The Disappearance of Katy Harper
Part 6
‘Katy had a journalist head,’ Graham says, reclining in his chair. ‘She was always talking about investigations and reports at work, always busy buried in her laptop researching. She wanted justice, of course she did.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ a woman’s voice says.
Graham sighs. ‘Katy was particularly affected by something she was working on. I think that’s why she called me.’ He tilts his head. ‘I am…’ He pauses, correcting himself. ‘I was a prosecutor for County Hall. I think she wanted advice from me that night, not to argue anymore.’
The camera pans to a computer, where an article glides across the monitor with the headline ‘HARASSMENT COVERUP AT TOP LONDON RESTAURANT’. There’s grainy footage of a man being led out of an apartment, escorted by the police in handcuffs and firmly positioned into the back of a police car. A man in a suit follows and holds a hand up to the camera to avoid being seen.
The screen flashes back to Graham who nods steadily. ‘A big case that NTV got to first, a thorough investigation. Katy was a great researcher.’ He shakes a finger and looks forlorn. ‘But she always wanted more: she didn’t just want to be a researcher, she wanted to report on big stories.’
The screen flashes to Joanna.
‘I’m not surprised to hear that everyone thinks Katy was reporting on something, it’s a common theory.’
The screen flashes back to Graham.
‘Katy could be’ – he pauses – ‘persistent. I warned her not to get mixed up in anything without speaking to someone at work, but she was incensed when she got wind of something, and in the weeks leading up to her disappearing, she withdrew into herself. She was always tapping away on her laptop, or had her head buried in her little notepad, scratching away.’ He raises his head slightly. ‘Katy was reckless, she would do anything to get to the truth, and there are a lot of people, people the police interviewed, people the police knew about, that would do a lot to protect that truth.’
‘What do you think happened to Katy?’ the voice says, quietly.
He shrugs, like he’s just been asked if he wants coffee or tea and can’t decide. ‘What happens to people that know too much? I just know that she met one person that day, someone she was close to, no matter if he denies it, and she told him the secret.’
The screen flashes back to Joanna.
‘Katy wasn’t reckless, she wasn’t any of the things he says she is. She was brave. I don’t believe she told her professor anything that he hasn’t told the police.’
Graham sighs, looking directly at the camera.
‘Katy would often rub people up the wrong way, and then walk home alone.’ He holds up his hands. ‘Not that anyone shouldn’t be allowed to walk home alone, that is, but it’s not safe.’ He looks like he knows he’s said the wrong thing, but glares defiantly at the camera. ‘It’s not safe,’ he repeats.
The screen fades to black, then in white it says:
KATY HARPER WENT MISSING TEN YEARS AGO. SHE WAS NEVER FOUND. NO ONE WAS EVER CHARGED.
A black and white image of Katy with white text below reads:
BUT SHE WILL BE FOREVER MISSED.