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Glancing at the other customers, I take Taylor’s phone. And what I see on it are pictures of him with Alice. In one of them, they’re in a gym working out together. And another is a selfie, both of them pulling silly faces to the camera.
Without a word, I hand his phone back.
‘I nearly went to the police last night,’ Taylor says. ‘It was doing my head in. You have evidence that your husband was in that hotel and you’ve kept it from the police.’
I look around the shop again. Katy’s still staring at her phone and there’s no one by the till. The office door remains closed.
‘Why didn’t you, then?’
He holds up his hands. ‘Because of this. I know how much it must take for you to keep this business going. And for your daughter. She doesn’t deserve any of this. My dad died when I was thirteen and it still affects me now.’
‘Max hasn’t left Poppy.’
‘No. It’s you he wanted to leave. Remember?’
‘Just go. Get out. Please. If you’re not going to the police, then there’s nothing more to say, is there? We don’t need to keep talking.’
‘Don’t you think I wish it was that easy? I’d like nothing better than to walk away from all of this. Pretend I’ve never met you. But we’re tied together now, aren’t we? Through yourhusband and Alice. My closest friend, the person I cared most about in the world.’
I glance at Katy and see that she’s now serving coffee to an elderly man. ‘I don’t understand what you want from me,’ I whisper.
‘All I want is the truth, Hannah. I want to know what happened to Alice. And I won’t stop until I find out. It involves your husband – I know that for certain now. And I think you know it too. You need to get away from him. Before it’s too late.’
‘Excuse me, can I pay for this?’ We both turn and see a woman with a young son standing by the till, waving a book. She wasn’t there a moment ago, and I hadn’t even noticed her anywhere in the shop.
I plaster on a smile. ‘Yes, of course.’ I turn to Taylor. ‘I have to go,’ I tell him.
By the time I’ve got to the till, he’s disappeared.
And Cole is standing by the office door, watching me. He waits until the customer has left, then rushes over to me. ‘Who was that?’
‘I don’t know. Just a woman buying a David Walliams book for her kid.’
He rolls his eyes. ‘Not her. The man you were talking to by the door.’
‘He was just asking directions.’ I turn away, hoping Cole will drop his questioning.
‘I’ve seen him in here before. A few times.’
A cold chill runs through me. ‘A lot of people come in here. Any luck with the laptop?’
‘Sorry, no. But I know someone who’ll be able to help. Went to school with him. He owns a computer repair shop. If anyone can sort it, he can.’
‘Great. Where can I find him?’
‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ll take it. He’ll do it for me as a favour.’
‘No,’ I insist. ‘I’m happy to pay. Can you just give me the address? I’ll go there now.’
‘It’s Sunday, Hannah. Lots of independent shops are closed on Sundays. I keep telling you, we’re one of a kind. Leave it with me. I’ll take care of it.’
Protesting too much will only inflame Cole’s suspicion. ‘Okay, thanks. Remember it’s urgent, though. Whatever it costs.’ I smile. ‘Within reason.’
I sit in my mother’s conservatory and watch Poppy playing with Peach in the large landscaped garden. The sun has made an appearance this afternoon, and Poppy’s taken the opportunity to go outside in just her jumper. Houses in Richmond have more garden space, and normally I love coming here to see Mum. It’s usually a place I can relax, while Poppy plays outside with the dog. Today, though, I’m on edge.
‘Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?’ Mum says, studying me. ‘I’m happy to have Poppy here if you don’t want her to see Max like that again. She can stay the night. She’s been asking when she can have another sleepover.’ Mum smiles, and I marvel at how few lines she has on her face. Her tanned skin seems to only grow more youthful.
‘Thanks, Mum, but we’ll manage. I don’t need to go again today. I just need to be with Poppy. Take her mind off it all. It’s all too much for her.’ Especially after she found me ransacking the house last night. It took a while, but eventually I’d managed to convince her that I was looking for something important.
