The One You Love (Emma Holden suspense mystery trilogy)

by Paul Pilkington

  ‘Oh,’ he said, looking towards his feet for inspiration. ‘Look, Emma, I’m really sorry.’

  ‘So am I.’ She looked at the spread Stuart had prepared for breakfast – a pot of tea, toast, selection of croissants, yoghurt and cereals. ‘Where did all this come from?’

  ‘Waitrose,’ he answered, placing a bowl of strawberries on the tabletop and then taking a seat. ‘I tried to make breakfast with what you had in the fridge, but there’s only so much you can do with a half-eaten jar of beetroot.’

  He smiled and Emma smiled back. That was the first flash of his trademark humour that she had once loved so much. And even though it was misplaced at this present time, it was still some comfort.

  ‘Tuck in,’ he said.

  She just looked at the table.

  Stuart grimaced. ‘Please say you’ve got an appetite. Otherwise I’ll have to eat the lot.’

  ‘I’ll try,’ she said, picking up a croissant and placing it on her plate.

  ‘That’s better.’

  ‘Did someone phone this morning?’ asked Emma, buttering the croissant. ‘I thought I heard the phone ring while I was lying in bed.’

  ‘Wrong number,’ Stuart replied, biting into a piece of toast. ‘Some guy wanting to speak with someone called Debbie.’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘What are your plans for today?’

  ‘I haven’t got any.’

  ‘You shouldn’t be alone,’ Stuart advised. ‘This was supposed to be the greatest day of your life. It’s bound to be difficult and you’ll need support.’

  ‘Don’t,’ Emma said. ‘I don’t want charity.’

  ‘What are you thinking about Dan’s letter? Do you believe Lizzy?’

  ‘I want to. But I want to believe Dan too.’

  ‘It’s difficult. Either your best friend is lying or your fiancé is lying.’

  Emma put a hand to her face.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Stuart said.

  ‘It’s not your fault,’ Emma replied, standing up from the table and walking over to the window. ‘I just can’t get my head around what the letter said. I can’t believe that Lizzy would do that to me. Not if she’s the person I always thought she was. That Lizzy would never have done this. But I still can’t believe Dan would have done this either.’

  ‘Sometimes people let us down. Even those we love and trust the most. When it comes down to it, humans are pretty weak creatures.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking. Maybe there is another explanation.’

  ‘Go on,’ Stuart said.

  ‘Maybe Dan didn’t write the letter. After all, it was typed, so it could have been from anyone.’

  ‘Like who?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘Anyone. The story was splashed all over the papers yesterday. Maybe someone decided to write the letter as a prank.’

  ‘Some prank,’ Stuart said. ‘They would have to be a really sick person.’

  ‘But it’s possible. Maybe the press wrote it themselves, just to make a better story.’

  ‘Are you sure you’re not just kidding yourself? I mean, I can understand that you don’t want to believe what it said.’

  ‘But you saw last night the lengths they’re prepared to go to. They made me think that someone was in trouble down there, just to get a few photographs. It really scared me, Stuart.’

  ‘I know. And when we find out who took them, they’re going to regret it, believe me.’

  ‘I doubt we’ll discover who did it.’

  ‘Oh, we will,’ Stuart said confidently. ‘And I know where we’ll find our answer.’

  ***

  ‘It doesn’t make sense,’ Stuart said, putting yet another newspaper back on the rack in the local newsagent’s store. ‘Why would they go to the bother of taking your photo and then not publish it? I was sure this was going to work.’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Emma said, as she finished looking through the paper she was holding. ‘But I have one idea.’

  ‘Go on,’ Stuart said.

  ‘I met someone a few days’ ago, in Regent’s Park. He took my photo.’

  Stuart looked aghast.

  ‘He seemed pretty harmless,’ Emma said, knowing just what Stuart was thinking. ‘It’s not the same as last time.’

  Stuart looked unconvinced. ‘Really?’

  ‘Honestly, he’s not another Stephen Myers,’ she protested.

  ‘But you still think he might have been hanging around outside your apartment, wearing a balaclava and pretending to need help?’

  ‘Maybe you’re right,’ Emma acknowledged. ‘Maybe I’m just being naïve.’

  ‘Tell me more about him.’

  ‘I don’t really know much. Apart from he’s probably about twenty, and he hangs around Primrose Hill taking pictures of celebrities. He was also a big fan of Up My Street.’

  ‘For God’s sake, Em,’ Stuart said, in an aggressive tone that shocked her. ‘How could you get involved with someone like that again?’

  ‘Probably the same way I got involved with another man who just upped and ran out on me,’ Emma shot back.

  Her anger flaring, she turned and walked out of the store. She didn’t bother to look back and check if Stuart was following.

  How dare he just walk back into her life and start judging her like that?

  ‘Emma,’ Stuart said, catching up with her a few metres down Oxford Street. He moved around in front of her. ‘Please, let me apologise.’

  Emma stopped.

  ‘I’m sorry for saying that back there,’ he said. ‘It’s just I don’t want to see you making the same mistake again.’

  ‘You think Stephen Myers was my mistake?’ she snapped. ‘You think it was my fault?’

  ‘No, of course not. I didn’t mean it like that. Look, we’re both stressing out about this. Let’s just go and get a coffee, and relax a little.’

  ‘Okay, I’m sorry too,’ she said, softening. ‘You were right – today is going to be difficult.’

  ***

  They had just left the coffee shop when Emma spotted Eric. He was on the other side of the road, a camera around his neck. But at that particular moment his attention was elsewhere, giving her the time she needed.

  ‘Emma!’ Stuart shouted, as she darted across the road. ‘What’s the matter?’

  Emma reached Eric before he had time to react, grabbing the back of his collar using one of her much-practised karate moves.

  ‘Hey,’ he said, flailing around like a fish on a hook. ‘Get off me!’

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Emma demanded, keeping her grip from behind. A couple of pedestrians gave her interested glances as they walked by, but for the most part people dismissed the altercation as just another one of those everyday London occurrences.

  ‘I… I… was –’ Eric stuttered.

  ‘Is this him?’ Stuart said, catching up.

  Emma nodded.

  ‘What the hell are you doing?’ Stuart said to Eric, who now looked genuinely scared. ‘Were you following us?’

  Eric shook his head.

  ‘You’re lying,’ Stuart said. ‘Was it you at Emma’s apartment last night?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he protested. ‘Please, just let me go.’

  ‘Not before I take this,’ Stuart said, yanking the camera from around his neck.

  ‘Hey, give me it back,’ Eric shouted, trying to grab the camera. ‘That’s worth a lot of money. Be careful with it.’

  Emma glared at Stuart, who was fiddling with the camera. ‘Stuart.’

  ‘It’s okay,’ he said, clicking the camera several times before opening up the back and pulling out the film. ‘Got it. Here you go.’ He handed the camera back to Eric.

  ‘Let me go,’ Eric moaned. Emma let go and realised he was crying. She was shocked and embarrassed.

  ‘If I ever catch you following her again, I swear I’ll kill you,’ Stuart said, jabbing a finger at Eric.

  Eric just turned and ran.

>   ***

  ‘You open them,’ Emma said, as they entered the photographers to collect the set of prints they’d handed in for one hour processing.

  ‘You sure?’ Stuart replied.

  ‘If you wouldn’t mind.’

  They gave their details and the cashier handed over the photographs. Stuart waited until he was outside to open them. Emma watched as he shuffled through them, his face not revealing any emotion.

  ‘Are the photos there?’ Emma asked. ‘Of last night?’

  ‘I think we’d better call the police,’ Stuart replied. ‘Right now.’

  43

  ‘Afraid of flying?’ the lady asked, turning to look at the young man sitting to her left. She looked to be in her sixties and had a friendly smile.

  ‘Is it that obvious?’ Will answered.

  ‘It’s the way you’re gripping the arm rest,’ she said, nodding towards his white knuckles, ‘like you’re hanging on for dear life.’

  ‘I’m usually okay,’ he said, smiling ruefully, trying but failing to loosen his grip. ‘Didn’t have any problems on the way out. Now, though, I just can’t stop thinking about being so far up. I feel as though if I stop concentrating on the plane being up here, we’ll just crash. I know it sounds really stupid,’ he added, embarrassed.

  ‘It’s not stupid,’ she said. ‘My husband had a terrible fear of flying. Didn’t bother him for a while – he just didn’t fly anywhere. Then my son emigrated to Canada, and he had no choice but to fly.’

  ‘So how did he get over it?’

  ‘I bought him one of those self-help books. It said that the fear comes from a loss of control – the person wants to be in control, but ultimately they can’t control anything, apart from how they react to the situation. So the first step is to accept that you’re not in control of things. You don’t have to focus on the engines, or the wings, or how high the plane is. Just sit back and let the pilot get on with flying the plane.’

  ‘Sounds sensible,’ Will said, considering that piece of advice. He turned and ventured a look out of the window, peering down at the Atlantic Ocean. Again, his mind tried to single-handedly keep the plane from crashing down into the water. But he closed his eyes in an attempt to stop the thoughts.

  ‘The other trick is to use a distraction tactic,’ she said, noticing Will’s continued discomfort. ‘Did you notice that when you were talking to me, you started to relax a little?’

  ‘Not really. But I’m willing to try anything.’

  ‘Good. We’ll talk some more. So is this your first time visiting Canada?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Will turned away from the window. ‘Always wanted to visit the place. My friend lives in Toronto and he’s been asking me to come over for a while.’

  ‘And did you have a good time?’

  ‘It was good while it lasted. I was only here in the end for a few days.’

  ‘Why’s that?’

  ‘Oh, I need to sort something out at home.’

  ‘That’s a shame, to come all that way just for a few days.’

  ‘Couldn’t be helped. I really do need to get back.’

  ‘Must be important.’

  ‘It is,’ he replied. ‘So, why did you go to Canada? To see your son?’

  ‘Okay,’ she said, knowing full well that he’d just slammed the door on that part of the conversation. ‘We’ll talk about me for a while. I was over to see my new granddaughter.’

  ‘That’s nice.’

  ‘It was very nice. She’s beautiful. Alex – that’s my son – has such a wonderful family now. I just wish my husband had been alive to see it.’

  ‘Sorry about that,’ Will said.

  ‘That’s okay,’ she said, smiling. ‘Anyway – he might not be around to see anymore, but I can still feel his love. I love him now as much as I ever did, and I know that he loves me back.’

  ‘It must be great,’ Will said, ‘to feel so close to someone, even though they’re gone.’

  ‘Isn’t it the same for all those who we love? Just because they’re not here in front of us doesn’t mean they’re gone.’

  ‘I wish I believed that,’ he lamented. ‘My mum died a few years ago. But I don’t feel like you do. She’s dead and that’s that.’

  ‘What about the people you love that are still alive?’

  ‘I don’t really get on with my dad,’ he admitted. ‘But I do love my sister – she’s the person I love the most. We’ve always been really close.’

  ‘Well, that’s good,’ she said. ‘Isn’t it?’ she added, noticing Will’s solemn expression.

  ‘Oh, yes, of course,’ he said. ‘It’s just that, well, I don’t know whether… I have to tell her something, and I think that after I do everything will change.’

  He stopped, suddenly feeling emotional.

  ‘It’s okay,’ she said, ‘you don’t need to tell me anything.’

  He turned to look out of the window and tried to wipe away a tear as subtly as possible. He hoped he wouldn’t just crack up in this flying tin can, where there was no chance of escape.

  ‘I’m fine,’ he said.

  ‘Maybe it would help to talk about it,’ the lady suggested.

  He shook his head. ‘You wouldn’t want to know.’

  ‘Maybe I do,’ she replied. ‘Look, if you’re embarrassed about whatever it is, don’t be. Once we get off this plane you’ll never see me again.’

  Will looked around, not quite believing that he was even considering telling a stranger his secret. But the lady was right – they wouldn’t meet again. And he needed to tell someone – to release all the built-up pressure that had been boiling away for years. She didn’t even know his name, and he wouldn’t have to give her the full details. He noted that the passengers in the seats in front and behind were wearing headphones as they watched the in-flight movie. The man on the other side of the lady was asleep. They wouldn’t be overheard.

  ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you.’

  44

  Emma and Stuart watched as Detective Inspector Gasnier leafed through the set of photographs as if he was reviewing a poker hand.

  ‘And you had no idea that these photos were being taken?’ he asked, paying particular attention to a photograph of Emma from her apartment window.

  ‘No,’ Emma replied. ‘Well, except for the couple of photos he took up on Primrose Hill.’

  Gasnier maintained his poker face. He then placed the photographs on the coffee table and took a seat across from them, next to his colleague.

  ‘So who did you say this man was?’ he asked.

  ‘His name’s Eric,’ Emma said.

  ‘But no surname?’

  ‘No,’ Emma replied, infuriated that he had asked that question twice in less than five minutes. ‘And I don’t know where he lives. But he always hangs around up on Primrose Hill.’

  ‘How did you get these photographs?’

  ‘We took them from him,’ Stuart interjected. ‘I took them.’

  ‘Forcibly?’

  ‘I didn’t hurt him,’ Stuart clarified. ‘I just wanted to get the film.’

  ‘Did you,’ Gasnier mused, rather ominously.

  ‘We thought that he could have been the person from last night,’ Emma said.

  ‘But none of these photos match the ones from last night?’ Gasnier asked.

  Emma shook her head. ‘No.’

  ‘Emma,’ he said. ‘I appreciate that this is a really bad time right now. And I know that you’re looking for answers to a lot of things – just like we are. But this just isn’t on. You can’t take the law into your own hands like that. If you think you can do a better job than us, then sign up to join the Met. God knows we’re always after new recruits.’

  Emma kept silent.

  ‘You want to clear Dan’s name. I understand that,’ he continued. ‘But at the moment we haven’t found any evidence to suggest that anyone else but your fiancé attacked Richard Carlton. We might be wrong, but as yet that’s the situation. These phot
os might be proof that you’ve got an admirer – even a stalker – but they don’t link this Eric guy with anything else.’

  ‘So you’re not going to talk to him?’ Emma said, feeling utterly deflated.

  ‘I didn’t say that,’ Gasnier replied. ‘I’d say that on this evidence he certainly deserves a talking to – if we can track him down, that is. But it will just be a warning. In the meantime, if you do have anything else that may help the investigation, let us know.’

  ‘Tell them about the letter,’ Stuart said.

  Emma wanted to clamp his mouth shut, but it was too late.

  ***

  ‘Heavy night last night?’ Caroline, one of the co-stars, asked Lizzy as they waited behind the wings, ready to enter the stage area during rehearsals. ‘Sorry,’ she added, looking apologetic, ‘I couldn’t help notice that you look a bit peaky today – and your notes are a bit off key.’

  ‘It was a heavy night,’ Lizzy said, ‘but I didn’t drink anything.’

  ‘Oh, right,’ Caroline replied, looking confused.

  ‘I’ve got some issues to deal with,’ Lizzy explained, ‘and I can’t concentrate on anything until I sort things out.’

  There was no doubt that rehearsals up to now had been a disaster. She couldn’t get the discussion with Emma – and the accusations – out of her mind. What she couldn’t understand was why Dan would have penned that letter in the first place. What would he gain by doing so? It didn’t make any sense.

  Lizzy certainly didn’t blame Emma for believing what the letter had said. But what did disappoint her was that Emma seemed to have just shut her out. The way she had just hung up on her that morning without saying a word – without letting her explain – had really hurt.