The Woman Who Lied(63)

‘DI Janine Murray. So she’s still hanging around.’

‘What do you mean? Why wouldn’t she be?’

She pulls away and switches the kettle on. ‘Oh, it’s just that she’s not from the local force. She’s from Devon and Cornwall Police, remember? I’m sure I told you. I thought she was going back after speaking to me on Saturday, that’s all.’

He looks uneasy. ‘I don’t think you mentioned where she was from. Why do you think she wants to speak to you again?’

‘Maybe she’s found something out.’

‘About this serial killer, do you think? I wonder why a serial killer would murder Louise in Kingston when he targets women in the Plymouth area.’ His expression is one of suspicion. ‘And you’re sure you knew nothing about it?’

She hesitates. Should she just tell him? She can’t keep it from him for ever.

He’s staring at her, waiting. She has to tell him something. She looks up at him, deliberating, dreading the disappointment she knows she’ll see in his face when she confesses. But what choice does she have? She bites her lip.

‘Em?’

She sighs and steps away from him. ‘Okay. Look, it’s a long story …’

‘Well, we’re not going anywhere.’ He grabs an apple from the fruit bowl next to the kettle and bites into it with an ‘I’m listening’ expression.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth earlier,’ she begins, then tells him everything.

Nearly everything.

The tension between them is almost palpable. Without speaking, he throws the barely eaten apple into the bin. Then he stands with his back to the counter, his eyes flashing.

‘So, let me get this straight. Louise gave you the idea for this praying-mantis murderer and you just made up a story around it?’

‘Yes,’ she lies. She can’t tell him that the truth is even worse.

‘And it just happens to be a real-life serial killer?’ His expression darkens. ‘How did Louise know about the case?’

‘I’m not sure,’ she says truthfully. ‘Maybe through work. I don’t know.’

His eyes narrow as he assesses her and she feels herself blush. ‘And now she’s been killed with the same marking on her ankle.’

She nods miserably.

‘For fuck’s sake. Why didn’t you tell me this before?’

‘I’ve only recently found out.’

He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. ‘I – I don’t actually know what to say to you. This is huge and you’re only telling me about it now?’

‘El …’ She blinks back tears.

She can see he’s trying to suppress his anger.

‘I can’t talk to you right now.’

‘But –’

He storms out of the room before she can say anything else.

She goes to bed early, leaving Elliot brooding in front of the football. She taps out a message to Ottilie asking to meet tomorrow. This isn’t a conversation she wants to have over the phone.

Already? Can’t get enough of me, I see, Ottilie types back immediately with a winky emoji. The three dots show she’s writing another message. Soon enough she adds, Sure. I’ll come to Richmond. Our usual café at 11?

Emilia replies with a thumbs-up. She can’t bring herself to write anything else. Her emotions oscillate from fury to sadness.

When Elliot comes to bed she pretends to be asleep. His voice, when he eventually speaks, shatters the silence, reverberating around their bedroom. ‘I know you’re really awake.’

‘What do you want me to say?’ she replies softly, her back to him.

‘You know I hate lies.’

She turns to face him and props herself up on her elbow. ‘Now you can be disappointed in me. You now know I’m a fraud.’

‘Em,’ his voice is soft, but it’s too dark to read his expression, ‘you could never disappoint me and you’re not a fraud.’

Her eyes fill with tears but she doesn’t say anything. She suddenly feels totally and utterly sad.

He reaches over and gently wipes away a tear. ‘I don’t want you to feel you can’t tell me things because I’m going to judge you in some way.’

She nods, not sure if she believes him.

‘And what about the other storyline – the stuff with Daisy and her boyfriend, Ash? Was that all from her too? Or was that yours?’

She doesn’t want to lie to him again, so she ignores the question. ‘A serial killer who brands his victims has been done before. I’m not the first to write about it.’

‘Yes, but this is very specific, isn’t it?’ He sighs. ‘It’s odd Louise told you that particular story in the first place, don’t you think?’

Yes, yes, yes, she wants to scream. It’s all she’s been able to think about. Why did Louise tell her this story if it was true? What had been behind her friend’s decision to do that?

‘We were just bouncing ideas off each other. It was probably somewhere in her subconscious.’ She knows she’s not being totally honest with him and it’s like he can smell it. ‘Anyway,’ she rolls away from him, ‘it’s getting late.’

He moves closer to her so that he’s spooning her. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing else you want to tell me?’ His breath is hot on her ear.