I knew I had to make the call as soon as I left the pub otherwise I might never make it.
I hesitated as I scrolled through my contacts list and puffed out my cheeks.
He answered almost immediately.
‘I wasn’t sure you’d ever speak to me again,’ he said in a voice that suggested he was surprised to hear from me. ‘Where are you? It sounds as if you’re in a wind tunnel.’
‘I’m just walking,’ I said, pressing the phone closer to my face so that he could hear me.
‘I need to tell you something,’ I said. ‘I need to tell you everything.’
There was a long pause – a pause that gave me time to reconsider and back out of what I had decided to do.
‘Go on,’ said Alex Cole.
I wished I had a cigarette. I needed nicotine or alcohol and had neither to calm my nerves. Instead I put my index finger to my mouth and nibbled at my nail until I spoke again.
‘I know we’re all still hoping that Donna is safe and well somewhere. And I’ll be honest, part of that is because I don’t think that Martin had anything to do with her disappearance.’
‘I think we all agree with you there,’ said Alex in an encouraging tone.
‘As you know, I had a private investigator look into Donna’s affairs. That’s how I found out about your relationship.’
‘Jesus, Fran. How many times do I have to tell you? It wasn’t a relationship—’
I cut in, not letting him finish.
‘My researcher also told me that Donna and Martin were still having sex. I knew they were meeting the night of her disappearance, and I followed them. They went to Donna’s house, but I saw Martin leave some time later.’
‘Have you told the police this?’ He sounded incredulous.
‘Yes, but I’m not sure they believe me. In fact, I’m certain they don’t. Yesterday, they almost arrested me.’
‘Arrested you? Shit.’
‘As you can imagine, it doesn’t look good for me, being involved with Martin, sneaking around, following him and Donna. If you were the police, you’d think I was an obsessive mistress. Dangerous even.’
‘Why are you telling me this?’
I swallowed hard. I had to do this.
‘Because I’ve got evidence against Martin. And because I don’t know what to do with it.’
‘What evidence?’
I told him about the necklace and Martin’s insistence that Donna had never been to Dorsea.
‘If I wanted to get rid of someone, that’s where I’d take them,’ Alex muttered. ‘My lonely old house by the sea.’
‘The police have obviously searched the place, but they didn’t find the necklace.’
‘Or a body, presumably.’
‘I doubt they found anything significant, otherwise the forensics team would still be there,’ I replied.
I paused before I told him the rest of my plan. Although it was cold, I was lightly sweating. My palm was damp against the back of my phone, my breath was unsure and ragged in my chest.
‘I’m staying at Dorsea House tonight. Tomorrow I’m going to take the necklace to Inspector Doyle.’
‘Does Martin know all this?’
‘No,’ I said quickly. ‘And don’t tell him. I’m only telling you because you deserve to be prepared. If Martin’s arrested, if he’s charged this time, you’ll probably need time to deal with the fall-out from the story.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.’
My hands were shaking as the connection cut off. Now, I just had to wait.
I paced around for a few moments before I picked up the phone again.
‘It’s Fran.’
‘Thank God,’ said Martin, sounding relieved.
‘When you cut me off earlier, I started to panic.’
I steadied myself. ‘Can we meet tomorrow morning?’
‘Of course,’ said Martin, hopefully.
‘I’ve got an appointment with Inspector Doyle at eleven. Perhaps we can meet at nine thirty in Pimlico. If I’m late, wait for me. I’m staying at Dorsea this evening and the rush-hour traffic back into London might be bad.’
‘Can’t you come home tonight? We could get a hotel like last time.’
‘I’m here now. Besides, the weather’s so bad, I think I should stay put. You don’t mind if I stay at the house, do you? It might be too cold in the shed, but I noticed there were some beds on the first floor.’
‘Have you still got the necklace?’
‘I’m wearing it,’ I said, touching my throat.
‘Have you decided what you’re going to do with it?’
‘I don’t know, Martin. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.’ Holding the necklace tightly it felt as though it could strangle me. ‘We just need to find Donna, that’s the only thing that can help us now.’
‘Tom, it’s me.’
‘Tell me you’re driving back to London.’
‘Not tonight,’ I said, not allowing myself to be swayed.
‘I’ve just spoken to Doyle. He didn’t want to give much away about tomorrow’s meeting, but I think we have to prepare ourselves. They’ve found the mini-cab driver who brought you home. Apparently he picked you up on the King’s Road at one thirty and drove you back to Islington. The staff at the Walton Arms have confirmed that everyone had left the pub by eleven twenty. Doyle’s going to want to know what you were doing for two hours in Chelsea.’
‘You know I don’t have the answer to that, Tom.’
‘I’ve also spoken to Matthew Clarkson.’
I could tell by the pause that I wasn’t going to like what I would hear next.
‘The blood found in Donna’s bed. It wasn’t menstrual.’
I tried not to picture it. Maroon clouds on white Frette like alkali on litmus paper.
‘Forensics think that Donna bled in her room that night. They’re working on blood-splatter analysis to theorize what might have happened.’
How did Martin smash his knuckles? How did I gash my leg? How did Donna bleed? Why did she bleed? So many questions were throbbing in my head, I thought they might burst out.
‘Fran, please. Come back to London. If the police find out you’ve flouted their orders, if they find out you’re at Martin’s house, there is every possibility that they’ll arrest you.’
‘I’m going to have to take my chances.’
‘I think we need to start gathering a legal team.’
‘We don’t need that. Not yet. But I do need you to do something for me. I need you to come to me. It’s a big ask, but it might be the one thing that will put an end to all this.’