Till Death Do Us Part
STEPHEN EDGER

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KillerReads

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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

Copyright © Stephen Edger 2019

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

cover photographs © Shutterstock.com

Stephen Edger asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © May 2019 ISBN: 9780008320621

Version: 2019-04-02

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter Sixty-Two

Keep Reading …

A Message from Stephen

Acknowledgements

Also by Stephen Edger

About the Author

About the Publisher

For my wife (for not killing me after all our years together) xxx

PROLOGUE

She’d learned many years ago that people will do just about anything for money, it was just a question of negotiating the right price. Reaching for the towel, she wiped the remains of the cream from her breasts, before refastening the straps of her bra and shoving the wad of notes into her cleavage. Straightening, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the crusty mirror on the wall, and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, before tying it into a ponytail.

There were plenty of other ways she could earn the rent for the flat, but no other job could pay what she earned per hour with these strip gigs. Who was she kidding? She enjoyed dancing to the music and watching as men gawped lustfully, each thinking they could satisfy her, none realizing that the last thing she wanted was to have sex with any of them. There was only one special man in her life, and he was thankfully tucked up at home in bed. Pressing her locket to her lips, she kissed his tiny photograph, reminding herself that he was why she took these gigs. She’d never told him what she did for a living, and if she had her way, she’d never have to.

Zipping up her knee-length boots, she pulled on her miniskirt and leather jacket, and collected the iPod and speaker, dropping them in her bag. The stop for the night bus was a ten minute walk, and she’d already mapped the route in her mind. It was tempting to call a taxi, but it would probably take longer to arrive and drop her home than the walk and bus ride, so what was the point.

Lighting a fresh cigarette, she pushed the fire doors open, and stepped into the cool night air. Despite the lampposts lining the streets, there wasn’t a great deal of light on the road as she made her way out to the pavement and turned right. How she wished she’d brought something warmer to change into. That would have meant an extra bag, though, and she hadn’t needed the stress earlier.

Condensation billowed from her mouth as she took a fresh drag on the cigarette and wrapped her jacket tighter around her middle. A set of car headlights passed, briefly lighting the path ahead of her before disappearing into the black void. If she could squeeze in some extra gigs, she’d have enough to buy a car – nothing fancy, but a little runabout that could get her to and from these gigs with the minimum of fuss.

A sudden rush of footsteps approaching from behind put her on edge. Reaching into her handbag, she rustled around for her penknife, and, clasping it, she paused and spun on her heel, ready to thrust it at any potential attacker. She gripped it tighter as she recognized his face.

‘Help you with something, pal?’ she said, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

His shirt flapped in the breeze. She couldn’t deny he was attractive, in a goofy kind of way. Not her type by any means, but certainly someone who would receive plenty of female attention.

‘I wondered whether you wanted to join me for a drink.’

‘Thanks, but I already have plans.’

‘Are you sure? I would make it worth your while.’

She dropped the cigarette to the floor while surreptitiously slipping her penknife back into her handbag and made a show of squashing the cigarette with her boot. ‘I dance for money, and that’s it. I’m not that kind of girl.’

He pulled a large wad of notes from his pocket and began to count them into his hand. ‘Are you sure I can’t persuade you?’

Her eyes were on the cash. It was tempting, but she’d made a personal vow never to sleep with anyone for money. What she did – albeit a nefarious activity – was professional. There was a line she wasn’t prepared to cross, and the glint in this man’s eye told her exactly what he was thinking.

‘As I said, I’m not like that.’

‘There’s three grand here, and I have another two back in my car. I’ll give you the lot if you come back with me?’

She pictured her son Finn at home in bed, dreaming of knights and dragons, unaware of what his mum was doing to put food on the table. She thought about how that five grand would be more than she needed for a car and a few months of petrol.

She was still staring at the cash. ‘I told you: I’m not that kind of girl.’

He refolded the notes and returned them to his pocket, shrugging in disappointment. ‘Oh well, it’s your loss.’ He turned to walk away.

‘Wait!’ she called out, before she could stop herself. ‘Just you, right?’

His grin widened as he turned back to face her. ‘Just you and me.’

‘What exactly is it you want me to do?’

He moved closer; her hand tightened around the penknife with each step.

‘I want to know what it would be like to fuck you.’

Everyone has their price, but she’d never imagined hers would be so low. ‘Where’s your car?’

‘It’s back over by the lock-up. Don’t worry, it’s parked where nobody will see us.’

‘I want the money upfront.’

He wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders. ‘Of course.’

‘Normal sex, yeah? Nothing kinky.’

He rested a hand over his heart. ‘Scout’s honour. Missionary all the way. I want you underneath me.’

She allowed him to lead her back along the road that led to the lock-up, passing by the fire doors, and continuing for a further two minutes, until they reached the 4x4.

‘Nice car,’ she commented. ‘What do you do for a living?’

‘Why do you care? All you need to know is I have your money. Here,’ he added, as he passed her the roll of notes from his pocket, which she promptly dropped into her bag.

‘Where’s the rest?’

‘It’s in the glove box.’

The car beeped as he unlocked it, and he moved to the passenger door, opening it and reaching in. He handed her the second wad, smaller than the first; she could only guess it was the amount he’d indicated.

‘You want a line?’ he asked, waving a small packet of white powder at her.

It had been years since she’d last put coke up her nose, and as tempting as it was to feel that hit once more, she resisted. After all, she didn’t know this guy from Adam, and couldn’t be certain what he was offering or where it had come from.

She waited while he cut a line on the car’s bonnet and snorted it, rubbing the remnants into his gums, and then stared at her with lustful anticipation.

She opened the rear door, looking up at the sky and hoping she wouldn’t one day be judged for this momentary lack of sound judgement, and that’s when her head was yanked backwards. Grabbing hold of her ponytail, the man forced her forwards, pressing her face into the seat cushion, flicking up her skirt in one action.

She tried to yell, to push him away, chiding herself for underestimating what this low life had in mind. Thrusting her heel up, she felt his flesh as she struck at his groin, and suddenly her hair was released. Relieved she’d demanded the money up front, she grabbed her bag and left him writhing as she tried to move off as quickly as she could.

He wasn’t incapacitated for long, though, and she heard him chasing after her as she tottered on the heels.

‘You’re not going anywhere until I get what I paid for,’ he grizzled, wrapping an arm around her neck and heaving her backwards. He was much stronger than she’d given him credit for, and her feet barely made contact with the concrete floor as he dragged her back to the car.

Reaching into her bag once again, she located the penknife and flipped out the blade; but as her hand emerged, he was too quick for her and he grabbed her hand and drove the knife back towards her. She yelped as the cold blade tore into the flesh above her hip, and the fight immediately left her.

He released his hold on her neck, and her body slumped to the ground. Just as she was coming to terms with the fact that she’d been stabbed, and hoping he would call for an ambulance, he lifted her feet and dragged her back to the front of the car. On her back, her breaths coming in swift and shallow bursts, he was suddenly sat astride her, grinning with those white teeth. As he pulled the blade out, the last thing she’d expected was for him to drive it back into her chest.

That was the moment Kerry Valentine realized just how low a price she’d sold her life for.

ONE

The bubbles in the flute of Prosecco tickled Alice Tandy’s nose as she tried to sip from it without spoiling her make-up.

‘Relax,’ her best friend, Tara, said. ‘He’ll be here.’

Alice tried to force a smile, but the frown gave away her true feelings. This day had been two years in the making, but in truth she’d been imagining it since her seventh birthday when she’d received Bridal Barbie, and had known that one day it would be her turn to wear the big white dress and celebrate with her closest friends and family.

Tara raised the bottle, offering to top up Alice’s glass, but the bride pressed a hand over the top. ‘Thanks, but I want to keep a clear head.’

Tara shrugged, before filling her own glass. ‘Well, I don’t. As your chief bridesmaid, I expect to get trollied, dance until closing, and then end up in the sack with some guy I have no possible future with. Remind me, which of Ben’s friends are single?’

‘There will be loads of single men coming tonight,’ Alice confirmed.

‘Oh no, tell me you haven’t invited Andrew from work?’

‘What’s wrong with Andrew?’ Alice teased. ‘I think you two would make a lovely couple.’

Tara wasn’t biting. ‘Apart from the fact he’s old enough to be my dad, and has no fashion sense, he’s in love with you, not me.’

Alice shook her head. ‘No he isn’t, and don’t worry, Andrew wasn’t invited. Just pick one of Ben’s friends you fancy and make a move on him.’

Tara nearly spat out her Prosecco. ‘That’s easy for you to say, when you look like this. I’m sure if I had platinum blonde hair, a rack you could eat dinner off, and a figure that wouldn’t look amiss on a Parisian catwalk, I wouldn’t have an issue scoring. Even though I like this dress, I look frumpy, and the concealer on my face is barely covering my latest outbreak of acne. It’s just not fair! I’m twenty-six now, and I still suffer with a teenager’s worst nightmare!’

‘You are beautiful, Tara, and some day some lucky guy is going to come along and sweep you off your feet. You just wait and see!’

Tara looked down at the light blue satin dress she’d had to have altered on no fewer than three occasions since they’d first chosen it. ‘I reckon I’ve got better odds of winning the lottery.’

Alice smiled at her friend’s lame efforts to distract her from the fact they’d been sitting in the Rolls Royce outside the church for ten minutes and Ben had still yet to arrive. It was almost ironic that he ran a logistics company and was late for his own wedding.

‘I told him he had to be here by twelve,’ Alice said for the third time. ‘I didn’t say ten past, or twenty past, I said twelve on the dot.’

‘He’ll be here,’ Tara reassured. ‘If there’s one thing I know about your Ben it’s that he is absolutely smitten with you.’

Alice put her hand to her mouth, before remembering the nails were acrylic and couldn’t be chewed. Tara was right, of course she was. Ben was a good man, and he wouldn’t not turn up for his own wedding. She’d read plenty of stories of brides and grooms being stood up at the altar, but Ben wouldn’t do that to her. Would he?

‘He’ll be here,’ Tara repeated, as if reading Alice’s mind. ‘Anyway, your mum and Scott are already inside, and will give the thumbs up when it’s time. We’re still early, remember.’

Scott’s fist hammered against the glass. Dressed in grey tails and a matching cravat, her stepbrother’s expression was one of relief. ‘They’ll be here any minute,’ he said, as Tara lowered the window. ‘I managed to get them on the phone. Dave and the boys took him for a final pint and they’re just stuck in traffic. Ben’s spitting feathers too if it’s any consolation.’

Alice allowed herself a moment’s respite, closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing. Having Scott give her away had seemed the only logical option. She’d lost her father when she was still at school, and the unexpected passing of her stepdad earlier this year had taken its toll. It saddened her deeply that neither of the paternal figures in her life would be there to share the biggest day of her life, but she felt their spirits nearby. The white gold locket around her neck contained a picture of both of them, so they would remain close to her heart all day.

‘Can I get back in now?’ Scott asked through the window. Scott and Alice’s mum had travelled to the church in the car with them, but her mum had complained it was too warm and had headed on in, while Scott had made desperate calls to find out why Ben had yet to arrive.

Tara waved a finger at him. ‘Sorry, it’s girls only for now. You need to keep a lookout for Ben and make sure he gets in that church without seeing Alice in her dress. It’s bad luck for him to see her before she arrives for the ceremony.’

Scott looked ready to argue as the midday sun beat down on him, but Tara’s stare was enough to put off even the most confident of men. ‘Okay,’ he reluctantly said. ‘Why don’t you have the driver take you for a little drive and I’ll make sure everything’s ready for when you return.’

Tara wound up the window, filled Alice’s glass before she could object and instructed the driver to take them on a detour around the city centre. It really was turning into a beautiful day, the sun shining high in the sky, and barely a cloud to blot the crystal blue sky. It was in stark contrast to the early morning rain that had greeted them when they’d woken at Alice’s mum’s house four hours earlier.

The rain had felt like an omen.

Every minute of the day had been planned, from the pastries and Prosecco at the house when the hair and make-up ladies arrived, to the 1932 Rolls Royce Phantom II that had arrived to collect them at 11:30 in case heavy traffic threatened to spoil the timetable. Alice was a perfectionist and she was determined that nothing would be left to chance; and yet she’d had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach since waking that something she hadn’t accounted for would spoil everything.

Ben’s late arrival had done little to ease her nerves.

‘You know what Ben and Dave are like when they get together,’ Tara said, as she sipped from her flute. ‘Thick as thieves since school. We should have expected them to find a pub before the ceremony. And in fairness we did arrive early at the church.’

Alice nodded. Ben had been the only variable to the day that she hadn’t been able to totally organize. Once they were all at the church, she felt more certain that events would run like clockwork. The ceremony was due to start at half twelve, and be finished by one, at which point they would congregate for confetti and photographs, before Alice and Ben were whisked to the hotel ready to greet their guests upon arrival. The champagne reception would run until two, followed by the professional photographs in the grounds of the hotel, with the wedding breakfast formally commencing at three. Food would be followed by speeches, before a break at five, with everyone returning for the evening party from six. They’d decided to cut the cake prior to the first dance, so that as many of their friends and family would be there to witness it.

‘Cheer up, Faye,’ Tara said suddenly to the second bridesmaid, who’d been squashed up on the seat next to her in silence. ‘You want some more bubbles?’

Faye shook her head and continued to stare out of the window. She’d been another variable Alice had been unable to predict. Faye was married to Johnny, another of Ben’s good friends, and the two women had hit it off instantly when Ben had first introduced them four years ago. Faye wasn’t the same person now though. Once bubbly and wildly outgoing, she was barely a shell of the woman from years ago, though Alice couldn’t put her finger on exactly what had changed or when.

Alice shuffled along her seat, so she was directly across from Faye. ‘Hey, you. Is everything okay? You’ve been so quiet today.’

Faye’s eyes were wet as she fixed Alice with a troubled stare. ‘I’m fine. I’m sorry, just got one or two things on my mind. I don’t want to spoil your big day.’

‘You’re not spoiling anything, I just don’t like to see you looking so down. Is there anything I can do? Is it Isabella?’

Faye’s eyes widened at the sound of her daughter’s name. ‘No, Isabella’s fine. I told you, she’s with my mum today.’

‘What is it then? I’m worried about you.’

Faye plastered a smile across her face. ‘I’m okay. Really.’

Alice frowned at her. ‘Okay, but the two of us are going to have a proper catch-up when Ben and I get back from the honeymoon. Agreed?’

Faye’s smile widened. ‘I’d like that. Sorry again.’

‘More bubbles is what we all need,’ Tara said, filling all of their glasses. ‘I think we should also toast the most gorgeous bride and the best looking bridesmaids the world has ever seen.’

‘I’ll second that,’ Alice said, clinking her flute against theirs.

‘It really was a smart move if you ask me,’ Tara continued. ‘Picking two chubby bridesmaids, so we don’t show you up in the photos.’

Alice gasped in shock. ‘That isn’t why I picked the two of you!’

Tara chuckled to show she hadn’t meant any offence. ‘Don’t worry, I intend to do the same thing if some bloke is ever stupid enough to fall on one knee for me, but in my case the bridesmaids will have to be real heifers so as to make me look like the slim one. That probably rules the two of you out as future bridesmaids, so I’ll apologize in advance.’

The Rolls Royce returned to the outside of the church two minutes ahead of deadline. Scott was still waiting on the kerb where they’d left him, and he raised two thumbs to confirm everyone was inside and waiting.

‘Are you ready for this?’ Tara asked.

Alice took a deep breath, before lowering her veil. ‘Ready as I’ll ever be.’

As the three women emerged from the car and made their way to the church doors, the feeling of dread continued to bubble just beneath the surface of Alice’s skin.

TWO

‘You look amazing,’ Ben whispered as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. ‘I feel like the luckiest guy alive.’

Alice brushed her hand against his smooth cheek. ‘I’m the lucky one. I’m glad you took my advice and had a shave this morning too.’

It was just the two of them, now, in the back of the Rolls Royce, heading away from the church and starting their first journey as husband and wife. Ben’s parents, Alice’s mum, Scott, and the bridesmaids would follow behind in two further Phantoms hired for the day. Everyone else had directions to the hotel and would make their own way there.

‘I was convinced I would fluff my lines,’ Ben said, leaning back and interlocking his fingers with hers. ‘My throat was so dry up there, and even though the vicar was prompting us with what to say, I was sure I’d say the wrong thing.’

‘It went by in a blur, didn’t it? I’m so glad we hired someone to film it. My memory of it is already fading, and I want to hear us exchange vows again.’

‘We could always do a do-over,’ Ben teased. ‘We could phone for an annulment and head back there now.’

She pressed her head into his arm. ‘Don’t think you’re going to be able to get away from me that easily. You’re mine for keeps now, and it will take someone far stronger than you to break us.’

He kissed the top of her head. ‘Nothing will break us, I promise. I have a really great feeling about our future.’

‘I worry about Tara though. She’s obviously still really down about Jack breaking up with her. She was so sure he was going to pop the question, until he ditched her last week. It must be tough for her seeing how happy we are.’

‘She’ll be fine. The way I look at it, she’s your best mate, and she’ll be happy to share in our joy today.’

‘She’s so self-conscious about her size though. I think she’s beautiful, but she doesn’t see it. All she focuses on is her larger dress size.’ Alice adjusted the front of her own dress as it squeezed her middle.

‘You want me to have a word with Dave?’

Alice raised her head with a confused look. ‘What do you mean?’

Ben raised his eyebrows. ‘I could ask him if he’d … you know … size doesn’t bother him.’

Alice slapped his arm. ‘She doesn’t need us fixing her up with a sympathy shag, especially with someone like Dave.’

Alice hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but could see the hurt look in Ben’s eyes.

‘What’s wrong with Dave? He’s sound as a pound.’

Alice wrinkled her nose. ‘I know he’s your best friend, but he isn’t always … I just mean, I don’t want Tara to settle.’

‘He’s like a brother to me, and she could do a lot worse than Dave.’

‘I know, I know … listen, I don’t want to fall out over something so silly. I just think they’re too different. Tara is passionate about teaching, and she yearns to meet someone who will sweep her off her feet. Even you have to admit, Dave is no romantic lothario, is he?’

Ben shrugged begrudgingly. ‘I guess not. Didn’t stop you going out with him back in the day though, did it?’ He was grinning at her as he spoke, and she playfully slapped his arm again.

‘That was a long time ago, and it was a blind date. Besides, if I hadn’t met up with him that night, you never would have met me, and we wouldn’t be here now.’

‘He has a thing for schoolteachers, too, though I doubt he’ll ever find one as gorgeous as you.’

‘It’s not easy for her to meet new guys. If you think about it, the only men we tend to come into contact with are either teachers or parents. Not exactly a plentiful pool.’

‘Ha! You think it’s easier running a logistics company? Most of my clients are middle‑aged men with less hair than Dave!’

She smiled coquettishly. ‘Well, you don’t need to worry about that any more. God help you if I ever catch your eye wandering, Mr Goodman. As an experienced junior schoolteacher, I’m very handy with a pair of scissors.’ She made a point of staring at his crotch as she spoke.

He pressed his hands against her cheeks and pulled her in for a deep and meaningful kiss, sending tremors along her arms and legs.

‘I do believe we just had our first argument as husband and wife. Should I ask the chauffeur to pull over so we can have make-up sex?’

Alice couldn’t be sure if he was being serious or just teasing her again. His ability to make her laugh was what had first attracted her to him. Conventionally handsome, with dark hair and a brooding look that he could flip to at the drop of a hat, physically Ben was a fine specimen. Dave on the other hand had a large frame, with deep-set eyes and a rapidly decreasing hairline. The two had the ability to wind each other up, but when push came to shove, there was nothing one wouldn’t do for the other.

‘Make-up sex will have to wait until tonight, I’m afraid,’ she said, kissing him back. ‘I don’t want to do anything to mess up my hair before the photographs.’

He pressed the back of her hand to his lips. ‘Fair enough. Hey do you reckon our parents are behaving in the other car?’

Ben’s parents were staunch Christians who attended mass without fail every Sunday. Ben had once told her a story about how his mother had strapped a pair of tennis rackets to her feet so she could plough through a foot of snow to make it to the service. Alice’s mum on the other hand was far less religious, and rarely hid her opinions on outdated religious practices. It had been stressful having to break the news to her that they’d decided to get married in a church, especially given that neither Ben nor Alice were regular church attendees.

‘Hopefully they’re sitting in silence and enjoying the view,’ Alice said. ‘If Scott is with them, I’m sure he’ll make sure Mum bites her tongue.’

‘Hey, you could always set up Tara with Scott.’

Alice scrunched up her face. ‘I love my stepbrother and I love Tara, but I cannot see what they would have in common. Besides, Scott’s married to his cycling career. He’s never around long enough to maintain a relationship. When he’s back in Southampton he seems to spend all of his free time at the gym anyway.’

‘Yeah but he probably only does that so he isn’t trapped under the same roof as your mum. It amazes me that they still live together after all this time.’

‘It’s good for her having him around, even if that’s less and less these days. For him it offers a roof over his head when he’s in the city, and somewhere he can store all his stuff.’

‘I’m pretty sure I saw him crying when the vicar asked him to give you away. He definitely wiped something from the corner of his eye.’

‘Yeah? I’m pretty sure I saw Dave do the same thing when he realized he was giving you up.’

She chuckled at her own quip, but the joy was short-lived when she remembered they had yet to hear Dave’s best man speech. Dave wasn’t known for his tact, and although Alice had begged and pleaded with him to show her the final version, he’d refused. She’d insisted though that he keep it clean for the sake of Ben’s parents as well as her own feelings.

She accepted that she didn’t know everything from Ben’s past, and although the two of them had done the thing where they’d shared the names of previous partners, it hadn’t been something either had wanted to dwell on. It grated that Dave was privy to so much of Ben’s life prior to her arriving on the scene, and she now desperately hoped he wouldn’t parade all of the skeletons from Ben’s closet in front of her friends and family.

The first road sign for the hotel appeared ahead. Old Mill Lodge, on the edge of Hampshire’s New Forest, was a grand-looking building, so named because it was built on the site of a mill that had operated in the late nineteenth century. When the business had failed, an eccentric developer had bought the land with a view to building the finest mansion the area had seen; but a year after completion he had suffered a heart attack and the deeds had passed to his unscrupulous son, who had immediately sold it. Shortly after the Second World War, it had been turned into a fine manor hotel where wedding costs started from thirty thousand upwards.

‘You’ve gone quiet,’ Ben observed. ‘Are you okay?’

Pushing the fear from her mind, she snuggled into his shoulder contentedly. ‘With you by my side, I have everything I’ll ever need.’

THREE

‘I promised I’d go easy on him,’ Dave said, his large arm brushing against Alice’s shoulder as he reached for the bottle of wine on the table between them. His jacket was now slung over the back of the chair, and he looked more like himself.

‘Thank you,’ Alice replied over the loud music already pumping out of the room next to them, grateful that Dave’s ribbing of Ben throughout the best man’s speech had been gentle. ‘It was a good speech.’

‘You should hear the first draft,’ he teased, a wide grin breaking across the stubble on his cheeks. ‘I should let you read a copy of it, so you get to see the man you’ve really married.’

She gave him a cursory stare, but found her own lips reflecting his smile. ‘I wonder what sort of speech Ben would write about you though, Dave.’

His expression changed to one of mock hurt. ‘Moi? Didn’t you know? I’m an angel. They broke the mould when they made me. Scout’s honour.’

Alice doubted very much that Dave had ever been in the Scouts. No matter how hard she tried to picture him in shorts and a woggle, she just couldn’t do it.

Now that the speeches were complete, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She’d even caught both of Ben’s parents chuckling as Dave had relayed stories of how the two of them had met, how Dave viewed himself as something of a Cupid for helping the happy couple connect, and had avoided all references to previous partners.

Dave’s hands had trembled as he’d read out his speech, but Ben had looked even more nervous, sipping his wine every sixty seconds or so, clearly dreading the potential grenades Dave could have dropped.

The hotel staff had kicked them out of the room just after five, as Dave’s speech had dragged on a little longer than expected, and Alice had taken the opportunity to change into her evening gown and freshen up. The honeymoon suite was everything she had hoped for. High ceilings, a four-poster bed and a balcony with a view of the lake and luscious green lawn where the photography session had taken place. Picture-perfect didn’t come close to describing it, but then she’d left nothing to chance, and had spent the majority of her free time in the last two years planning every minute detail. From the embossed ‘Save the Date’ cards, to the individual handheld dessert selection that had been served during the speeches, she had overseen every detail.

Today was her day, and nothing was going to spoil it.

She hadn’t seen Ben since the breakfast, but Dave had found her and promised the rest of the lads were looking after him, which probably meant they were drinking and exchanging banter where they couldn’t be overheard. The evening guests were now gathering in the suite ready for the evening disco and buffet, awaiting the newlyweds’ arrival and the cutting of the cake.

‘Are you having a good day?’ Dave asked, leaning closer again.

‘The best,’ she gushed.

‘I’m sorry I was late getting Ben to the church,’ he continued sombrely. ‘It’s absolutely my fault, and you shouldn’t blame him. It took us ages to find an open pub. The one I’d planned for us to go to was closed, and we had to drive around until we found one. Ben kept saying we should just forget about it, but I wanted him to have a proper send-off. I hope you can forgive me. The last thing I’d want is to spoil your big day.’

She patted his arm warmly. ‘It’s okay, Dave. No harm done.’

A sudden crash into the table was followed by a hand resting on Dave’s shoulder.

‘Hey mate,’ the owner of the hand slurred. ‘You got a cigarette I can steal?’

Dave looked annoyed at the interruption, but turned to face the man. ‘You don’t smoke, Abdul.’

‘Yeah, but I like one every now and again, when I’ve been drinking. Go on, don’t be tight.’

Dave shuffled the chair back and stood, reaching for the suit jacket draped over the arm. ‘Sure, I’ll come out and join you.’ He paused and turned back to Alice. ‘Have you two met? Alice, this is Abdul. Abdul, this is Ben’s better half.’

Alice hadn’t met Abdul before, but she’d heard Ben and Dave talking about him. From India originally, he had met the other two at university and they’d spent most of their time high as kites, before going their separate ways at graduation.

‘Hi,’ Alice waved.

‘Great day,’ Abdul replied. ‘Appreciate the invite.’

‘I’ll see you in a bit.’ Dave winked at Alice, before following Abdul away from the table and towards the hotel lobby.

A moment later, Alice’s mother plonked down in the chair Dave had vacated.

‘You’re supposed to be waiting for us in the hall, Mum,’ Alice said patiently.

‘Your dads would be so proud of you right now,’ her mum replied, her eyes welling instantly. ‘It’s been a lovely day so far.’

It had taken enough planning, but it felt good to have all that effort vindicated by someone who could be so judgemental.

‘Thank you, Mum. Are you okay?’

Her mum removed a tissue from the sleeve of her violet cardigan and dabbed the corner of her eyes. ‘I’m hanging in there. I wish both your dads could have been here to see you walk down the aisle. You looked like a princess from one of those stories we used to read to you as a child.’

Alice could feel the sting of tears and took a moment to compose herself. ‘Stop it, Mum, you’ll set me off.’

Her mum hugged her tightly. ‘I’m so proud of all you’ve achieved, Alice. I wanted you to know that.’

Alice eyed the large glass of wine tentatively poised in her mum’s hand; she always became more emotional under the influence.

‘Well I’m so glad I have you here to celebrate with,’ Alice said, squeezing her back.

She saw Ben stumbling towards the table before she heard him. ‘Here are my two favourite ladies,’ he said, planting a kiss on Alice’s lips.

She could smell the whisky on his breath; he looked happier than she’d ever seen him.

‘It’s time for us to make a grand entrance,’ he slurred. ‘You’d better take charge of the cake knife though.’

Alice had enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine, but she’d wanted to keep a clear head so she could commit every second of the day to memory.

‘How is my new son-in-law?’ her mum asked.

Ben leaned forwards and planted a kiss on his mother-in-law’s cheek. ‘Does this mean you’re happy with me calling you Mum at last?’

It had been a running joke between them since he’d first strolled into her parents’ kitchen and called her Mum. They’d only been dating for three months at the time, but he’d later revealed that he’d already known he would marry Alice one day. He was a determined individual, and when he set his sights on a goal, nothing would stop him achieving it. It’s why he now headed one of the largest logistics companies on the south coast, and why they lived in a six bedroom house in the affluent area of Chilworth. He wanted to fill the property with the sound of children’s laughter and had implied he’d like at least four children; Alice, though, would wait until they’d managed to conceive one before thinking about more.

Smiling and nodding as she moved through the sea of smiling faces in the suite, she tried not to think about how uncomfortable being the centre of attention made her feel.

Ben was holding her hand, as ever her rock, leading her through the crowd to the large table in the corner where the three-tiered cake stood, miniature marzipan figures of Alice and Ben on the top. The smallest layer was fruit cake, the middle a moist chocolate sponge and the bottom a jam and vanilla mix. Something for everyone.

Moving behind the table, Ben took her hand, and together they coiled their fingers around the cold knife handle and held it on the white icing, pausing and smiling at the cameras as the room erupted with bright flashes, startling them both. In her head she counted to ten, before she pushed down together with Ben, cutting through the light sponge as another wave of flashes erupted.

It was as close to perfect as she could have imagined.

The gathered guests applauded the moment, and as Alice posed with Ben, both beaming into the continued flashes of cameras and phones, she wished she could freeze the moment in time forever.

Tara was the first to come over and hug her, swiftly followed by Faye, who looked much happier than she had in the car. ‘We’ve got something for you,’ Tara said into her ear, just as a man in a shabby-looking brown suit approached Ben and began to say something into his ear. Alice didn’t recognize the man’s face; moustachioed, wrinkles bearing the passing of time, she was sure she’d never been introduced to him.

Before she could interrupt the two men though, Faye and Tara whisked her away to the opposite side of the room, and the two men disappeared behind the throng of guests.

‘Here you go,’ Tara said, handing over a small jewellery box.

Alice craned her neck to see whether she could catch a glimpse of Ben and the stranger, but it was no use.

‘Go on, open it,’ Faye encouraged. ‘We had it specially made.’

Alice unclasped the box and lifted the lid, gasping at the olive-coloured stone hanging from the silver chain.

‘It’s peridot,’ Tara explained, ‘the birthstone for the month of August.’

‘Peridot brings its wearer success, peace and good luck,’ Faye chimed in.

‘My birthday is in June, though,’ Alice said, confused, as she lifted the stone out, reading the encryption.

‘Today is the third of August,’ Tara continued, ‘and this stone represents the birth of your union with Ben.’

Alice held the gemstone up to the light and marvelled at the luminescent green colour, with just a hint of gold. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, returning it to the box and pulling her friends closer.

Suddenly Scott burst through the crowd of guests, skidding across the floor towards them, his face drained of blood. ‘Alice, you need to come with me quickly,’ he said.

The ball of worry that had been in the pit of her stomach all day suddenly sprang back to life. ‘What is it? What’s going on?’

Scott opened his mouth to speak, but no words emerged. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her with him, pushing through the guests to where Ben was standing at the cake.

‘This must be some kind of joke,’ Ben was saying, his cheeks red with anger.

The man in the brown suit said something that Alice couldn’t hear as the DJ restarted the disco music.

‘What is it?’ Alice asked, wrapping her hands around Ben’s arm. ‘What’s going on?’

‘There’s no need for us to make a scene,’ the moustachioed man said to Ben, ignoring Alice’s appearance.

‘It’s my wedding day,’ Ben shouted back. ‘You don’t realize you’re making a huge mistake.’

The moustachioed man turned and nodded at two men standing beyond the cake. It was only when they moved closer that Alice saw what they were wearing, and realized who they were.

‘Ben, what’s going on?’ she said, the anxiety reaching her voice.

‘Ben Goodman, I am arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Kerry Valentine. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’

FOUR

Murder.

The word echoed around Alice’s head as she tried to reason what the detective had said.

Ben wasn’t a violent man; didn’t they realize that? He wasn’t capable of such a heinous crime. Not Ben. Not her Ben.

Murder?

It had to be somebody’s idea of a sick joke. The kind of twisted prank that only Ben’s friends would think to play on him on such a big occasion.

‘I don’t even know who that is,’ Ben was pleading, as one of the officers in dark uniform pulled Ben’s arms away from Alice and placed cuffs around his wrists.

‘Might be best to keep quiet for now, son,’ the man in the brown suit – presumably a detective – warned.

‘I didn’t do this,’ Ben protested. ‘You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not who you think I am.’

Ben’s face was a mixture of shock and anger, and his head snapped round as he made eye contact with Alice, his eyes begging for her to make the nightmare stop.

She was frozen to the spot, studying his face for any sign as to whether he was in on the joke, and she was the intended victim. She kept expecting Dave and Johnny to appear holding a video camera to capture her shocked reaction. She’d give anything for them to deliver the punchline sooner rather than later.

With the handcuffs secure, the uniformed officer looked to the detective, who nodded, and suddenly they were escorting Ben away from her.

‘No, you have to stop,’ Alice said, taking hold of Ben’s arm again. ‘He’s not going anywhere. Not now. Not today. This is our wedding day.’

The officer was stronger than she’d anticipated, and no amount of digging her heels into the slippery dance floor would stop him achieving his objective. Alice tried to ignore the shocked faces of their friends and family as the police cut through them with Ben, and herself in tow.

Then suddenly they were marching through the hotel’s lobby as other guests gawped at the unfolding scene, Alice scrabbling to keep up with them.

‘Get Dave,’ Ben called out to her.

Alice paused momentarily. What could Dave do? He wasn’t any kind of legal professional. She picked up the pace again, following them out through the revolving doors, down the marble steps and onto the gravel, where a police van and marked car waited.

It was the stuff of nightmares, and she was beginning to question whether the perfect ceremony had all been part of a dream that had suddenly turned sour. The cool breeze blowing at her exposed shoulders, though, suggested she was very much awake. She didn’t want to think about all the gossip-mongering now underway within the hotel as the news of Ben’s arrest spread like wildfire.

‘Please stop,’ she said, hurrying after the detective. ‘Please, just wait. This is a huge mistake. You’ve got the wrong man. This is Ben Goodman. Can you just call your office and check? They’ll tell you that he couldn’t possibly have anything to do with whatever is going on.’

The detective cocked a sceptical eyebrow in her direction. ‘I’m sorry about your wedding, but I’m just doing my job.’

Alice took a breath, fighting down her anxiety and frustration. ‘Please, just tell me what it is you think he’s done. What is he supposed to have done? He’s been with me all day.’

The detective sighed, nodding for the two officers to put Ben in the back of the van. ‘Your husband has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a young woman called Kerry Valentine last week. That’s all I can say at this time.’

Alice tasted vomit in the back of her throat. ‘Who is she? We don’t know anyone by that name.’

‘I’m sorry, but I can’t say any more right now.’

‘Please,’ she reasoned, forcing eye contact. ‘There must be some kind of mistake. That man there is Ben Goodman; my husband. We have literally just got married. You must have the wrong person.’

The detective frowned at her, as he tried to get past and into the waiting patrol car. ‘There’s no mistake, we know who he is. Now, please, I need to do my job.’

The van door slammed behind them.

‘Where are you taking him?’

‘We’re taking him to the Southampton police headquarters building. It’s in the centre of the city on the Millbrook Road. You know it?’

She knew exactly where he meant – down by the docks where visiting cruise ships dropped and collected passengers. The tall building was an eyesore on one of the busiest routes in and out of the city.

‘Well, that’s where he’ll be,’ the detective continued. ‘I’d suggest you contact whatever legal representation you have and tell them where he’ll be.’

With that, he barged past her and was in the car before she could ask anything else. Over her shoulder a small crowd had now gathered by the entrance, eager to see why the blue flashing lights were brightening the night sky.

FIVE

Alice’s legs gave way and she crumpled to the ground, the small and sharp gravel quickly digging in to her skin. Her world had flipped upside down and she couldn’t work out how to move forward.

The sound of quick and heavy footsteps on the gravel behind her was followed by Dave crouching down at her side. ‘Are you all right? What happened? Scott said something about police?’

Alice opened her mouth to speak, but the words stuck in her throat, and she soon felt tears dampening her cheeks.

‘Come on,’ Dave said, pushing his large hands beneath her arms, ‘let’s get you up and back inside.’

She allowed him to lift her like a ragdoll, but instead of following him back inside, she kept her feet where they were. ‘You need to drive me to the police station. I need to make sure Ben is okay and find out what the hell is going on.’

Dave glanced back at the crowd watching them. ‘You have a room full of guests who’ve come to see you,’ he said calmly. ‘The best thing you can do is go back in and be with them.’

‘Not without Ben. I can’t just carry on like nothing’s happened. They arrested him, Dave.’

Dave looked as uncertain as she felt. ‘Okay, okay, tell me what they said. Did they say why they were arresting him?’

She stepped towards him so that the people on the hotel steps wouldn’t hear. ‘They said they suspect he murdered someone called Kerry Valentine; do you recognize that name?’

She thought she saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes, but it could have just been the reflection of the moon.

‘Doesn’t ring any bells. Are you sure they said murder?’

Alice replayed the detective’s words in her mind, nodding. ‘They’ve clearly mixed Ben up with some other Ben Goodman, right?’

Dave nodded, but she could see he was holding back.

‘What is it?’ Alice pressed. ‘What aren’t you telling me?’

He looked down at his feet. ‘It’s just … you don’t need to hear this.’

‘Tell me, Dave. Whatever it is you know about this mess, I need to know. Ben is my husband.’

Dave raised his eyes, narrowing them as he met her gaze. ‘In my experience of the police … they have to have a pretty strong suspicion that the target is involved before they can initiate an arrest warrant.’

‘What are you saying? That Ben did it?’

He shook his head vehemently. ‘No, no, no. What I’m saying is, it won’t be a case of mistaken identity, at least, not the way you’re thinking. There must be dozens of Ben Goodmans across the UK, but they’re unlikely to have simply arrested the wrong one. For whatever reason, they suspect that your Ben – our Ben – is involved.’

‘That’s ridiculous! Ben’s not a killer.’

‘Believe me, I know!’ He looked back at the people gathered behind them, each clearly wondering whether to head back inside or come down the steps and offer comfort and support. ‘Listen, let me go to the police station and see what I can find out. Okay? You should probably make some kind of announcement to quell the rumours circling inside. Just tell people there’s been a mix-up, and Ben has had to temporarily go and fix it. Meanwhile, I’ll go down there and keep you posted via the phone.’

It wasn’t what she wanted, but she could see the logic in his suggestion. ‘You can’t drive, you’ve been drinking.’

‘I’ll get Scott to give me a lift; he’s been on soft drinks all day because of his training. Okay? Will you go inside for me? If you’d prefer, I can make an announcement before I go.’

She rubbed his arm, for once grateful that Ben had chosen him as his best man. ‘I’d rather you go down there straight away, and let me know what’s going on. I’ll make the announcement, or I’ll get Tara to do it.’

He nodded. ‘Try not to worry. I’m sure you’re right, and this is just a huge mistake.’

‘Just bring him back to me, Dave,’ she said as fresh tears fell. ‘Please bring Ben home.’

Tara was waiting for her just inside the swivel doors. ‘Here, I got you this for the shock,’ she said, handing over a tumbler of something caramel-coloured.

Alice accepted the glass, but one sniff of the brandy had her swiftly passing it back. ‘I need to keep a clear head, but thank you.’

Tara led her through the lobby to a small room where the wedding gifts were being stored during the party. Closing the door behind them, Tara wrapped her arms around Alice and gently squeezed.

‘I saw what happened. How are you holding up?’

‘I just saw my husband arrested on suspicion of murder … I’d say I’m somewhere between shocked and outraged.’ Alice had seen Ben’s face as they’d put him in the back of that van, somewhere between anger and panic. The cool demeanour which was usually his trademark had evaporated before her very eyes. ‘You didn’t see the fear in his eyes.’

‘Fear?’ Tara replied. ‘Ben? No chance. You know what he’s like: could charm the hind legs off a donkey. They’ll probably drive him to the station, make him give his name, take his fingerprints and then realize they’ve got the wrong guy.’

Alice stopped. ‘You really think so?’

Tara exaggerated her nod. ‘Absolutely. You’ll see.’

Alice could only hope she was right. The best outcome now would be for Ben to be back before eight so they could continue their celebration and put this nightmare behind them.

Tara extracted herself from the hug. ‘I don’t want to add to your stress … but I think someone needs to make an announcement. It’s better to say something than let rumours spread.’

Alice fixed her with a hopeful look. ‘Would you mind doing it? I don’t think I could stand everyone staring up at me. Just say that Ben’s been called away on urgent business, but will be back later.’

Tara nodded sombrely. ‘Of course, of course, that’s what I’m here for. We should probably have a quiet word with your mum and Ben’s parents first though.’

Alice nodded. ‘Can you find them for me, if I wait here?’

Tara agreed, before handing Alice a small bag. ‘Might be an idea to fix your mascara as well. We don’t want people seeing how upset you are.’

Alice unzipped the bag as Tara slipped out of the room and went in hunt of the parents. Opening the compact mirror, Alice stared at the panda eyes looking back at her. Of all the things that could have gone wrong today – guests not turning up, the caterers messing up the food, Dave making an inappropriate best man’s speech – the thought of Ben being hauled away by the police had never entered her mind. If Dave was right, and the police hadn’t just mixed up Ben with another Ben Goodman, then what did that mean? She’d known Ben for more than five years, and they’d lived together for the last three, since she’d graduated from university. Surely in all that time she would have picked up on any murdering tendencies?

She shook her head dismissively. Of course she would have. Despite Dave’s caution, the police had made a mistake, of that she had no doubt.

A knock on the door was followed by Tara smuggling in Alice’s mum and Ben’s parents. All three looked white as sheets. Ben’s parents, Ray and Hermione, were the first to embrace her.

‘Are you okay?’ Ray asked.

Alice fought back the tears as she nodded. ‘Did you see what happened?’

Ray looked at his wife before shaking his head. ‘We saw the two of you cut the cake, but then we went to the bar to buy drinks. When we returned, neither of you were in sight, nor was anybody dancing. We didn’t know what to think. Then someone mentioned the police and an arrest, and …’

Dressed in the jacket he always wore on special occasions – embossed with his many military awards from years in the services – Ray looked ready to cry, and Alice couldn’t bear to watch. Pulling him towards her, she hugged him warmly.

‘It will be all right,’ Alice assured him, hoping to convince herself.

Alice’s mum remained by the door, watching the scene unfold. ‘What did they arrest him for?’

Alice had hoped that news of the arrest would be enough to pacify them, without going into sordid detail. Admitting that Ben had been arrested on suspicion of murder felt like she was going behind his back and muddying his name. Alice looked to Tara for support, but her friend stared blankly back at her.

‘It’s all just a big mistake,’ Alice said. ‘When they realize they’ve screwed up, he’ll be back here with their grovelling apology.’

‘Do you think we should cancel the party?’ Hermione asked.

All the months of planning that had gone into today, striving to make the day perfect, it would be such a waste to just send the guests home. The last thing Alice wanted to do was plaster on a fake smile and pretend everything was okay, but what choice did she have?

‘The guests are here, there’s a ton of buffet food waiting to be served, and the DJ is paid until midnight,’ Alice said. ‘When Ben returns, I want the party in full swing, so he can see how much we all love him and trust him.’

Ben’s parents nodded, Ray looking calmer now.

‘I’ll go make that speech,’ Tara said, opening the door and leading the parents back out to the lobby.

Alice remained where she was, reaching for the make-up bag, ready to conceal just how terrified she really felt.

SIX

Slumped at a table, with only a quiet Tara and her mum for company, Alice’s anxiety had only deepened in the two hours since the police had interrupted the celebration. Her only distraction was the disco ball spinning on the desk by the DJ. Cheesy pop song after cheesy pop song blasted out of the large speakers, and those who were already drunk enough to have forgotten the earlier ruckus were making shapes on the dance floor. Alice had handpicked the list of songs the DJ was allowed to play on the night – classic songs from her time at school, university and since she’d known Ben. Songs that she loved to listen to, each stirring happy memories. Yet as she watched the party carrying on without her, the songs brought nothing but sadness.

It should have been her on the dance floor, with friends and her new husband, but the thought of getting out there and pretending everything was okay was making her head spin as fast as the disco ball.

Ben’s parents had headed up to bed shortly after Tara’s announcement over the speaker system. Ray had said his wife had a headache, but she didn’t blame them for wanting to be away from the furtive glances of those who weren’t dancing – the ones who were still looking over and gossiping. Sitting at the round tables around the edge of the room, Alice could only imagine what they were whispering to each other.

The music was loud enough that Tara hadn’t attempted to offer false platitudes and positive but fruitless statements. Every time a new figure entered the room, Alice would look up in hopeful expectation, desperate to see Ben’s smile and kick things back on course. As yet there was no sign of him though, and despite her dozens of calls to Dave’s mobile, he had yet to respond, save for a single text message to say he and Scott had arrived at the station.

Picking at one of the pearls embroidered into her dress, Alice leaned towards Tara, practically shouting so she would be heard over the music.

‘Where is he? Why haven’t they released him yet?’

Tara looked like she didn’t know how to answer the question. ‘These things take time I guess,’ she called back. ‘It must be a fifteen to twenty minute drive from here to the police station, right? So multiply that by two – there and back – plus another hour to process him and realize their mistake, and you can see how it would add up.’

‘I should have gone there with him. I should have told everyone the party was over and gone to support him. I can’t believe I let Dave talk me into staying.’

‘Ben wouldn’t want you to worry, would he? He knows they’ve got the wrong man – as we know too – and it will be eating him up inside knowing how hurt you’re feeling. It wouldn’t surprise me if he wasn’t already speaking to his solicitor about how to sue the police for ruining the day.’

Alice fixed her with an affectionate look. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without you here. You really are a true friend.’

Tara waved away the praise. ‘It’s like you said, you’ll have to return the favour one day, and when it’s my wedding day going up in flames, you’ll be the one fighting to keep me sane.’ Tara suddenly gasped as she realized what she’d said. ‘Oh, honey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that your day was going up in flames. I just meant—’

Alice strained a smile. ‘It’s okay, Tara, I know what you meant. I just keep thinking about that moment when they burst in. It was like I was watching a film or something, or like it was happening to someone else.’

‘I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough.’

‘Some of our colleagues are out there though, which means the story will get out at school when the summer holidays are over, which means no matter what happens tonight, there’ll still be gossiping about me even when all of this is over.’

Tara reached for the tumbler of brandy and took a long sip. ‘Only if you let them. The best thing you can do is to go out there, plaster a huge smile on your face, and show them you’re stronger than this. Hell, you can even lie to them and say Ben has been released. Make it a non-story. The longer you mope and keep yourself hidden away, the more people will talk. Let’s show them. Let’s show them that Alice Tandy – sorry, Goodman – is not a bitch you mess with!’

Alice suddenly gasped as a new thought hit her. ‘The honeymoon! Our tickets to Barbados are non-refundable. We’re supposed to be at Gatwick tomorrow night!’

Tara didn’t look concerned. ‘Worst-case scenario, you have travel insurance. Best-case scenario, Ben will be here shortly, and you’ll still make tomorrow’s flights. I don’t think you should worry about that right now. I know you’re looking forward to it, but it might be that you just have to delay the honeymoon until all this has blown over.’

‘I’m not sure travel insurance will cover the costs of the flights and hotels because Ben was arrested.’

‘No? Let me look into that for you. It’s the least I can do. Either way, Ben is loaded, and the cost of the honeymoon was probably a drop in the ocean for him. You’ll just have to go in a month or so.’

‘I’ll be back at school in a month. That’s why we booked the wedding and honeymoon during the summer holidays.’ Alice blinked back tears. ‘I need to know what’s going on. I’m not prepared to just sit back and let someone mess all of this up. Can you tell everyone the party is over? Then you and I will get a taxi to the police station, and we won’t leave until Ben is released.’ Alice sighed in satisfaction, feeling adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Alice’s mum seemed oblivious to their conversation, tapping her foot in time with the music, making no effort to console her daughter.

The door to the room opened, and Alice once again looked up in hope. She recognized Dave’s large outline immediately, and without a second’s thought raced across the room to him. ‘What’s going on? Where’s Ben?’ she shouted over the din.

He bent low and spoke into her ear. ‘Can we go somewhere for a quiet word?’

‘I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where my husband is.’

‘Please, Alice, let’s go somewhere where we won’t be overheard. Please?’

Tara was at her side a moment later, linking arms, and staring questioningly at the best man.

Dave nervously glanced around, feeling the burn of people’s eyes on them. Leaning forward once more, he whispered, ‘The police have processed him, but won’t interview him until the morning. They can keep him in custody for twenty-four hours before they have to release him, and apparently they intend to make full use of the time. He won’t be out until tomorrow.’

SEVEN

Slumped on the four-poster, Alice tried to flatten the crease in her satin evening dress without success. Dave had insisted they go somewhere quiet to talk, and with no other obvious options, they had headed to the honeymoon suite, Faye and Tara, too.

Dave was crouched down by the minibar, grabbing handfuls of small bottles and dropping them on the floor. He hadn’t asked whether he could help himself, but money was the last thing on Alice’s mind as she watched him pop open the lid of a box of Pringles and offer her one. She hadn’t eaten since the wedding breakfast earlier, despite the large buffet spread downstairs. She shook her head politely though, as her appetite was missing in action.

Tara and Faye were standing on the balcony overlooking the lake, talking quietly. The cool breeze coming from the gap in the doors was welcome. So many questions were peppering Alice’s mind that she was struggling to keep up with the pace.

Dave slammed the door to the minibar fridge and reached for one of the bottles, unscrewing the cap and swallowing the contents before tossing the bottle towards the small plastic bin by the desk. She watched him, for the first time seeing what resembled fear in his eyes. He unscrewed a second miniature and held it close.

‘What aren’t you telling me?’ Alice asked.

Their eyes met, before he quickly looked away. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

Alice’s gaze hadn’t left his face. As a teacher, she’d learned to pick up on tells when she was being lied to, and Dave’s body language was screaming at her right now.

‘Who is Kerry Valentine?’ she asked.

Dave’s shoulders instantly tensed, as he turned his back to her. ‘Who?’

The only thing worse than being lied to was recognizing the deceit.

‘The woman they think Ben killed,’ Alice continued. ‘Who is she?’

‘How would I know?’ Dave was still facing the wall, but she could see he’d put the miniature to his lips.

She had no doubt he was keeping things from her; he was a terrible liar at the best of times, but the question was why was he lying? To protect Ben? To protect himself?

Sliding off the bed, she moved around Dave so she could look into his eyes when she asked the next question. ‘What else did the police say to you?’

‘Nothing. They wouldn’t speak to me.’

She saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes again. Keeping her tone calm but even, she said, ‘Please don’t lie to me. Ben’s my husband, and I deserve to know the truth.’ She reached for his hand and held it, surprised by how cold it felt. ‘Please, Dave, whatever it is you’re keeping from me, it can’t be any worse than the paranoid thoughts whizzing through my mind right now. Please?’

The balcony doors opened wider and the two bridesmaids entered the room, Tara making a beeline for the collection of bottles on the floor near the fridge. Picking up two bottles of vodka, she held one out for Alice, who shook her head. Tara shrugged and carried the two miniatures back to the bed.

As Alice turned back she saw Dave had escaped to the balcony and followed him out. The breeze was stronger out here and she felt the hairs on her arms stand on end.

‘Whatever the truth is,’ she said, ‘I will find it out. They won’t be able to keep Ben in there forever. The two of you will have to come clean soon enough. Just put me out of my misery. What did the police really say?’

Dave remained where he was, staring out at the full moon peeking out from behind a single cloud in the dark night sky.

‘Nothing. I didn’t speak to the police. It was the solicitor who told me they were keeping Ben in.’

Alice frowned. ‘Solicitor? Since when does Ben have a solicitor?’

‘He’s a mate of mine. I called him on the way to the police station and asked him to just go and check on Ben.’

Alice didn’t want to ask why Dave happened to have a solicitor on standby, but given some of the stories Ben had told her about Dave, she could guess.

‘Why would Ben need a solicitor if he hasn’t done anything wrong?’ She hadn’t expected the question to sound so callous, but she couldn’t reason how the police could be so certain they had the right man unless there was a lot more she didn’t know.

‘The police, they … they can twist things. I promise you, Ben didn’t do what they say, but I need to make sure he doesn’t get himself into trouble by saying the wrong thing.’

A tiny voice in the back of her head didn’t like the mention of the wrong thing, but now wasn’t the time to question what Ben could possibly say to implicate himself.

‘Will this solicitor look after Ben then?’

Dave’s focus remained on the moon, but he nodded.

‘Will you tell me one thing?’

He turned and looked straight at her, nodding again.

Alice took a deep breath. ‘Who is Kerry Valentine? I know you know more than you’re saying. I know you recognize her name. Does Ben know her?’

Alice had been trying to ignore the voice of doubt, but it was now too loud to ignore. She didn’t pretend to know all of Ben’s friends, but she was certain she’d have remembered him mentioning a name like Kerry Valentine. If he hadn’t mentioned her name, was there another reason for keeping her identity a secret? Alice’s last two boyfriends had cheated on her, and she was now dreading the possibility that history had repeated itself.

‘Please, Dave?’ she said when her question was greeted with silence. ‘Who is Kerry Valentine?’

Dave buried his face in his hands and growled as he summoned the words. ‘She was a stripper I hired for his stag do.’

Alice let the words sink in. ‘A stripper?’

Dave lowered his hands and stared apologetically at her. ‘I’m sorry. I wanted him to have one last hurrah before he settled down.’

‘Wait, his stag do? So this stripper was with you in Malia?’

Dave shook his head. ‘No, Malia was two weeks ago. This was last weekend.’

Alice’s mind fogged with confusion. ‘A week ago? I was in France a week ago. The deal was he went to Malia with his friends, and then I’d go to Paris with mine the week after.’

Regret was plastered all over his face. ‘It wasn’t Ben’s fault. He didn’t know anything about it. I just thought it was an opportunity to relive our old uni days. I called together some of the guys who couldn’t afford to do Malia with us and suggested we get together and knock back a few shots.’

‘I phoned Ben from Paris. You answered and said you were both at our place watching films and getting drunk. You told me Ben was in the toilet.’

The crevices in his forehead sank deeper. ‘He was tied up in the back of my car at that point. We kidnapped him and made him come out with us, because we knew he wouldn’t want to break his promise to you.

‘I drove us to Bournemouth, to a few of the bars we used to hit in our uni days. You should have heard him though; the whole time he kept saying how guilty he felt about not staying home as he’d promised. We all swore a pact that we’d never let slip what we’d done or where we’d been. He was terrified you’d blame him for breaking the promise, but I swear to you, it was all my doing.’

She didn’t doubt that Dave was the ringleader, but she couldn’t believe Ben had kicked up that much of a fuss. He wouldn’t deliberately lie to her, but if there was a chance of booze and clubbing, Ben wouldn’t take much persuading. Dave was obviously laying it on thick in an effort to protect his best friend.

Alice walked back into the room and reached for her shawl, spotting Faye on the bed, next to Tara. ‘Did you know about this?’

Faye frowned at the question. ‘Know about what?’

‘Apparently Ben, Dave and the boys went to Bournemouth last weekend when we were in Paris. Did Johnny mention it to you?’

The look of surprise on Faye’s face indicated he hadn’t. ‘Johnny can’t have gone. He was looking after Isabella because I was away with you.’

EIGHT

Dave had now left the balcony and re-entered the room. ‘Johnny left Isabella with his mum for the night and then collected her Sunday morning. I’m sorry. He was sworn into the same pact, and couldn’t tell you the truth. There was no reason why any of you should have found out where we were. Nothing of incident happened, and we all returned to Southampton first thing on Sunday.’

Alice felt saliva building at the back of her throat as she asked her next question. ‘Did you pay for Kerry to have sex with Ben?’

‘Absolutely not! I wouldn’t do that to you, Alice. Nor would Ben. He is absolutely smitten with you, and wouldn’t look at another woman.’

It was the answer she wanted to hear, even if she wasn’t sure whether she could believe a single word out of Dave’s mouth.

‘So you went to some kind of strip club then?’ she pressed.

Dave reached for a bottle of lager from the collection on the carpet and snapped the lid off. ‘You remember Abdul from earlier?’

She nodded.

‘He had the keys for this old bar. It had gone out of business, but it was quiet and we knew we wouldn’t get disturbed. So we went there, buying some booze from a local grocer’s, and then someone suggested we get a stripper and pay her to give Ben a private dance.’ He suddenly fixed her with a hard stare. ‘He knew nothing about it until she arrived. We tied him to a chair and watched as she performed a lap dance for him.’

Alice could feel the vomit rising in her throat again as she pictured Ben on a chair while a beautiful young woman danced provocatively for him. ‘Where did you find her?’

Dave whipped out his phone and presented the Internet search history. ‘I typed: “private dancers, Bournemouth”, and I called one of the first numbers that came up. She rocked up twenty minutes later, with her own music and speaker. Ben emerged from the toilets and we quickly grabbed him and tied his wrists behind the chair with some rope Abdul found behind the bar. She did a dance using some squirty cream and made him lick it off her, and that was it.’ Dave swigged from the lager. ‘Then she cleaned herself up, I handed over the money and she left. We stayed at the lock-up for another ten or so minutes and then we tied Ben to a pole outside and pulled down his trousers. We left him there while we headed out to buy more booze.’

Her eyes widened. ‘You left him tied up in the street? He could have got mugged or killed, or God knows what!’

‘It’s what you do on a stag do. We were just messing with his mind; we never had any intention of leaving him there all night, we just wanted to see how scared he got. We eventually went back and let him go, drank for a further hour or so before we all passed out. We woke up and headed home, stopping for breakfast on the way.’

‘Did you tell the police all this?’

‘I tried, but they weren’t willing to listen. They told me to come back in the morning and someone would take my statement then.’

‘What about Ben?’

‘They said because he’s been drinking today, they’re not allowed to interview him until the morning, but they’ve said they’ll do so first thing. All being well, the solicitor reckons he’ll be out by lunchtime.’

The gentle vibrations in the carpet suggested the loud music from the party was still going. If Ben was back by lunch, at least they wouldn’t have to cancel the honeymoon, but right now she would happily give up the trip to Barbados to have him here with her.

By ten o’clock, even the happiest of revellers had left the dance floor, and as Alice looked around the room, the only people who remained were those who were staying the night at the hotel. Through the fire exit window, Alice could see what looked like a heated argument between Faye and Johnny. Faye had been furious to learn that Johnny had abandoned their daughter for a night out with his mates, and it didn’t look like he was too pleased to be challenged on it.

Alice’s stepbrother Scott was chatting to Abdul and a second man that Alice vaguely recognized. She knew he was someone that worked with Ben, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember his name. The three of them were sitting at a table on the other side of the hall, so it was impossible to know what they were talking about, though she suspected Ben’s arrest wasn’t far from any of their minds. Dave had promised to round up the group from Bournemouth and have them go with him to make statements at the police station in the morning.

Alice’s mum had headed up to bed shortly after Alice had returned to the party, and Tara looked as though she might fall asleep at the table at any minute.

‘You should go up to bed,’ Alice suggested.

Tara suddenly gave a jolt as she realized she was being addressed. Reaching for her glass of wine, she knocked it back. ‘I’m not going anywhere without you.’

Alice was touched by her friend’s loyalty, but it wasn’t fair to be keeping her up unnecessarily. ‘I’m probably going to head up too. The sooner this day ends the better.’

Tara pulled a sympathetic pout. ‘Do you want me to stay in the room with you? I’ll be lousy company, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone tonight.’

Alice choked back the emotion building in her throat. ‘You don’t need to do that. I’ll probably be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.’

Tara crossed her arms. ‘I’m not taking no for an answer.’

Alice leaned across and hugged her. ‘Thank you.’

The two women stood and Alice took a final cursory glance around the room to check she hadn’t missed anyone she should thank for attending. Faye and Johnny had disappeared from the window, presumably to return to their room, and Alice waved goodnight to Scott and the other two before peeling out of the room and heading up to the honeymoon suite. Tara said she would collect her things from her room and return.

Once inside, Alice changed into her negligee and dived under the covers. Next door it sounded like Johnny and Faye’s argument had resulted in the noisiest make-up sex Alice had ever heard. Tara knocked on the door moments later and climbed into bed too.

‘Do you want me to stay awake until you’re asleep?’ Tara yawned, the alcohol in her system making her drowsy.

‘No, I just want to sleep,’ Alice replied, switching off the bedside lamp.

Barely two minutes had passed before Tara began snoring. It was the cue Alice had been waiting for. Reaching over to the bedside table, she switched on her phone and opened an Internet search window, typing in the name ‘Kerry Valentine’. It had been a long and stressful day, but Alice’s mind wouldn’t allow her to rest until she knew as much as she could about this mystery woman.

NINE

Sunlight was already streaming through the open balcony door, and the cool morning breeze was enough to raise goosebumps on Alice’s arms as she stirred. Rising from the bed, she moved across to the door and gently closed it, pulling the curtain back across, casting the room in a dim shadow.

When sleep had come, it had been interspersed with memories of the cuffs being snapped around Ben’s wrists and the sound of the van door being slammed. So vivid were the visions in her dreams that she’d woken believing the whole experience had just been a nightmare brought on by the stress of planning the wedding. Then she had turned to look at the other side of the bed and, seeing Tara’s face where Ben’s should have been, she’d realized how true the visions were.

Unlike Alice, Ben was a positive soul; rather than looking for worst-case scenarios, he always sought to find the green grass in every situation. If he were here now, he wouldn’t be worrying about the arrest or what others would say. Instead, he’d be telling her what a great anecdote it would make.

‘Remember that time I was arrested on our wedding day?’ he would laugh.

He would probably be back in her arms by lunchtime, and hopefully the whole sordid mess could be put behind them, yet her old self-doubt continued to niggle away: they wouldn’t have arrested him if they weren’t sure he was guilty; you always thought he was too good to be true; mud sticks.

Alice headed into the en suite bathroom, closed the door and switched on the shower, cranking up the heat before stepping in and feeling the hot and forgiving waters wash away the pain of yesterday. Emerging from the bathroom through a thick cloud of steam, she felt like a contestant on Stars in their Eyes.

Tara was still fast asleep, bless her. Her face looked like a child had come in and tried to fix her make-up: black smears running down both cheeks, her lipstick spread up at awkward angles.

Hours spent searching for details about Kerry Valentine online had proved fruitless. News of her death had yet to be picked up by any news agencies, and Alice had learned there were six Kerry Valentines listed in the Bournemouth and Poole areas alone, and there was no guarantee any of them was the victim.

Alice had even searched for her on Facebook, but with no idea what Kerry looked like, it had been impossible to work out which profile – if any – belonged to the victim. The profile images ranged wildly, from a woman in her early twenties with jet black hair, to an octogenarian with a purple rinse. For all Alice knew, Kerry Valentine may not have been active on social media or from Dorset. Alice had eventually given up her search shortly before three.

Her phone beeped on the duvet cover to indicate she’d received a message. Opening it, she saw it was from Dave. A simple:

How are you feeling? Can I do anything for you?

The only thing she wanted was for the clock to be reset so that she could relive yesterday without the interruption of the police, but nobody could provide her with that.

Tara pushed herself off the pillow and, bleary-eyed, stared at Alice. ‘Morning,’ she croaked.

Alice smiled warmly. ‘How did you sleep?’

Tara blinked several times and yawned. ‘Fine, I guess. What time is it?’

‘Just gone seven,’ Alice said, a small towel now wrapped around her head to dry her hair. ‘We should probably think about breakfast.’

Tara gasped at the time. ‘What are you doing up so early, you evil woman?’

Tara wasn’t a morning person, and Alice could forgive her reluctance to be awake so early on a Sunday morning.

‘I couldn’t sleep,’ Alice said apologetically. ‘You can go back to sleep if you want?’

Tara’s expression changed as the reality of last night filtered through the hangover fog in her head. ‘What kind of friend would that make me?’ She slid her legs off the edge of the bed, heading into the bathroom and closing the door. A scream a moment later meant Tara had seen her reflection in the mirror. The door to the en suite flew open and Tara’s face appeared around it.

‘I should probably shower and dress before breakfast. Can you give me twenty minutes to freshen up?’

Alice nodded and moved across to put on the room’s kettle, dropping teabags into two mugs before dressing in the summer dress she’d brought for the trip to the airport later. Their bags were all packed at home, waiting for collection, but if the police didn’t release Ben until this afternoon, it would be a rush to get to the airport for check-in.

The shower thundered to life, the sound reverberating off the connecting wall. The thought of seeing the guests who’d stayed at the hotel filled her with dread. Without Ben at her side, she felt so vulnerable.

A knock at the bedroom door startled her.

Dave’s hulking figure was leaning against the woodwork. ‘Morning,’ he offered.

‘Hi,’ she replied, surprised to see him looking as fresh as he did.

‘I sent you a message,’ he explained, ‘and then I thought that was pretty callous when you’re just down the hall. Did you manage to get any sleep?’

‘Some,’ she said. ‘You?’

‘I never sleep well in a different bed. So what I did do was jot down details of the stag night in as much detail as I could remember. That way, when I go to the police station, I can make it clear that Ben couldn’t have had anything to do with what happened to that poor girl, because he was with us all night.’

‘Thank you.’

He shuffled from one foot to the other. ‘Listen, Alice, there’s …’ he paused as if trying to find the right words. ‘I … what I mean to say is … I’m sorry about all of this. It was my idea to drag Ben to Bournemouth, and it was my idea for none of us to mention where we’d been or why, and I was the one who hired the girl to strip, and …’

She was surprised to see his eyes welling, and felt obliged to put her hand on his arm reassuringly. ‘It’s okay, Dave, you couldn’t have known any of this would happen.’

She had met Dave at the first school she worked after graduating as a teacher. He was the son of one of the older members of staff, and he’d pestered her for months to go on a date with him. At the time she had been trying to focus on settling into her new career, but eventually she had reluctantly agreed. Rather than going for a drink or some food, he’d taken her to a party – a birthday party – for one of his friends. Suddenly thrust into a crowd of strangers who all seemed to know each other, she’d never felt so awkward, and had been trying to think of excuses to take off when Ben had walked into the room.

They talk about thunderbolts, and there was no other way to describe the instant attraction she’d felt to the handsome man in the Hawaiian-style shirt, his brown hair styled to within an inch of its life, his physique firm but not overly toned. She was sure her mouth had hit the floor. As he had approached, her hands had become clammy, her heart rate had increased rapidly, and by the time he was greeting Dave she was putty in his hands.

He’d respected the boundary, waited for Dave to introduce them, and had then asked questions of her. She could still feel the burn in her cheeks as her mind had gone blank, and she’d barely managed to string together two words. Despite her own awkwardness, Ben had discreetly slipped her his number before he’d been dragged away by one of the other partygoers.

She’d texted him her number as soon as Dave had dropped her home, and although Dave had leaned in for a kiss, she hadn’t reciprocated. Dave just wasn’t her type, with a shaved head and thick dark beard, his outer image was that of a bouncer at a nightclub. She preferred men in softer focus, more naturally handsome. Ben had ticked all of the boxes, and even some she hadn’t realized she wanted ticking.

She’d felt guilty when they’d started texting each other. It turned out Ben was quite the charmer and hugely flirtatious. Alice had insisted he speak to Dave before they went on their first official date, and he was happy to do so. It wasn’t like she and Dave had been an item, so her developing relationship with Ben wasn’t wrong. Within four weeks, she’d totally forgotten about Dave’s interest in her.

For the first six months of their relationship Ben had called and spoken to her every day. Sometimes the calls would last no more than two minutes, on other occasions they spoke for nearly an hour. Whenever he picked her up for a date, he was a gentleman from the first minute to the last. The sex, when she did finally succumb, had been everything she had imagined it would be. When he’d proposed two years ago, she’d known she was marrying her best friend and soulmate.

When Dave had first taken her to that party, she never would have guessed that this was how things would end up.

‘I will get him back to you,’ Dave said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, clearly ashamed at having allowed his mask to slip. ‘I’ll speak to the other boys in a bit and we’ll all go and make statements. We were with him all night, and I’m sure all of this will blow over when we give him an alibi.’

Alice thanked him and watched him walk back along the corridor before closing the door behind her. Something Dave had said was itching at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t place what or why.

The bathroom door opened a moment later and Tara stumbled out, a towel around her middle and one around her short auburn hair. ‘Who was at the door?’

‘Just Dave,’ Alice replied.

‘Oh yeah?’ Tara smirked.

‘What?’ Alice frowned.

‘Oh come on, you must know he’s carried a torch for you for years?’

Alice’s frown deepened. ‘No, don’t be silly. He’s Ben’s best friend, and he’s just as worried as I am.’

‘If you say so.’

Alice didn’t like the implication. ‘It isn’t like that, Tara. Dave might have his flaws, but I don’t think he’d try and do the dirty on Ben.’

‘No, of course not,’ Tara said matter-of-factly, as she dried herself and dressed. ‘I’m sure you’re right. Forget I said anything.’

Alice didn’t need the stress of worrying about Dave’s feelings, and pushed it from her mind. It was time to face the music, and thank those who’d made the effort to come and celebrate with them. She just had to hope she’d stay composed enough not to cry.

TEN

The sun was now shining brightly through the glass of the honeymoon suite, and although they’d opened the window for fresh air, only warm air was blowing in as they packed the wedding dress away in its protective liner. Breakfast had thankfully passed without incident. They’d been too early for most of the guests who’d stayed. Alice’s mum had joined their table just as they were leaving and had asked for any updates, but Alice hadn’t been able to tell her anything new.

‘Where d’you want me to put the shoes?’ Tara asked, lifting the ivory-coloured heels.

‘There’s a box for them somewhere,’ Alice replied, without looking up. She’d been staring at the stack of prettily wrapped gifts for at least ten minutes, still trying to work out the quickest way to get them downstairs without Ben’s help.

Tara suddenly appeared behind her and wrapped an arm around Alice’s waist. ‘It’ll be okay. You’ll see.’

Alice allowed her head to tip back and rest on Tara’s shoulder. ‘Try telling my mother that. When we left her at breakfast, she was practically in tears.’

‘Do you want me to have a word?’

Alice patted Tara’s hand on her waist, but shook her head. ‘I appreciate the offer, but I think she just needs space. You know what she’s like: this whole catastrophe casts a shadow over the family, and in her eyes the rest of her social circle will never allow her to forget it. She doesn’t seem to realize that given their age, most of her friends will have forgotten anything by this time next year.’

Tara snorted and released her arm, returning to the open drawer in the dresser. ‘How much underwear did you bring?’ she enquired, looking into the drawer.

Alice shrugged. ‘Better to be safe than sorry. Just drop them in the case with the rest and I’ll sort it all out when I get home.’

They both jumped at a heavy knock at the door. Tara looked over to Alice before moving across to the door and opening it. Alice had to crane her neck to see, but her heart still skipped a beat when she saw Ben’s tall figure framed in the doorway. His tie was gone, his shirt untucked and his hair in need of a wash and comb.

‘I’ll make myself scarce,’ Tara offered, reaching for her handbag and ducking beneath Ben’s arm as he came into the room.

‘Are you a sight for sore eyes,’ he said, with no trace of a smile. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.’

It was like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and suddenly she was free to run. Rushing across to him, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

‘I am so sorry,’ he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers, his eyes shining with the sun’s reflection.

The skin beneath her eyes moistened. ‘Just tell me it’s all over, that they know they had the wrong man.’

Ben pulled away but held onto her hands. ‘They released me on bail; not enough evidence to charge or something, the solicitor said. I’ve told them everything I know, and as far as I’m aware, Dave and the others are doing the same now. It’s just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

‘On bail? What does that mean? Have they cleared you or not?’

‘They will once the others have confirmed my story. The solicitor feels pretty confident that they’ll move on soon enough.’

It wasn’t quite as positive as she’d hoped, and he must have noticed the disappointment in her face, as he quickly raised her chin to look into her eyes.

‘I am so sorry I didn’t tell you about that stupid trip to Bournemouth. I swear I didn’t know what Dave had planned, but it all went without incident, and I thought it would only upset you if I told you where we’d been and what they’d arranged. You had enough stress on your plate with the wedding.’

She could understand that; she’d tried not to let him see the strain the preparations had been having in the final weeks, but she’d clearly failed to keep it secret.

‘I wish you had told me,’ she said sadly.

‘I knew you’d be angry at Dave, and I didn’t want your day to be spoiled because of that. He meant well – at least in his eyes he did – and I know how devastated he is about what happened yesterday. He blames himself for what happened.’

‘What was it like? At the police station I mean?’

Ben lowered his eyes. ‘It wasn’t as bad as it could have been. They were very talkative, and treated me well. After they’d taken my prints and things, they gave me some food and a cup of tea and then this morning they started the interview just after seven. I’d told them how keen I was to get back to you, and I think they were trying to be accommodating.’

‘Did they say why they arrested you?’

He nodded grimly. ‘Apparently Kerry – the victim – never returned home after she’d been at our party, and because her appointment had been booked in my name … it’s an easy enough conclusion for them to jump to.’

Alice was trying to keep her emotions in check but she couldn’t ignore the paranoia taking control. Pulling her hands away from him and widening the gap, she said, ‘Did you fancy her?’

Ben grimaced at the question. ‘I’m not saying she wasn’t pretty, but I just felt really awkward, especially having all my friends huddled round, watching. It was creepy more than anything else.’

‘What did she look like?’

‘Does it matter?’

She didn’t answer, but glared at him as her vision fogged with tears.

‘She had long blonde hair,’ he said, avoiding looking at Alice’s own platinum-blonde locks. ‘Probably in her early twenties, slim, pretty, as I said, but not the sort of girl I’d look at now. There’s only one woman for me, and you know that.’

‘Did you sleep with her?’ The words were out before Alice could stop herself.

He looked into her eyes and rested a hand on his heart. ‘No I did not. I know I let you down, and I will do whatever it takes to win your trust back, but I …’ His voice cracked under the strain. ‘I-I-I need you by my side through this. I don’t know why they want to try and pin this poor girl’s murder on me, but they have the wrong man. I didn’t do it.’

It hurt not to go over and embrace him, but Alice remained still. ‘Tell me it’s over and done with. Tell me they’re not going to come back for you again.’

He lowered his eyes. ‘They’ve asked me to surrender my passport while they continue their investigation.’

Alice gasped. ‘That means –’

‘I know,’ he interrupted. ‘It means we can’t go on our honeymoon tonight. I’m going to phone the travel company and see what they can do for us. I’m so sorry, Alice.’

Alice furrowed her brow as another question pushed to the forefront of her mind. ‘The police aren’t in the habit of arresting suspects without good reason. What aren’t you telling me?’

He glanced away for just the briefest of moments, but she spotted it.

‘Nothing.’

His denial set her blood boiling. ‘Don’t lie to me, Ben. Not again. Our marriage needs to be built on trust. I don’t buy that they would arrest you just because your name was the last one in her appointments book. There must be more to it than that.’

Ben clamped his eyes shut and bowed his head. ‘They said they found traces of my DNA on her clothing or something. That’s all. I explained to them how she’d been dancing and how it must have transferred over.’

Alice was struggling to believe anything he was saying, and then a new question leapt forward that sickened her to the stomach. ‘How did they know it was your DNA?’

He kept his eyes closed. ‘They took a swab inside my mouth. Standard practice apparently.’

Alice wasn’t buying it. ‘They wouldn’t arrest you on a hunch and then hope to prove it when they’d got you to the station. If they found traces of your DNA on her clothes, they must have known that before they came here yesterday. I swear to God, Ben, you’d better start telling me the truth or I’ll—’

‘Okay, okay,’ he sighed. ‘They already had my DNA on their database. There’s something I’ve never told you before that I’m hugely ashamed of.’ Staring straight into her eyes, he said, ‘Yesterday wasn’t the first time I’ve been arrested.’

ELEVEN

Alice took slow and steady breaths, as her wobbly legs threatened to spill her to the carpet of the honeymoon suite. Could this be real? Or was she still in the throes of a hideous nightmare?

‘It was a long time ago,’ Ben said, taking her silence as a cue to continue. ‘Before I knew you. It was a wrongful arrest back then, just as it is now. I never told you because … because that’s not who I am, and I’m deeply ashamed to have ever spent any time under suspicion of the police.’

Alice braced herself for yet another revelation. ‘Why were you arrested before?’

Ben screwed up his face, clearly unsure how to spin this chapter in his life. ‘I was accused of something I didn’t do by a malicious woman I’d been seeing. She saw me as an opportunity to make some quick money and when I wanted to leave her she started firing all sorts of accusations at me. She went to the police and told them a pack of lies, and before I realized what was happening, they’d brought me in for questioning. The solicitor they provided told me to keep my mouth shut until he knew what evidence they thought they had against me, and he was as surprised as I was when they charged me.’

Alice reached out for the edge of the desk as her left leg buckled, and she just about managed to stay upright. ‘How could you keep something like that from me?’

Ben quickly moved across and took her arm to support her. ‘I know none of this can be easy to hear, and if I’d had my way you never would have found out.’

Her mouth dropped. ‘Do the vows we exchanged mean nothing to you? I’ve not kept any secrets from you. I’m an open book, and now I’m beginning to question everything I know about you.’

‘I’m still the same man you fell in love with. I swear I’m not keeping anything else from you. That period of my life isn’t something I’m comfortable thinking about, let alone discussing openly.’

‘Who else knows about your previous arrest? Does Dave know?’

Initially, Ben looked like he might deny it, but clearly thought better of it, and nodded. ‘He was there for me, and he knew it was all a pack of lies, as this nonsense is. I swear to you, Alice, I’m the man you’ve always known, and my feelings for you are stronger than ever. You asked about our vows. I meant every declaration I made at that altar. I will live up to every one of those promises, for better or worse, in sickness and in health; till death do us part.’

Something niggled at the back of Alice’s mind. ‘If you weren’t convicted of anything, why do they still have your DNA sample on record? I thought the police were only allowed to retain DNA samples when suspects were convicted.’

‘So did I, but my solicitor told me this morning that because the last case reached court, they are allowed to retain the sample. I’m going to get my solicitor to fight for my sample to be destroyed. They shouldn’t be allowed to ruin people’s lives like this.’

She continued to watch him, feeling an invisible wall growing between them. It was like she was no longer looking at the man she’d exchanged rings with. He was a shadow of his former self. Like in some trashy soap opera when the protagonist’s evil twin brother turns up and tricks the rest of the cast into thinking he’s the other brother. It looked and sounded like Ben, but the Ben she knew and loved wouldn’t have deceived her like this.

‘About our honeymoon. I think you should still go. It seems silly for us both to miss out on the trip. My solicitor should get this all sorted in a day or so and then I’ll book the next flight to join you.’

Her eyes widened. ‘I’m not going on our honeymoon on my own!’

Ben took her hands in his. ‘I know it isn’t ideal – God knows it isn’t ideal – but I know how much you were looking forward to going to Barbados. If we cancel I don’t think the travel insurance company will pay out. I don’t give a stuff about the money, but it would be silly to cancel the trip and then I get my passport back a couple of days later. You could fly out tonight and get the lay of the land, and then I’ll join you for the last ten or so days. We can still have our honeymoon, I’ll just be late to the party.’

She looked into his eyes, his beautiful brown eyes, matching his hair colour so perfectly, and so full of love. ‘That’s just it, Ben: it’s supposed to be our honeymoon. Going there without you won’t feel right.’

‘What if I paid for Tara to go with you until I’m able to join? We can speak to each other every day until I can get a flight out, and when I arrive Tara can head home. I don’t want you to miss out. You start back at school in a couple of weeks, and if you don’t go on this break, it could be months until we get another chance.’

It was typical of Ben to think that throwing money at the problem would fix it, but as much as she wanted to enjoy their honeymoon in the Caribbean, it now felt tainted, along with the rest of their wedding.

He must have sensed her reticence. ‘If I can’t convince you to go, then we’ll cancel the trip and rebook somewhere for Christmas. You get a couple of weeks off. We can do New York, or Vegas, or even Barbados again. Wherever you want. Money is no object. We will have our honeymoon, it’ll just be a bit delayed. It’s up to you. I’ll agree with whichever choice you make.’

Staring into those beautiful brown eyes, she felt the frost in her heart slowly start to thaw. Resting her hand on his cheek, she pulled his face into hers and kissed him, stopping only when there was a knock at the door.

‘I’ll send whoever it is away,’ he said, pulling away and moving to the door. As he opened it, though, his parents pushed into the room, and Alice knew he wouldn’t have the heart to dismiss them.

Ben’s mum hugged him tightly. ‘Dave said you were back. Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Is it all over?’

His cheeks reddened. ‘I’m fine, Mum. Are you two okay? You don’t know how sorry I am about what happened yesterday.’ Ben’s eyes met Alice’s. ‘They ruined the day.’

Ben’s dad, Ray, strode across the room, still dressed for the wedding, and hugged Alice. ‘How are you holding up, love?’

It was all she could to blink away the sudden onrush of emotion. ‘I’m okay,’ she whispered.

Ben and his mum moved away from the door and joined them by the desk.

‘I can’t believe they’ve messed everything up again,’ Hermione said. ‘They can’t just go around pointing fingers willy-nilly. Someone should have a word. They almost messed up your chance of going to university last time, and now this on your wedding day. It isn’t right!’

So that meant Ben’s parents had known about his previous arrest, and hadn’t thought to mention it to her on any of the occasions she’d seen them. It shouldn’t have surprised her that they would know, but that didn’t make it hurt any less that she had been excluded from the big family secret.

‘You ought to sue them,’ Hermione continued. ‘That would make them think twice about trying to frame you for things you haven’t done. Although actually, it wouldn’t surprise me if that woman was somehow behind all of this.’

‘Now now,’ Ray soothed, putting his arm around his wife’s waist. ‘I’m sure yesterday had nothing to do with all that.’ His eyes flickered with doubt, and he looked to Ben for reassurance. ‘It isn’t anything to do with all that, is it?’

Ben shook his head. ‘No, no, this was something different. Apparently, me and my friends were the last people to see the girl before she was murdered, and so they put two and two together and ended up with me as the answer.’

‘Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?’ Hermione retorted.

‘Can we do anything?’ Ray asked. ‘Do you need anything? A lift to the airport?’

Ben wrinkled his nose in distaste. ‘Looks like we’re going to have to postpone the honeymoon for now. The police have my passport and want me to stick around in case I can provide any further help with their enquiries. I’ve told them everything I remember about that night, but they were the grounds on which they released me,’ he added with a disappointed sigh.

Alice remained in silence, watching the three of them speak dismissively of the police and their involvement in ruining the big day. What they failed to acknowledge through all of their anger was that ultimately an innocent woman had lost her life. Yes it was frustrating that the police had chosen such an inopportune moment to locate Ben, but their intention wasn’t to spoil the wedding; they’d been charged with getting a murderer off the streets. For all she and Ben knew, this Kerry Valentine had family who were grieving her loss, and the frustrations of yesterday evening paled into insignificance against that.

‘I need some air,’ Alice suddenly said, cutting off Ben mid-sentence.

‘Of course, of course,’ Ray said, shuffling his wife towards the door. ‘I’m sure the two of you have a lot to talk about. We should make ourselves scarce, but if there’s anything you need – either of you – don’t hesitate to phone.’ He directed his attention to Alice. ‘Remember, you’re family now, and nothing is too much to ask. Okay?’

Alice forced herself to smile in acknowledgement and went out on to the balcony, sucking in deep breaths as Ben showed his parents to the door.

She heard the door close, followed by Ben dropping to the bed. ‘You know the worst part of all this is the effect it’s had on you. I mean, spending the night in that cell was horrible – really sobering – and then being quizzed for three straight hours this morning, but all I keep reliving is that look on your face when they put the cuffs on my wrists. It kills me that they ruined our big day, a day you’d spent so long organizing.’

Alice looked over at the beautiful green lawn and lake, a view she had fallen in love with when they’d picked this venue, but which now just served as a reminder of what could have been.

‘Can we get out of here?’ she asked. ‘I just want to put all of this behind us as quickly as possible.’

‘Sure,’ Ben said. ‘Let’s pack our stuff and check out. Then I will spend the rest of the day proving to you how important you are to me.’

She turned to face him. ‘Just promise me one thing: no more secrets.’

He immediately agreed, but she couldn’t ignore the feeling that her nightmare was only just beginning.

TWELVE

The main reception desk in the grand lobby of Old Mill Lodge had the look and feel of living history; the thick varnish and ornate carvings were clearly made a time long ago. As Alice patiently waited in line for the checkout queue to process, she couldn’t help but wonder about the range of people who had passed through the hotel over the years, each with their own story and reason for staying in the grand building. How many of the brides and grooms who’d celebrated their nuptials in the same room as she and Ben were still happily married? She’d bet none had had their ceremony interrupted in quite the same way.

Ben had acquired a luggage trolley from somewhere and was busy transporting their luggage and stack of gifts down to the large taxi he had ordered. Although it had taken months of visiting different venues before she’d chosen this one, she wouldn’t now care if she never laid eyes on the hotel again.

The elderly couple ahead of Alice moved to the front of the queue and began to explain their enquiry to the young lady behind the desk. Olive-skinned and with jet black hair, the receptionist spoke with an accent Alice couldn’t place, but her grasp of English was as strong as any native.

‘It’s so inherently British, isn’t it?’ the man behind her commented.

Alice turned and looked at the man in the tan suit and red tie, smiling in her direction. He was alone with a small blue holdall at his feet.

‘Excuse me?’ Alice asked.

‘Queuing,’ he confirmed. ‘There’s nothing us Brits like quite as much as a queue, is there? I mean, on a day as glorious as this, when we should be embracing nature at her finest, we choose to stand in a stuffy room in an orderly manner.’ He smiled warmly. ‘I’m sorry, it always makes me laugh. This sort of thing just doesn’t happen in other countries.’

Alice politely smiled back. ‘No, I suppose you’re right. At least we’re nearly at the front.’

‘Are you checking in or out?’

‘Out,’ she said, smiling again.

‘Ah, well, did you happen to dine in the hotel’s restaurant last night? I’m looking for recommendations of where I can get a nice piece of sirloin for my supper.’

Alice forced a thin smile. ‘We didn’t eat here last night, I’m afraid.’

‘Not to worry,’ he continued, a mischievous look on his face. ‘Here, you weren’t at the wedding where the groom was arrested, were you?’

Shock went through her. ‘How did you hear about that?’

‘I overheard one of the staff talking about it. Were you there then?’

She nodded, and subconsciously covered her wedding ring with her right hand.

‘Oh, how awful,’ he continued. ‘The poor bride. Probably the last thing she expected to happen. Can you imagine how awful that would be? Just tied the knot and then learning that your husband is a murderer?’

Alice had to bite her tongue to keep quiet, and took a second glance towards the elderly couple in front who were still chatting away to the woman behind the counter.

‘I wonder if maybe she already knew,’ the man mused. ‘I mean, that’s what they say, isn’t it? Spouses always know deep down when their partner is up to no good. They might claim innocence, but it’s like a sixth sense, isn’t it? Are you friends of the couple, then?’ His cheeks suddenly reddened. ‘Heavens, have I spoken out of turn? You’re not related to one of them, are you?’

‘Sort of, but I won’t take offence.’

His cheeks were now glowing. ‘You’ll have to forgive me, I’m always putting my foot in it. Please accept my apologies.’

‘It’s fine,’ she said as casually as her bubbling anger would allow.

If the hotel staff were gossiping about the incident, it was possible the story could leak to the press, and the last thing she and Ben needed was their privacy to be trampled on, particularly as the police still hadn’t officially ruled Ben out of their inquiry.

‘Are you related to the bride or groom?’ the stranger pressed.

‘Bride,’ she said, still not prepared to tell him it was her horrid nightmare he’d just described.

‘How’s she coping? Have they said if or when the husband will be released from prison?’

‘I’m sorry,’ she said abruptly, ‘but I’d rather not talk about it. I think they should just be left to their privacy.’

‘Of course, of course, and far be it for me to be a spreader of idle gossip. Have you known them long?’

The couple in front moved on and the woman behind the counter thanked Alice for her patience and asked how she could help.

‘I’d like to check out please,’ Alice said absently, sliding the key across the desk.

‘You are checking out of the honeymoon suite?’ the receptionist asked.

Alice’s cheeks burned as she nodded, refusing to meet the eye of the suited man who could overhear the entire conversation.

‘How was the wedding? Did everything go as well as you hoped?’

Alice wasn’t ready to even try and answer that question, and simply nodded. ‘It’s a lovely venue.’

‘Was the catering and organization up to scratch?’

Clearly the receptionist hadn’t been working yesterday, and had yet to hear the gossip. Either that or she was doing an incredible job of playing dumb.

‘It was all fine. I’m sorry, can we hurry this up? My husband is waiting for me.’

‘Certainly, madam,’ the receptionist said, standing. ‘I’ll just go and get your receipt and you should be good to go.’ With that she disappeared into the small office behind her.

Alice could see the man straining to make eye contact with her, but she refused to acknowledge him.

He slid a business card across the desk towards her. ‘If you’d like to tell your side of the story, I’m sure we can make it worth your while. Right now, you’ll probably want to throw the offer back in my face, but think about it over the next day or so.’

She looked down at the card for ‘Liam O’Neill, Freelance Journalist’, and felt bile building in the back of her throat. So that’s why he was so interested in the details of the big day. Alice left the card where it was.

‘People will want to hear your story, Alice. I’m sorry if I misled you to begin with. You should know that I’m on your side with this. I don’t really think you knew what your husband was capable of, but to learn about what he’d done on your wedding day, it beggars belief.’ He paused, allowing her to process. ‘The story will get out, as these things do. It’s up to you whether people hear your side of it, or an amalgamation of other eye witness accounts and suppositions. Think about it.’

‘Here’s your receipt,’ the receptionist said, offering the sheet of paper to Alice.

‘All checked out?’ Ben’s voice suddenly said over her shoulder.

Turning, Alice was relieved to see him, and reached for his hand, pulling him closer.

‘Is everything okay?’ he asked. ‘You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.’

She turned back to point out the grubby little journalist, but saw that he had scarpered.

‘It’s nothing,’ she said. ‘Is the car all packed?’

‘Yep, and I even stopped by to speak to your mum, just to reassure her that I’m sorting everything. She wasn’t happy, but she listened to what I had to say. I suggested she come round tonight, unless you’ve changed your mind about the flights.’

The thought of escaping people like Liam O’Neill suddenly sounded very appealing, but then how would it look if she left Ben to face the music alone?

‘Let’s just go home, I’ve got a pounding headache. I feel like everyone is watching us, and I’d rather be somewhere alone.’

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her outside to where the taxi was waiting. Dave, Scott and Abdul were the only guests gathered to wish the bride and groom on their way.

Taking one final look at the venue that had promised so much joy and happiness, Alice wondered whether they had seen the last of Liam O’Neill, or whether he would just be the first in a long line of people wanting a piece of their lives.

THIRTEEN

Silence descended on the car journey through the New Forest, passing wild ponies, donkeys, and tourists making the most of the luscious summer heat. Families sat on picnic blankets, enjoying good food and conversation, while children hunted for frogs and fairies in the undergrowth. The scene was picture-perfect, and Alice couldn’t help but imagine the day when she and Ben would load the car with their own children and head out into the wilds of the countryside.

Despite patches of heavy traffic, they made it back to the village of Chilworth, a stone’s throw from the end of the M3 motorway, inside thirty minutes. A blue saloon car parked in front of the gates to the property greeted them as they turned onto their road. It had no formal markings, but even Alice could tell what profession its driver had.

‘Let’s just keep driving,’ Alice suggested. ‘Let’s not let them ruin another day.’ She meant every word. They could drive past the house and head to her mother’s or one of their friends’ houses – anywhere to keep the wolves at bay for a while longer.

Ben shook his head. ‘We can’t run forever.’ With that he pressed the remote control to open the automatic gates, instructing the taxi driver to go past the blue saloon and continue up the driveway.

To their right, the large house stood in all its glory, the view from the road blocked by the high fence and bushes, looking magnificent and modern as the sun reflected off the large windows. Despite the proximity to the motorway, only the slightest hum of traffic carried on the wind. To the left of the main building stood the brick enclosure housing the near‑Olympic‑size swimming pool and hot tub; to the right, the double garage containing her Audi and his Mercedes. Their bedroom was the largest in the centre of the first floor, with two smaller rooms each side; a sixth bedroom was downstairs towards the rear of the property.

Ben and the driver were first out of the car, and as the bags were removed from the boot, the blue saloon pulled up alongside them. Ben paid the driver and thanked him, waiting until the taxi was through the gates before closing them once more with the remote control.

He turned to Alice and whispered, ‘Why don’t you head inside, and leave me to deal with whoever this is?’

Alice pulled her handbag over her shoulder like a sash. ‘We’ll do this together. We’ll show them we’re united.’

The two plainclothes detectives exited the blue car, lifting their identification into the air.

The woman spoke first. ‘Ben Goodman? I’m DC Vanessa Hazelton, and this is my colleague, DC Wayne McTeal.’

‘What do you want?’ Ben asked defiantly. ‘I told you lot everything I know. I didn’t kill that poor girl.’

‘We’re not here to arrest you, Mr Goodman,’ Hazelton replied. ‘I believe DI Vernon would have informed you we need to collect the clothes you were wearing on Saturday night? That’s what we’re here to do.’

Hazelton had a quiet voice, but there was a determination in the tone that suggested she was used to getting what she wanted. A pretty face, her brown hair was cut short, giving her an androgynous look. If it weren’t for the two bulges in her pink blouse, it would be easy to mistake her for a teenager.

Alice followed Ben and the detectives through the front door. The high ceiling in the grand hall kept the room light and airy, but as they moved through to the kitchen, the sun’s rays on the large bifold doors meant the room was obnoxiously warm and stuffy. It had been three days since Alice was here last. Stepping to the panel on the wall, she adjusted the temperature on the thermostat and welcomed the cool rush of air as the ceiling fans kicked in.

Hazelton had followed Alice into the kitchen while Ben had taken McTeal upstairs.

‘Once we have the clothes bagged up, we’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your weekend,’ Hazelton offered with an empathetic smile. ‘I assume Ben has told you why we took him to the station yesterday?’

‘Of course. We don’t keep secrets.’

Hazelton’s face remained passive.

‘He didn’t do it, you know,’ Alice suddenly blurted. ‘He told me he didn’t and I believe him.’

‘I’m in no position to disagree, Mrs Goodman.’

The comment threw Alice. ‘You don’t think he did it either?’

‘I’m not paid to have an opinion. I just follow the evidence. With all due respect, Mrs Goodman, a young woman has been brutally murdered. Whomever was responsible is still out there, somewhere on the streets evading justice. He – or she – needs to be brought to justice, and before they do it again. Our only priority is finding this individual. Imagine if she was your best friend: wouldn’t you want us to do everything in our power to find her killer?’

Alice sipped her water but remained quiet.

Hazelton moved across to the bifold doors, staring out. ‘You have a beautiful garden. How far back does it stretch? Sixty feet?’

‘Something like that,’ Alice sighed.

‘Is this your own work or do you have a gardener?’ Hazelton continued, pointing at the raised flowerbed that ran the length of the lawn on the left side.

‘A gardener tends to it once a week. I’m not green-fingered.’

‘Nor me,’ Hazelton smiled. ‘I live in a third-storey flat, and whenever my mum brings over a houseplant, it never lasts more than a month. Sometimes I don’t know why she bothers.’

‘Are you from Southampton?’

‘No, I’m based in Bournemouth, but the inquiry is being led by the Major Crimes Team here in Southampton, so a small group of us are here supporting.’ She paused. ‘It isn’t my place to say, but I’m sorry that the arrest was so public. Ordinarily, someone would have had a quiet word and been more discreet; I don’t know why DI Vernon made such a big fuss.’

Ben appeared in the kitchen, McTeal following behind, holding a large sealed bag and wearing blue protective gloves.

‘Did you get it?’ Hazelton asked him.

McTeal lifted the bag and nodded.

‘You won’t find anything on the clothes as they’ve been cleaned,’ Ben warned. ‘If I’d known I would need to prove my innocence, I would have left them unwashed.’

Hazelton approached him, meeting his stare. ‘That’s all right, Mr Goodman, you’d be surprised at how difficult it is to remove the telltale signs of blood. We’ll have our forensic specialists review the clothing and let you know the results. Of course, these could be key to ruling you out of our investigation. Let’s hope so, hey?’

‘They will,’ Ben replied curtly, before following them back to the front door and showing them out.

FOURTEEN

A long soak in the bathtub was exactly what Alice needed. Something DC Hazelton had said had stuck with her: what if it was her best friend who’d been brutally murdered? Wouldn’t she give anything to see the killer caught and punished? Would she really care how many innocent people were arrested along the way?

Ben had said he would phone the holiday and travel insurance companies and explain the situation, to see if anything could be done to reclaim any of the payment they’d made, but he hadn’t sounded hopeful as he’d reached for the phone.

As the temperature of the water cooled, Alice climbed out of the tub and returned to the bedroom, drying herself with a towel before dressing. Their bedroom faced out to the garden, but she’d closed the curtains when the bath had been filling. Heading to their shared wardrobe, she pulled out a fresh summer dress to wear, thinking they would just order takeaway from the local Chinese restaurant for dinner. They should have been at the airport getting ready to check-in now, and she wasn’t sure what food was in the house. Spotting Ben outside on the decking with a bottle of beer in his hand, she saw Dave nursing a bottle in a chair to his right.

‘Dave’s just come from the police station,’ Ben explained, as Alice joined them outside in the warmth. ‘Tell her what you told me.’

Dave put the bottle to his lips and took a long swig, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘The solicitor reckons they’re clutching at straws. They pulled Ben in on account of the DNA, but had it not been there they’d be clueless. They’ve put some hotshot detective inspector in charge; he’s the one who made the arrest. I overheard one of them say he’s made some promise to his boss that he’ll nail the killer within forty-eight hours, but they’re nowhere near.’

Alice still wasn’t happy that Ben’s DNA had been so readily available to the detective in charge, and she still didn’t really know what he’d been charged with the first time around. It wasn’t fair to put Dave in the awkward position of hearing her ask Ben now, but she would demand the truth as soon as Dave was gone.

‘I told them where the bar was, and how Abdul had arranged for us to be there,’ Dave continued. ‘Gave them the names of all those who were there and a detailed timeline of what we did and when. They’re planning to scour the area for signs of blood or a struggle or something. They’re hoping the incident might have been captured on CCTV, but I told them I don’t remember seeing much in the way of cameras where we were.’

‘I don’t understand why they can’t return Ben’s passport,’ Alice said.

‘I guess they have to rule him out completely before they can give it back. I only stopped by to see if there’s anything the two of you need,’ Dave said. ‘You know I’m there for you – both of you – and if there’s anything you want or need, please just let me know.’

‘Cheers, man,’ Ben said, shaking his hand. ‘Appreciate it. Can you send me over the copies of the pictures from that weekend? You know, the ones you shared with the police? I’ll forward them onto the solicitor.’

Dave pulled out his phone and began to tap at the screen.

‘Pictures?’ Alice asked. ‘Can I have a look?’

Dave fired a nervous glance at Ben.

‘It’s all right,’ Ben confirmed. ‘I’ve told Alice exactly what happened. She knows everything.’

Shrugging, Dave handed over the phone, opened on the photos app. Alice stared at the screen, an image of Ben and Dave looking worse for wear in the back of a taxi. The next three images were of the group of men laughing and messing about, empty shot glasses in the background. Then a picture of a woman in a miniskirt and black leather jacket appeared on the screen, and Alice nearly dropped the phone.

‘Is this her? Is this Kerry Valentine?’ Alice asked.

Dave nodded grimly. ‘It’s hard to imagine that only hours after this picture was taken, she was dead.’

Alice studied the photograph. Kerry Valentine was exactly as Ben had described: a petite blonde who looked like she should still be in college, though her face also bore the strain of someone who had suffered more than her fair share of knocks over the years. Alice was certain she hadn’t seen the face among those she’d searched for online last night, but the image on Dave’s phone was grainy.

Alice frowned as a thought stirred. ‘How do you know she died only hours after the photograph?’

Dave’s eyes narrowed. ‘That’s what one of the detectives said. Reckoned they knew for certain that she’d been dead for several days, though they didn’t confirm if she died on Saturday night or Sunday. The victim was still wearing the clothes she had on in that picture apparently.’

Alice continued to scroll through the photos of Kerry in various stages of undress; and the ones of Ben licking the cream from her body made Alice want to gag as the images seared on her memory. The next picture had been captured outside; Ben’s trousers were down around his ankles and his shirt was unfastened, his arms draped around a lamppost. This was followed by a shot of the rest of the group, laughing at Ben’s predicament. Then there was a second shot of Ben at the lamppost, but this time he was sitting on the floor, his head bent low, like he was sleeping.

‘That’s the one I took when we got back from the off-licence,’ Dave explained, pointing at the screen. ‘That was the only time we weren’t together all night. Which is what I told the police.’

Ben stood, his bottle now empty. ‘You want another?’

Dave shook his head. ‘I’d better not, I’m driving. Also, I’d better check on Abdul, his boss is probably gonna give him shit about letting us use the venue. Besides, I should probably get out of your hair. The last thing you two need is me hanging around as some third wheel.’

‘Wait, don’t go yet,’ Ben said, retaking his seat. ‘There was something else I wanted to run past you. The detective who interviewed me at the station wanted to know if anyone might have it in for me. Asked if I have any enemies, or whether anyone had made any threats.’

Dave frowned. ‘Yeah they asked me the same thing. I said I didn’t know, that nothing sprang to mind. What did you say?’

‘The same thing, but it got me wondering whether anyone could be trying to set me up to take the fall for this. I do business with several multimillion pound companies, and my competitors can be pretty ruthless. What if one of them followed us to Bournemouth and attacked Kerry, knowing the police would tie us lot back to it?’

‘You want me to ask around?’ Dave asked gruffly.

‘Please. I’m probably just being paranoid, but I’d like to know for sure. Kick over some stones and see what you find out.’

Dave nodded and handed Ben the empty bottle as the two of them proceeded through the house, leaving Alice alone in the garden.

Her phone started ringing and, seeing Faye’s profile picture on the screen, she quickly answered. ‘Hi, sweetie.’

Alice hadn’t anticipated hearing Faye sobbing. ‘I’m … I’m … I’m … sorry,’ she moaned, her breathing erratic. ‘I … didn’t … know … who … else … to … call.’

A ball of worry developed rapidly in the pit of Alice’s stomach. ‘Faye, what’s going on?’

‘It’s … it’s … Johnny … He’s … left … me.’

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