‘He’s not a friend,’ Jack said hastily, standing at the doorway.
‘Oh,’ the girl said, puzzled. She pulled across her t-shirt and slipped it over her head, pulling her hair out from underneath the material.
As she reached for her jeans that had been dumped on the floor, Jack placed a foot over one of the legs. She glared at him, but pulled back, arms crossed.
‘This is Detective Chief Inspector Paul Cullen. He won’t be disturbing us for long.’
‘Do feel free to put your jeans back on,’ Cullen said pointedly.
Jack released his foot and the girl dressed, much to Cullen’s relief. He was no prude, but he really didn’t feel comfortable with her sitting there half-naked, and his entrance feeling like some kind of bizarre interlude in whatever games they were in the middle of.
‘I’m investigating the disappearance of Natalie Long,’ Cullen said, as the girl perched back on the edge of the bed. He spotted her eyes flick momentarily to Jack and back to himself again.
‘She’s a student at Bristol City University,’ Cullen continued. ‘Are you?’
The girl nodded.
‘Do you know Natalie?’
‘No,’ she said, far too quickly.
‘It’s a big university, I guess,’ Cullen quipped. ‘Thousands of students. I just thought, well, Natalie and Jack here, I understand they were dating until recently.’
She swallowed. ‘I know of her, but I don’t know her. We never met.’
‘You’ve never met,’ Cullen said, correcting the tense.
‘That’s right,’ Jack said. ‘They don’t know one another.’
‘How long have you known Jack?’ Cullen directed back to the girl.
‘Since September. He’s my…’
‘We met at the university,’ Jack cut in. ‘In the department where I work.’
Cullen ignored Jack. ‘He’s your lecturer?’
Her face gave him the answer. ‘It isn’t what you think,’ she said, her face suddenly hardening. ‘He’s not taking advantage of me. I’m not a child. Our relationship, what we have, it’s serious.’
They sounded like the words of a child. And, despite her show of bravado, there was no doubt that she was being taken advantage of by Jack. ‘You’re in a relationship?’ he repeated.
‘Of course,’ she said, bristling. ‘You think I sleep with anyone?’
Cullen thought of the mention of the ‘friend’ coming over to join in the fun. ‘How long have you been seeing one another?’
‘Look, what’s this got to do with Natalie disappearing?’ Jack said.
‘How long?’ Cullen repeated.
‘Two months,’ she said.
‘Interesting,’ Cullen noted. He looked at Jack.
‘Look, I know what you’re thinking. I cheated on Natalie, yes, I admit it. But that doesn’t mean I have anything to do with what’s happened to her.’
‘It means you’re a liar.’
‘We’re all liars,’ Jack shot back.
‘It also means you didn’t really care all that much for Natalie, did you?’
He actually reddened at that.
‘She was just another one of your conquests.’
‘I think you should go.’
‘I haven’t quite finished yet, Jack. Just a few more questions. About your whereabouts over the past few days.’
‘Tell him, Gabby,’ Jack said. ‘Tell Detective Cullen where I was at the weekend.’
‘He was with me.’
‘All weekend?’ Cullen studied her face for any tell.
‘Yes, all weekend. Friday evening until Sunday evening.’
Cullen turned to Jack. ‘Details.’
‘Jack took me away for a romantic weekend,’ Gabby said. ‘It was amazing.’
‘We drove down to Devon,’ Jack added. ‘In my VW Camper.’
‘You stayed at a campsite?’
He nodded. ‘Just south of Paignton.’
‘Name?’
‘Cliff Top View. If you want, you can give them a call, they’ll have details of the booking. I’ve got the number.’ He went to pull out his mobile phone.
‘I may well follow that up,’ Cullen said, ‘If I do, I’ll look up the number.’ He turned to Gabby. ‘Sorry to disturb you. I’ll leave you to your… but I might want to speak to you again.’
She nodded as Cullen exited, with Jack close behind him as they descended to the ground floor.
‘Thank you for your assistance, Jack,’ Cullen said, stepping out onto the pavement. ‘I’ll be back in touch.’
Jack took up his blocking-the-doorway position again. ‘I’ve told you everything I know. And as you heard, I was in Devon over the weekend. Why would you need to speak to me again?’
‘I thought you might be interested in hearing any news about Natalie, seeing you were so close?’
‘Yes, yes, of course.’
‘And if you remember anything that could help in our enquiries, then don’t hesitate to get back in touch.’
Jack nodded.
‘One more thing,’ Cullen added, just as Jack was about to close the door. ‘The friend Gabby mentioned, the one she was expecting to join you both, is that person a member of the university teaching staff too?’
‘That’s none of your business,’ he replied, stony-faced, shutting the door with a thud.
Cullen stood there for a few seconds, mulling over his thoughts, before heading back to meet Amy.
15
Previous Friday evening
NATALIE FOLLOWED Russell out of the room and down the stairs, back towards reception. The lights were dimmed but still on, so they could see where they were going. But that also meant that other people could see them.
‘What if there’s someone on the desk?’ she whispered, acutely aware that if they were caught together, then that would be the end of their weekend experience at New House. Tabitha would naturally assume that there had been something going on between them, and that the note writer had been telling the truth.
‘There isn’t,’ Russell said. ‘Trust me.’
Natalie wasn’t sure she did trust him. After all, she’d only met him for the first time just a matter of hours ago. So why had she agreed to jeopardise a chance of a lifetime, just because he had come to her room and asked her to?
It felt too late now to turn back.
‘Just around here,’ Russell directed, as they reached the base of the staircase.
Thankfully, the reception desk was indeed unmanned.
Natalie followed him past the desk, along a corridor that stretched off to the right and past several closed doors.
He stopped as he reached a panel. ‘The book was right,’ he announced.
‘Book?’
‘This book,’ he said, producing a tatty paperback entitled Murder in Mayfair: The True Story of the Sinclair Massacre.
Natalie grimaced at the cover, which depicted the house they were currently residing in drenched in blood.
Suddenly she longed to be tucked up in her bed.
‘I like to do my homework,’ he continued. ‘Found this book online. It’s a very interesting read.’ He flicked through the pages for effect.
‘Disturbing too.’
‘Oh, yes, certainly disturbing in places. Anyway, the book mentions that Lord Sinclair had an office in a hidden top floor of the mansion, which was only accessible via a secret spiral staircase. The book gave the approximate location. I must admit, I did wonder whether Sir Kenneth might have had it sealed up, but he didn’t. Watch this!’
Russell smiled as he placed his hands on either side of the wooden panel. A sharp twist and the panel swung around, leaving just enough space for a person to squeeze through sideways.
‘Come with me,’ he said, his eyes wide with excitement.
NATALIE HESITATED for a moment in the corridor, as Russell beckoned her again from just behind the panel. She glanced back towards where they had come from. All was quiet.
‘Come on,’ Russell c
ajoled. ‘The longer you stay there, the more chance there is of someone coming along.’
‘But…’
‘The panel closes behind us,’ Russell said, reading her mind. ‘No one will know we’ve been here.’
Natalie glanced back again.
‘Last chance,’ Russell said. ‘I promise it will be worth it.’
Finally Natalie relented. She had gone this far, after all. She slipped through the gap and found herself at the base of a wooden spiral staircase.
‘Good man,’ Russell said, as he pushed the panel back into place, leaving them momentarily in darkness.
‘Can we get back out?’ Natalie asked, as Russell flicked on the light, which blinked several times before illuminating the small space which they occupied.
‘Yeah, no problem,’ Russell said, whose body was just inches away from Natalie’s in the confined space. ‘You just do what you did to open it from the other side.’
She felt a strange sense of excitement, sharing this intimate space with a stranger. With her face almost touching Russell’s, she smiled. ‘What on earth have I got myself into?’
‘Ah,’ he said, smiling and tapping his nose. ‘Patience, Natalie, you’ll find out very shortly. Now follow me. We’d better stay quiet, as we’re behind the walls and who knows which rooms we’ll be passing.’
Natalie nodded and followed Russell as they moved slowly but purposefully up and around the tight staircase. There were no more lights, and conditions dimmed along the climb. Round and round they ascended in the gloom, before the light got brighter again and they reached the top. The bare bulb, hanging above a solitary door, was burning brightly.
‘Here we are,’ Russell whispered. Before Natalie could reply, he pushed open the door and held it open for her to pass through.
Natalie stepped into the room, whose lights were already on. It looked like a very posh study, all mahogany and leather, bordered by impressive, full bookcases. Over in the corner were a desk and some comfy chairs. And ahead of them was a bar area, with a variety of alcoholic beverages. The sloping roof was high enough for it not to feel oppressive like some modern-day loft rooms.
‘Impressive, eh?’ Russell said, striding over to the drinks. He swiped up a bottle of whiskey and glass, pouring out a generous amount.
‘We really shouldn’t be here,’ Natalie said, all of a sudden feeling very uncomfortable. She stepped back.
‘It’s fine,’ Russell soothed. ‘Natalie, don’t worry, no one is going to catch us.’
‘It’s not that. It just feels, well, it doesn’t feel right, that’s all.’
Russell handed her a whiskey. ‘Here you go.’
She took it, but the weight of the glass surprised her and it nearly slipped out of her grasp. ‘Oh my goodness.’
‘Careful,’ Russell said, ‘that’s one expensive glass of whiskey you’ve got in your hand there. A vintage. I’m a bit of a whiskey buff, and I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. Tastes amazing too. Powerful, yet light. The second glass is even better than the first.’
So that’s why he’d seemed tipsy.
He saw her look at the half empty bottle. ‘I just had a couple of glasses, Natalie. And it’s not like the owner is coming back to claim it. Unless you believe in ghosts, that is.’ He smiled as he sipped at his latest drink. ‘Ahh, that’s good.’
Natalie really didn’t feel like drinking. She didn’t even particularly like whiskey, unless it was drowned in Coke.
‘C’mon, drink up!’
She took a mouthful. The burn was intense.
‘See, told you it was good,’ Russell said, seeming not to notice her face telling another story. He flopped down onto one of the chairs and crossed his feet at the end of straight legs. ‘I was a little disappointed that there were no cigars up here. It says in the book that old Sinclair used to enjoy a cigar or three while up here, stargazing.’
‘Stargazing?’ Natalie checked again, but confirmed that there were no windows in this top-floor room.
‘Oh, yes,’ he replied, getting to his feet. ‘Just watch this. The book explained how it worked.’ He moved across to a gold handle fixed to the wall, and began winding.
Natalie heard a crack of a mechanism cranking into action, as the roof began to part from the apex, revealing the sky above. By the time the movement stopped, about three metres of roof had retracted, allowing the cool night London air to swirl in and transform the room into an outside space.
‘It’s best without the lights,’ Russell said, flicking them off.
‘Wow,’ she said, transfixed by the sky that was now spread out before them. It was a clear night, and she could make out some stars, even with the light pollution. ‘That’s amazing.’
‘Isn’t it just,’ Russell said, also gazing up at the heavens. ‘The book says that Lord Sinclair was quite a keen astronomer. Supposedly he spent a lot of time up here on his own. He seemed quite the loner. Not really a family man at all. Rumour has it that he only really married so that he could have descendants to keep the Sinclair name alive.’
‘But didn’t you say…’
‘They had two daughters, yes. They say he was desperate for a son, but after their first two, it just didn’t happen for them again. I think that took a toll on them – or on him, at least.’ Russell looked around. ‘I can see old Lord Sinclair wallowing in his thoughts up here, away from the family he’d never quite wanted. Maybe when the time came, it wasn’t that difficult to dispatch them.’
Natalie shuddered, and not just from the cooling air temperature. She wrapped her arms around herself. ‘I can’t imagine how anyone could do that to anybody, never mind your own family – your own daughters.’
‘It wasn’t a spur of the moment thing either,’ Russell revealed. ‘He’d planned it for weeks. The police found the notes he’d made over there in those drawers.’
Natalie looked over at the writing desk. ‘No.’
‘He’d kept a diary, documenting his thoughts and feelings – about the business, his family – which had become increasingly dark and disturbing. In the last few pages, he’d sketched out the plans to kill himself and take the rest of the family with him. He planned things out in meticulous detail. He knew which night, he knew how he was going to do it. He probably penned the suicide note in this very room.’ Russell turned to Natalie and smiled, the light from outside casting shadows across his face. ‘You’re surrounded by history, Natalie.’
Natalie shuddered again. This room was really giving her the creeps. It was as if she could feel the presence of something bad. ‘Why did you bring me here?’
Russell shrugged. ‘You seemed interested in the Sinclair story at dinner. I thought you might like to see it.’
‘Right.’
Russell took a step closer. ‘And I wanted to take the opportunity to spent some more time with you.’
‘More time with me?’
‘I know we’ve only just met, but I really like you, Natalie. I want to get to know you better, you know, before this silly competition starts in the morning.’
He cupped her shoulders, and Natalie let him. The attraction was mutual, and she felt a frisson of excitement as their bodies connected. He brought his face closer to hers, and they touched lips tenderly, just holding the kiss underneath the stars.
‘I’m sorry,’ Natalie said, stepping back. ‘I’m sorry, I really can’t do this now.’
16
Cullen stepped off the bus halfway up Gloucester Road, a bustling artery running north to south through the very heart of the city of Bristol. Lined with all manner of businesses – grocers, coffee shops, pubs, delis, record stores – it reminded him a little of London.
Amy’s flat was just off the main road, in the Bishopston area of the city. A once grand Georgian house, it was now decaying and sliced into two. But it was in a decent street, flanked by privately occupied homes that had obviously been more recently renovated. The area was a prime location for the thousands of students looking for accommo
dation within walking distance of the city centre campus.
It didn’t come cheap.
Cullen rapped on the door. He’d spent the short bus ride thinking about Jack. He was no doubt a nasty piece of work, and he wondered what Natalie had ever seen in him. They didn’t seem like a good fit at all. But there was the power thing going on, and that kind of dynamic, that power imbalance, could attract as well as ultimately ruin.
‘Dad,’ Amy said, as she swung open the door. He could tell from her expectant look that, deep down, she had been hoping he would return with answers. And it wasn’t because he was a police detective. It was because he was her father – the one who should be able to make everything right again.
He was sorry to let her down.
‘Any news?’ she added, her face falling as her hope was clearly already fading.
‘Let’s just step in.’
Cullen followed her through into the living room and took a seat opposite her. Her expression was slightly more positive again.
‘I didn’t find out any more about where Natalie might be,’ he said, right off. The last thing he wanted to do was to raise her hopes without foundation.
‘Oh.’
The look of disappointment on his daughter’s face: it got him every time.
She gazed down at the threadbare carpet.
‘I was right, though. There was someone upstairs. A girl.’
He had her attention back.
‘Oh, right.’
‘A student,’ he expanded. ‘In his bed.’
Amy flashed him a confused look, as if to ask how he had found that out.
‘Jack was being evasive, so I had to take matters into my own hands and do some exploring of his apartment.’
‘So what happened?’
‘The girl thought I was there for something rather more interesting.’
Amy realised what he meant. ‘Oh my goodness.’ She pulled a face.
‘I didn’t take her up on the offer.’
‘Dad, that’s just wrong.’
He nodded. ‘You said he and Natalie split up two weeks ago?’
‘Yes.’
‘This girl has been on the scene for longer than that.’
‘It wouldn’t surprise me at all.’
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