As Jack leaves the office for the day he touches my shoulder in sympathy as he passes but doesn’t say anything. We’re all conscious of the black cloud hanging over the office, like cigarette smoke, and I’m sure Ted’s watching my every move. I was always worried that he thought I was a liability after what happened at the Tribune. But now I realize he hired me because of that. As long as I stay on the right side of the law he’s obviously happy for me to push boundaries. But how can I when I like Margot and don’t want to upset her? She’s like … I gulp, realizing how true this is. She’s like family to me. She’s been more of a mother to me than my own. How will she react when I tell her about Adam being seen with Clive? And then another thought hits me: does Margot already know? Is she pretending she has no idea why Heather killed the Wilsons? Is she protecting her?

Chapter 30

30

Jess

The café is empty, apart from a young couple sitting in the window holding hands, and Leo. He’s at a table in a corner, stirring a latte in a glass cup. He looks up as I walk through the door and I recognize him straight away. He still has his dark brown David Essex-style hair, with just a few greys threaded through the front, and his tanned skin, which has always been craggy, appears to have just a few new lines. It strikes me – probably for the first time – how handsome he is. I didn’t notice it back then: he was just my best friend’s uncle. I thought of him as ancient, although he wouldn’t have been much older than I am now.

He stands up when he sees me and his smile lights his sparkly green eyes. I go over to him and he pulls me into a hug. ‘It’s so lovely to see you, Jess,’ he says, grazing my hot cheek with his lips. He smells musky. Then he moves me gently so that I’m at arm’s length from him and his eyes sweep over me. ‘And look how beautiful you turned out to be.’

Still a charmer. No wonder he always managed to get the women. I remember the rumours about him even then, whispers of how he couldn’t keep it in his pants.

I know a secret about him. Heather does too. I doubt she would have forgotten it.