The One You Fear (14 page)

‘I know. I just don’t get it, Em. What is this woman doing? What’s her agenda?’

‘I’ve got no idea, but I know someone who might be able to shed some light on it all.’

‘Who’s that?’

‘Charlotte, Stuart’s sister.’

‘So we speak with her first, and then decide how to break the news to Will?’

‘I think it’s all we can do. We need to try and find out more about who she is before we do anything else.’

‘But Charlotte Harris – she’s not exactly on friendly terms with you. What she did – giving you the photograph, pretending it was from Stuart, and the thing she wrote on the back – it was pretty nasty. She might refuse to talk to us.’

‘She might, but I don’t think so. I think she wants to tell me more, for me to ask about what happened. Maybe the photograph was bait.’

‘You think she knows that this girl is seeing Will?’

‘No idea, but we need to find out.’

***

‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist opening the letter.’ Charlotte Harris took a seat opposite Emma and Lizzy in the same café where they’d met the previous day. Emma had been right – she was more than happy to meet with them – and just an hour after the initial call, here they were face to face.

Emma looked at her closely. She was trying to look triumphant, but behind that bravado Emma could sense something else – sadness, possibly. This might explain why she looked so much older than her years. Her face seemed tense, her eyes reddened.

‘Why did you do it, Charlotte?’ asked Emma.

‘As I said,’ said Charlotte slowly, ‘I wanted you to know how happy my brother was before you came back on the scene.’

‘You make it sound like it was my decision to come back into Stuart’s life. But it wasn’t. It was the other way around.’

Charlotte looked affronted. ‘You led him on.’

‘I didn’t. I explained to you last time we met, I didn’t lead him on.’

Again, this didn’t look like the answer Charlotte wanted to hear.

‘He didn’t tell me that he was engaged,’ Emma insisted. ‘He mentioned he’d been seeing somebody, but he made out that it wasn’t serious.’

Charlotte snorted. ‘Wasn’t serious? They were due to get married
today!
’

Emma was stunned. ‘What? Today was supposed to be their wedding day?’

‘Yes. It had been planned for almost two years. So all that time you were with Stuart, Sally was looking forward to what should have been the best day of her life. When Stuart died it totally devastated her. It’s devastated us all, but for her it’s worse – Stuart was her future. And that died too, along with my brother. Now she feels like she has nothing to live for.’

‘I’m really sorry for her. I am.’

‘Two days after Stuart died, she tried to take an overdose. The only reason she didn’t die is because I happened to come around to her flat and find her just a few minutes after she’d taken the tablets. The hospital staff saved her.’

Emma thought back to the girl that Will had introduced them to. The confident, energetic, happy girl called Amy. She didn’t bear any resemblance to Sally. For a second it made her question again whether the two girls were indeed the same person. But there was no doubt. It was time to ask the question. ‘Do you know that Sally is dating my brother?’

Charlotte looked genuinely shocked, and then disbelieving. ‘You’re lying.’

‘I’m not.’

‘It’s true,’ Lizzy added. ‘The girl in the photograph with Stuart, she’s the girl that Will is going out with.’

Charlotte was silent.

‘She said her name was Amy,’ Emma continued. ‘None of us had any idea who she really was until we saw the photograph this morning.’

‘I don’t understand,’ said Charlotte finally. ‘She did have a sister called Amy, but she died when she was a baby. Why would she…’

‘We thought you might know,’ Emma said. ‘We thought you might be able to explain what was going on.’

Charlotte put a hand to her head. ‘Why would she date your brother, why…?’

Emma tried a different tact. ‘Tell me about Sally. She said to Will that she’s a sports teacher at a comprehensive school, is that right?’

‘Yes, yes, that’s right.’

‘And she’s very adventurous – travelling, skydiving, things like that.’

‘Yes, she is. For their honeymoon, they were going to Nepal, trekking in the mountains; it was going to be wonderful – a real adventure. Stuart had been really looking forward to it.’

‘How did they meet?’

‘At a screenwriting course. Stuart wanted to expand his options, you know, from just acting to working more behind the scenes, too.’

A sickening realisation hit Emma.
She sensed that Lizzy had the same thought. ‘Sally is a screenwriter?’

‘She’s had a few things on the radio – plays and sketches. But she always wanted to go into television and film. It just hasn’t happened for her yet.’

They sent me the script.

Sally wrote scripts.

Emma turned to Lizzy. ‘She knew we were going to Cornwall. I mentioned it one day when we were all together. And the trip to Windsor, Will knew about that and he probably told her. She told Scott Goulding where to go.’

‘What’s going on?’ Charlotte asked. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘I’m only beginning to understand it myself. We need to call Will.’

She pulled the mobile out of her pocket, but before she could dial Will, it rang. She didn’t recognise the number.

‘Emma. It’s Scott Goulding. This morning I got an email from the person, and I really thought I needed to tell you about it. The message is really weird.’

‘Go on.’

‘They thanked me for my work, but said they would no longer require my services because I’m not involved in the final scene, a double suicide, which is being shot today. That’s all that the message said.’

Emma cut off the call, waves of sickness swelling and rolling inside her. This time she did dial Will.

Lizzy saw the horror in her friend’s face. ‘What is it, Em? What’s happened?’

Will wasn’t answering. ‘It’s Will,’ she said. ‘I think she’s planning to kill him.’

‘What?’

‘The tandem parachute jump. I think she’s planning to commit suicide, and take Will with her.’

17

‘How are you feeling?’ Amy asked, as they approached the airfield. ‘Are you still sure you want to go through with this?’

Will was staring out of the window, looking at the strip of tarmac that would be their launching point. He’d felt better, but Amy’s relaxed manner helped to contain his nerves. After all, he would be strapped to her the whole time – she was the one who would be dictating everything – the timing and execution of the jump, the opening of the parachute, the direction of their descent, and the landing. All he had to do is enjoy the ride. ‘I’m fine,’ he said eventually. ‘I still want to do it.’

‘Good, that’s good.’

Will thought about sending a text message to Emma. Not really a goodbye message, but you never knew, did you? But he couldn’t find his mobile. He must have left it at home.

They turned left through the entrance and up the main driveway to a small car park, where only three other vehicles were parked. The airfield wasn’t much more than the take-off and landing area. Will could see only a single plane – a flimsy-looking craft that didn’t fill him with confidence. There was a small prefabricated building in front of them, which looked like something from a prisoner-of-war camp.

‘That’s where the briefing room is,’ Amy explained, yanking up the handbrake. ‘There are also changing rooms and toilets.’

‘I’ll need the toilets, probably more than once,’ Will joked as he undid his seat belt. The next strap that would be wrapped around him wouldn’t be so familiar.

He expected Amy to laugh, but she didn’t.

‘You ready then?’ she asked.

Suddenly she seemed so serious. But that was probably a good thing. If you were going to put your life in the hands of someone else, surely it was better if that person was taking things seriously and being professional about it all.

Inside the building they were greeted by a tall well-built man about Will’s age. ‘This is Harvey,’ Amy said. ‘He’ll be flying the plane.’

‘Pleased to meet you.’ Harvey held out a large hand.

‘You too.’ Will’s hand was shaking as he brought it up to greet him.

‘So I hear this is your first time doing a jump?’

Will nodded.

‘Don’t worry,’ Harvey said, ‘it’ll be absolutely fine. You’re in safe hands, I promise. I’ve been doing this for years, and my colleague here, she’s a fantastic instructor and jumper.’

‘Good, that’s good.’

For the next fifteen minutes, Amy talked Will through the pre-jump training. Again, her professional persona had taken over, and there was no room for informal chat. They covered all the necessary issues, which most importantly included how to touch down safely. It was the one part of the jump where Will had to ensure that he positioned himself correctly, rather than merely relying on Amy. She also talked him through exactly what would happen, in what order, from take-off to landing. There would be no surprises.

Will watched Amy as they changed into their suits. ‘Thank you. For making me feel so good.’

Amy looked up. ‘Don’t mention it. I do this all the time. You get to know how to give people the power to enjoy it.’

‘No, I don’t mean about the jump,’ he said. ‘I mean about everything.’

‘Right.’

‘I mean, I know we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but you’ve totally transformed my life. I was in such a bad place before you came along. But now, I just feel – well, I feel
alive
. And it’s all because of you: because of how amazing you are. I really do think you’ve changed me for the better, forever.’

Amy’s smile seemed tinged with sadness. ‘I’m glad, Will. That’s a really lovely thing of you to say.’

‘I know it’s early days,’ Will continued. ‘But I really think that this is the start of something really special.’ He looked at her for some sign. ‘At least I hope it is.’

Amy just looked at him.

Seeing her reaction, Will regretted saying that. ‘I’m sorry; I’m coming on too strong, aren’t I? I don’t want to scare you off.’

She came over and hugged him, then kissed him softly on the cheek. ‘You’re a good man, Will. Don’t forget it.’

Then she went back to preparing her gear.

***

‘It’s there!’ Emma shouted. ‘Just up ahead.’

It had taken them nearly an hour to reach the airfield, speeding most of the way. Thank goodness Will had told Emma the previous night where the parachute jump was taking place. A quick check on the internet for directions, and they’d sped off in Lizzy’s car, picking up Dan en route. The journey had been painful. Will still wasn’t answering his phone, and the number for the airfield didn’t work.

Emma craned her neck in an attempt to spot the plane. ‘Please, please, I hope we’re not too late.’

‘I can’t see anything in the air,’ Dan said from the backseat.

Emma couldn’t see anything either. The sky was clear, so if the plane were already airborne surely they would be able to see it. ‘Please, God, don’t let anything happen to him.’

‘The entrance is there, on the left!’ Dan shouted.

They turned a hard fast left through the entrance and Lizzy stepped on the pedal, powering towards the car park.

And then they saw the plane emerge from behind the small out-building, taxiing down the runway. It was moving away from them, and it was impossible to see who was on board.

‘We’re too late!’ Emma cried. ‘Quick, stop the car, stop the car!’

Lizzy pulled up sharply and Emma threw open the door, sprinting across the gravel and grass towards the wire mesh fence that separated them from the airstrip. ‘Stop! Stop!’ She clung to the fence as if for support.

Dan and Lizzy came up beside her. They all watched as the plane moved even further away, gaining speed down the runway. Then it took to the air, banking right as it rose into the clear blue sky.

Emma broke down in tears.

They were too late.

18

They watched, stunned, as the plane continued to climb. Emma felt sick. Was she really going to watch Will plummet to his death?

Maybe there was still a chance. She wiped away the tears and looked over at the building. ‘There must be someone in there. Maybe they can contact the pilot.’

‘You’re right,’ Dan said, already moving. ‘They must have some form of ground control.’

The three of them raced into the building. The first person they saw was Will.