‘Enough for what?’
‘Enough to unsettle you. I don’t know, maybe I thought you might not sleep very well, and then your performance might not be too good the next day. Or maybe you’d decide to leave the house. I’m not sure. I was desperate. I wanted to win so badly.’
‘It all sounds so pathetic,’ Natalie said, rather more harshly than she’d intended.
Krishna surprised her by nodding.
‘But you didn’t stop at the first note. Why did you then involve Russell? Or did you just use him to get to me again?’
Krishna looked confused. ‘I don’t understand. What about Russell?’
‘You told Tabitha that we were together, in my room.’
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘She came looking for him. You’d told her and she came to find him.’
He stood up. ‘I swear, Natalie, I didn’t do any such thing. I sent the note. I’ve admitted that. But I didn’t do anything else.’
She looked at him. Why would he have any reason to lie, having already admitted to having written the note?
‘I didn’t do anything else,’ he repeated. ‘Is that why he left the house, because of what someone said about him and you? Did he get thrown out of the house?’
‘I don’t know why he left.’
‘Well, I need you to know that I’m telling the truth, Natalie. You do believe me, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I believe you.’
‘Oh, thank you, thank you,’ he said. ‘That makes me feel so much better.’
Natalie wished she could have said the same. But she now felt a lot worse. Because accepting that Krishna was telling the truth meant only one thing – there was someone else in the group who was out to get her.
Someone waiting downstairs.
NATALIE CHECKED her watch again as she left Krishna’s room. She was a few minutes late. But she didn’t particularly care, given that most of her mental energy was directed towards the issue of who else had sought to undermine her.
She returned to the group, who were still waiting for Tabitha to return.
‘No Krishna?’ Susie asked.
‘He wants to be alone,’ Natalie replied. ‘He’s pretty upset about everything – disappointed with himself more than anything.’ That wasn’t really true, but she wasn’t about to pass on his accusations of racism.
‘Oh, well, it was good of you to try,’ Penny said.
‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to convince him,’ Samantha said. ‘You were wasting your time. He wanted one thing, and he blew it. Now he’s sulking.’
Natalie didn’t really want to engage. She watched Samantha and thought again about Russell’s warning that she couldn’t be trusted.
‘Did you tell Tabitha about Russell and me,’ Natalie said, surprising herself by vocalising her thoughts.
‘Sorry?’
‘Someone told Tabitha Russell was in my room last night,’ Natalie continued. She had started along this road, so she might as well follow through.
Samantha smiled. ‘Was he? I just knew there was a spark. I could see it during the meal.’
‘No, he wasn’t. But someone told Tabitha that he was. She came to my room, looking for him.’
‘Well, it wasn’t me.’ She didn’t look offended. ‘Why would I do such a thing?’
‘You’re lying.’
At first Natalie thought someone else was accusing Samantha, but the comment had been directed at her.
‘You’re lying,’ Ben repeated. ‘I saw you and Russell together last night.’
Natalie struggled to find the words to explain that it had all been an innocent situation. Russell had come to her room, but it was after Tabitha had visited with her accusations, and she hadn’t invited him over. ‘It wasn’t anything,’ was all that she could manage under the gaze of the other four.
Samantha shook her head. ‘I see what this is all about. Shifting the blame and the attention from you to me. Well, Natalie, it looks like you’ve been well and truly caught out.’
Natalie turned to Ben. ‘It wasn’t what it looked like. Russell wanted to show me something.’
That prompted a juvenile laugh from Matthew.
‘He wanted to show me the secret room. The top-floor study where Lord Sinclair lived.’
‘I’ve heard it all now,’ Samantha said.
‘So it’s true, then?’ Penny said. ‘The story about the Sinclairs, what he did, it’s true?’
‘I don’t know,’ Natalie said. ‘All I know is that there’s a secret staircase, just along the corridor, past the reception. It’s hidden in the wall. You push in the right place and it swings open. And behind the wall is a spiral staircase, which leads up to a top-floor study.’
‘Cool!’ Matthew said. ‘Can we go and check it out?’
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible.’ They spun around to see Tabitha standing in the doorway. ‘Now if you could all take a seat, I’ve got a very important announcement to make.’
33
Cullen strode along Mayfair, feeling as much out of place as you could do. This was the most unaffordable area in the country, with the whitewashed mansion-style houses costing in the tens of millions of pounds. It was the home of the super-rich, some of whom – mostly from abroad – never set foot in the deluxe properties that they owned. For most it was an investment, and for some a money laundering exercise, profits from corruption and organised crime. And while the everyday London worker could barely afford to live within twenty miles of the capital, and thousands of others were sleeping homeless on the city streets, here were these temples to greed, standing empty.
The injustice and inequality made Cullen’s stomach churn.
New House was particularly impressive, and at least it was inhabited and being put to good use. Cullen gazed up towards the entrance. It resembled a boutique hotel. The lights in the lobby glowed invitingly through the glass panelled door, beckoning him in. But as he climbed the ten steps up towards the front door, his thoughts were on Natalie Long. Just a few days ago, she had climbed these same steps, but now where was she? And was the secret to her disappearance held within the walls of this small palace?
Cullen entered and approached the reception desk. A young girl smiled warmly.
‘Detective Chief Inspector Paul Cullen, British Transport Police.’
‘Nice to meet you, Detective,’ she said, unsurprised by his arrival, the smile remaining.
‘I’m here regarding the disappearance of Natalie Long,’ he explained.
‘Yes, of course,’ she replied, her smile vanishing just like the girl Cullen was searching for. ‘It’s really scary, to think that someone can just disappear like that. And someone who was here, who was one of the family.’
‘You met Natalie, then?’
‘Oh yes, I met all the applicants over the weekend. What do you think has happened to her?’
‘That’s what I’m here to find out.’
She nodded, realising that her question was probably inappropriate. ‘Of course, of course. Sorry, I’m just a little bit shaken up about it all. I’ll call Tabitha down.’
Tabitha had phoned Cullen just after he’d said his goodbyes to Zack. She’d been trying to contact the other applicants, with little success. Of those who had spent the weekend at New House, only two were available to see him. The others, unsurprisingly, really, had already travelled back to various parts of the country – including one to Wales, and another to Scotland.
‘Detective, nice to see you again,’ Tabitha said, approaching from behind. ‘The two applicants are waiting in the lounge. As I said, some of the others I haven’t yet been able to make contact with, but another two have said they would be happy to speak by phone.’
‘Thanks. I appreciate the effort.’
‘Not at all. It’s such a serious matter. I’m more than happy to do what it takes.’
‘Excellent. Have you got the list?’
‘List?’
‘Of those who were here over th
e weekend,’ Cullen reminded her. ‘Applicants and staff. Including contact details – phone numbers, preferably.’
‘Yes, sorry, of course. I’ll draw it up while you’re speaking to the two in there. Sorry, I totally forgot. But you’ll have it before you leave.’
‘That’s great, thanks.’
The list was key. Outside of a formal investigation, there was a limit to which Cullen could put pressure on these people to speak to him. But he could certainly try his best to tease out any information that might lead to a breakthrough.
Tabitha led Cullen through into the impressive lounge area where two people, a woman and man, were waiting nervously in comfy armchairs.
‘This is Penny and Krishna,’ Tabitha said, as the two smiled back uncertainly. ‘Penny, Krishna, this is Detective Chief Inspector Paul Cullen, who is investigating Natalie’s disappearance.’
‘It’s okay,’ Cullen said, aware of their discomfort. ‘This is just meant to be a relaxed conversation with you both, to see if there’s anything that might shed light on Natalie’s whereabouts.’
Both nodded.
‘I really appreciate you taking time out to speak to me,’ he continued. ‘It’s important I build up as clear a picture as possible about what happened over the weekend.’
He noticed an interesting micro-expression flash across Krishna’s face.
The guy was worried.
‘I’d like to speak to you individually, if you don’t mind,’ Cullen explained. ‘It will be easier that way.’
Again both nodded.
‘You can use the sitting room upstairs, if you like,’ Tabitha volunteered. ‘It’s free.’
‘That would be great.’ He turned back to the other two. ‘Krishna, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with you first.’
‘Oh,’ he said solemnly. ‘Yes, yes, of course,’ he added, jumping to his feet. ‘Let’s do this.’
Cullen pretended not to notice his unusual behaviour, but he could see Penny looking at him, clearly thinking something. ‘Penny, if you make yourself comfortable, we won’t be too long.’
‘That’s fine, no problem.’
‘I’m sure the staff here will sort you out with a hot drink of your choice,’ he added, noticing that the table in front of them was currently free of any such items.
‘Of course,’ Tabitha said. ‘Someone will be in shortly.’
The three of them, Cullen, Tabitha and Krishna, made their way upstairs to the empty room. Tabitha arranged three chairs in a triangular shape while Cullen and Krishna watched on.
‘If you don’t mind,’ Cullen said, ‘I’d like to speak with Krishna alone.’
‘Oh, yes, sure. I wasn’t planning to stay.’ She looked at the three chairs. ‘I did that without thinking. So sorry.’
Cullen watched Tabitha excuse herself from the room. She suddenly looked incredibly flustered. Gone was the cool and calm persona from their earlier meeting. That was interesting.
He turned his attention to the nervous-looking young man who was standing behind one of the chairs. ‘Please, do take a seat, and we’ll begin.’
34
Previous Saturday afternoon
THE SIX REMAINING contestants sat down as Tabitha readied herself at the front. She looked pensive. Maybe it was just because she wasn’t looking forward to giving the feedback. But Natalie sensed that there was something else. A certain way she looked, it set her on edge for some reason.
She cleared her throat. ‘Well,’ she said, her face brightening so suddenly it just served to highlight how tense and unhappy she had looked. ‘I trust you’ve had an enjoyable as well as a challenging day.’
Unsurprisingly, there was a noticeable difference in reaction between the Blue and Red Teams. Samantha, Ben and Matthew did nothing to hide their disappointment, almost grimacing at the thought of the day’s events. Natalie, Penny and Susie meanwhile returned subdued but genuine smiles. And it was them that Tabitha chose to focus on.
‘Blue Team,’ she smiled. ‘You were sent to EXCEL-ENT, one of the premier agencies not just in the UK, but globally. You worked closely with Super Agent Diana Saunders, to develop a branding strategy for their new publishing house.’
The three girls nodded.
‘You presented your strategy to the branding team at EXCEL-ENT, which included a name, Black Tiger Publishing, along with strap line, logo and website. I’m pleased to tell you that the feedback from the company was very positive. They reported on your professional approach to the task, your friendly natures, your first-rate presentation and your impressive response to questions from the team. Well done!’
Natalie couldn’t help but smile broadly at her two teammates. Yes, Diana Saunders had told them to their faces that she had been impressed, and would reflect that in the feedback. But there was a part of Natalie that still doubted whether she would really pass on such praise.
‘Thank you,’ Natalie said, followed by Susie and Penny.
‘You should thank yourselves,’ Tabitha said. ‘Again, very well done.’
She turned to the Red Team and her expression changed instantly.
There was bad news coming.
‘Red Team, you were sent to Stonewood Studios, to meet the band Young Gunz and senior executives from their management team and record label. As with the Blue Team, you were tasked with developing a branding strategy.’
Samantha, Ben and Matthew nodded solemnly. They knew what was coming; or at least they thought they knew.
‘You developed a logo, a promotional text and an app to promote the band’s brand. This was presented to the band and their management at the studios. I’m afraid that the feedback from the band and their team was not good. Not good at all.’
‘No surprises there,’ Samantha muttered. ‘Tell us something we don’t know.’
Tabitha ignored her interjection, but there was a flicker of something on her face, maybe irritation, as her inner feelings leaked out briefly. ‘The team reported back that the presentation went very badly, and you were unable to communicate your vision adequately.’
‘Krishna walked out on us,’ Ben said. ‘He threw us under a bus.’
Again, Tabitha ignored the unsolicited input from the team. ‘We received reports that a member of the team left the presentation. This was taken into account in the feedback. However the consensus was that the remaining team members could have remedied the situation, yet did not.’
Natalie saw Matthew shake his head in disagreement. ‘We did our best.’
‘Most seriously, we also received reports of bullying within the team.’
‘Don’t believe him,’ Samantha said. ‘The guy is a bitter, twisted individual. He’s upstairs, crying that he blew his big chance, and he wants to take revenge on us.’
Tabitha blinked hard a few times, staring Samantha down. ‘The reports came from the client.’
That stopped Samantha dead in her tracks. ‘Oh.’
Tabitha referred to her clipboard. ‘We had more than one report.’
‘It wasn’t like it looked,’ Ben tried. ‘If you’d have had to work with Krishna all day, I mean, you’d have done something.’
‘He was driving us crazy,’ Matthew added.
‘Brand New prides itself on our values,’ Tabitha continued, immune to their pleas. ‘Sir Kenneth instils his own values of tolerance, equality and fairness across the company.’
‘We agree with all of those,’ Samantha said.
‘Your behaviour today falls far short of that expected by Brand New. It also goes against the ways of working and living, as outlined to you, and agreed by you, when you arrived at the house yesterday. It is for this reason that the Red Team has been eliminated from the selection process, with immediate effect.’
Now Natalie knew why Tabitha had looked so pensive. She had been tasked with kicking them out.
‘But that’s not fair!’ Samantha said. ‘You can’t…’
‘Your bags have been packed,’ Tabitha continued. ‘They’
re waiting for you in the reception, where you can also collect your electronic devices.’
‘What about Krishna?’ Samantha said. ‘Tell me he’s not being allowed to stay. It should be him being kicked out, not us.’
‘Krishna has voluntarily withdrawn from the selection process. He will be leaving shortly.’
‘Of his own accord,’ Samantha spat, ‘while we’re being thrown out in disgrace, our bags chucked onto the street.’
‘Samantha, please,’ Tabitha smiled.
‘I want to speak with Sir Kenneth,’ she said. ‘He needs to know the truth about what really happened.’
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible. He does, however, know about the situation, and is fully supportive of the decision.’
Samantha shook her head. ‘You know, I’ll be glad to leave this strange, strange place.’ Another angry shake of the head. ‘I mean, what is it with you people? With your “ways of working and living”? It’s like some kind of cult.’
Ben put a hand across to try and stop her flow. ‘Samantha.’
She brushed him off. ‘Oh, get lost, Ben. You know you feel the same way as me about all this. The difference is, you’re too much of a coward to say it.’ She got to her feet. ‘I’m out of here.’
Ben and Matthew looked to Tabitha for direction.
‘It was nice meeting you both,’ was all that she needed to say.
They both left without a goodbye.
‘So,’ Tabitha said, all smiles again. ‘And then there were three.’
‘MANY CONGRATULATIONS,’ Tabitha said, as the three others looked on. ‘And I must say, very well deserved. You really did make a very positive impression today, and I’m sure you’ve learnt that Diana isn’t one to suffer fools.’
‘Did the other team really bully Krishna?’ Susie asked. ‘It seems, well, you know, why would they do that, when they knew they were being observed and assessed?’
‘As I said, we received multiple reports of their behaviour,’ she replied. ‘Including testimony from Krishna himself.’
Natalie thought about an alternative scenario. If she had been placed in the team, would things have been any different? Or would she now also have been ejected from the house in disgrace?
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