Long Gone

by Paul Pilkington

  ‘Maybe she had?’

  ‘She also stopping going to the gym. Stopped swimming too. Then she stopping coming to the pub. For the past two weeks, after breaking up with Jack, I could see the old Natalie coming back. She was brighter, more optimistic, looking forward. This weekend was part of her new future.’

  ‘You think their relationship was abusive?’

  ‘Jack’s quite a strong character. He has strong opinions about lots of things, thinks he’s always right. I must admit, I never really took to him, but I trusted Natalie’s judgement. She seemed to know how to handle him, and could put up with his speeches about politics and life. But as things went on, I started to suspect he was controlling her.’

  ‘And that’s what you confronted her about?’

  ‘Yes. She denied it. Said I should mind my own business.’

  ‘So you let it drop.’

  A pause. ‘Yes. Until three weeks ago. When I saw the marks on her body.’

  5

  Previous Friday evening

  NATALIE WASHED off her misgivings over the strange ‘ways of working and living’ by hitting the shower, enjoying the power and warmth of the water for a good twenty minutes. It was the best shower she’d ever had. And by the time she had dried and changed, she was feeling better again about the whole experience. Maybe the policies weren’t about control; maybe they were about ensuring fairness with the assessment process – removing opportunities for help during tasks. If everyone had their smartphones in their possession throughout the weekend, they could be misused in a number of ways.

  The room phone rang.

  ‘Hello. Natalie speaking.’

  ‘Hi, Natalie. It’s Tabitha here. Just checking all is okay with you.’

  Natalie brushed a strand of hair from across her face. They certainly liked to keep tabs on you here. ‘Yes, fine thank you.’

  ‘Great. See you downstairs in five minutes.’

  NATALIE EMERGED into the lounge area, directed by the receptionist. The group of people, all holding full champagne glasses, turned their heads as she entered. She did a quick head count – it seemed she was one of the last to arrive.

  Damn.

  Tabitha moved across from the group. ‘Natalie, you look lovely.’ She looked her up and down in a way that made Natalie feel a little uncomfortable. ‘Really lovely.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Here.’ Tabitha handed her a drink and linked arms with her. ‘Let me introduce you to some of our other guests.’ She led Natalie over to one of the groups, interrupting the conversation. ‘Hi, everyone!’ she beamed, as the chatter shut down immediately. ‘This is Natalie. She’s another guest of Sir Kenneth’s for the weekend.’

  The three people, two men and one woman, said their hellos.

  ‘Right, I’ll leave you to get to know one another.’ Tabitha smiled and drifted away to the other group.

  All eyes were on Natalie. ‘So,’ she said, ‘you’re all here for the assessment experience?’

  ‘We sure are,’ the smallest one in the group said. He shook Natalie’s hand firmly, and fixed her with a hard stare. ‘My name’s Krishna. Krishna Chatterjee. Founder and CEO of KC Communications.’

  He said it as if she should have recognised him or his company, or both.

  ‘We’ve been featured on BBC and in The New York Times,’ he continued, sensing her ignorance. ‘Named as one of the best startups in the mobile communications sector. We’ve won several awards,’ he added, as if this would jog her memory.

  Natalie thought she saw the woman who was standing opposite her exchange a sly, knowing smile with the gentleman to her left.

  ‘Hi,’ the woman interrupted with an outstretched arm, leaving Krishna open-mouthed. ‘Samantha Townsend. Pleased to meet you, Natalie.’

  ‘You too.’

  ‘Ben Black,’ the man to her left said. ‘Good to meet you too.’

  ‘So,’ Krishna continued, undaunted. ‘We design communication applications for mobile devices, with a focus mostly on the Indian subcontinent, where there are massive growth opportunities. We’re helping to connect people, build relationships, new ways of working and living.’

  The phrase rang a bell.

  ‘We’re part of the exciting global transformation in communication technology. But it’s technology with a purpose, a vision.’

  ‘Krishna’s created a dating app,’ Samantha said, another hint of a smile behind her cat-green eyes.

  ‘A relationship facilitator,’ Krishna corrected. ‘Among a range of other applications. The app Vicinity facilitates relationship building across virtual and real-world settings, dissolving the boundaries between social-media and physical social interaction.’

  ‘It enables users to hook up with people in their nearby vicinity,’ Ben explained. ‘Picks out likeminded people nearby and matches up couples.’

  Ben and Samantha had obviously already heard Krishna’s spiel.

  ‘Based on our sophisticated algorithm,’ Krishna added. ‘It’s complex but simple at the same time.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ Natalie said. She turned to Ben and Samantha. ‘How about you two?’

  ‘I’ve developed an online clothes business,’ said Samantha. ‘It’s early days, but we’re growing strongly.’

  ‘And I’m in the exploration business,’ Ben said. ‘I help people to fulfil their ambitions, travel to far-flung corners of the world, climb Everest, swim with sharks, that sort of thing. I facilitate high-risk adventures, make sure everyone comes back safe and sound. A modern-day travel agent, I guess. I don’t want to be too pretentious about it.’

  ‘Sounds good.’

  ‘Well, I do a lot of exploring myself, so I like it.’

  ‘What like?’

  ‘North Pole. Everest.’

  ‘Dangerous stuff, then?’

  ‘It can be. Crossed the United States last year on a bicycle, nearly got decapitated by a juggernaut that clipped my cycle helmet with its wing mirror at sixty miles an hour.’

  ‘It’s all for charity,’ Samantha clarified.

  Ben smiled. ‘Yes, my trips, and the ones I set up, they’ve all got a charitable component to them.’

  ‘That’s great. So what’s the scariest place you’ve experienced?’ Natalie asked.

  ‘This place ranks quite highly,’ he joked, looking around. ‘Scares me stiff.’

  ‘No need to be scared,’ Krishna jumped back in. ‘Just be focussed on the tasks at hand.’

  The three others weren’t sure what to say to that.

  ‘You’ve all done so much,’ Natalie said. ‘What about the others, have you met them?’

  Samantha nodded across to the other group of four, two men and two women in the far corner, to whom Tabitha was chatting to. ‘Susie Strachen, a Scottish entrepreneur with an online craft site, annual turnover of half a million, apparently. Matthew Hayes, city trader. Penny Houghton, she’s the youngest, just seventeen, but created a baby-naming website that’s big in China. And then Russell Cave, he’s into death.’

  ‘Death?’

  ‘End of life with a difference.’

  ‘Sounds intriguing.’ She looked across at him. ‘He doesn’t look like an undertaker.’

  ‘He runs a service that offers bespoke burials and cremations. You want your ashes blasted into space, or buried at the bottom of a deep ocean trench, Russell’s your man.’

  ‘So there’s money in that?’

  ‘Oh, yes. There’s always money in death. He’s got lots of high-end clients all around the world.’

  ‘So how about you, Natalie, what’s your background?’ Ben asked.

  She’d been dreading the inevitable question, ever since Krishna had regaled the group about his exploits. Now, having heard that each of the other candidates had similar amazing entrepreneurial back-stories, she felt like a fraud for being among them.

  ‘I’m at Bristol City Uni. Studying marketing. Just coming to the end of my first year.’

  The three waited for th
e punchline, but there was none.

  ‘So what’s your story?’ Ben tried.

  Natalie shrugged. ‘Well, I’m doing a summer internship with Aardvark Animation – you know, they made all those stop-motion movies? They’ve got one out at the moment, Crazy Cats. It’s about, well, cats.’

  Ben nodded politely. ‘Sounds good.’

  ‘But what about your achievements?’ Krishna blurted out. ‘You must have done more. To have got this far, to be one of the eight, you must have done something to…’

  ‘I came top in one of our first-year modules,’ she said, regretting the words as they’d left her lips. It sounded so lame.

  Krishna looked incredulously between the other two.

  ‘You don’t have your own business?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Never?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘She must have done more,’ Krishna said to himself. ‘It doesn’t make any sense otherwise.’

  ‘Maybe she just wrote a killer personal statement,’ Samantha said, offering Natalie a supportive smile.

  Krishna shook his head, as if struggling to compute what he’d just heard.

  Natalie didn’t know how to respond. She was, however, quickly turning from embarrassed to angry. Who was he to dictate and question how someone had been selected? The reality was, however it had happened, she had been chosen.

  ‘I don’t know why I was selected,’ she said finally, deciding against a combative response. ‘I’m just really happy to be here.’

  ‘And we’re happy you’re here, too,’ Tabitha said, approaching from behind.

  Natalie had no idea how long she’d been standing there, and whether she’d caught any more than the final flourish of their conversation.

  ‘As are we,’ Krishna got in quickly. He smiled at Natalie. ‘I’m so looking forward to the experience! So tell me,’ he said, turning to Tabitha, ‘will Sir Kenneth be in attendance over the weekend?’

  ‘Probably not,’ she replied. ‘He’d hoped to be here, but something has come up. I’m afraid you might have to make do with me.’

  There was a micro-expression of devastation before Krishna recovered. ‘That’s such a pity. But I do hope to meet him soon.’

  ‘The winner, whoever he or she is, will meet Sir Kenneth very soon, certainly,’ Tabitha replied.

  Krishna smiled as if she were talking about him and brightened, seeming to forget about Natalie’s lack of credentials.

  The group moved on to polite chat. Natalie sparked up conversation with Samantha and Ben, while Krishna, to Natalie’s relief, moved over to the other group.

  Soon they were called over to the adjacent dining room. It was another amazing space. The large table was set with gleaming cutlery and everyone found their places, which had been designated with name labels. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Krishna pulling out a chair on the far end, too far away to be in danger of engaging her in conversation. By chance, Samantha was seated next to her, and Ben opposite, with Russell Cave on her other side. She nodded a hello and was about to strike up conversation when Tabitha, who was seated next to Ben, chinked her glass.

  ‘Just very briefly, on behalf of Sir Kenneth, I’d like to welcome you all again to New House. It’s been absolutely wonderful to meet you all, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better. I do hope you all have a wonderful time over the next thirty-six hours or so. I’m sure you will! Cheers!’

  Everyone toasted with the drinks that they had carried through from the other room.

  ‘Enjoy your meal!’ Tabitha added, as they all sat back down. ‘We’ve brought in the award-winning, Michelin-starred chef Sanjay Deedie and his team, who have prepared a most amazing array of Indian dishes.’

  ‘Do you know,’ Russell Cave whispered conspiratorially from Natalie’s left, ‘it didn’t used to be called New House. Sir Kenneth renamed it shortly after the purchase, a few years ago.’

  ‘Oh, right,’ Natalie said, as one of the servers began handing out the starters.

  Russell leaned in a little closer. She could smell his woody cologne. She spotted Tabitha looking over, before the relationship manager resumed her conversation with Penny and Samantha. ‘Used to be called Grove House. Home of the politician, Thomas Sinclair, and his family. Ring any bells?’

  ‘No. Should it?’

  ‘It was big news in the eighties. But I’m guessing you’re quite a bit younger than me.’

  ‘I wasn’t even born in the eighties,’ Natalie replied.

  Russell nodded. ‘I was, but only just. Maybe it’s because I’m just naturally drawn to the macabre. I read a book about it.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘About the mass murder that took place in this lovely house.’

  6

  ‘Tell me about what you saw.’

  ‘Well, like I said, it was three weeks ago. I’d just got up, went into the bathroom, thought it was empty. But Natalie had forgotten to lock the door. She was just getting out of the shower, and I saw bruises all along the top of her right arm.’

  ‘Did you ask her about it?’

  ‘Later on that evening.’

  ‘And what did she say?’

  ‘She said it had happened a couple of days before, when she took a bad fall during a badminton match.’

  ‘But you weren’t convinced?’

  ‘Not really, no.’

  ‘Why? Sounds like a plausible explanation.’

  ‘She didn’t look convincing at all,’ Amy replied. ‘It was something in her eyes, like she was willing to tell me the truth, but she just didn’t know how.’

  ‘So what happened then?’

  ‘Well, I let it drop. I wasn’t sure what to say, really. We got caught up in watching that new police drama on Netflix, Dragon Fire.’

  Cullen shook his head. Everyone back at HQ was talking about the show. He’d heard enough from their descriptions not to bother – a battle-scarred police detective, haunted by the disappearance of his daughter ten years earlier, takes on a serial killer nicknamed The Dragon.

  Why did all police detectives have to be basket-cases?

  ‘But then Jack called.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘Natalie went upstairs to take it. But I could hear them arguing through the floorboards. I crept up the stairs, listened from outside her room. She was sobbing, saying over and over that she was sorry, begging him not to end their relationship. I crept back downstairs, waiting to speak to her, but she didn’t come down.’

  ‘So what did you do?’

  ‘I spent the rest of the night stewing over it. Didn’t sleep too well. The next morning, over breakfast, I asked her what was going on. She said nothing, so I took a deep breath and let it all out, what I’d been thinking, and what I thought was going on. I said I thought Jack was a control freak, a bully, and that he’d caused the bruising.’

  ‘What did she say?’

  ‘She denied it at first, but then she just broke down, crying her eyes out. Then she told me everything. How Jack’s character had changed in the last few months, how he’d become more controlling, wanting to know where she was going, who she’d been with.’

  ‘And the bruises?’

  ‘She still denied that they had anything to do with him.’

  ‘So then what?’

  ‘I tried to convince her to break it off with him. Like I said, I was no fan of the guy from the start, so after hearing that, I didn’t really want her anywhere near him.’

  ‘How did she react to that?’

  ‘She listened to me, nodded in the right places, but by the end of the conversation, the tears had dried up, and the rose-tinted glasses were back in place. She was in love with him. She thought it was just a rough phase, that he’d go back to how he was in the early days when they’d just got together. I was pretty angry, but I didn’t know what else I could do.’

  ‘That kind of thinking happens all the time, with relationship violence.’

  ‘I nearly c
hallenged Jack directly, to tell him I knew what was going on, that I’d seen the bruises, and give him an ultimatum to break it off or I’d call the police.’

  ‘You didn’t though, I hope.’

  ‘No. I decided that it might put Natalie at risk, because he’d know that she’d told someone.’

  ‘And it would put you at risk, too.’

  ‘I know. So I just decided to keep a really close eye on things, hoping that Natalie would see sense. And then, two weeks later, she just came out with it – she’d broken it off. She said she’d decided it was time to move on, focus on the future. She seemed much brighter, more optimistic. That’s when she told me about being selected for the Brand New recruitment event. I couldn’t believe it, after how she’d been. I was over the moon, of course.’

  ‘You don’t know what prompted her change of heart?’

  ‘No idea. I didn’t really care, though. I was just so glad that he was out of her life.’

  ‘But now you’re worried that he might have something to do with where Natalie is?’

  ‘Yes, I know you probably think I’m overreacting.’

  ‘I think you probably are,’ Cullen replied. ‘But I do understand.’

  There was silence.

  ‘Could you arrange for a missing person’s alert to go out?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Amy, but we can’t launch a missing person’s enquiry if the person isn’t missing.’

  ‘But she is missing.’ Amy sounded exasperated.

  ‘You don’t know where she is, but that isn’t the same as her going missing.’

  ‘Dad.’

  ‘Look, Amy, I do understand. But there’s nothing the police can do.’

  ‘Can’t you make the decision?’

  ‘Like I said before, a missing person’s investigation, in the vast majority of cases, would be outside the remit of my team. Something like that in this area, it would be taken by London and the South East Division. So it would be their decision.’

  ‘Could you pull a few strings?’

  ‘Amy, we have no proof that anything has happened to Natalie.’