Harper's Fortune

by F. C. Clark

  Luke begins to read it. ‘Where did you get this?’

  ‘Charles gave it to me when we were in Dubai… I wanted to show you but it wasn’t the right time. He took it from his dad’s office.’

  Luke looks at me in disbelief. A knock at the door interrupts us. Luke walks out from the bedroom, and I follow him, feeling lost.

  James Sullivan enters our room, carrying a laptop.

  ‘I managed to hack into the hotel security – you might want to take a look at this.’

  He shows us various images throughout the hotel – of Ivor. Crystal clear, in black and white – he was here.

  ‘I knew it was him.’ My body heaves; I rush to the bathroom to be sick.

  Afterwards, I stand and move to the sink.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ He leans against the doorway.

  I wipe my hands and face on the towel.

  ‘It’s OK… he’s gone again.’ I shrug.

  Luke moves towards me. ‘He’s been here all day and probably followed you to the civil hall.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  Luke holds his hand out. ‘Are you feeling better?’

  ‘Honestly? I don’t know.’ I move into his arms and look up at him. ‘Today has been the best day of my life and I never want it to end… Is it wrong to feel pleased that he’s been here?’

  Luke gives a small smile, although I recognise the hidden signs of concern.

  ‘No, it’s not wrong.’

  ‘How did he know about the wedding? You only booked it on Sunday, and there were no invites.’

  ‘That’s what concerns me.’

  I raise my head from his chest. ‘It can’t be a coincidence that he’s here.’

  ‘No – he knew. I am positive he was here to see you.’

  We return to the lounge area where Scott and James are continuing to search for images of Ivor.

  ‘Anything?’ Luke asks.

  ‘It seems as though he disappeared into the thin air. The last distinctive image is by the jetty – he must have taken a boat.’

  James stands from his chair, holding the information I received from Charles.

  ‘Kate, Luke said a mutual friend gave this to you, and his father is the judge named at the bottom?’

  I nod. ‘We both agreed – that’s the mutual friend and I – that something doesn’t add up. Why would a chief coroner and chief justice work on a trivial case?’

  ‘I agree.’ He rubs his jaw. ‘But where did he get this information from?’

  Luke goes to the bar and pours four glasses of brandy.

  ‘The mutual friend is not to be trusted, and is a fucking idiot.’ Luke’s eyes flick to mine.

  ‘Luke!’ My tone is harsh.

  ‘Kate, we’ve discussed this.’ Luke hands me a drink and a kiss on the cheek. ‘Drink it – you need to calm down.’

  ‘Thank you.’ I down it instantly. ‘Charles snooped around in his father’s not-so-secret safe. That’s where he found the paperwork. I know it could be about anyone, as it doesn’t say her name, but the date and location are the same. He also said that his father is methodical, so there must be a reason he’s held on to this. ’

  ‘It’s not the same post-mortem that I’ve seen for Katenka’s death.’

  ‘The chief coroner is George Williams. Luke knows his son, Matthew. Actually, George Williams and Joseph Morley are friends of Edward.’ I look across to Luke. ‘You know these men too.’

  ‘Sutton, this doesn’t add up.’ James re-takes his seat.

  Luke looks at his friend, disturbed. Although he would love to plead ignorance, he knows something isn’t right.

  ‘I grew up with their children. Our fathers are childhood friends.’

  I move towards Luke, linking my arms around his waist.

  ‘Charles told me to speak to Matthew; maybe his dad has some information.’

  Luke’s arms tense. I know he’s angry at my mention of the name Williams.

  ‘Under no circumstances are you to contact him. Do you understand me?’

  ‘Luke, he may be able to help. I don’t want to meet him, but I can’t ignore what Charles said.’

  Luke moves to a chair next to James, pulling me into his lap, where my dress takes up a fair amount of room.

  ‘Kate, don’t push me on this.’

  ‘OK – let’s take it down a notch. Christ, you’ve been married for a few hours, maybe go for a compromise rather than an annulment.’ James looks at us both.

  My lips meet Luke’s. ‘I love you. I would never upset you.’

  ‘Good. You meeting Matthew would upset me, so please keep your word.’

  ‘Anything?’ Luke looks at Parker.

  ‘No – he must have left on a boat. I have checked all the recorded images at all the exits… Nothing.’

  ‘OK. So, what do we know? He’s in Venice. Why? It must be for today, so how did he know about it?’

  ‘Parker, can you trace any activities at the local airports? We know he has a jet. Sullivan, I want you to take the letter from Charles Morley and break it down, check dates and times, and look at what cases these two men were working on.’

  ‘Already on it… Before I go, Kate, are Harry and your parents aware of the circumstances surrounding Katenka’s death?’

  I shake my head. ‘No, I’ve never said a word.’ I turn to Luke. ‘We decided there was nothing to tell, since we have no proof that her death was anything other than a suicide.’

  ‘Good – keep it that way.’

  The men leave the suite.

  I tuck my head in the crook of Luke’s neck. He holds me gently as we sit in silence.

  ‘Do you think you’ll find him?’ I look up into Luke’s dark eyes.

  ‘I don’t, no. But one thing’s for certain – he’s watching you.’

  24

  My finger taps the arrow on my laptop, scrolling through the wedding photos.

  ‘Are you looking at them again?’

  I look at Luke, who has a towel wrapped around his waist.

  ‘I wish we could do it again… I know it’s only Tuesday, but it feels as though we’ve landed back with a bang.’

  He moves towards me and rolls me onto my back.

  ‘I know we haven’t had any quality time together.’

  ‘None.’

  ‘OK, no time together. This time next week, you’ll be naked in our very own private hut.’

  ‘Hmm – I can’t wait.’ My hands move to the nape of his neck, enticing him towards me. As ever, his lips reach mine with desire.

  ‘Christ, I wish I had time for round two.’ He tilts his head towards the bulge pushing against his towel.

  I unwrap the towel and reach for his erection.

  ‘I have lots of time – are you sure I can’t tempt you?’ I tighten my grip on his hardness and slide my other hand between my legs. He gazes at my amazing multitasking skills.

  ‘Christ, I’m going to be late.’

  ‘Blame your wife.’ I giggle with excitement. I know I have him for the second time this morning.

  I swirl my third mug of coffee. I need to think. I take a deep breath and pick up my mobile phone for the hundredth time this morning. However, this time I try to convince myself not to return it to the kitchen worktop.

  I hit send, and wait. Three seconds later, the call is answered.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Hi Charles, it’s Kate – Kate Harper, actually Kate Sutton.’

  ‘Well, well, well, to say I am surprised is an understatement. Good morning, Mrs Sutton, and when did this happen? I assume when we had our chat last week you were not married?’

  I can’t help smiling at his voice. ‘You’re absolutely right, we weren’t. Saturday. I’m now officially Mrs Luke Sutton.’

  ‘Hmm, this is
fresh news. I am so delighted to be one of the first to know, and I will have huge amounts of pleasure gossiping about you both.’

  ‘Knock yourself out.’

  ‘Oh, I intend to. So you have given me two surprises this morning. I assume you want something and this is not a social call?’

  ‘Would you be hurt if I said it wasn’t?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Good. OK, after much deliberation I’ve decided that breathing isn’t my main priority in life.’

  Charles chuckles. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘No of course not, but I need some answers, and if Matthew can get them, then I need to ask… Will Luke go mad? Hell, yes.’

  ‘So your loyal husband is not in on your cunning plan? And I assume he’s not aware of this conversation?’

  ‘No to both… I’m seriously putting my arse on the line here – not to mention my pulse.’ Bloody hell, I feel sick.

  ‘My lips will remain sealed. I may act like an over-indulged human being, but you can trust me, so this call never took place.’

  ‘For some reason I believe you… So this brings me to my next question: do you have Matthew’s phone number?’

  ‘Yes, I’ll forward it to you.’ There is a pause. ‘You should receive it any moment. Well, Mrs Sutton, I wish you lots of luck and hope to see you very much alive – soon. Remember, if you need anything – call.’

  ‘Thanks, Charles.’

  Now what to text Luke’s arch-enemy? I take a deep breath and begin to type.

  Hi Matthew,

  I wonder if you would meet me at Milsons Coffee House today at 1pm. I will explain why when I see you. Please let me know if you can make it.

  Kate Sutton (was Harper until last Saturday!)

  Without hesitation I hit send. My head is already going over the possible results of the meeting; the repercussions from Luke will be catastrophic. But what choice do I have? He said he would help me, but he’s done nothing, and I can’t help thinking he’s avoiding the situation.

  The bleep of a text arriving sends a shiver down my spine. Reluctantly I look – Matthew. Shit! He’s quick.

  Dear Mrs Sutton, Congratulations! Luke is a very lucky man. OK – I’m intrigued. I’ll see you at 1!

  Fuck, fuck, fuck… Crap. What will happen now?

  Right – I have to think about my image today: what will I wear? Jeans with a matching denim shirt, topped off with a tweed blazer and tan ankle boots. Hello, Mrs Sutton!

  Max drives my car to Milsons Coffee House – as ever, it appears to be jam-packed.

  ‘I’ll park the car and come in. What time are you meeting your friend?’

  I check the time. ‘In five minutes.’ I look across to a happy Max. Make the most of it, Harper – pissed-off Max will most certainly be driving me home. I step out onto the pavement as Max watches me from the car.

  The building is fairly large – it’s an old granary with the original exposed brickwork and wooden beams. It feels rustic and charming. I am thankful I reserved a table. I take my seat and order a cafetière of fairly strong coffee – obviously, I need another injection of caffeine.

  I catch sight of Matthew as he walks through the door; he instantly spots me.

  ‘Hi.’ I’m not sure how to act towards someone I punched a couple of weeks ago. He takes a seat and gives me his all-American smile. Still – he’s not my type…

  ‘I ordered coffee; I hope that’s OK.’ My hands feel shaky, and my heart pounds against my ribcage.

  ‘That’s fine. Let’s cut to the chase, Mrs Sutton.’

  ‘OK… First, I need to address my outburst the other week.’

  He moves his jaw from side to side, demonstrating that I did in fact make contact with him. ‘That was a surprise.’

  ‘I know, but I’m not going to apologise; you were rude and out of line. I know what happened between you and Maddy… Anyway, Luke and I are married now, so it really doesn’t matter.’

  ‘Fair enough – besides, I didn’t expect an apology.’

  ‘It won’t happen again – I hope!’ I give a half-hearted smile.

  I look beyond Matthew and see Max enter the building. Here goes! His face drops as he strides towards me. He takes hold of my arm.

  ‘A word – now!’

  ‘I won’t be a minute.’

  Matthew smirks.

  Max drags me to a quiet spot. ‘Are you out of your fucking mind? What the hell are you doing?’

  ‘It’s not what it looks like. Matthew’s dad was the chief coroner at Katenka’s inquest. Even Sullivan smells a rat, something’s not right. I’m going to ask him if he can dig around in his father’s documents.’

  ‘You’re playing with fire… Luke is going to hit the fucking roof. Jesus, Kate, what is wrong with you? You’ve only been married a few days and you pull a stunt like this.’ He runs his hand through his hair. ‘You know I’ll have to call him.’

  I nod. ‘I know. But I have to ask, Max.’

  ‘Not like this! I can’t believe you… You’ve fucked up this time, Kate.’

  ‘Christ, I’m not bloody shagging the bloke; I’m only asking him a question.’ I sigh and roll my eyes.

  ‘Don’t roll your eyes at me… And don’t talk like that in front of me either. Fucking hell, Kate.’

  ‘Whatever.’ I turn to head back to the coffee shop, but Max pulls at my arm, causing me to stop.

  ‘You have ten minutes. If you don’t move after that time, I will pick you up and move you myself… Do I make myself clear?’

  ‘Crystal!’

  I return to my seat, chastised.

  ‘Problem?’ Matthew asks, pouring himself a second cup of coffee.

  ‘Yes, you’re my problem. You may have guessed that Luke doesn’t know I’m meeting you.’

  He whistles. ‘Do you like living dangerously?’

  ‘Nothing I can’t handle. OK – I’ll get to the point.’

  ‘The floor’s yours.’

  I place a copy of the partially completed post-mortem on the table. He draws it closer and begins to read.

  ‘Charles took this from his father’s secret safe.’

  Matthew’s eyebrows shoot up.

  ‘I know – it’s not that much of a secret. Well, anyway, we believe this relates to my birth mother.’ I tap the bottom of the sheet. ‘Your father was the chief coroner and Charles’s father was the chief justice.’

  ‘I don’t see how I can help.’

  ‘This is a long shot, I know, but does your father have a safe where he keeps – old paperwork? I was wondering if he kept anything relating to my mother. I also wondered why two high-profile men would work on a case that involved a woman of no apparent importance who committed suicide. It all seems strange.’

  He shrugs and rereads the paperwork. I sip my coffee while he digests my words.

  ‘Can I keep this?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s a copy.’

  He folds the paper in half and places it in his wallet. ‘What exactly are you accusing my father of? If I find any incriminating evidence, this may affect him or Joseph.’

  I shake my head. ‘I don’t think they had anything to do with my mother’s death; they probably didn’t even know her… But something isn’t right.’

  I look at Max, lurking in the background.

  ‘I have to leave. Will you look?’

  He nods. ‘I will. But I don’t know if my father has a secret stash of paperwork.’

  I stand up. ‘I appreciate it.’

  ‘If I find anything, I’ll call you.’

  ‘Thank you… Now wish me luck dealing with my husband.’

  ‘You don’t need luck, Kate; you have most people under your spell at “hello”.’

  What the hell?

  Max grips the steering wheel tightly, tighter than usua
l.

  ‘How bad was Luke – mildly pissed off or full-blown demonic pissed-off?’

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘OK – I thought I’d ask. You know why I met Matthew.’

  He shakes his head. ‘I normally back your decisions one hundred per cent, but not today. You’re on your own dealing with Luke.’

  ‘Fine!’ I look out of the window, feeling hostile. ‘I would rather go home.’

  ‘Tough – Luke is expecting you, so I suggest you deal with it.’

  Max and I stand side by side in the lift, but the emotional distance between us is huge. The doors open and I begin the long walk of shame towards Luke’s office. The first thing I see is Stella.

  ‘Hello, Kate.’ She stands up to greet me. ‘Are you OK? You look a little…’

  ‘I’m fine, Stella. Actually, I’ve pissed off Luke, big-time, and now I have to deal with him.’ My hand brushes against my stomach, which is full of nerves, knowing I have to enter his lair and deal with the consequences.

  Her hand reaches for my face. ‘You will be fine. He needs you too much; just allow the dust to settle.’

  Dust! Bloody sandstorm, more like.

  I open the door. Luke sits at his desk, on the phone. My feet carry me towards him, allowing me to absorb the darkness of his eyes – they’re almost black. I stand corrected: they are darker than I’ve ever seen them. I sit in front of his desk.

  He replaces the receiver and leans back in his chair, rubbing his jaw. The silence is deafening.

  ‘I’m sorry… I was going to tell you, but not until after I met him.’

  ‘You say you’re sorry, but I feel it’s an empty apology.’ He tilts his head as his eyes meet mine.

  ‘That’s not true. I love you, you’re my husband… but I needed to ask him. I had to.’

  Luke laughs; obviously I am not remotely humorous.

  ‘No, you didn’t need to ask him.’ He leans his forearms on the desk. ‘I’m so mad at you, the truth is I’m struggling to even look at you… I despise this man more than any other. You say you love me, but if you do, then why would you hurt me? Do you really love me?’

  ‘What? Are you joking?’ Jerkily, I stand up, needing to pace the floor. ‘You know I adore you – Christ, we only got married four days ago.’ I hold my hand up to display my ring. ‘Yes, I know you hate him, but even you should be able to understand that he may be able to find more information about Katenka’s death. This isn’t about you or us, this is about the truth. I know she didn’t kill herself… I’ve always thought that.’