The One You Love (Emma Holden suspense mystery trilogy)

by Paul Pilkington

  ‘And what about me? Do you think I won’t be dragged into this too? I’m in this up to my neck, all because I wanted to help you, William. If you do tell Em, I’ll lose her too.’

  ‘It’s the only way. How else are we going to open her eyes to what that guy is really like? We need to get that man out of her life. And if me going to jail is what it takes for Em to be safe, then that’s what I’m going to do.’

  ‘Maybe there is another way.’

  Will doubted it. ‘Like what?’

  ‘Under your seat,’ Edward directed.

  Will reached down and felt around underneath his seat. He placed his hand on a cool metal object. ‘No,’ he said, instinctively recoiling his hand. ‘Whatever you’ve got planned, I’m not doing it.’

  48

  ‘So what do you think?’ asked DS Davies, as they tramped down the stairs from Emma’s apartment.

  ‘I think I’ll reserve judgement,’ Gasnier replied, ‘until we speak to the couriers.’

  ‘You think we’ll find a name?’

  ‘I’m sure we’ll get a name, but I very much doubt it will be the name we’re really after.’

  ‘Do you think Dan Carlton might have sent the card himself? To put us off the scent and get him in the clear?’

  ‘What do you think?’ Gasnier said, batting the question back. ‘Do you think this is all part of a carefully laid down plan by Dan Carlton?’

  ‘Could be. But personally I doubt it.’

  ‘Why?’ Gasnier pressed.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Davies said. ‘Maybe because I just don’t want to believe that he could be so heartless and cruel to his fiancée. Leaving her just before the wedding was one thing, but making her think that he’s in danger, well, that would be unthinkable really. If he loves her at all, then I don’t think he’d do it.’

  ‘I never knew you were such a romantic,’ Gasnier said, staying deadpan. ‘It’s comforting to know not all of us in the force are so hard-hearted.’

  ‘I do my best,’ Davies said, trying to hide his embarrassment. ‘I just hope we have more luck with this than with finding the mysterious Eric.’

  ‘So do I,’ Gasnier said.

  The couriers’ office was located just south of the river, a few minutes from Waterloo Station. As Gasnier had expected, it was a small back-street operation – much like the hundred or so other firms in and around the city, plying their trade by making deliveries using motorcycle or pedal cycles. It was a dangerous business; accidents involving couriers were commonplace.

  ‘You’re the police?’ asked the young girl behind the counter.

  ‘Indeed we are,’ Gasnier said. ‘So, can we have the details of who sent the package?’

  ‘I’ll have to ask the manager,’ she replied.

  ‘You do that. And if there’s a problem, we’d be delighted to talk with him.’

  The girl hurried upstairs and was back within a minute. ‘I’ll need to see some ID. Then you can have the name. We log all our deliveries electronically,’ she explained, as she tapped away on the keyboard. ‘That way we can keep track of everything.’

  ‘Lucky for us, eh,’ Gasnier joked, mainly for DS Davies’ benefit.

  ‘It’s a great system,’ the girl said, missing the sarcasm. ‘You said it went to who?’

  ‘Holden. Emma Holden.’

  ‘Emma Holden,’ the girl said, thinking out loud while tapping away at the keys. ‘Yes, here it is. The delivery was requested today and they paid by cash. Here’s the name.’ She turned the monitor around.

  Gasnier’s eyes narrowed. ‘Well, that is interesting.’

  ***

  ‘You can’t be serious about this,’ said Will, still horrified from the discovery of the gun underneath the seat.

  ‘It’s not loaded,’ Edward replied. ‘No one is going to get hurt.’

  ‘Where the hell did you get it?’

  ‘One of my friends. He belongs to a shooting club. He shoots competitively.’

  Will couldn’t believe this was happening. ‘What did you tell him you wanted the gun for?’

  ‘He didn’t ask. Just said to take care.’

  Will shook his head. ‘This is crazy, absolutely crazy. I think you’ve lost your mind.’

  ‘Will, this whole situation is crazy,’ Edward replied. ‘Compared to what has already happened, this might be the most sensible thing to do.’

  ‘My God, just listen to yourself, will you? We’re on the way to a house, about to threaten someone with a gun. Does that sound sensible?’

  ‘It’s the best way. The only way.’

  ‘No,’ Will countered, ‘it’s not. I’ve already told you.’

  ‘We’ll just scare him a little,’ said Edward, ignoring Will’s protests. ‘If he thinks we’re really serious, then he’ll take notice and leave Em alone.’

  ‘It won’t work. I’ve tried it before.’

  ‘This time will be different. This time we’ll really scare him.’

  ‘Hurt him, you mean?’

  ‘Of course not. We’ve just got to make him believe that we mean what we say. Look, we both know that he’s fragile. It shouldn’t take much to break him.’

  ***

  ‘I still think this is a bad idea,’ said Will, as they reached the apartment block.

  ‘Let’s just get this over with,’ Edward replied. ‘Give me the gun,’ he added, gesturing.

  Shaking his head, Will reached under the seat and pulled out the handgun, holding it by its very edge.

  ‘Don’t lift it up so people can see,’ Edward rebuked, grabbing hold of the weapon. He tucked the gun into his waistband and covered it with his jumper, as if he’d done it a million times before.

  ‘He might not be there,’ Will said.

  ‘He is.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘I’ve had someone watching the place, to make sure he’s around.’

  ‘Bloody hell, Dad. This is madness.’

  ‘Come on,’ said Edward, ‘before I change my mind.’

  ***

  Edward and Will had no difficulty getting into the block – someone had wedged the door open with a traffic cone. Will followed his father up the stairs, hoping that by the time they reached the fourth floor he would have had a change of heart, realising just how foolish this all was. He wanted to turn around and walk away, but he had already let down one family member – and his dad shouldn’t be alone.

  When they reached Stuart’s flat the door was ajar.

  ‘Dad, are you sure?’ Will grabbed Edward’s arm as he reached to push the door open.

  ‘I’m sure,’ Edward said, although his voice was faltering. ‘Let’s get this over with, once and for all.’

  As they entered the flat, the first thing that hit Will was the total silence. It was eerie and he didn’t like it one bit.

  They moved down the entrance hall and turned to look in the lounge. The room was empty, so they continued past the bathroom and then towards the kitchen.

  ‘Stuart, we know you’re in here,’ Edward said, reaching for the gun and bringing it out from his trousers. Will hung back, but only a few feet. He glanced over his shoulder, paranoid that Stuart would come up from behind.

  They saw Stuart’s legs first, sticking out from behind the kitchen table.

  ‘My God,’ Will said, pushing past Edward into the kitchen. He looked at Stuart lying motionless on the kitchen floor, and then noticed the empty packets of paracetamol and the half-empty glass on the table. He looked back towards Edward, who was just staring, emotionless.

  Will rushed to Stuart’s side.

  ‘He’s still alive,’ he said, checking his pulse. ‘Call an ambulance.’

  Edward remained glued to the spot.

  ‘He’s dying,’ Will said.

  ‘Let’s go,’ Edward said. ‘There’s no reason for us to be here anymore.’

  49

  ‘Thanks for this,’ Emma said, as she and Lizzy exited the apartment. ‘I couldn’t just sit in there, w
aiting for something to happen.’

  ‘That’s okay,’ Lizzy said, ‘although I think it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to find Eric when the police couldn’t. Surely he wouldn’t be hanging around the very place where you’d expect to find him.’

  ‘Probably not,’ Emma said, ‘but I’ve got to try something.’

  ‘What if Eric doesn’t have anything to do with Dan’s disappearance?’

  ‘Then we’ve run out of suspects,’ Emma said, taking care while crossing the road as they headed north towards the park.

  ‘Did you notice a difference in attitude with the police officers?’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘I think they’re starting to believe you.’

  Emma stopped and turned to face her friend. ‘I’m sorry, Lizzy. I should have believed you about the letter.’

  ‘It’s okay. Let’s just forget about it.’

  ‘I can’t. I should have listened to you.’

  ‘Hey,’ Lizzy said, putting an arm around her shoulder. ‘Don’t beat yourself up over it. If the situation had been reversed, do you think I would have been any different?’

  Emma shrugged.

  ‘I’m surprised you can trust anyone at the moment,’ Lizzy continued as they started walking again. ‘This whole situation must be really screwing with your mind. I’m just glad that you believe me now, and that you’re letting me be here to help you through this.’

  ‘Thanks, Lizzy.’

  ***

  ‘It doesn’t look like he’s here,’ Lizzy said.

  They had been standing around Primrose Hill for half an hour now, wandering around, scanning the area for Eric.

  ‘No,’ Emma admitted, looking off to her right, hoping that amongst the people Eric’s face would appear. ‘It doesn’t. I thought maybe if I came up here, then we’d lure him out into the open.’

  ‘You’re using yourself as bait?’ Lizzy said, horrified.

  ‘I suppose so, yes.’

  ‘Em, this isn’t a good idea. If Eric did have something to do with what happened to Richard and Dan, then you shouldn’t really be playing games with him. You shouldn’t put yourself in danger.’

  ‘Anything’s better than just imagining what’s happening,’ Emma replied. ‘I just keep thinking of Dan, where he is, what’s happening to him. If he’s being kept somewhere, what are the conditions like? He’s been gone for over a week now. Are they feeding him?’

  ‘I know it’s hard, but you can’t think the worst. Everything might be okay.’

  ‘No, Lizzy. Whoever attacked Richard has already shown that they’re willing to kill… if we hadn’t come back to the apartment when we did, Richard wouldn’t have survived. That’s why we need to find Dan quickly, before something happens.’

  ‘Hopefully the police will find something from the couriers. If they get a name, that could lead them straight to Dan.’

  ‘I hope so. But I can’t see it being that easy. Why would the person give their real name, knowing that it was likely the police would investigate where the letter came from?’

  ‘So what do we do now?’ Lizzy said, looking out across the area. ‘Just wait here and hope Eric turns up?’

  ‘I can’t think what else to do. I just know that I need to find Eric, and ask him outright if he had anything to do with this. But if he’s not here, then I don’t know where else to look. I don’t know where he lives – I don’t even know his surname.’

  ‘Where else would someone who likes photography visit?’ Lizzy asked. ‘Maybe he’s got another favourite location, where he can take pictures.’

  Emma thought on that. ‘That’s it! Lizzy, you’re a star. I think I know where he might be.’

  ***

  They found him at the photo exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery, standing admiring a huge photograph of Princess Diana. It was one of those seminal photographs that you’d seen a thousand times before, yet never tired of. The Princess’s blue eyes seemed to look right at you, breaking out of the image in three dimensions.

  ‘Are you sure about this?’ Lizzy whispered, as they both watched Eric from a distance.

  Emma nodded.

  Eric was so much in awe that he didn’t notice Emma walk up to him.

  ‘Eric,’ she said.

  He spun around so fast that he lost his balance, staggering back a few drunken steps and narrowly missing an elderly woman who had also been admiring the photograph. As he righted himself Emma was shocked by his horrified expression.

  ‘Eric, I just want to talk,’ she said, stepping towards him.

  But he shook his head and headed for the exit.

  ‘Eric,’ Emma said, catching up with him and grabbing hold of his arm. ‘Please, I need to speak to you.’

  ‘Get off me!’ he shouted, shrugging her off. His shout had attracted the attention of the exhibition’s security officer, who rose from his seat in the corner, so Emma let go of him.

  ‘What are you going to do?’ Lizzy said, as they watched Eric escape.

  ‘Follow him,’ Emma said, setting off in pursuit.

  Lizzy didn’t argue, so they set off after Eric, catching up with him just outside the Gallery.

  ‘Leave me alone,’ he said, crossing the road and jogging down the steps into Trafalgar Square. Emma and Lizzy followed.

  ‘Eric, the police are looking for you,’ Emma shouted, drawing interest from groups of tourists. ‘If you keep running, they’ll just think you’re guilty.’

  That stopped him dead in his tracks.

  ‘Guilty of what?’ he said, his face a mixture of anguish and anger. ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’

  ‘The police just want to ask you some questions,’ Emma said, deliberately softening her tone. ‘That’s all.’

  ‘I’m sorry about the photos,’ he said. ‘It’s just that… you’re so photogenic. I didn’t follow you for long – they were all taken on the same day. I know it looks like I’m some kind of stalker, but I’m not, really. Please, there’s no need to threaten me anymore. I won’t go near you again, I promise.’

  ‘I wouldn’t threaten you, Eric.’

  ‘But you got him to threaten me,’ he replied. ‘You didn’t need to do that.’

  ‘Eric, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who threatened you?’

  ‘I just want to forget about it.’

  ‘Eric, just tell me who threatened you,’ Emma demanded.

  ‘Don’t pretend you don’t know. He said you’d asked him to tell me to stay away. If you wanted me to leave you alone, you should have just said. I’m not a stalker. I’m not.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Emma said, ‘honestly. Who spoke with you?’

  ‘Your boyfriend. Now please, leave me alone.’

  Emma and Lizzy watched dumbfounded as Eric stormed off across the square, breaking into a run and scattering the flocks of pigeons.

  50

  ‘We can’t just leave him here,’ Will said, looking down at Stuart and then across at his father. ‘If we go, he’ll die.’

  ‘It’s what he wants, Will,’ Edward replied, his voice strangely emotionless.

  ‘How can you say that?’ Will protested. ‘Dad, he’s going to die.’

  ‘Will – he took the tablets. He chose to end his life. If we do save him, do you think he’ll thank us for it?’

  ‘I… I don’t know. Maybe he did this on the spur of the moment – maybe he doesn’t want to die. It might have been a cry for help.’

  ‘To who? Will, this man has no friends. He destroyed any chance of happiness when he did what he did.’

  ‘No.’ Will shook his head. ‘I won’t let him die.’

  He headed for the phone and picked up the receiver.

  ‘Think about it, Will,’ Edward said, putting his hand over the telephone and cutting off the connection. ‘If we call an ambulance, the police will end up getting involved. How will we explain this?’ He held up the gun.

  ‘I don’t know. We can hide it.�
��

  ‘And when they ask us why we’re in his flat, what our relationship is with him, what are we going to say?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Edward said, ‘you don’t know. Will, no matter what we do, he’s probably going to die anyway. Why should we throw everything away, trying to save a dead man? A man who has made your life hell? Why jeopardise everything for him?’

  ‘Because I’d never be able to forgive myself, Dad. Haven’t you got any conscience?’

  ‘How dare you,’ Edward said, rounding on his son. ‘Everything I’ve done – everything I’m doing now – is to protect you. Do you think I really want to be here, in this flat, wondering what to do with him?’ He jabbed a finger at Stuart. ‘I’m only here because of you.’

  ‘I’m sorry if you resent helping me.’

  ‘For God’s sake,’ Edward said, throwing his hands up in the air. ‘Will, don’t you see that this could be the end of your nightmare? All you have to do is walk away. You can leave this building and get on with your life. You just have to have the courage to do it.’

  ‘No. You go if you want to, but I can’t just leave him to die.’

  ‘Then you’re a bigger fool than I ever gave you credit for,’ Edward spat, turning and walking out of the flat.

  ***

  ‘Do you think Eric was telling the truth, about being threatened?’ Lizzy asked as they sat in Trafalgar Square.

  ‘He looked like he was,’ Emma said. ‘But if he was telling the truth, then I don’t know how that fits with everything else.’

  ‘I know,’ Lizzy said, pondering on the implications.

  ‘I was thinking,’ Emma said. ‘Whoever has Dan must have written that letter, pretending to be from him. The person who has Dan also accused you of having an affair with him. Why would they do that?’