Konstandin says, though I can tell he thinks we shouldn’t bother.
‘Maybe I should stay. I could explain it all to the police. Tell them what I saw on the tapes?’
Konstandin glowers at me. ‘Why not put handcuffs on and sit and wait for them to come and arrest you?’ he asks, opening the door and gesturing for me to follow.
I hesitate. ‘Won’t that look bad though?’ I ask. ‘If I run?’
Konstandin exhales loudly. ‘They already think you killed one person …’
‘They think we both did,’ I shoot back. ‘They think I hired you to kill Kate for me.’
We exchange a look. He nods ruefully. ‘I know. They brought me in for questioning.’ He gestures again at the door. ‘Let’s go. We need to find out what happened to Kate. The police don’t seem to care about the truth so we have to find it ourselves. It’s our only chance at clearing our names.’
As we dash out the door I dial 112, the number for the emergency services, and give them the address, worrying my Irish accent is hard for the operator to understand.
Halfway down the stairs I realise I should have taken evidence with me; one of the hidden cameras perhaps, but what use would a disconnected spy camera be? I worry though. What if Sebastian wakes up and hurries to dismantle the evidence of his crimes before I have a chance to tell the police or the police can search his apartments? If he does it will be his word against mine. And my word doesn’t count for much.
I pause, mid-step. ‘Hang on!’ I yell to Konstandin and I turn around and race back upstairs, past the door to Sebastian’s apartment and up to the top floor, to the apartment where I stayed with Kate. I hammer on the door with my fists and someone quickly rushes to open up. It’s a bewildered-looking man in his late sixties, wearing pyjamas. ‘Yes?’ he asks in a strong German or maybe Dutch accent. ‘Can I help you?’
A woman, around the same age, appears behind him, in her dressing gown, looking anxious.
‘The bathroom and the bedrooms. There are spy cameras hidden in the lights and behind the mirror I think.’
‘What?’ the man asks, frowning. He doesn’t understand but I look at the woman behind him and see, from the shocked expression on her face, that she has. She grips the man’s arm and says something to him in flustered German. He turns to look at me, confused as to who I am and why I’m turning up on his doorstep at night to deliver the message.
‘I stayed here,’ I explain. ‘My friend and I. The landlord spied on us. He has cameras everywhere. Call the police.’
Before they can ask anything else I turn and rush back down the stairs, ignoring them when they shout questions after me. Konstandin is waiting at the bottom of the stairs, frowning at me, clearly wondering what the hell I was doing. I shrug at him. ‘I’ll explain later.’
He pushes the door open with his shoulder and holds it for me. I walk out onto the street and slap bang into a pizza delivery boy, holding a pizza. My pizza, I realise. He’s pushing the buzzer to Sebastian’s apartment. I keep my head down but notice he glances at Konstandin and I as we head for his car. Shit. He’s a witness now.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
It’s only when I’m in the car with Konstandin that I stop for a moment and gather my senses. In the midst of all the drama I’d forgotten what the police told me earlier – about who Konstandin is and who he works for.
‘What were you doing here?’ I ask as Konstandin starts the car, my fingers moving to the door handle.
‘Looking for you,’ he answers, pulling out into traffic.
‘Why?’ I ask.
‘Because the police paid me a visit after you left this afternoon. They wanted to know my whereabouts the night Kate went missing.’
I take a deep breath and press my lips together.
‘I gave them the names of all the people who I drove that night. I was working all night until the morning. I have alibis.’
I let out the breath I’m holding. ‘That’s great,’ I say, feeling a huge wash of relief, though trying not to show it.
He shakes his head, still grim-faced. ‘I don’t know if the alibis will be enough. They don’t know what time she died. I was home alone the next day.’