We make small talk for close on an hour before James arrives. When I answer the door, I can smell the alcohol on his breath and my heart sinks. Poor James. He looks at me nervously and I step forward and pull him close, whispering, “I’m sorry, James.”
He pulls back and looks confused, and I shake my head sadly. “I just want you to know there are no hard feelings.”
I’m shocked at the tears that well up in his eyes, and he nods. “Thank you.”
I don’t need to explain my comment because we both realise what I’m referring to. He’s aware that I know and I’m telling him it’s ok. I’m grateful when a comforting hand slips into mine and I see James’s eyes widen as he sees Darren standing beside me. I introduce them and say softly, “Darren’s been a good friend to me, James, and I hope you can forgive us for what we’re about to do.”
James looks confused and I beckon him to follow me to meet the others.
As they all glance up, I say with excitement. “James is here, Darren get him a drink and then we can all move to the cinema room.”
They all appear surprised and Arabella comes over and whispers, “What are you planning?”
I smile at her with what I hope is reassurance. “Putting things right.”
There is nervous anticipation in the air as they all take a seat and I gaze around me at a room that was Anton’s pride and joy. Glancing at my watch nervously, I notice Darren watching me and he nods and points to the door. My heart beats a little erratically and I know there’s no going back. I make sure to dim the lights before he arrives and say loudly, “Ok, I’ve got a little surprise for you all. This may shock some of you and I’m sorry for that. However, Anton would want this to be shown, so here goes.”
My heart thumps as I press ‘play’ and peer with interest at the surrounding faces, while trying hard to block out the sounds that turn my stomach every time I hear it. There is a shocked silence as the room is filled with an image of Anton and James. The one I took from his phone and the one he was being blackmailed over.
The tears pour down my cheeks as I witness the shock on everyone’s faces mixed with disgust which tears my heart out. The video is graphic, pornographic and so x-rated it would be banned and I sigh as Miranda starts to sob and Venetia buried her face in her hands. Arabella starts to cry and James looks utterly destroyed. I am disgusted as I note interest in Anthony’s eyes and can tell he is trying hard not to laugh. Matthew looks uncomfortable and has turned as white as a ghost.
After I think they’ve seen enough, I stop the video and turn the lights back on and notice Eddie had arrived. Eddie is Darren’s brother and was the reason I went to stay with him in the first place.
As they all stare at me in horror, I say loudly, “May I introduce you all to Eddie Hodges?”
They all appear confused, and I share a smile with the brothers. “Eddie is Darren’s brother and now a friend of mine. He has been instrumental in helping me solve the riddle of Anton’s death and this video is the key.”
Everyone looks shocked as Eddie nods. “Evening everyone.”
I carry on. “Eddie is a detective in the metropolitan police. He was extremely interested in the information I gave him and has helped me through a difficult time.”
I glance around to see who reacts to my news and just as I thought, one person in particular looks as sick as a dog.
I stand up and start pacing as I prepare to deliver a speech I have practised for days now and yet now it’s come to it, it’s a hard task to deliver.
Darren smiles his support and I take a deep breath. “As you all know, Anton died under mysterious circumstances. He was found by me, face down in our pool, fully clothed with many bruises on his face and body. What you don’t know is that Anton was gay and in a relationship with James Donnelly.”
There’s a collective gasp around the room, and I smile at James. “I’m sorry about this, James, but I need to get this out in the open.”
He nods and says with a quiver in his voice. “It’s fine, carry on Fleur.”
I turn and glance across at Eddie, who nods and I say seriously, “Anton was being blackmailed because of this video.”
They all gasp and I carry on. “Both he and James received demands for large sums of money in return for the video not getting into the public domain. Anton was a celebrity and feared for his reputation as well as James’s. They did everything they could to pay the money, but it was never enough. Anton became depressed as a result and James started drinking heavily. In desperation, Anton sought the services of a private investigator who managed to find the person responsible.”
I steal a glance across the room and note that Darren and Eddie have moved to stand behind the person responsible and I steel myself. “He managed to trace the signal from the phone the blackmailer used and discovered it was very close. Extremely close, in fact, and came from just a few feet away.”
The shocked faces stare around at each other as they realise what this means. It’s one of us.
“So, as you have probably guessed, the blackmailer is actually sitting in this room. Isn’t that right, Matthew?”
Everyone looks across at him in shock and Venetia cries out, “Matthew! You’re wrong, of course, it wasn’t him.”
I laugh bitterly. “Are you sure about that, Venetia, because the expression on Matthew’s face tells a different story.”
Matthew shakes his head and Eddie says firmly, “There’s no denying it because we checked out the files the investigator handed over. We also interviewed the receptionist at the hotel they used, who identified your picture as the man who stayed in the adjoining room. It appears that you got there early and managed to unlock the connecting door. You set up your phone to record the action and waited for the show to start. The cleaner remembers that you told her you wanted to leave a bottle of wine for your friends who were staying there and when she wasn’t looking, you unlocked the door on their side.”
James shouts, “We wondered who left the wine. Good God, Matthew, how could you?”
Matthew puts his head in his hands as Venetia cries out, “Matthew, tell them it isn’t true.”
He looks up at her and his eyes are blazing. “Yes, it’s true, but I didn’t kill Anton. I may have knocked him about a bit when he came steaming around, accusing me of all sorts, but he was no match for me and I let him have it. How was I to know he would kill himself rather than face the world knowing what he really was?”
I can’t stand it and shout, “What he was! He was decent, caring, and an amazing man. I couldn’t love him any more than I did, even though he betrayed me. How dare you speak about him as if he was nothing?”
I make to strike him, but one look from Eddie calms me down as Venetia sobs, “But why, Matthew, why do it?”
He looks across the room and his face contorts with rage as he snarls, “Because of him.”
We all stare at the person he addressed his comment to, and Venetia turns pale as Anthony snarls, “Why me?”
Matthew starts to laugh. “Because you’ve been having an affair with my wife and I wanted it to stop.”
Once again, the shock hits everyone in the room as Arabella cries, “No, this isn’t true! Tell him, Venetia, not Anthony.”
Anthony rolls his eyes and says wearily, “It is actually. Venetia and I had a fling for a bit, but now it’s ended. I don’t understand why Matthew did this; it doesn’t make sense.”
Venetia starts crying, as Arabella hisses, “You bitch, you were supposed to be my friend.”
Venetia cries, “I still don’t understand what this has to do with Anton and James.”
Matthew snarls. “Because of you, Venetia. I was losing you because you were jealous of what they had.”
He points to Arabella and Anthony and snarls, “You wanted to be her so badly. You wanted her house, her life, and her husband, and he was only too happy to oblige. I couldn’t compete with that. We’re not in their league, so I did what I had to do, and it worked.”
She shakes her head and says sadly, “There never was a bonus, was there, Matthew?”
He slumps back in his seat. “No, the money I received from them is paying for the interior and our holiday. It worked though because as soon as you thought we had money; you came running back.”
Venetia shouts, “That’s not the reason why, and you know it! I came back because I couldn’t stand him and I love you. I do love you, Matthew, and I can’t believe you went to so much trouble for me.”
Arabella shouts, “I can’t believe what I’m hearing! You think Matthew blackmailing James and Anton is an act of love for you? I can’t believe you would be so shallow and as for you…”
She turns to Anthony and says sadly, “You had an affair with one of my best friends and don’t even seem to care. You pretended to have cancer so I wouldn’t question you when I found your hotel receipt and you lied about losing your job because of a bloody programme you were planning. You’re disgusting, Anthony and I don’t recognise the same man I married.”
Anthony looks at her and snarls, “You can’t talk, can you darling?”
Arabella looks confused, and Anthony laughs bitterly. “Have you forgotten to tell me something?”
Arabella looks at him blankly and he laughs. “The day you were arrested, I came racing home as soon as Venetia called.”
Arabella looks confused. “But you told me it was hours later, which is why you took so long.”
His eyes flash as he throws her a look that would curdle milk. “I told you that because you believe anything I tell you. No, I found Venetia in your bathroom holding one of your pregnancy tests, my darling. A pregnancy test! You knew I didn’t want children, and you decided that what I want didn’t matter. You were going to have one regardless, and I can never forgive you for that.”
Venetia starts to cry as Arabella says bitterly. “You talk about me lying when you’re the master, it would seem. Anyway, so what if I do have a drawer full of pregnancy tests? You haven’t been near me for so long they must be out of date by now? Not that it matters because I’m not pregnant, anyway.”
She looks so sad my breath hitches and I long to run to her but Anthony laughs bitterly, “That’s not what the test said my darling, even now you can’t stop lying.”
Arabella looks at him in disbelief and says in a broken voice, “I’m not pregnant, all of my tests have come back negative.”
Now it’s Anthony’s turn to look as sick as a dog as he looks across the room at Venetia and says roughly, “It was yours, wasn’t it?”
Arabella cried out as Venetia nods, the tears streaming down her face and Anthony yells, “You fucking bitch. You let me think it was Arabella’s, and I was so angry we had sex in our bed while my wife was frightened and alone in a police cell. How could you?”
I’m guessing the whole room hates Venetia right now, and Arabella starts sobbing loudly as Venetia says in a broken voice, “I’m so sorry, Arabella.”
Arabella starts to shake as I say icily, “Get out, Venetia. You are no longer welcome here and take your lover with you. I never want to see either of you again.”
Anthony looks at Arabella with panic written all over his face and says urgently, “Come with me, darling, we’ll talk this through and find a way out of this.”
She shakes her head and says in a broken voice, “Just go, Anthony.”
He looks around helplessly as the whole room stares at him in disgust and then stands with no more words spoken and heads out of the room. Venetia looks utterly destroyed and breaks down before our eyes, and Miranda says a little kindlier than any of us would say, “Maybe you should follow him, Venetia.”
Venetia looks at Matthew, who now resembles a statue, and says, “I’m so sorry, Matthew. I really do love you and chose you, not him. I just know this is our baby. It must be.”
Arabella starts crying again and my heart goes out to her. Fate is so cruel as to tear her heart out with her husband’s betrayal and then rub her nose in it with the knowledge her husband is having a baby with someone else. I’m fearful for her and wonder if she’ll ever recover.
I watch as Venetia stands and says to Matthew, “Come with me.”
He makes to stand, but Eddie puts a firm hand on his shoulder and says, “Not so fast. Matthew Stanmore, you are under arrest for blackmail, extortion, and manslaughter. You have the right to remain silent….”
As he reads Matthew his rights, the whole room remains silent as the shock hits each one of us and I sink to my knees as the tears fall thick and fast. It’s over.
Anton’s death has been revenged and opened up a can of worms that has affected each and every person who lives here. Then I feel a strong hand pull me into an equally strong chest as Darren wraps his arms around me and gives me the comfort I need right now.
As Matthew follows Eddie out, James says loudly, “How did you know about us?”
Matthew turns and the whole room falls silent as he laughs bitterly. “It was by chance, really. I was following Venetia and as luck would have it, I saw you and Anton heading into the hotel. I didn’t guess at first, but something sowed a seed of doubt in my mind and I kept a close eye on you both. It didn’t take me long to realise what was going on, so I turned my attention to the two of you instead. I worked out that the only way to keep my wife was to get a lot of money to keep her happy and I knew the two of you were loaded. It wasn’t personal, just a business decision.”
I think his words shock everyone in the room as he reduces what he did to a business decision. It’s so cold and unfeeling and I’m starting to believe that he and Venetia were a match made in heaven after all. I’m barely conscious of Eddie leading Matthew out, closely followed by Venetia, leaving Arabella, James and Miranda staring at one another in shock.