Natalie managed a nod and then pretended to scan the list – the truth was she could barely focus on the words, such was her state of mind.
‘I’d recommend the sea bass,’ Sir Kenneth said. ‘It’s excellent.’
‘Then I’ll have that,’ Natalie replied, with more of an instinctive reaction than a conscious decision. It was one less thing to think about.
‘Excellent! Tabitha, we’ll both have the sea bass. And do please bring us a bottle of my favourite white.’
Tabitha was back surprisingly quickly with the wine.
‘Cheers!’ Sir Kenneth said, as she poured out two glasses.
It seemed that the waiting staff from the previous evening weren’t on duty this evening, leaving Tabitha to take on the role. ‘I’ll be back with the main course,’ she said, leaving them alone.
Sir Kenneth watched her go right until she disappeared out of sight.
‘Well, I must say, many, many congratulations, Natalie,’ he said, finally shifting his gaze back to his dining companion. ‘Your performance today was most impressive. I received the most fantastic feedback from my good friend, Diana. She really was impressed. Most impressed.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘but it was a team effort.’
‘Yes, yes, of course, but a team effort still leaves room for individual brilliance to shine. And it did with you, Natalie.’
He held her gaze.
‘To be honest,’ she said, ‘I don’t think I did any more than Susie or Penny. Susie came up with the fantastic logo, and Penny created the web design, which was really impressive.’
He nodded, but didn’t seem to be listening.
‘I’d hoped that they might have been here for the meal, too.’
He was still nodding.
‘It would have been nice to round off the weekend with them.’
Just as Natalie decided Sir Kenneth wasn’t listening to her at all, he replied. ‘We offered them dinner, but they said they preferred to leave.’
‘Oh, right.’ Natalie was surprised by how deflated and disappointed that news made her feel.
Sir Kenneth frowned, studying her face with an unsettling intensity. ‘You seem a little subdued, Natalie. You’ve just won the competition. Of all those people who applied, so few were selected to come here, so very few, and of those, you are the one. Yet you appear melancholic. Is something the matter?’
‘Well, it’s just… it feels strange that Susie and Penny decided to leave, without saying goodbye. I thought…’
‘Don’t look back, Natalie,’ he cut in. ‘Just look forwards. Susie and Penny, that’s what they’re doing, looking forward, striving for their goals. Please don’t see their decision to leave as a reflection on you, or your relationship with them. Because it isn’t.’
‘Okay.’
Except it wasn’t okay. She was on edge, having a one-to-one meal with this man – the millionaire owner of one of the world’s most famous companies. This tête-à-tête would no doubt have felt strange without the warning from Catharine, but with it, there was an added edge, an anxiety deep in her gut.
She was alone in this house.
With him.
‘Are you sure you’re okay, Natalie?’ He had cocked his head, gazing into her eyes.
Be careful of that man…
‘I just need the bathroom,’ she managed to say, leaving the table and fleeing into the hallway.
Head down, she nearly ran straight into Tabitha, who was returning with more wine. ‘Are you okay, Natalie?’
‘I’m fine.’ She didn’t stop to chat.
INSIDE A CUBICLE she sat there for a few minutes, still in a state of mild panic.
What the hell was she doing here, in this house, with its weird rules and horrific history?
‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this job.’
Not for the first time today, she fantasised about escaping back to Bristol. Back to her studies. Back to normality. She should have left when she’d had the chance, right after they’d got back from EXCEL-ENT. It would have been easier to go then, blending in with the others who were ejected so unceremoniously. No one would have even noticed.
To leave now would be so much more difficult. How could she do it?
‘I’ve just got to ride it out, just for tonight.’
She started to relax, to think more logically. This wasn’t some kind of initiation into a cult, it was a selection centre for a job at a reputable business.
There was a way out.
Next week she would inform the company that she’d had a change of heart, and would politely decline the job offer. They would express their disappointment, but would quickly move on and forget her. Maybe they could approach Susie or Penny, and give one of them the job instead.
Yes, that’s what she was going to do.
She exited the cubicle and was shocked to come face to face with Tabitha.
‘I was worried about you, Natalie.’
‘I’m okay.’
How long had she been standing there.
What had she heard?
‘I thought you might be feeling sick.’
Natalie forced a smile. ‘To be honest, I had some cramps, you know, that time of the month. But I’ll be okay.’
‘Oh, you poor thing.’ She placed a hand on her arm. ‘Will you be okay? Maybe you should go and lie down. I could tell Sir Kenneth you’ve gone to rest. He’d understand.’
‘It’s okay.’
‘Great,’ she said, brightening. ‘I guess you’ve got to ride it out, just for tonight.’
I’ve just got to ride it out, just for tonight.
She had heard.
BY THE TIME she’d returned to the table, the meal had arrived, and the time passed by quickly with polite and, at times, enjoyable conversation. Sir Kenneth was a good conversationalist, which was perhaps unsurprising given he was a global leader in an industry where communication was everything. Natalie pushed aside thoughts of Catharine’s warning. But it was still a relief when, shortly after finishing dessert, Sir Kenneth announced that he had to leave for an evening business function.
‘I’ll see you for breakfast,’ he said, leaning over for a peck on the cheek. She tried her best not to stiffen as his lips touched her skin. ‘Once again, many, many congratulations, Natalie,’ he smiled. ‘You’ve got a very bright future ahead of you, and it’s great to have you onboard.’
‘Thank you.’
Natalie assumed that Tabitha would fill her in on the details for breakfast once Sir Kenneth had left. But she didn’t.
‘Good night, Natalie. I hope you have a chance to relax upstairs for the rest of the evening and let all of this sink in. I know it must be a lot to deal with, and your head is probably all over the place at the moment. I do understand.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Now is the time to act with a clear head,’ she added. ‘Don’t make any decisions that you might live to regret.’
Natalie knew what this was about. And now was the chance to minimise the damage done by anything that Tabitha had overheard. ‘You’re right, Tabitha. My head is all over the place, but everything’s a lot clearer now. I’ll be fine.’
Tabitha smiled but seemed to be scrutinising Natalie for signs as to whether she was telling the truth. ‘That’s great. See you in the morning.’
‘Sir Kenneth mentioned breakfast? What time should I…’
‘Oh, yes, if you could just wait for a call in the morning. I don’t know yet when Sir Kenneth plans to breakfast. It depends really on this evening. It could be a very late night.’
37
‘Penny, please do take a seat.’
‘Thank you.’
The young girl sitting opposite him didn’t look anything like as nervous as Krishna, but like the man who had come before her, she seemed on edge. It could just have been the police thing – Cullen was used to that, people behaving differently when faced with an officer, even if they had done nothing wrong.
‘As I
explained to Krishna, this isn’t an official police interview – more of an informal, initial chat. Are you okay to proceed on that basis?’
Penny nodded.
‘If you feel it’s getting too much, don’t be afraid of letting me know,’ Cullen added.
‘I’m sure I’ll be fine,’ she replied.
‘How old are you, Penny, if you don’t mind me asking?’
‘Seventeen.’
‘That’s amazing,’ Cullen said. ‘To get through this far in such a competitive application process at such an early age. Your application must have really stood out.’
She shrugged. ‘I guess. I’ve been quite successful in my career so far.’
My career so far – at seventeen years old! At seventeen, he had been content with sneaking into the local pub and enjoying his rugby at the weekend.
‘What is it you do?’
‘I’ve got a baby-naming website, for people in South East Asia, China mainly. But we expanded recently into Japan and next month we’re launching in Malaysia.’
The way she spoke about her expanding global business in such a relaxed way was quite remarkable for someone who was still a teenager. ‘Sounds interesting.’
Another self-deprecating shrug. ‘I enjoy the business development side of things, really. I suppose the baby-naming aspect is secondary to me.’ She looked directly at him with keen eyes. ‘I’m keen to move onto new things.’ And then there was a flash of sadness. ‘Which is why I applied for the post with Brand New, I suppose.’
‘Did you expect to win?’
‘Not really,’ she said, without pause for thought. ‘There were a lot of really strong people here, who had achieved a lot. I knew it was a long shot. And I don’t mind, honestly.’
‘What about Natalie? Did you think she would win?’
‘No,’ she answered without hesitation. ‘At least, not at first. She didn’t really have any experience. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how she got shortlisted. Sorry, that sounds rude.’
‘It’s okay – you’re being honest.’
She flushed. ‘But actually, as the weekend went on, I saw how good Natalie was. She has a lot of potential. So when she did win, I wasn’t surprised at all.’
‘Krishna seemed to think that Natalie had been set up to win,’ Cullen revealed.
She looked genuinely taken aback by the suggestion. ‘Set up to win?’
‘Because she had met Sir Kenneth previously.’
‘I know about that. She met him at a book signing. He mentioned the opportunity to her, that’s all.’
‘So you don’t think there was anything more to it than that?’
‘I spent the whole day on Saturday with Natalie. We were in the same team, so I got to know her quite well. I really don’t think she was part of some kind of set-up. Nothing that she knew about, anyway.’
‘For what it’s worth, I think you’re right,’ Cullen said. He nearly told her about the family connection, that Natalie was a friend of his daughter, but decided against it. Even if this wasn’t an official police investigation, he needed to treat it as such.
‘I’m usually a pretty good judge of character,’ Penny added. ‘And I really liked Natalie. We exchanged numbers, so we could keep in touch.’ Her forehead creased up. ‘I hope she’s okay.’
‘So do I.’
‘Do you think something bad might have happened to her?’
‘I hope not. But that’s what I’m trying to find out.’
‘Where did she disappear? I mean, did anyone see her after she left this place?’
‘There haven’t been any sightings, but she sent a text message en route to Paddington station. That’s the last confirmed contact with her.’
‘She was getting a train back to Bristol, wasn’t she? Back to university. What did she say?’
Cullen decided it could be helpful to reveal that detail. ‘Natalie made reference to making a terrible mistake. Do you know what she might be referring to?’
‘Terrible mistake?’ Penny said, puzzled. ‘But she won. When I last saw her, she was happy. At least I thought she was.’
‘So there’s nothing you can think of that might have happened over the weekend to upset her? Something that might explain why she’s disappeared?’
Penny was still thinking. ‘Not really.’
‘What about Krishna?’
‘Krishna?’
‘I wondered if you knew anything about what happened between Natalie and Krishna.’
‘Sorry, I don’t know what you mean. Something happened between them?’ She searched his eyes for clarification.
‘Krishna admitted that he tried to scare Natalie, to try and frighten her away from the house, out of the recruitment process. He left a note in her room on Friday evening. He said he did it because he was worried that she would win the competition.’
‘Right,’ she said, taking it in. ‘Well, Natalie didn’t mention anything to me, and we were together all day Saturday.’
‘You don’t seem surprised though – that Krishna did that.’
Penny shrugged. ‘I knew what it would be like, the weekend. That it would be competitive. And you could feel it during the drinks reception – everyone appraising each other, finding out bits of information, ranking themselves against one another.’
‘Is that what you did?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘And what about Krishna?’
‘A few of the people in the group, they made comments about him, making fun of him, really, about how competitive he was. He wanted to know about everyone, and he kept talking about how great he’d been in business. But he wasn’t really any different from the others – it was just that he wasn’t as subtle, he wasn’t as good at hiding things.’
‘What about the rest of the group? You said you got on well with Natalie…’
‘Yes, I got on really well with her. Susie, too. The three of us were in the same team on Saturday. We spent the day at EXCEL-ENT.’
‘Which is?’
‘An entertainment agency. We had to design branding for a new publishing company they are setting up. It was a challenge, part of the recruitment process. The company were scoring us.’
‘What about the others? How did you get on with them?’
‘Less well. Although to be fair, there wasn’t much chance to get to know them. There was Samantha, who, to be honest, I really didn’t take to. She seemed like the sort of person who could be two-faced – she said some pretty mean things about Krishna. Then there was Matthew, who seemed okay, but I didn’t speak much to him. And Ben, who seemed okay too, but again I didn’t really get to know him. The other person was Russell. Natalie got on really well with him, actually, but I have to say that the guy freaked me out.’
‘In what way?’
‘Well, I know this sounds a bit soft, but to start with it was his business that weirded me out to start with. Do you know what he does?’
‘No.’ He really didn’t know anything about the residents of New House. Not yet, anyway. The list from Tabitha would hopefully help in that regard, and he’d fill in any blanks in discussion with her.
‘He arranges funerals,’ she said.
‘What, he’s an undertaker?’
‘Well, not really. He organises bespoke funerals for the super-rich. He was telling everyone how he’d arranged for people’s ashes to be sent into space, and he’d organised burials in really unusual places. Those things weren’t so bad, even though I admit I’m dreadfully squeamish when it comes to dealing with death. I think it’s because when I was young my gran died, and it’s my earliest memory, being at her funeral, surrounded by sadness. No, what was worse was the story he told about how he arranged for a man to be buried in a container of worms, which… dealt with the body really quickly.’ She shivered. ‘It was really gross.’
‘Not the way I’d like to go,’ Cullen admitted. ‘But probably good for the planet.’
Penny smiled. ‘Yeah, I suppose it is.’
> Cullen had held onto something Penny had said a few moments ago. ‘You said to start with that it was his business that bothered you about him. What else was it?’
She nodded. ‘I mean, I was already a little spooked by his line of business, especially the worms, but then after dinner he started telling us all about the horrible thing that had happened in this house.’
‘Oh? What happened?’
She looked a little surprised that Cullen didn’t know. ‘The mass murder.’
‘Mass murder?’
‘Sir Thomas Sinclair, he wiped out his family.’ She looked at him, evidently expecting him to have a sudden realisation. ‘He killed his wife and children and then himself, in this house.’
‘I’m not familiar with that story,’ Cullen replied.
‘Russell told us all about it. It was back in the early eighties. The owner, Thomas Sinclair, he was a successful businessman, a millionaire. But he got into financial difficulties, had a bad gambling problem and was also having an affair, which he feared was about to go public, destroying his reputation. Then one night, he murdered his whole family before shooting himself. It happened right here in this house. The room where we had the drinks reception, that’s where they found his body, slumped over a piano.’
‘And Russell, he told you about all this?’
‘Yes. And he really enjoying telling us, delighting in it.’
‘How did he know so much?’
‘He’d done his research, I assume. He was the only one of us to know anything about the history of the house, so I guess it made him feel important. But I also believe he was trying to spook us, put us off, just like it seems Krishna did with Natalie. Like I said, there was a lot of competition between us, because the prize was so valuable.’
‘I can see why you didn’t take to Russell.’
‘I know this is going to sound odd, but I felt like Russell had something of the dark about him. Do you understand what I mean?’
Cullen nodded. In his line of work, he had met many people who met that description.
Too many.
‘Anyway, I was actually quite relieved when Russell left the house early.’
‘He left early?’
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