AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘No. I’m guessing she’s probably washing her hands of this place. It was never her thing, was it?’
Cole’s right. ‘I’ll have to advertise her job. I just didn’t want to do that without speaking to her.’
‘Somehow, I don’t think Katy will care,’ Cole says. ‘She’s always going on about how she’s a free spirit and all that.’ He rolls his eyes. ‘I don’t think any of us are really, if you think about it?—’
‘I’ll be in my office, then,’ I say, walking off before I get stuck listening to Cole philosophising.
In my office, I pull the envelope out and stare at it, running my hands across it. I’m about to rip it open when my phone rings.
It’s Sarah, and for a second my heart seems to stop.Has something happened?
‘Just thought you’d want me to check in,’ she says. ‘I’ve dropped the girls to school, and Max is in a right grump. I don’t know what’s going on with him.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘You don’t have to stay. ‘Really. Go home. Relax. You never get the chance.’
‘Actually, he’s asked if I’ll drive him to work. He says he needs to see the place he was attacked.’
I sigh. ‘Max has got it in his head that the attack was deliberate. That someone specifically wanted to hurt him and it wasn’t just a random mugging.’
‘Oh. Why does he think that? Have the police told him that’s what they think?’
‘Apparently there was an attack similar to Max’s yesterday. In the CCTV footage it looked like the same man. Wearing a mask again. And it wasn’t far from where Max was attacked. But Max isn’t listening.’
‘So should I not take him?’
‘I can’t see it will do any harm. Maybe it might trigger a memory?’
‘Not sure it works like that, but you never know. Okay, I’ll check in later.’
‘Sarah?’
‘Yeah?’
I pause. I want to tell her to be careful, but then I’d have to explain everything. Including why I haven’t told her what’s been going on. But my mind can’t form the words.I’m sorry.‘Thanks for doing all this.’
When we end the call, I pick up the envelope, slowly tearing it open. I remind myself it could be nothing important. But why would Alice tape it to the back of her wardrobe?
I pull out the contents of the envelope, and stare at what I’m holding.
Photos. Printed on normal printer paper, as if Alice has done it at home.
Ten of them altogether.
And every single one of them is a photo of me.
SEVENTEEN
Extract from theWandsworth Timesonline:
Police are still urgently appealing for information regarding the murder of thirty-year-old Alice Hughes, whose body was discovered two weeks ago in a hotel in Putney.
Today they confirmed that they have been unable to locate Alice’s mobile phone, but her car keys and purse were found in the hotel room with a weekend bag.
Police have also confirmed that they haven’t been able to find the hotel room key card that was issued to Alice when she checked in.
DCI Spears, the lead investigating officer, has urged anyone who might know of its whereabouts to come forward.
What do we know so far?
