I give a half shrug. ‘That’s what he wanted. We got married midweek at the registry office in West London. There was only Holly and one of the partners from Sterling.’
‘Really? That sounds odd. I’d have thought you two would’ve had a grand wedding. No expenses spared.’
‘Not really, not when you know him. I was twenty-three. He was forty-four. I think he thought if he didn’t snap me up, I might find someone else, someone my own age.’
‘That doesn’t sound like Max.’
I tilt my head at her. ‘How would you know what sounds like Max?’
She shrugs. She’s leaning back now, her hands flat on the floor behind her. ‘I don’t. I’m just saying, from the way you described him. So what’s the money for?’
‘To take Holly away. I figured that once I had ten thousand pounds, I could leave with Holly, get a lawyer and get custody. I’ve been looking at houses to rent, schools for Holly, a new job for me.’
‘Where?’
‘In Hull.’
‘Why Hull?’
‘No reason. It’s big enough, and it’s far away from here.’
She studies me for a moment, her head tilted. ‘So why haven’t you left? You’ve got all this cash.’ She picks up a few notes and lets them fall theatrically.
I frown at her. She seems so flippant. Here I was, thinking I was confiding my deepest fears and secrets, and she doesn’t seem to care one bit. To think that fifteen minutes ago I was considering telling her the truth.Something happened. I need your help. He’s in the freezer. Can you help me get him out?
I shudder. Jesus. I need some sleep. Or get my head examined. Or both.
‘I will,’ I say. ‘Soon.’
‘Well—’ she pats my knee ‘—your secret is safe with me. Thank you for trusting me, Kate. It means a lot.’ She gives me a kind smile.
Maybe I’m overthinking things. Maybe she wasn’t being flippant, just a little confused. Maybe I didn’t express myself very well. I start to get up.
‘Stay,’ she says. ‘I want to know more. How did you and Max end up in Brookford?’
I blink, thrown. ‘Erm… Brookford.’ I rub my forehead. ‘Max had a fling at work.’
She frowns. ‘A fling?’
‘An affair.’
‘How did you find out?’
‘I found a note in his office. Actually, Holly found it. It was stuck under his laptop. I walked in looking for her because Holly was never allowed in his office. I don’t even know what she was doing there. She showed it to me. It said, “I think I love you,” with a set of lips in red lipstick. Did you know people still did that? Imprint their lips like that? It’s awfully cliché, isn’t it? Anyway, it frightened the hell out of me. After everything I’d gone through to be with him, I couldn’t bear the idea of losing him to someone else. Who would protect Holly then?’
‘Well, yes, indeed!’ she says. ‘Who would protect Holly?’
‘I asked him about it. I pretended I was the one who’d found it, and we had a fight. I mean, he had a fight with me. Then he walked out. He left us for a whole week and stayed in a hotel. He didn’t even pack any clothes. I couldn’t contact him, he wouldn’t answer my calls – nothing. He went to work, though, because I rang there and the receptionist would say he was too busy, or he was out, or he was in a meeting. He came back one week later. Not asking for forgiveness, mind. More like he’d gone to the shops and it’d taken longer than he expected. I’m pretty sure he was withher. I don’t know why he came home, but I was so relieved when he did. I begged him to give us another chance. He said it didn’t mean anything, but?—’
‘He said that?’
‘I didn’t trust it. I told him I wanted a fresh start. Away from that house, away from all the memories of Saskia. I did a lot of begging, and he agreed.’
She sits back. ‘So why do you think he was having an affair in the first place?’
‘Erm. I don’t know. Opportunity?’
‘There has to be more to it than that.’
