Page 89 of To All the Men I’ve Killed Before

And it’s not just me it implicates; Carmella and Gabriel helped us get rid of Ben Pemberton’s body, they’d be pulled into this whole mess too.

I can’t let that happen.

Not until I’ve exhausted every other avenue.

‘Everyone knows the first forty-eight hours are crucial,’ Agnes is saying now. ‘After that … well, the chances of finding her alive … they aren’t good, Kitty.’

I look at her, those ice-blue eyes are filled with concern.

‘It’s barely been twenty-four hours’ I say. ‘They won’t even take it seriously yet. That’s what Lauren said.’

Agnes purses her lips. I can tell she’s getting angry with me. ‘Kitty, respectfully, do you know everything about US cops from watching Law and Order? It doesn’t work like that.’

I sigh again.

I know we’re going to have to call the police.

It’s inevitable unless we have a breakthrough ourselves. And right now we’re closer to breakdown than breakthrough.

But I need time to clear the cellar out.

‘Twenty-four hours,’ I say. ‘Give me twenty-four hours. And then we’ll call them.’

Agnes’s brow puckers. ‘We’re wasting time—’

‘Twenty-four hours,’ I say, more firmly this time. ‘I’m sure you need some time to clear out the guesthouse.’ She blinks at me. ‘Do you think they won’t be all over your place as well?’

Agnes’s eyes widen and I feel a stab of guilt.

‘I’d never hurt her!’ Her voice is high-pitched with outrage.

‘Agnes,’ I say carefully, ‘I know that. Of course I know that. But the police don’t, do they? They know that most women are harmed by someone known to them. A romantic partner.’ I know the stats are typically male intimate partners but I let the insinuation sit there for a moment.

‘I’ve got nothing to hide,’ she says, jutting her chin out defiantly. ‘But okay. Let’s leave it twenty-four hours.’

Inspiration hits me suddenly.

‘Hey,’ I say, ‘so maybe we can’t call the police right now but we could call someone police adjacent.’

Agnes gives me a puzzled look. ‘What’s police adjacent?’

‘A private investigator. Travis.’

‘Travis who you kneed in the nuts and haven’t spoken to since?’ She looks sceptical. ‘Do you think he’ll help?’

I think about this.

I really have no idea. I wouldn’t want to help me after what I did. But he did like me. And what’s more attractive to a man than a damsel in distress? Doesn’t it make their protector instinct kick in or something?

‘There’s only one way to find out,’ I say to Agnes as I pick my phone off the table and scroll through until I find Travis’s name.

I press it and wait as it rings and rings.

I’m expecting it to go through to voicemail but then I hear his voice.

‘Kitty,’ he says. I try to decipher his tone. He doesn’t sound thrilled to hear from me, not by any stretch of the imagination.

But he answered. That’s got to count for something, right?