‘And from the Homicide Investigation Unit, Detective Chief Inspector Holden and Detective Inspector Wild gave the following statement: “Detective Inspector Wild and I offer our deepest condolences to the family of Hayley James whose body was identified after being discovered yesterday morning. Luca Franco, Hayley’s boyfriend, is still missing and enquiries are being made to locate him. If anyone watching has any information about Luca Franco or his whereabouts, please contact the police immediately.”’
Emilia takes in Inspector Holden’s tired face, his bloodshot eyes. She had always liked him. He was the life and soul of the unit, always offering kind encouragement and clear direction. And when her sister was killed, he did everything he could to help her. But she has never met Detective Inspector Penelope Wild. She has heard of her, through Ciaran and through the low whispers of her ex-colleagues. She has a fierce reputation. And now, standing there in front of the station, she looks immaculate, her clothes and make-up pristine, her posture straight, chin lifted.
The news report ends and Emilia taps immediately on Ciaran’s name, holding the phone to her ear. She couldn’t call him about Hayley’s body being found until after it was announced on the news. If she did, she would have to admit that she had followed him yesterday.
The ring tone repeats, over and over again, and then is answered.
‘Ciaran?’ she says. But she is interrupted by an automated voice.
‘You have reached the voicemail of – Ciaran Jones. They are not available to take your call at the moment. You can leave a message after the beep, or hang up.’
BEEP.
‘Hi Ciaran …’ Emilia says quietly. ‘It’s me, Emi. I just saw the news about Hayley James’s body being found. And I … I know you said I need to stay away, and I will, but I just wanted to talk to you. I know you’ll be absolutely slammed with everything but … call me when you can. Okay? Bye.’
She ends the call. Her eyes glaze over as she stares into the empty space in front of her. Was that a mistake? The last thing she wants is to push him away. Why can’t she just leave it alone?
She darts to her computer, typing Luca Franco quickly into the search engine.
The page fills with article after article, their titles highlighted in bold, photographs of Hayley and Luca shining out in bright technicolour.
THE CONFESSION ROOM MURDER: HAYLEY JAMES FOUND
HAYLEY JAMES DISCOVERED IN PARK, LUCA FRANCO STILL MISSING
BODY OF THE CONFESSION ROOM VICTIM FOUND – BUT WHERE IS LUCA FRANCO?
It won’t take long for the focus to shift – away from Hayley James, away from her body and the bullet to her head, and towards Luca. The missing boyfriend.
A loud knock comes from the front door and she drags herself away from the computer.
‘Oh hi, Jenny,’ Emi says as she pulls open the door and is greeted by her friend’s smiling face.
Jenny bounds forward and draws Emilia into a hug, buzzing with her seemingly endless high-octane energy. She’s so serious at work – behind her desk as the Custody Sergeant she is the consummate professional – but outside, in the real world, she is outrageous and wild. Always the life of every room she enters.
‘It’s been too long again, Emi. I don’t like having to stalk you like this,’ she laughs.
‘I know,’ Emilia says, as Jenny releases her and steps into the flat. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Stop that now,’ Jenny responds as she strides inside to the living room. ‘It’s my fault too. And anyway – it doesn’t matter.’ She flings herself casually on to the sofa. ‘I’m here now … this is an okay time, right?’
Emilia smiles. ‘Of course.’
Jenny glances at a photo on the side table – Emilia’s parents with their arms around each other, posing on the Brooklyn Bridge. ‘How are your mum and dad?’
Emilia folds herself into the corner of the sofa, tucking one leg beneath her and bringing the other knee up to her chest. ‘They’re okay. Doing pretty well. We’re planning a surprise for Mum’s birthday – Dad wants to take her away somewhere.’
‘Ah, how lovely!’
‘Yeah, well her birthday is so close to Sophie’s, so Dad thought it might help distract her …’
Sadness sloshes deep in her stomach, that familiar feeling of the world shifting beneath her. She and Sophie had never spent birthdays apart. Even as grown-ups, even when both of them had partners, they always celebrated together. Sophie’s last birthday, Emilia and Ciaran went out to a bar with Sophie and her friends, Emilia’s face stretching into a beaming smile as her sister stood in the centre of the crowd, her eyes glowing, feeding off the attention. She was so happy. So alive. She sighs, shaking her head. ‘Anyway … Is everything okay with you?’
‘Yea, I’m okay … I just … Well –’
‘Jenny, what is it? Come on … it isn’t like you to struggle with your words.’
‘Ciaran’s worried about you.’
Emilia’s chest tightens, her breath catching in the back of her throat. ‘Ciaran?’
‘He said you saw each other for the first time the other day? Which is great – and don’t get me wrong, I know he was over the moon to see you, but –’
‘But?’
‘He’s just worried that you’re going to get too caught up with his new case. You know, the Confession Room … Especially now … I worry about you too, Emi. I know how hard hearing stuff like this must be –’
‘It isn’t the same,’ Emi says, her chest tightening even more as she spits out her lie. ‘I’m fine.’
Jenny frowns. ‘Really?’
‘Really. I promise. I just … I want to talk about it. I want to help, because that’s the way my brain is hard-wired. Same as yours. Same as Ciaran’s. That instinct doesn’t just leave you because you’ve left the police.’
‘I know. But just … don’t let it suck you in. Okay?’
‘I won’t.’
‘Promise?’
Emilia nods, chewing on the inside of her lip. ‘What do you think about the whole thing?’
Jenny sniffs and glances up at the ceiling. ‘I think if the boyfriend doesn’t make an appearance soon …’ She shrugs.
‘You think it might have been him?’
‘Don’t you?’
‘Are the police treating him as a suspect?’
‘Of course. You know they will be – come on, Emilia.’
Emilia nods but her brows knit together. ‘So do you think that he released the video to shame her?’
Jenny nods vigorously. ‘She cheated on him – for a long time. You know the type he’ll be – the sort that can’t cope with any kind of rejection. I think he found out, forced her to confess, filmed it, and then killed her.’
Emilia pulls a cushion on to her lap and clutches it to her chest. ‘It just doesn’t make sense to me.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because why name himself?’
‘To cover his tracks. Even the video was filmed to make it seem like another person was in that room with them. But I don’t think there was. And he named himself on the forum to make it seem like he’s a victim too. Otherwise, where is he? Why was her body dumped to be found in broad daylight but he’s been hidden? Why isn’t he protesting his innocence? Why disappear?’
‘But why confess? Why confess at all?’
‘Well, that takes us back to the beginning, doesn’t it? He thinks it will help him evade suspicion. I mean … it’s working, isn’t it? On you?’
Emilia nods. ‘I guess …’
‘You know the truth, Emilia: the most simple answer is most often the right one. There isn’t always some underlying story. Sometimes it’s just a bad man who does a bad thing. Sometimes –’
‘Don’t you think I know that?’
Silence falls between them. Emilia’s breathing is heavy, her bottom lip wavering.
‘Emi, I’m so sorry. I should have thought before I spoke –’
‘No, I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.’
They gaze at each other, forgiveness slowly dissipating the tension in the air.
‘Anyway … we shouldn’t even be chatting about this,’ Emilia says. ‘Really, I’m okay. I’m not getting obsessed, I promise … What’s been going on with you? How’s Adam?’
Jenny begins to speak, her face spreading into a wide smile, her words forming and flowing out into the air. But her voice is blurring in Emilia’s mind, as if time is slowing down, like a finger pressing down an old record. Because her promise to Jenny was a bald-faced lie. Her thoughts are still there, like they have been since the beginning. With Hayley James. With the missing Luca Franco.
With bad men.
And bad things.