It was as if her life were being played out on a big screen before her eyes: she was powerless to interrupt as Ben and DC Hazelton went back and forth. Neither acknowledged Alice in the room, and neither seemed aware that she was even sitting there while they argued.
Ben had only just finished his phone call with Dave when Hazelton had arrived. She’d been about to finish for the day, she’d told Alice on the phone, but had agreed to make a detour on her return to Bournemouth.
Ben had glared at Alice as he’d opened the door to the detective; it had felt wrong to go against his instructions, but he’d left Alice with little choice.
‘It’s not bloody good enough. I told you yesterday we were in danger,’ Ben moaned, pacing the floor in front of the French doors that led out to the garden. ‘That’s two threatening letters left for us to find in less than twenty-four hours, and now the shit has destroyed one of my cameras. Who’s going to pay for the repairs? Hmm? It’ll be muggins here who has to foot the bill! In the same way as you lot buggering up my honeymoon, leaving me with the financial headache. It’s not cheap, flying to Barbados, you know! One of those once-in-a-lifetime holidays, and that got flushed down the toilet because your overzealous DI pinched me with no evidence of wrongdoing.’
Hazelton was struggling to keep her cool this time. In fairness she’d been under attack for the best part of ten minutes, and now some of Ben’s remarks were clearly starting to cut at the fibre of what she believed in.
‘As I’ve already explained, Mr Goodman, we had valid grounds to arrest you initially as your DNA profile was the only one identified on Kerry Valentine’s body. Given the nature of how she was killed, and us learning that you – our only suspect – were about to fly abroad for two weeks, we had no choice but to pull you in. I am personally sorry that your honeymoon had to be cancelled, but given the circumstances, it seems a small price to pay.’
‘Small price to pay? You have a spare six grand you can give back to me, do you?’
Alice remained where she was, watching them parry and joust, Ben with blatant insults, Hazelton’s more reserved, but equally cutting.
‘Perhaps we should concentrate on who might have sent the letter,’ Hazelton said, keen to switch direction. ‘Do you have any enemies who might want to interfere with your recent nuptials? Anyone who would be keen for you to be distracted with personal matters instead of business ones? Perhaps a rival firm, or someone you double-crossed in business?’
Something in Ben’s demeanour changed, as if she’d read his mind. ‘I’m already exploring those avenues myself, thank you very much. If I leave it up to you lot, I’ll still be waiting to hear at Christmas. I told you on Saturday that someone was trying to set me up, but what have you done to explore who that might be?’
Hazelton was silent for a moment. ‘What about you, Mrs Goodman?’ she said, turning to face Alice, but her voice somehow wasn’t coming through clearly. ‘Is there anyone you can think of who would send you these letters? After all, they are addressed to you.’
‘It’s nothing to do with her,’ Ben challenged. ‘She’s just a pawn in this madman’s twisted game. Leave Alice out of it.’
Alice could see Hazelton biting her tongue, could see that steely determination to remain professional to the end. ‘Okay then, if you have no idea about the perpetrator, how about the content, Mr Goodman? Both notes make reference to you being guilty of killing in some way – any idea what that’s about?’
He looked from Hazelton to Alice and then back again, exasperation tightening every muscle in his face. ‘Isn’t it obvious? Whoever’s trying to screw me over is trying to convince Alice that I’m guilty of killing that girl, even though you’ve already cleared me as a suspect.’
Hazelton made no effort to face Alice again. ‘The letters make no reference to Kerry Valentine, Mr Goodman. Is it possible they’re referring to something else?’
The two exchanged a knowing glance, but Alice had spotted it too.
‘This is nothing to do with that,’ Ben insisted. ‘I’d prefer it if you didn’t go dragging up the past. Your lot were wrong back then, and you’re wrong again now. Why do you seem to think it’s okay to pin other shit on me, just because the lead investigator screwed up last time?’
Alice kept her head low, holding her breath, waiting for the answers she’d been craving for days.
Hazelton rested her palms on the counter across from Alice, leaning into it and letting out a deep sigh. ‘Is there anybody who was around at that time who could be looking to take advantage now? Someone who knew what happened before and is keen to use it against you now? Anybody? You run a very successful business, don’t you? Is it not possible that somebody within your organization sees this as a chance to oust you and take control?’
‘Absolutely not! They’re family.’
Hazelton had seen the momentary hesitation. ‘Tell me, Mr Goodman, is there maybe one person who was with you in the early days, who witnessed what you went through and is seeking to rectify matters? Maybe someone you’ve trusted down the years with your secrets?’
A cough caused all three of them to look suddenly towards the kitchen entrance.
Dave glanced at each of them in turn, trying to work out what he’d stumbled into. ‘I’ve sorted the security,’ he said, nodding at Ben. ‘They’ll be here inside half an hour. I thought I’d take up guard until then.’
Ben cut across the room, wrapping an arm around Dave’s shoulders and leading him away so that Hazelton wouldn’t overhear what he had to say. There was little point though, as Alice could hear every word.
‘Did you get it sorted like I asked?’
‘Yeah, no problem, all sorted.’
‘Thank you, mate, I owe you for this. You know what to do if they catch him. Alice and I are going to be away for a few days, but I want you to phone as soon as you have him. Then you can keep him on ice until I get back.’
Dave looked up and smiled at Alice, a pained look in his eyes that she didn’t quite understand. It was gone in an instant though as Ben shook his hand, and he headed back out towards the front door.
‘Anything I should be worried about?’ Hazelton asked, raising her eyebrows sceptically.
‘I hired some private security to keep an eye on the place,’ Ben said nonchalantly. ‘Alice and I are planning to go away for a few days. Which reminds me, I’m going to need that passport back pretty sharpish. Did you bring it with you?’
She shook her head.
‘I don’t understand why you’re still hanging onto it.’
‘As I tried to explain earlier, we have procedures in place for a reason. As soon as the paperwork is complete, it will be released. For all I know, it could be ready now. I’m happy to drive you down there if you want to see if it’s ready.’
‘How about you stop dicking me around and phone someone instead?’
‘With respect, Mr Goodman,’ Hazelton began, but Alice wasn’t prepared to sit and listen to yet another argument.
The room was spinning and her heart was racing, her whole upper chest burning with pain. She had to get out. She couldn’t cope with anyone else trying to control her life.
Leaping from the bar stool she’d been perched on she tore at the door, pushing Hazelton and Ben apart, offering no apology in her wake. Then she was out of the door, running towards the gate, grateful to find it was still open from where Dave had just exited. As he turned to see her running he reached out to stop her, but she ducked beneath his outstretched arms and darted to the right.
Fat raindrops splashed against her thighs as she pumped her arms, and the faster she moved the heavier the drops seemed to get as they streaked against her face. In the distance she could hear Dave calling after her but she pushed the sound of his voice from her mind, just needing to get free, just needing to breathe. As she made it to the end of the pavement, a car suddenly pulled out ahead of her, causing her to stumble as she tried to avoid crashing into it. Skidding to the floor, she lowered her arms to brace for impact, cursing as the sodden floor scraped her legs.
Straining to see who had caused her fall, her heart skipped a beat as she instantly recognized the face staring back at her through the misted window.