Page 141 of The Jealous Girl

‘By whom? David Harcourt?’

I froze. They knew I’d spoken to David.

‘No,’ I replied honestly.

‘We interviewed David this morning.’

I clasped my hands together. ‘Then you know,’ I said quickly. ‘You know he was working with Charlotte. That they committed the fraud together.’

DC Portman nodded. ‘David admitted his involvement. And how it was under duress.’

‘Right, because Charlotte blackmailed him⁠—’

‘In response to pressure from you.’

I froze.

‘Me?’

What was happening?

What pressure?

What had David said?

‘David admitted that he agreed to go along with the initial deception in order to help Charlotte save Blackwater Stables. While he acknowledges his involvement was a crime, he had justified it to himself as the sale was being made to Charlotte’s own father.’

I nodded. I knew all that.

‘We understand you’d started working at the stables before that first foal was born?’

‘Yes,’ I replied hesitantly, unsure of the significance.

‘When you realised what Charlotte and David had done, you demanded a share.’

‘What? No!’ I shook my head, gripping the edge of the table. ‘I didn’t even know. Not until after Charlotte died.’

‘We have a statement from David Harcourt claiming that you applied pressure on Charlotte, who in turn applied pressure on him, to repeat the scam. Multiple times.’

I kept shaking my head, speechless to interrupt what I was hearing.

‘You demanded a £5,000 payout on each sale, direct into your account. You inserted yourself into the process, signing the agreements to ensure that you had a legitimate role in the sales should anyone question your payout.’

‘He’s lying,’ I urged, desperate for them to believe me.

‘He has no reason to lie,’ DC Goodday said evenly. ‘David Harcourt has already been charged. He’ll lose his veterinary licence. His career.’

‘But none of it’s true,’ I whispered, but I knew they weren’t listening. Why would they? David had ensured that everything fitted together perfectly.

‘That brings us to Charlotte’s death…’

The room felt as though it was closing in around me.

I knew I hadn’t been involved in her death. But I also knew I hadn’t committed any fraud. My innocence didn’t seem to matter.

‘Charlotte’s movements on the day she died were out of character. She broke with her typical routine. Met with you at 8 a.m. Delayed her morning ride until the afternoon. And abandoned her usual riding route for Ballard Down, an elevated range with a steep drop⁠—’

‘Wait, I thought Charlotte was just thrown from Atlas.’