Endgame, page 19
Tobey’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You know about him?’
Oh please! ‘Tobey, I’m a lawyer and a bloody good one. You think I don’t know about organized crime in the capital and the players involved? Don’t insult me.’
‘My bad.’ Tobey held out a placating hand. ‘I heard a rumour that Shane has taken over from Jarvis Burton as Eva’s lieutenant. And Eva has taken over all of Dan’s … enterprises so, if anyone knows where Troy and Libby are, it’ll be Shane or Eva.’
‘What makes you so certain?’
‘The ransom demand.’
Fair enough. If the ransom demand had been solely about money, it would’ve been much harder to pin down its source.
‘And you have Shane’s address?’ I asked.
Tobey shrugged. ‘Perks of the job. I’ll just go get a jacket.’
With that, he entered his bedroom, leaving me frowning and suspicious. My thoughts whirling, I followed him as far as the open bedroom door. Tobey stood at the window, his back towards me, his shoulders slumped, his head bowed. His whole attitude was one of defeat. When he thrust his fingers through his hair, I darted backwards out of sight.
Heading over to the sitting-room window, I looked up at the grey-toned sky. I was genuinely confused. Tobey wanted to marry me. Why? He hadn’t mentioned love, not once, but the way he’d looked at me … It would be so easy to believe what my eyes were telling me and all I had to do was remove my own common sense from the equation. I tried to think like a chess player trying to fathom the strategy of her grandmaster opponent. What did Tobey have to gain from marrying me? Not much as far as I could see. I was the granddaughter of Kamal Hadley who’d been a prominent Member of Parliament back in the day, but it was no secret that he’d disinherited my mum and had nothing to do with me. His bigoted feelings towards Noughts were a matter of record. Still, optics-wise, being with me wouldn’t do Tobey any harm, would it? Was that his thinking? What would look good politically? After all, sooner or later, Tobey being charged with Dan’s murder would become public knowledge. These things always did – it was just a matter of time. So what better advertisement and endorsement of his innocence than the fact that his own barrister was now his wife? Lips pursed, I shook my head, not loving the direction my thoughts were taking. Was I overthinking this? Probably.
‘D’you want a drink or something to eat before we leave? It’d be no trouble.’
I turned and shook my head. Tobey now wore a worn black leather jacket over his burgundy T-shirt. His hair was slightly ruffled where he’d dragged impatient fingers through it. One of his old habits. He always did that whenever he was frustrated or upset.
‘So for now we’re still keeping the police out of it?’
‘Yeah, for as long as possible.’
‘Why did you need Jon’s help? What’s he doing that you couldn’t?’ I asked.
‘He can go to certain places and ask particular questions that I can’t. Sometimes having a public persona throws open doors, and sometimes it’s a real pain in the arse and gets in the way of any kind of private endeavour.’
‘I would’ve thought you could go anywhere, do anything, get anything you wanted.’ I raised an eyebrow.
‘Then you’d be wrong,’ said Tobey quietly.
My smile faded. Uncomfortable silence descended, begging to be filled. ‘So you were telling me more about what Jon is up to.’
With a shake of his head, Tobey sighed, my persistence finally wearing him down. ‘He’s checking out a couple of my suggestions, starting with Owen Dowd. Dowd’s the only other person besides Eva who would know where Troy and Libby are, though taking them would bring him no advantage. First of all, how would he even know about my daughter? And, if he had learned of her existence, why would he want me out of the way? Dan would be his target, not me. If he thought I was responsible for Dan’s demise, he’d be more likely to send me a Crossmas hamper than try and put my arse in prison.’
I nodded. That made sense.
‘Jon said he’d join us after he’s spoken to Dowd. In the meantime, we’ll go and talk to Shane.’
‘Why would Owen Dowd answer any of Jon’s questions?’ I asked with a frown. Owen and Dan Jeavons were two sides of the same coin – ruthless and mercenary. So why would Owen help Jon, unless there was something in it for him?
‘Jon told me that he can get things done and I believe him,’ said Tobey.
Uh-oh. ‘I don’t allow Jon to break the law when he works for me. Not even a little bit.’
‘That’s why he’s currently reporting back to me,’ said Tobey.
I didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know what that meant. ‘As PM, aren’t you meant to set a higher standard?’ The judgemental words spilled from my mouth.
Tobey gave me a pointed look. ‘Not at the expense of my daughter. This is precisely why I didn’t want to include you in my conversation with Jon. I wouldn’t want to put you in the position of having to compromise your oh-so-precious ideals.’
‘Meaning?’ I frowned.
‘Well, you never were one to let human faults, failings and frailties get in the way of your principles.’
My mouth fell open. Wow! That was quite some bitch-slap.
A moment of silence, then Tobey said, ‘Do you ever think about the day you found me with Misty? Does it cross your mind once in a while or do you pick at it every day like a scab that never heals?’
Oh hell, no. ‘I’m not going there. Hard pass,’ I declared. ‘Crazy hard pass.’
‘Neither of us will ever get past it if we don’t confront what happened. It’s the great sky-high wall between us.’
‘And you think discussing it after all these years will break down that wall?’
‘God knows I’ve tried everything else.’
Tobey’s vehement words made me start. How dare he make me feel so uncomfortable, as if I was the one in the wrong?
‘You don’t get to do this, Tobey,’ I bristled. ‘You don’t get to turn this round on me like I was the one who screwed you over.’
‘Callie—’
‘No! I’m not doing this again. This is all water under the bridge so can we let it go – please?’
‘You’re renowned for a lot of things, Callie, but a forgiving nature isn’t one of them. You could give a masterclass on bearing a grudge.’
‘So your inability to keep your trousers zipped up is my fault?’ Indignation gripped me.
Tobey sighed. ‘No. I take full responsibility for my actions. But, if you could’ve forgiven me for what I did, I would’ve been your slave for life.’
‘I did forgive you. I forgave you at the time.’
‘Yeah? You know what? Your forgiveness has a real bitter aftertaste to it.’
‘I forgave you, Tobey. That doesn’t mean it was easy to forget what you did. You slept with Misty at my birthday party to spite me.’
‘It wasn’t to spite you. Not everything is about you.’
‘That was. You deliberately set out to hurt me and you succeeded.’
‘And I’ve apologized – more than once. You threw away everything we had and could’ve had over something that meant nothing, Callie. Less than nothing.’
‘Don’t you get it? It meant something to me. And it meant something to Misty because she became pregnant with Libby.’ I slow-clapped. ‘Congratulations. You got to walk away with the fewest scars.’
‘You couldn’t be more wrong,’ Tobey said. ‘You broke up with me to punish me at the time and, by cutting me out of your life, you’ve been punishing me ever since. Callie, you once told me you hoped my child would die. Well, congratulations – you might just get your wish.’
Every part of me froze – except the unbidden tears that immediately flowed over my cheeks. Stricken, I looked at Tobey, scarcely able to believe what he’d just said to me.
‘Hellsake. I’m sorry, Callie,’ Tobey said, running unsteady fingers through his hair again.
‘Y-you really believe that of me?’ I whispered.
‘No. Of course not. I’m sorry.’ He hugged me to him and I didn’t push him off. Instead, I buried my face in his shoulder and cried my heart out – for the hurt then and the pain now and all the lost years in between. Tobey stroked my back, whispering words of apology over and over.
It took too long, but I finally heard them.
When at last the stream of tears ceased, I wiped my face with the back of my hand, noting how one side of Tobey’s burgundy T-shirt was now considerably darker.
‘You’re going to have to change your shirt,’ I said, embarrassed.
‘Not until you say I’m forgiven,’ said Tobey.
I looked him in the eyes. ‘I forgive you, Tobey.’
He smiled. I smiled back, feeling strangely lighter, but then I had just cried half a bucket of tears all over him.
‘I’ll wash my face while you change your top,’ I told him.
In the bathroom, I splashed water on my face, drying it with a plush Egyptian-cotton towel from the rail beside the basin. I looked at myself in the mirror. Tobey had painted quite an ugly picture of me and I hated it. Mostly because he was right. I was hurt and jealous and had abandoned our friendship because of it, punishing us both. Holding onto my hurt feelings was like carrying a ton weight on my back.
If Tobey and I were to stand any kind of chance, it was time to let all that go. So I needed to honestly answer one question. Did I want Tobey and me to have a second chance? The surprising truth was yes, I did. Very much.
A couple of minutes later, I was back in the sitting room, as was Tobey in another identical burgundy T-shirt. At my raised eyebrows, he mumbled, ‘I like this colour so I have more than one.’
I wondered at his awkwardness until the reason hit me. ‘Some woman once told you that colour suits you. Am I right?’
Two spots of colour appeared on Tobey’s cheeks, answering my question.
‘Thought so! And then you went out and bought a job lot of the same shirt in the same colour. Well, whoever it was, she didn’t lie.’
‘Time to go,’ said Tobey, not even trying to be subtle about changing the subject. We’d barely taken a couple of steps when he turned to me. ‘Callie, before we go to see Shane Stoats, I need to warn you that this could get messy. In fact, I’d prefer it if you stayed here till I have some news.’
‘Tobey, this is my brother and your daughter we’re talking about and I need you to believe that I’ll do whatever it takes to get them back.’
‘Anything?’
‘Anything.’ As Tobey raised a sceptical eyebrow, I said, ‘I mean it. My family comes first. Nothing else even makes the list.’
‘I wonder if you truly know what that means, Callie. You are first, last and always about the rules, about the law. I fully expect to get my hands dirty on this one. If you’re going to have a problem with that, then you should stay here,’ said Tobey. ‘That way you can deny all knowledge. I don’t want you getting in my way when your feet catch a chill.’
‘I’m not gonna get cold feet. We’re in this together or not at all.’
‘Damn it, Callie Rose, I’m trying to protect you.’
And the strange, sad thing was I knew he meant it.
‘I’m a big girl now, Tobey. I can look after myself.’
Besides, I had nothing left to lose. Not any more. The circuit judge opportunity that I’d been up for had been quietly withdrawn. Refusing to drop Tobey’s case and then being arrested had been the final nail in my career coffin, but Tobey didn’t need to know that.
‘I’m trusting you, Tobey. Now I’m asking you to do the same and trust me. We’re in this together and, if we both need to get our hands dirty to bring Troy and Libby back home safely, then I can live with that.’
‘Can you though?’
I shrugged. ‘I guess we’re both about to find out.’
thirty-nine. Sephy
* * *
‘Jon? It’s Sephy. Sephy Ealing.’
‘Oh God,’ he groaned.
‘None taken!’ I said dryly. ‘Did you pass on my message to Jarvis Burton?’
‘I did.’
Should I ask how he managed to do that? I decided against it. ‘And you’re sure that he and he alone received the message?’
‘Positive.’
Jon’s pursed lips and folded arms spoke volumes. My phone might not have been on the bleeding edge of technology, but the video image of Jon was still sharp enough for me to see that he wouldn’t be happy if I asked for yet more favours. Hell, he wasn’t happy now.
‘Are you going to answer every question with monosyllables?’ I asked.
‘Yes.’
‘How did Jarvis seem when you told him?’
Jon sighed. ‘I caught up with him as he was buying himself a coffee. I passed on your message word for word and then I scarpered. I didn’t stay to take in the minutiae of his facial expressions, the nuances behind any changes in body language or the intricacies of—’
‘OK. OK. I get it. Don’t pummel the point to death.’
‘Pfft!’
‘Well, that’s another one I owe you. How many is that now?’
‘I’ve lost count,’ Jon replied.
‘Thank you for your help, Jon. I appreciate it.’
‘I’d say you’re welcome, but I’d be lying,’ Jon replied. ‘Sephy, please be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.’
‘That won’t happen.’
‘Hmm. I hope you know what you’re doing.’ Jon hung up without another word.
His last words to me kept playing in my head.
I hope you know what you’re doing …
So do I, Jon. So do I.
forty. Tobey
* * *
Callie had no idea what getting her hands dirty really meant, but it would be pointless to argue. ‘Let’s go.’ I was already heading for the door.
‘Tobey, before we leave, I need something from you.’
‘What?’ I asked.
Callie straightened to meet my gaze. She looked like she was ready to do battle. What was she up to?
‘I’d like to see this recording you have of my mum allegedly holding the weapon that killed Dan.’
‘What? Why? What purpose would that serve?’
‘I’d like to see it,’ Callie said quietly. ‘Please don’t make me beg.’
A sigh, a shake of my head, but I took out my phone, calling up the relevant app, and selected the appropriate recording. I’d taken the backup flash drive from Dan’s laptop on the night of his death, making sure to permanently delete the only other copy of the recording from Dan’s cloud storage. Later that same evening, I transferred the flash-drive contents to my private phone before completely wiping and reformatting the drive. Belt and braces. I was confident I had the one and only recording of the study at the time Dan died, and that was the way it was going to stay.
Fast-forwarding to the relevant section, I handed the phone to Callie. She immediately sat down on the sofa, her attention entirely focused on the recording. I sat beside her, waiting for the inevitable fallout. Callie pressed play and brought the phone closer, her gaze intense.
The short clip showed Sephy, wide-eyed and open-mouthed with panic, plunging a thin-bladed letter opener in Dan’s back before wiping the handle clean.
Callie frowned at me, her downturned lips twisting in puzzlement. Without saying a word, she played the clip again.
‘What’s the issue?’ I asked. ‘It seems pretty straightforward to me.’
‘You kept this because—?’ asked Callie.
Damn it. My face burned red. Callie nodded knowingly.
‘Whatever you may think of me, Callie, I tried to shield your mum, but as you can see she—’
‘Mum didn’t do it,’ she said softly.
‘Callie, come on. You can clearly see—’
‘How many times did you watch this, Tobey?’
I frowned. ‘Once with George present. Once by myself to make sure I’d transferred the recording properly.’ What difference did it make? The recording wasn’t going to change, no matter how many times I viewed it.
‘You thought you knew what you were looking at so you didn’t bother to watch it properly.’ Callie pressed play again, only to immediately press pause. ‘The recording starts with the knife in Mum’s hand, but look at it. The blade is already bloodstained. And look at Mum’s face. She’s horrified.’
‘Because she’s just realized what she’s done,’ I prompted as gently as I could.
Pursing her lips, Callie again hit play then pause in quick succession. ‘Dan was stabbed twice, once in the jugular, once in the back, but check the knife blade. Only one drop of blood falls from it onto the back of Dan’s dark jacket.’
Callie touched play once more. We both watched as Sephy stabbed Dan with slow deliberation, then used the inside hem of her blouse to wipe the handle of the letter opener.
‘So the recording only started after she’d already stabbed him once,’ I said. ‘It still shows she did it.’
The scowl Callie was directing my way was beginning to chill my bones. ‘OK, tell me what I’m missing?’
‘Mum wasn’t the one who did the initial stabbing. She took the knife out of Dan’s back. The fact that it’s already covered with blood smears shows that. According to the coroner’s report, Dan was stabbed once in the jugular and once straight through his heart, from the back. Whoever stabbed him would’ve been covered in blood. You can’t stab someone in the jugular and not get blood over the weapon and all over your hands. The single drop of blood falling from the blade indicates that Dan’s heart wasn’t beating when Mum removed the knife or there would’ve been blood all over her. Look. There isn’t a speck of red on her.’
Frowning, I took a closer look. Callie was right …
‘I was there, remember? No one at that dinner table had blood on their hands.’ At least not literally. ‘Callie, all this proves is that your mum washed her hands first before returning to the rest of us.’
‘Tobey, we’re watching Mum replace the knife and try to wipe her fingerprints off it, but there’s nothing here to show that she stabbed Dan in the first place. Look closely. There’s blood on the handle, but none of it was transferred to Mum’s blouse when she wiped it, so the blood must’ve dried by the time she tried to remove her fingerprints. And this is before any trip to the bathroom to supposedly clean up.’
