The Woman Who Lied(43)

When she received both lists later that day she was reassured to see few names on them. Just Hannah and Lara so far at the publisher’s, and Drummond at the agency. ‘I was waiting for it to go through copyedits before sending it out to foreign publishers,’ he’d explained.

Since then she’s contacted all the friends and family to whom she sent the manuscript, asking if they had sent it on to anyone else. Louise never answered so she left a message on her phone. Elliot spoke to his dad, who assured him that he hadn’t sent the manuscript to anyone else to read. Ottilie, Kristin, Jonas and her parents all said the same. She tossed and turned last night, her mind going over and over every possibility and always ending up at the same place. It has to be someone she knows.

She’s almost at the café when she sees a familiar figure coming out of a Victorian three-storey building. Short pixie cut, a sweatshirt with multiple animals – sheep, perhaps – on the front, turned-up boyfriend jeans. The woman has her head down and is hurrying through the front garden, a rucksack on her back. She almost bumps into Emilia as she rushes through the gate.

‘Lou?’

Louise lifts her head, flustered. She pushes her fringe from her face. ‘Oh, hi. What are – what are you doing here?’ She has dark circles under her eyes.

‘I’m meeting someone in Hodges,’ Emilia says, pointing in the direction of the café at the end of the small rank of shops. ‘How come you’re here?’

‘I …’ she turns towards the building, then back to Emilia ‘… well, I actually live here. In the basement flat.’

Emilia is taken aback. ‘When did you move?’ She’s never been to Louise’s place in Richmond, even though she knew it was only a few streets away from her own house. When Wilfie has play dates with Toby it’s always at Frances’s house in Teddington.

‘Only recently. I loved it in Richmond but, you know …’ she shuffles her feet ‘… the rent went up, so I decided to move.’

‘Oh, well, that’s great.’

‘Anyway, I’d better get on. I’m already running late.’

‘Yes, me too. Meeting a journalist.’

Louise’s eyes widen. ‘Really?’

‘Yes.’ She quickly fills her in on the anonymous letter and tickets Jake received. ‘I rang you to tell you and also to ask if you’ve given the manuscript to anyone else, but you didn’t answer.’

Louise clamps a hand to her forehead. She looks pale. Emilia suspects her friend has been working too hard. ‘Sorry, I’ve been meaning to call back. It’s been a manic few days. I think it’s a good idea speaking to the press about this. A way of hopefully exposing who’s behind it all. You should go on the radio too. The more people who know about this, the better.’

‘That’s what I’m starting to think. Did the police ever trace the hoax call?’

She shakes her head. ‘No, I’m sorry, it was a spoofed number. It’s not as easy as they make out on TV.’

Emilia digs her hands into her pockets, her fingers brushing against the alarm. She pulls it out to show Louise. ‘Elliot gave me this. He’s really freaked out. It must be someone I know, Lou.’

‘Shit … I don’t know what to say. That’s awful.’

‘You never showed the book to anyone else, did you?’

‘No. Of course not. I wouldn’t do that without your consent.’ Louise hovers, her hand on the gate, as though she doesn’t want to leave Emilia. ‘I’m so sorry, but I really have to go – I’m late for work. We need to talk about this properly, though. I’ll call you, okay?’

Emilia glances at Louise’s jeans and jumper attire. She seems a bit casually dressed for work. ‘Sure.’ Neither of them moves. ‘I’m scared, to be honest,’ she blurts out. ‘I try to put on a brave face in front of Elliot but the book, the story … the whole serial-killer praying-mantis thing, it’s dark.’

‘I know.’

‘I’ve written that he kills Miranda in the end. And what if –’

‘Stop. Em, you can’t think like that. God …’ She reaches for Emilia’s hand. ‘I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I really am.’

‘It’s not your fault.’

‘I know, but –’ Louise is interrupted by her phone buzzing. She fishes it out of the back pocket of her jeans. ‘Shit. It’s the boss. I’m sorry, I really need to go.’ She gives Emilia a hug. ‘I promise I’ll call you later.’

Emilia watches with a heavy heart as Louise rushes down the street to her little Fiat, her mobile clamped to her ear.

Gina Osbourne is waiting at a table in the corner, her foot tapping impatiently while she scrolls through her phone. She looks up when Emilia walks in.

‘I’m so sorry,’ says Emilia, pulling out a chair. ‘I bumped into a friend.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Gina already has her pen handy and a half-drunk cup of coffee in front of her, a pink lipstick mark on the rim. ‘What can I get you?’

‘A caramel latte would be fab. Thanks.’

Gina gets up to order at the counter while Emilia shuffles out of her jacket. The alarm clunks noisily against her chair. She’s already sick of the bloody thing.