He felt his stomach start churning again. He rested his head back on the chair and took some deep breaths. The bile was rising in his mouth. He was forced to keep swallowing, breathing deeply to try to stave off the nausea.
He called out to Dee in the other room: ‘You know if I go down – you do too. We are a fine fucking pair, we two. I may have conned women out of money, Dee, but you were always the reason in my mind. If I am to blame so are you. You have persecuted me ever since Craig died in the accident. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you, to make amends. All I’ve ever wanted was to make you happy. This house, this precious shrine to Craig, all goes if I go under and then reality hits. You have to face things, just like me. You can’t keep blaming me, Dee. Are you listening?’ He heard nothing but silence but he knew she’d heard.
Chapter 50
Paula was blow-drying a client’s hair when she heard the chime of the salon door opening. She knew instantly that the two men and a woman were police officers. She also knew they had come to see her even before Jill the receptionist glanced across at her and pointed. The man at the front, the good-looking, black-haired, stocky one, smiled at her and gave her a nod that said: ‘We need a word.’
‘Ella, can you finish off for me, please?’ Paula called the young stylist over whilst she excused herself and walked up to the reception desk. She gave her professional smile.
‘Can I help?’
‘Paula Seymour?’
‘Yes.’
Carter showed his badge. ‘Hello, I’m Detective Inspector Dan Carter, and this is Detective Sergeant Scott Tucker and Detective Constable Ebony Willis. We just need a few minutes of your time. Is there somewhere we can talk?’
‘Yes. I suppose the café next door is the best place.’ She turned to the young stylist. ‘I’ll be back in a few minutes, Ella. Okay?’
Paula picked up her coat from behind reception and led the way out and into the coffee house.
Willis went to buy the coffees whilst the others found a private spot to talk. Carter distributed them when she brought them over and then he waited for her to sit down before he took out the letter. Willis took out her notebook. Tucker observed.
‘Thanks for sparing us some time, Paula,’ Carter said. Willis was thinking that Paula Seymour was definitely expecting them. She hadn’t been the least surprised.
‘What’s it about?’
‘Have you seen this letter before?’ She nodded. ‘Did you write it?’
‘No.’
‘But you got one?’
‘Yes. A few days ago.’
Carter stirred his coffee. ‘Were you expecting us to visit you, Paula? You didn’t seem surprised when you saw us.’
Willis was watching her. To gauge her mannerisms – to form a benchmark of normality. She had a habit of curling in her lips like a child when she was nervous. She looked upwards as she considered her answer. ‘I thought you might. One of the other women on the list told me you’d been in touch with her.’
‘You’ve talked to some of these women?’ Carter spread the three pages of the letter out on the café table. Willis took notes. Robbo and Hector had given them a list of questions that they should work into the talk. Some facts that had to be established.
‘I’ve talked to a few. We met up.’ All three detectives looked at her.
‘Oh, really? Must have been quite a get-together. Who did you meet?’
‘Megan, Lisa and Emily.’
Carter looked at the list.
‘Is that Megan Penarth?’ She nodded. ‘And Lisa Tompkins, Emily Porter?’
‘Yes.’
‘When was that?’
‘Last Wednesday.’
‘Where did you meet them?’
‘Here in Reading. Here in this coffee shop. We sat over there…’ She gestured to a window table.
‘Just the four of you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Whose idea was the meeting?’
‘Megan called it. It was to decide what we should do about JJ.’
‘And, if you don’t mind me asking, what did you all decide?’
‘We didn’t really. It ended up more of a chance for some people to just say how angry they were. People just wanted to let off steam.’
‘That must have been awkward,’ said Tucker. Carter smiled encouragement at Paula.
‘Yeah, it was. A bit.’
‘It says you’ve been in a relationship with JJ Ellerman for eighteen months. Is that correct?’ Carter asked, looking at the letter.
‘Yes. It must be about that.’
‘Can I just ask you… when you received this letter, was it a shock, Paula?’ he continued.
‘Yeah, I guess it was. I mean, I had kept an open mind about things. But we were supposed to be starting a hairdressing salon in Spain.’
‘Did he promise you that?’ asked Tucker.
‘Yes.’
‘And did you give him money?’
‘Yes. We were saving together.’
‘How much money?’
‘Altogether, I’m not sure…’ Paula looked nervous. ‘I can’t remember the details.’
‘Tuesday the seventh of January. Can you remember what happened that evening?’
‘JJ came. The girls went to stay with my mum.’
‘Tuesday? Is that a night he usually spends with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘What was he like when he appeared? And what time was that?’
‘He turned up in the middle of the evening, about nine. No – it was quite late really, maybe half past.’
‘How did he seem?’
‘He was okay. He seemed harassed. He’d got cash-flow problems.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘As usual.’
‘And, if you could think back to a few days before that, Sunday the fifth? Where were you that day?’
‘I was here. I can remember. Doing things with the kids. We had a party to go to in the afternoon.’
‘Was there ever a time with Ellerman that you felt threatened at all?’
‘No.’
‘Would you be willing to press charges against JJ Ellerman for defrauding you out of money?’
‘No. I don’t want to do that.’
‘Why, can I ask?’
She shook her head. She looked cornered, flustered.
‘I don’t really want to. I know he’s been a bastard but he’s also been good to me and the kids.’
‘Have you seen JJ Ellerman since you got this letter?’
Paula looked down at her coffee. She nodded. ‘Just briefly.’
‘Have you talked to him on the phone?’ asked Carter.
‘We haven’t talked a lot. I think he’s hoping everything will calm down.’
‘Do you think it will?’
She shook her head. ‘Who knows?’
‘Am I right in thinking that you would be willing to continue this relationship with Ellerman?’ asked Carter. ‘I realize you’ve invested a lot in it.’
‘No. I can’t see it – can you?’
She looked at them in turn and was obviously panicking. The more she shook her head at the thought of it, the more it became obvious that she had no intention of giving Ellerman up.
Carter sat, leaning forward, his elbows resting on the table, as he smiled at Paula. Tucker sat right back; Willis wrote her notes.
‘I want to ask you to do something for me, Paula.’ Carter decided they’d waited long enough. ‘I want you to resist contacting Ellerman. Don’t answer his calls, or if you do, don’t say anything about meeting us or the other women. Get off the phone and call us if you are at all worried about anything.’ Carter handed her his card.
‘What’s the matter?’
Carter picked up the letter and turned to show her three names.
‘Olivia Grantham, Gillian Forth and now Lisa Tompkins, all women from this list and now all of them now dead.’