’

  Cullen nodded. ‘He was there.’

  She looked sick to the stomach. ‘Have you questioned him?’

  ‘Not yet. He’s on a flight to Australia. But don’t worry, I will.’

  ‘That’s good. Thank you.’

  A thought struck Cullen. ‘You worked closely with the group at the weekend? You met them all?’

  ‘Yes, the group who came to EXCEL-ENT, I welcomed them to the building.’

  He pulled out the photo that Penny had provided him with – the one that showed Russell at the drinks reception. ‘I wondered if you knew anything about this guy.’

  He showed her the photo.

  ‘The guy on the left, next to Natalie,’ he directed. ‘He’s the one person I haven’t yet been able to get in touch with. I wondered if you’d come into contact with him. His name is Russell Cave.’

  She looked confused as she scrutinised the image. Finally, she looked up. ‘Are you sure they said his name is Russell Cave?’

  ‘Yes. Why?’

  She looked again at the photograph, her face now settling with certainty. ‘Because I know that man, and his name isn’t Russell Cave.’

  46

  Previous Sunday morning

  ‘HERE WE ARE,’ Russell said, as they pulled up on the roadside. The road was pretty – tree-lined, with well-kept houses. ‘That’s my place, Number Thirty-Two. I’ve lived here for two years,’ he added, as Natalie peered out of the window, examining the property. ‘Cost me a small fortune, but it’s a great little place and the location is amazing.’

  ‘Looks lovely,’ she said.

  ‘Are you surprised?’ he asked, as he led her up to the front door.

  ‘Surprised?’

  ‘About where I live?’

  She looked down at the garden, which was compact but bursting with flowers. ‘Maybe.’

  ‘I lived in a dockside apartment for a few years,’ he said. ‘New build.’ He pulled a face. ‘I thought it would be paradise, but it was just soulless. I didn’t see any of my neighbours, never mind get to speak to them. And the riverside location wasn’t what I expected – it was quite industrial. So I learned my lesson.’

  ‘Well, this looks perfect.’

  They entered the property and Russell showed Natalie through to the kitchen, which ran down the back of the house, past a small but lovely sitting room. It might sound sexist, but the place looked as if it had benefited from a woman’s touch.

  ‘It’s not your stereotypical bachelor pad,’ Russell said, reading Natalie’s mind. ‘I like neat and tidy.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s just the way I am.’

  ‘I’m impressed.’

  ‘Coffee?’

  Natalie nodded, noticing the impressive bean-to-c
up machine.

  ‘Latte, cappuccino?’

  ‘Latte, please.’

  ‘Coming right up.’

  Russell busied himself with the preparations as Natalie took a seat on one of the high stools.

  ‘I still can’t believe you won,’ he said, filling the machine with beans. ‘Sorry, that came out wrong.’ He stopped to look at her. ‘I believed it was possible, but for you to actually have won, well, it’s amazing. That’s what I can’t believe – that you’ve got this unbelievable opportunity.’

  Natalie smiled sadly, unable to play along any longer.

  He noticed. ‘What’s the matter?’

  She swallowed her reticence to voice what had happened. ‘Sir Kenneth New, he…’

  ‘What is it, Natalie?’

  ‘He assaulted me.’

  ‘What?’

  She felt an upwelling from her stomach, and for a moment wondered whether she was going to be physically sick right there in front of Russell. But she held things together. ‘He invited me to his apartment, in New House. It was supposed to be for breakfast. But he went off to his bedroom and then called me in, wanting me to touch him…’

  ‘What! Touch him where?’

  ‘His back. He said he had a back problem, and he wanted me to massage it for him.’

  ‘But you said he assaulted you?’

  ‘I got out of the room and he came after me. He grabbed me by the wrists, pushed me up against the wall. He said a lot of things. I can’t remember all of it, but it was nasty.’

  He thought for a moment, staring down, shaking his head. ‘That doesn’t sound like Sir Kenneth,’ he said at last, to her utmost shock.

  ‘I…’

  ‘I mean, I know a lot about him. I’ve read his book, and books by people he’s worked with. He’s big on women’s rights. The thought of him…’

  ‘It’s what happened.’ Natalie went to get off the stool. ‘Don’t you believe me?’

  ‘No, no, of course I believe you,’ he said, moving over to allay her concerns. ‘Of course I do. It’s just, maybe you need to look at things a little differently. Maybe from his perspective?’