a piece of work.’
My sigh is reluctant. ‘Even if you’re right, none of this changes anything, Jess. And like Cath said, maybe it really is better that he’s gone.’
‘Right.’ Jess is defiant. ‘But don’t you want answers? I’m going to start digging around. Rik’s offered to help me. There’s a Mandy in Matt’s Facebook contacts, so we’ll start with her. You should email the cousin who was coming to the wedding, too.’
All I know about Rik is the course he’s studying and his passion for surfing. I’m not sure how I feel about him getting involved, when we haven’t even met. ‘There is someone who knows more,’ I say slowly. ‘Lara. She’s known Matt for years. They had a fling – ages back, before he and I were together.’
‘When did you find that out?’ Jess sounds amazed.
‘Recently,’ I say shortly.
But Jess is immediately on to her. ‘So she and Matt kept their secret? I thought Lara was supposed to be your friend, too. She’s hardly reliable, is she?’
‘No.’ But apart from Jess, no-one is. I’m silent for a moment.
‘There’s another thing.’ Jess pauses. ‘I’ve been thinking about his obsession with the house. I think he was after your money.’
This time, it’s a step too far. ‘Look, Jess, can we talk about it at the weekend? I’d really rather you didn’t do this.’
But she refuses to let it go. ‘Think about how many times he went on at you about selling the house. He wouldn’t leave it alone, Mum. He had a reason, I’m sure of it.’
‘Jess, please. I really don’t want to have this conversation – not now, OK? We’ll talk, if you really want to, when you’re home.’
She gives in, albeit reluctantly. After she goes, I let my mind wander back to an evening shortly after Matt moved in. It was the first time he tried to persuade me to sell the house. But that hadn’t been about money. It had been about lifestyle – at least, that’s how he’d sold it to me. Had I been blind to what was right in front of me? He’d always liked beautiful things – well-cut suits, pristine shirts, smart furniture, his car, all of it expensive. But he’d had a well-paid job. If he’d had money problems, it wasn’t obvious.
Unable to settle, my mind is restless, turning things this way and that, getting nowhere. Later, when my mobile rings again, I glance at the screen, surprised when I see it’s PC Page.
She gets straight to the point. ‘I spoke to Lara Carmichael yesterday.’
I feel myself freeze, wondering what Lara’s said to her. But if it’s anything controversial, PC Page doesn’t say.
‘She was clearly as shocked as you were when she found out about Matt’s double life. We’ve also been studying his calls and texts.’ She pauses. ‘They’re clear evidence of his relationship with this other woman. I find it increasingly hard to believe he didn’t give himself away. There must have been calls he hid from you, or texts flashing up on his screen. Surely you must have had your suspicions?’
I shake my head. ‘There honestly weren’t any.’ It’s true. I never saw anything that made me question him. Matt and I didn’t look at each other’s phones and messages are private, anyway. Suddenly cold, I feel myself shiver. It almost sounds as though she doesn’t believe me.
But the conversation with Jess is still in my head. ‘Actually, there’s something I thought I should tell you.’
‘Go on?’ PC Page’s voice is crisp.
‘Jess called me earlier today. She was talking about how little we both know about Matt’s past. She thinks he might have been hiding something. But she was right about one thing. He was evasive, deliberately changing the subject if you asked him anything he didn’t want to talk about.’
‘It does seem rather odd.’ She pauses. ‘But surely you must have known him well enough if you were going to marry him.’
She’s right. I should have wanted to know more, but he had this way of smoothly changing the subject, so that before long, I’d forgotten what it was I’d even asked about. Feeling stupid, I backtrack. ‘I thought I should mention it. That was all.’
I’m about to go to bed when my phone buzzes again. This time, it’s a number I don’t recognise. I almost don’t answer it, but curiosity gets the better of me. ‘Hello?’
‘Hello.’ It’s a woman’s voice – clear, mocking, precise.
My heart starts to race, the phone falling from my hand, as I’m catapulted back to