‘You can talk to me, you know, about him. I don’t mind.’
She seemed to close down a little. ‘You don’t want to hear about that.’
‘I really don’t mind,’ Will said. ‘I knew him well too, remember. There was a time when we were pretty close.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘And thanks. One day I will be ready to talk about it, but not just yet, okay?’
Will nodded. ‘Of course.’
‘It’s just all so raw. I still don’t really know what to think. Part of me hates him for what he did to me – acting on the feelings he still had for Emma, and then taking his own life – but I don’t want to hate him, Will. I know he wouldn’t have done that unless he wasn’t in his right mind. He would never have wanted to hurt me.’
‘I know.’ Will placed a hand on her back.
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘That day, at the airfield – when I said you were a good man, Will, I meant it. It is great, to have you to talk to. I really enjoy your company.’
Will smiled. ‘So, friendship it is?’
She nodded, and they clinked glasses.
‘And about that parachute jump,’ he added. ‘I’m still on for it, if you are.’
Will was buzzing. He couldn’t believe how well the night had gone.
Following the trip on the London Eye they had strolled along the Thames for a few minutes, before having a quick bite and drink in a nearby pub. Sally had then headed off home, and he was returning to his flat by bus.
Now, he wondered how he was going to tell Emma about what was going on. He hadn’t seen her since she and Dan had returned from honeymoon, but that wasn’t a good excuse. It might be uncomfortable, but he’d decided that he wasn’t going to keep this a secret for any longer. No, if he and Sally had any chance of working, then there could be no deception. There had been enough of that to last a lifetime.
He pulled out his phone and considered calling her there and then, but then decided against it. He needed time to find the right words, and he didn’t want people listening.
He scanned the other bus passengers: people from all backgrounds, all living their own lives in their own worlds yet, for a few minutes, sharing this small space as they stopped and started through the streets of London. What highs and lows were his fellow travellers dealing with themselves, right then?
As he stepped off the bus, his thoughts turned back to what his father had told him earlier that day. Arranging the London Eye trip had been surprisingly effective as a diversion tactic, as he hadn’t thought about blackmail at all during the evening – maybe that was why he had arranged the spur of the moment event, to stop him from thinking about what might happen, and to grasp another piece of happiness, in case things all caved in? But now, alone again as he put the key up to his front-door lock, he couldn’t ignore it any longer.
Was this really it? The thing that he had been dreading but hoping would never come? Was his secret about helping dispose of Stephen Myers’ body finally going to be made public, for everyone to judge and condemn him?
But maybe it wasn’t about him at all. Maybe it was something else entirely; something related to the father rather than the son. After all, they targeted Dad, not me.
He turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. Waiting for him on the mat was an envelope. He bent down and picked it up.
And then he knew – it was all about him.
Chapter 14
Emma waited by the window of the flat, looking down on the street below. Dan was usually home by now. And he wasn’t answering his phone. She glanced again at her watch. About ten minutes or so later than normal. But that could be explained by a delay on the tube, or a last-minute job to do at the office. She wandered back into the kitchen and made sure that the evening meal – a stir fry and rice – wasn’t spoiling, before returning to her vantage point.
Emma had spent the afternoon replaying the events of lunchtime in her head. Dan’s reaction had shocked her, yes, but, when she thought about it, it had been understandable. From his point of view, it probably did look like she doubted him, or didn’t fully trust him.
And at least she now knew for certain that he still felt hurt by what he saw as Emma’s lack of trust in him when he was imprisoned by Peter Myers.
But, still, she had expected him to call. They very rarely argued, but when they did, they were quick to make things up. Dan especially always said that he never liked prolonging any disagreement. He had suffered from warring parents during childhood – their arguments could go on for hours, even days on occasions. The bitterness and recriminations had poisoned a large part of his home life, tainting what should have been a happy time. He’d promised himself never to follow down their path.
What if he isn’t coming home?
She tried to dismiss the thought, but it was strong. In an attempt to rationalise it, she pulled out her phone and called Lizzy, keeping her eyes on the street below, scanning for signs of Dan’s arrival.
‘Hey, Lizzy, you okay to talk?’
‘Sure,’ Lizzy replied. ‘You all right? How did things go with Dan?’
‘Not good. I told him about the person leaving the notes, and then I showed him the photograph. He got really upset and walked off. I haven’t heard from him all afternoon, and he’s not back from work yet.’
‘Oh, Em, I’m so sorry. I feel responsible.’
‘Well, you’re not. It’s okay, I’m sure it will all be fine.’ She thought she saw Dan for a moment, but when the person turned to cross the road she realised it was just someone with a similar build and hair colour.
‘Did Dan say anything about the photograph?’
‘He said it must be fake.’
‘But David Sherborn said—’
‘David said he couldn’t be sure whether it was real or not,’ Emma interrupted.
‘Yes, but on balance, he thought—’
‘I know, I know. But that’s what Dan said, and I believe him. He got so upset and angry about it, thinking I was accusing him. Particularly when he heard that David Sherborn had taken a look at the photo. I thought he was going to thump the table.’
‘It’s really out of character, isn’t it, for Dan to react like that?’ Lizzy commented.
‘I’ve never seen him like that,’ Emma agreed.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. ‘Em, please don’t hate me for saying this, but maybe Dan reacted in that way because he was confronted with the truth.’
‘You can’t mean that, Lizzy.’
‘It’s just that it reminds me of how my cousin was when we were little – whenever she was accused of something, if she hadn’t done it, she’d just deny it. But if she was being confronted about something that she actually had done, she’d react in just the same way as Dan did. She’d blow her top, scream, shout, say all kinds of things, and then a while later would calm down and admit that she was guilty.’
‘You’re comparing a child to a grown man. It’s not the same, is it?’
‘She’s still like that now, though.’
‘But Dan isn’t your cousin.’
‘I’m not saying I think that’s what’s happened, but I just mean it’s a possibility. I know David Sherborn said he couldn’t tell for certain, but he did offer his professional opinion.’
Emma didn’t know what to say. She could understand what Lizzy was saying, but to entertain the possibility that Dan had just lied to her wasn’t pleasant. ‘I trust Dan, Lizzy, I really do. If you can’t trust the person you’ve just married, then what have you got left?’
‘I know you trust him. And so do I. Dan is a great guy – kind, loyal, and I don’t doubt that for a second. But sometimes even the people we trust the most keep things from us. There might be a very good reason – being afraid of what the other person might think, not wanting to upset the other person, a whole number of reasons. It doesn’t mean that you can’t trust people, because everyone has their secrets.’
Emma thought about that. Everyone has t
heir secrets. To what secrets was Lizzy referring? ‘But there are some secrets that you shouldn’t keep from those closest to you.’ Just then she saw Dan across the road. ‘Dan’s here, Lizzy. Thank God. I’ll let you know how it goes.’
‘Yes, good luck, Em. And I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sow seeds of doubt. I’m just trying to look out for you.’
‘I know, Lizzy, I know.’
Emma heard Dan’s key in the lock as she stood by the door. She was nervous, but so grateful that her worst fears hadn’t been realised, and that Dan had come home.
He seemed surprised to see her waiting on the other side. ‘Em, hi.’ He looked drained and sheepish. He placed his bag down on the floor and stood there, his arms down by his sides, hangdog. ‘I’m so sorry, Em, for behaving the way I did earlier. And for not calling you this afternoon. I feel really bad about it all.’
‘It’s okay,’ she said, moving forward for a kiss. ‘Honestly, it’s fine.’
He pulled back. ‘No, it’s not, Em. It’s not okay.’
‘What do you mean? It was just a misunderstanding – it’s fine, forgotten. Look, I’m sorry I accused you. I do trust you, Dan, I really do. I believe you.’
He ran a hand through his hair, reaching for the right words.
The gesture made Emma’s stomach lurch. ‘What is it, Dan?’
‘We’d better sit down,’ he said.
They took a seat at the kitchen table. In the first few moments of silence, Emma felt the need to make small talk. ‘The meal is ready. I just popped it in the oven to keep it warm.’
Dan didn’t seem to be listening.
‘Please, Dan, tell me what’s wrong. It’ll be okay.’ She reached for his hand, and bit her lip when he pulled back from her.
‘Will it?’ he replied. ‘You might not think so after you’ve heard what I’ve got to say.’
Emma nodded her understanding. ‘The photograph is genuine,’ she said. The earlier words of advice from Lizzy echoed. Her best friend’s instincts had been right. ‘You did know Stuart before you met me, didn’t you?’
Dan nodded, reluctantly. ‘It is me and Stuart together in that picture.’
Edward Holden ended the call and started to pace around his study, playing through various scenarios in his mind. He didn’t know what the hell he was going to do, but one thing was for certain: he couldn’t afford to pay the blackmailer.
He glanced over at the clock. Miranda would be wondering where he was.
She looked up from her chair as he entered the living room. ‘Are you okay, Edward?’ Miranda was blooming with pregnancy, her blonde hair gleaming in the soft lights of the room.
He nodded and sat down, taking a sip from the glass of whiskey that he had poured himself whilst taking the call upstairs. He had needed to calm his nerves.
‘It’s not work, is it?’
‘Everything’s fine,’ he lied. ‘Nothing’s wrong, I’m just tired.’ He reached across for the newspaper.
A minute’s silence, and then: ‘You would tell me if there was anything worrying you, Edward, wouldn’t you? Remember, you promised. No more secrets.’
He hid behind the newspaper, pretending to read the business pages, when in fact he was indeed thinking of his predicament. Miranda’s last statement resonated, cutting through his thoughts. He had promised that there would be no more secrets. And he had meant it. He had meant it more than anything. But now, after just a few short weeks, he was again shutting her out from the darker parts of his world.
Miranda wanted a response. ‘You promised, didn’t you?’
He brought the newspaper down. ‘Yes, I promised. And I meant it.’
‘Then why do I feel that you’re not telling me something?’
He couldn’t tell her what was happening. He just couldn’t. If he said anything, then it would bring Miranda into the conspiracy, and there was no way that he was going to let that happen. She didn’t need to know about William’s involvement with Stephen Myers. Especially not when she was seven and a half months pregnant. He thought quickly. ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘there is something.’
‘I knew it,’ she replied. ‘I knew there was something wrong. These past few days, you’ve just retreated back into yourself. You’d been so happy and relaxed since the charges were dropped but, suddenly, things just seemed wrong again.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I should have told you. It’s William. He’s in danger of losing his job.’
‘Oh, no, really?’
‘There’s a big restructuring going on, with lot of cuts, and he’s been told he’s one of those in the firing line.’
‘That’s terrible. How is he?’
‘You know Will. He’s not the strongest of individuals. He seems convinced he’s going to be made redundant, and he doesn’t feel very hopeful about getting another job.’
Edward watched Miranda as she took in the news, and felt genuine remorse for the lies. But this time he wasn’t just doing it for himself: he wanted to protect her from the truth. And, in some ways, it was a half-truth: William probably would lose his job if this problem wasn’t solved.
Miranda moved out of her chair and lowered herself down next to Edward. ‘You shouldn’t keep these things to yourself,’ she said, nestling into his side. He rested a hand on her substantial bump, and felt a movement. ‘The baby knows its daddy,’ she said.
He felt a swell of emotion. ‘I’ll never let anything bad happen to either of you,’ he said. ‘I’ll always be there.’
‘I know you will.’
He brushed back some stray strands of hair and kissed her forehead. ‘Just like I’ll always be there for Emma and William.’
He had decided what he would do.
Chapter 15
Even though Emma had tried to ready herself for the possibility that Dan had known Stuart before they had met, the admission was still a shock.
‘I’m so sorry, Em, for lying to you.’
The smell of the meal from the oven was making her feel nauseous. ‘But you’re going to tell me the truth now, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Then that’s what matters.’ She wasn’t sure she meant it, but it felt like the right thing to say. Things might never be the same after this. She desperately hoped not – she wanted to give them the best possible chance of getting through this, and that meant supporting Dan through his confession as much as she could manage.
Dan smiled, looking hopeful. ‘I don’t deserve you.’
Emma just waited for the explanation, hoping that it wasn’t something that would test their relationship in the way that Dan had suggested.
‘I met Stuart Harris through a mutual friend,’ he said, finally. ‘He started dating my housemate, Kelly. Do you remember her?’
Emma nodded. She did remember Kelly. She’d only met her a couple of times, as she’d moved out pretty soon after Emma and Dan had started dating. Kelly had worked in the City, in PR, for a major accountancy firm. She had seemed pretty quiet, and appeared to like to keep herself to herself, but she hadn’t been unfriendly.
‘They only went out for about six months,’ Dan continued. ‘I don’t think she was ever that serious about him, but Stuart and I became quite good friends. Sometimes we’d go out without Kelly, just a few of the lads, for a pint or two. There was a nice pub just around the corner from where he was living. That’s where that photo was taken. I remember it, because Stuart gave his camera to a Spanish girl I’d been chatting to during the evening to take the picture.’
Dan searched Emma’s face for a reaction, but she just wanted to listen. She didn’t want to say much, in case she said something that she might regret.
‘It was only a few months later, just before he and Kelly split, that I realised Stuart had a drink problem. I’d noticed he was drinking more and more on our nights out, and then he seemed to be already drunk by the time we met up with him. One night I was out with just him, and he was on his tenth or eleventh pint. He was really out of it
– couldn’t stand up on his own. I had to carry him out of the pub and back home. That’s when he told me about you.’
Emma hadn’t wanted to hear that. She’d hoped that Dan knowing Stuart, and Dan meeting her, had been a coincidence – that Dan had met her not knowing of the link with Stuart.
But he had known.
Dan could sense Emma’s discomfort, but she nodded as a cue for him to go on, and he continued. ‘He told me about what had happened. About how Stephen Myers had stalked you, and how you’d come down from Manchester to London, to try and start a new life. He blamed Stephen Myers for breaking up your relationship. He admitted that he was relying more and more on drink to try and cope with it all. I hadn’t realised until then just how low he was.’
‘Did he tell you about what he’d done to Stephen Myers?’
‘No, he didn’t. I swear, he didn’t tell me anything about Stephen Myers having died.’
Emma took in the revelations. It was a reshaping of history; everything that she had believed about the origins of their relationship had been false.
It had all been built on this secret.
‘So the evening that we met in the pub, and your friend called me over, you already knew who I was.’ Emma was finding it difficult to look at him. He knew how much Stuart hurt me. And he’s been keeping their connection secret, all this time . . .
He nodded. ‘Stuart talked about you quite a lot, particularly towards the end of his relationship with Kelly. I’d heard so much about you, so many good things, that I wanted to find out more. I must admit, I wasn’t familiar with you before that – you know I don’t watch a lot of TV – so I found out about you on the internet. And when I saw you walk into the bar, I recognised you straight away. You were even more beautiful than in the photos. I made a comment to my friend, Mike, and, well, you know the rest.’
‘Were you still in touch with Stuart when we met?’ She dreaded his response to this question, and prayed for the desired answer.
The One You Trust: Emma Holden Trilogy: Book Three Page 8
