The One You Trust: Emma Holden Trilogy: Book Three

by Paul Pilkington

  ‘I’m afraid not. We’ve not heard from the police since they left last night. Did you decide whether to tell Miranda?’

  ‘I haven’t said anything yet, but I’m going to have to tell her something. She’s wondering where Emma is, and is expecting her to come today. I can’t lie to her about this – it would be the final straw.’

  ‘And she hasn’t asked what our argument was about?’

  ‘No, but she probably will at some point.’

  ‘And are you going to tell her the truth?’

  ‘Not about that, no.’

  Will looked around the park again. Suddenly he saw a figure off in the middle distance, jogging parallel to where he was sitting. From here, it looked spookily like Emma – the dark jogging attire, the peaked cap with dark hair tied back into a short ponytail – even the running style was reminiscent.

  ‘William, are you still there?’

  ‘Yes, yes, I’m still here,’ Will replied, transfixed by the jogger. He tried to turn his attention back to the call. ‘I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.’

  ‘I’m sure she’ll be okay,’ Edward said.

  ‘I wish I felt so positive.’

  The call now over, Will got to his feet. He traced his eyes across the horizon, but the figure had gone. His level of disappointment surprised him: it wasn’t likely that the person really was Emma.

  And then, suddenly, emerging from the tree line, there they were again.

  Will began to run towards them.

  Lizzy entered the kitchen in her pyjamas. Dan was already up and dressed, making breakfast. She noted that he was wearing his wedding ring.

  He looked up and smiled tiredly. ‘Morning.’

  ‘Morning.’ The absence of the word ‘good’ was obvious to them both.

  Dan handed her a coffee. ‘How did you sleep?’

  ‘Not good,’ she replied. ‘I must have been awake more than half the night. Every time I woke up, I’d remember about Emma. And then I just couldn’t stop thinking about what’s happened to her.’ She sipped at the hot, strong drink: Dan knew she liked a coffee that packed a punch. ‘How about you?’ she asked, leaning against the breakfast bar.

  ‘I feel really guilty,’ he said, ‘but I didn’t wake up once. I think I must have been so tired from the stress that my body just shut down.’

  ‘That’s good. I wish I could have had the rest.’ The thought brought out a yawn. ‘We’re going to need all the energy we’ve got.’

  ‘I did dream of her, though,’ Dan continued. ‘It was a nice dream. We were walking along the sand in St Ives. We stopped and kissed. The sky was an amazing, vivid blue. And the sea was sparkling like crystal. She looked so beautiful. It felt so real.’ Dan stared off, lost in the image.

  ‘Everything will be all right,’ Lizzy found herself saying.

  Dan went back to buttering the toast. ‘You don’t know that, Lizzy.’

  Lizzy struggled for a justification of her statement. ‘You and Emma, you’ve got a future. You’ll have children. You’ll grow old together.’

  ‘Please, Lizzy,’ Dan said, suddenly dropping the knife with a clatter onto the plate, and desperately pinching his tears back. ‘I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I can’t think about things like that. It hurts too much.’

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’

  ‘I know you didn’t,’ he said, recovering. ‘You know, I’m so glad you’re here. I really need the support.’

  ‘Don’t mention it.’ Lizzy reached over and picked up a piece of toast, pulling the corner off it. Chewing was laborious. She didn’t have much of an appetite, but knew that she had to eat. ‘Is Will still asleep?’

  ‘He’s gone out. Said he needed a walk to clear his head. I think he’s heading up to Regent’s Park.’

  ‘How was he?’

  Dan shrugged. ‘He was pretty quiet. But from what he said, I don’t think he slept very well, either. He’s taken it pretty hard – like us all.’ He gulped back some coffee. ‘Oh, Lizzy, I just feel so helpless. I know now what you all went through when I was missing. It’s the worst feeling in the world, when someone you love is gone and you don’t know what’s happened to them!’

  ‘I know,’ she agreed. ‘It’s like parents whose children go missing without any explanation. I don’t know how they cope.’

  ‘I guess there’s always the chance of a happy ending.’

  ‘Yes, there is. And we’ve got to hold on to that. We need to fight for that happy ending. Because I feel that if we don’t, and we just give up, then . . . then we might get an ending that we don’t want.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Dan said. He thought for a few seconds. ‘Are you still planning on going to speak to Guy Roberts?’ he asked.

  ‘Definitely. I know it’s not going to help us to get Emma back, but it’s something that I feel like I need to do. That man has to know that he can’t get away with treating people the way he does. He might be able to bribe or threaten other people, but I’m going to get him to stop this docudrama if it’s the last thing I do.’

  ‘But what are you going to do?’

  ‘I don’t know exactly. Just tell him that we know what he’s doing. Maybe that will be enough to sink the programme idea.’

  Dan looked sceptical. ‘Do you really think so?’

  ‘Maybe, maybe not. But at least he’ll know his secret’s out. Are you still coming along?’

  ‘Of course,’ he said.

  Lizzy had a thought. ‘What about if Emma or the police call here? We need someone to be here, in case, don’t we?’

  ‘I’ll ask Will.’ Will, like Dan, had taken time off work because of what was going on.

  ‘Good idea.’

  ‘So are you just going to turn up, and hope that he’s at home?’

  ‘I don’t have his phone number so, yes, I’m just going to take a chance. And if he isn’t there, then I’ll come back again and again until he is in.’

  ‘You’re extremely tenacious, aren’t you?’

  Lizzy managed her first smile of the day. ‘You could say that, yes.’

  Will returned half an hour later. ‘Hi,’ he said, entering the living room, where Dan and Lizzy were now sitting. In his absence, Lizzy had taken a shower, and Dan had cleaned up after breakfast. They’d also decided that as soon as Will got back, they were leaving for Guy’s house.

  ‘Where did you go?’ Lizzy asked.

  Will looked bad. Heavy, dark lines under both eyes revealed his lack of sleep, and his skin was ashen. ‘I did a circuit of the park. And something really strange happened – it’s completely freaked me out.’

  Lizzy sat up. ‘What?’

  ‘I saw someone jogging in the distance, and they looked like Emma. Same kind of clothes, same hairstyle, same running action. I went to speak to them, thinking how stupid it was of me to even consider it might be Em. But when I got close, the likeness was uncanny. The girl’s face, it was so like Emma’s.’

  ‘What did she say?’ Lizzy said.

  ‘Well, I was a bit stunned, really. I just said how much she reminded me of my sister. She seemed a little embarrassed, and then just jogged off. I think maybe she thought I was trying to chat her up.’ He sank down onto the sofa and exhaled. ‘I think I’m starting to go mad. I can’t take this, I really can’t. The thought of never seeing Emma again . . . I’ve been thinking. The person with the cap, they’re the key to this, aren’t they? If the police could find out who they are, then they have a much better chance of finding Emma. And they’d have a much better chance of finding out who they are if they had all the information.’

  Lizzy knew where he was going with all this. ‘Will, I don’t think giving yourself up to the police would do any good. They know that whoever this person is has insider information that could only have come from Stuart Harris. Knowing about your role in disposing of Stephen Myers’ body probably also came from Stuart – he either told this person, or they found something. So I don’t think it w
ould give the police any more clues.’

  Will seemed unconvinced.

  ‘Lizzy’s right,’ Dan said. ‘We know that information, and it hasn’t helped us to identify the person. We still have only one suspect.’

  ‘But we haven’t given it much thought, have we?’ Lizzy said. ‘Who else do we know was close to Stuart? Someone who might have that information?’

  ‘What about Guy Roberts?’ Will offered. ‘Maybe Stuart told him about what he had done, and also that I’d been involved.’

  ‘But what about the photo of you and Stuart?’ Lizzy asked. ‘Do you think Roberts would have had access to that?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Will clamped his hands around the back of his head, close to tears. ‘I just want Emma back safe.’

  Lizzy moved over to him and placed an arm around his shoulders. ‘Dan and I have been talking. We need to stay positive, no matter how difficult it is.’

  ‘Yes,’ Dan said, ‘and very soon we should hear back from the police about the CCTV. That might help.’

  ‘We have to believe that it will be all right, for Emma’s sake,’ Lizzy said. ‘She wouldn’t want us to give up and assume the worst, would she?’

  Lizzy’s comment seemed to resonate with Will. ‘You’re right,’ he said. They could see him steeling himself. ‘It’s going to be okay.’

  The girl kept on running. She’d made a big mistake, letting him get so close. But, amazingly, he hadn’t recognised her. The hair extensions – a different colour from her natural shade – and the years between their last encounter probably accounted for that. She ran all the way down to the entrance of Paddington Station before stopping to make a call. It was a good ten-minute run, alongside busy traffic, and it gave her time to think how she was going to explain this turn of events to him.

  He picked up after a few rings.

  ‘Something bad just happened . . . I’ve just been approached by Will . . . I was jogging in Regent’s Park . . . I didn’t see him! . . . No, I don’t think he recognised me . . . I can’t be sure, no . . . Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

  She entered the station and paid to enter the public lavatory with what little small change she had on her. She took advantage of the deserted washroom to admire herself in the mirror. The sight lifted her spirits. She smiled and straightened her cap. ‘You’re looking good, Emma Holden.’

  Part Four

  Chapter 34

  Will agreed with Dan and Lizzy that he should stay in the flat, just in case Emma or the police called, while they went to speak to Guy Roberts. Promising to check their mobile phones at regular intervals in case of missed calls, the pair headed off for Notting Hill.

  On the way, they rehearsed their tactics in dealing with Guy Roberts – Lizzy favoured a more confrontational approach, while Dan counselled against it. But he knew that when Lizzy was in the sort of mood she was in, there was little that could be said to change her mind.

  They reached Guy Roberts’ home shortly before eleven. A brief rain-shower had cleared, and sunlight streamed through the trees that lined the secluded street. BMWs and Mercedes were parked alongside Ferraris and even a Lotus.

  Lizzy now realised how Roberts could afford such a luxurious property in the most exclusive part of Notting Hill: he wasn’t only a casting director. He was also a director of a successful television production company. Firework Films had several big hits under their belt, and were courted by several of the major channels.

  ‘That’s the house, if I’m not mistaken,’ Lizzy said, indicating a white-painted Georgian residence to their left.

  ‘Yes, that’s the one.’

  ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’

  Dan gazed up at the top windows. ‘From what I remember, it’s even more amazing inside.’

  ‘Pity the person who lives there is such a low-life.’

  It was just under two months since Dan and Lizzy had accompanied Emma to Guy Roberts’ house to ask him about the unidentified stalker pretending to be Stephen Myers, to whom David Sherborn had photographed him talking. The subsequent information provided by Guy Roberts had led to the solving of that mystery, but Lizzy didn’t feel any particular sense of gratitude towards him. He had completely manipulated and controlled them for all that time.

  They entered through the gate and rang the doorbell. There was no answer, so Lizzy pressed the button again. She had just given up on Guy Roberts being at home when they heard a noise from within the house. Then they heard the sound of a latch being turned, and the door swung open.

  Guy Roberts – his white hair now streaked with blond highlights, Lizzy noticed, and still trendily short and dishevelled – stared at them for a couple of seconds. He was dressed impeccably, in a designer, open-collar white shirt, and a pair of dark trousers. His single silver ear stud glinted in the morning sunlight. ‘Lizzy, Dan,’ he said, finally. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’

  ‘We’d like to speak to you,’ Lizzy said.

  ‘Well, I guessed as much,’ he replied. ‘What about, exactly?’

  Lizzy decided to just come out with it. In fact, she couldn’t wait to see his reaction – she wanted to wipe away the smug look from his face. ‘About your role with Firework Films.’

  Roberts’ face smoothed itself of all expression. Instead, he stood at the entrance, considering his next move. ‘You can come in,’ he said eventually, to Lizzy. ‘But just you. Not Dan.’

  Dan and Lizzy looked at one another. ‘Why?’ Lizzy asked.

  ‘Because,’ he said, ‘my house, my rules.’ He flashed a cold smile at them. ‘If you want to come in, then you follow them.’

  ‘We could have the conversation out here,’ Lizzy said. ‘I’m sure the neighbours will be very interested to hear about what you get up to.’

  ‘Don’t threaten me, Lizzy.’ His voice was like ice.

  ‘It’s okay, Lizzy,’ Dan said. ‘I’ll wait right outside. If that’s what he wants.’ He didn’t look at Guy. ‘But if you need me, come straight out.’

  Lizzy followed Roberts into the lounge. The framed movie posters still decorated the walls, the piano still stood in the corner. She noticed some arty, silver-framed photographs now stood on it – Guy Roberts meeting famous actors and actresses; Guy Roberts striking party-like poses with pouting girls. Some of them young enough to be his daughters, Lizzy noted with an eye-roll.

  ‘I’ve just been having brunch,’ he said expansively. ‘Can I get you anything to eat, or drink? I have some pastries left over.’

  ‘No thanks,’ Lizzy said. ‘I’m not here for the hospitality.’

  ‘You’ll at least take a seat?’ Guy said. ‘Do we really want to have this conversation standing up?’

  ‘Yes, I do,’ Lizzy replied. ‘I wasn’t intending on staying here long.’

  Guy shrugged, his palms towards her. ‘Whatever makes you happy, Lizzy.’ His eyes travelled over her. ‘You know, I think you’d make a great leading lady. You’ve got a real fire inside, haven’t you? That’s just the kind of thing that works with the public. I’d love to cast you in one of our up-coming productions.’

  ‘I’ve already said no to being in one of your productions,’ Lizzy retorted. ‘As have the rest of my friends.’

  ‘Touché,’ he said, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. ‘Indeed you have. And, I must say, I was very disappointed that none of you wanted to take part in what I am sure will be a highly interesting and informative documentary.’

  Lizzy struggled to control her anger. ‘And profitable. For you and your fellow directors.’

  ‘Of course,’ he said. ‘I’m part of the entertainment business, as are you, and a business is about making money, and being profitable. Don’t pretend the money doesn’t matter to you, Lizzy.’ He smiled, a chess player who had just called checkmate.

  ‘The money is important, but it’s not the most important thing,’ she said. ‘And I have morals. Unlike you and your company.’

  ‘Steady, Lizzy.’

  Lizzy was undete
rred. In fact she felt emboldened, knowing that she had more weapons in her arsenal. ‘I know what kind of company Firework Films is.’

  ‘A television production company,’ he replied. ‘And a very successful one at that. In the few years since we established Firework, we’ve become major players. We’re highly respected in the field.’

  Lizzy decided to hold back for the moment. ‘Why are you making the documentary?’

  He seemed surprised that she felt the need to ask the question. ‘Because it’s an amazing story. Full of drama, suspense, mystery, emotion . . . the TV viewers are going to love it, Lizzy. You really should be part of it. It’s still not too late to change your mind. We’d really value your input.’

  Lizzy was amazed by his brass neck. He seemed serious. She scoffed. ‘Not a hope in hell! And I take it your docudrama isn’t going to detail the role you had in contributing to Emma’s ordeal?’

  There was a short pause. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ he replied, in a way that made it clear he knew full well what Lizzy was getting at.

  ‘I mean the way you used David Sherborn to take advantage of the media attention that Dan’s kidnap offered you. The way you made Emma feel so scared, getting him to follow her around.’

  ‘Well, it’s a docudrama,’ he said lightly. ‘Not everything will be included.’

  Lizzy smiled thinly. ‘I bet it won’t.’ She paused – it was time. ‘But maybe if you do go ahead with this programme, then the press might be interested in hearing about all the details.’

  Guy Roberts gave her a level look for a moment. ‘I don’t care,’ he said, eventually. ‘I’d welcome the media coverage. And, anyway, I’d deny whatever you’re planning to say about me. My friends in the media can spin a story in many ways, Lizzy.’

  ‘They can’t all be your friends.’

  ‘No, but I have some powerful allies. If I were you, I’d be wary about going to them. You may find that you and your friends will make the headlines for all the wrong reasons.’

  ‘Threats,’ Lizzy said. ‘I’m disappointed that you didn’t start with the bribes.’