Love You Dead

74 Tuesday 10 March

The plane touched down at Heathrow Airport, shortly after 4 p.m., slowed and then began taxiing. A cabin crew member’s voice crackled through the intercom that passengers were now welcome to use their mobile phones.

Roy Grace had already jumped the gun and switched his back on. As soon as he got a signal, his phone beeped with a series of text and voicemail messages.

The first was from Kelly Nicholls, the financial investigator he had tasked to find anything she could on the names he had given her. Nicholls asked him to call, saying she had some information for him.

He rang her back and it went to voicemail. He left a message.

The next was a text from the Coroner’s Officer, Michelle Websdale, saying that Jodie had cleared Heathrow immigration that morning at about 7.15 a.m.

The next was a text from Branson.

He rang him. Glenn answered after two rings.

‘How did it go, mate?’ Branson asked him.

‘Didn’t get many answers, she looked bloody terrible. But she is awake and getting stronger, so we’ll see her again soon — and hopefully find out just why on earth she left. And she’s got a kid. There are all kinds of legal questions I’m going to have to sort out — God knows how she’s going to start explaining it to everyone. Especially her parents. It’s a complete mess.’ He looked at his wife. They’d spent the entire short flight from Munich talking about Sandy.

‘Jeez,’ Branson replied.

‘How about you, what’s your news, mate?’

‘I have a significant development to report regarding Crisp. The French police are dropping charges.’

‘What?’

‘Seems he wasn’t the killer of the sex worker. Her boyfriend has confessed. According to the police here he was her pimp, high on crack cocaine, and had a row with her about money after seeing her get out of Crisp’s car. He thought she was pocketing some of her clients’ money. Apparently he’s made a full confession.’

‘So our dear, sweet, Dr Crisp is an innocent little baby?’

‘So far as the French police are concerned, yes.’

‘Great. So now we can move forward with the extradition process?’

‘As I understand it, they’re very happy to get him off their hands. Formalities for his extradition are being fast-tracked and the paperwork authorizing his release to the Extradition Unit should be signed later today by a French Presiding Magistrate. The Extradition Unit are arranging to bring him back to the UK tomorrow.’

‘So where are you now and what are your plans?’

‘We’re checking into a hotel at the moment. Norman’s been trying to chat up the receptionist. We’re going to liaise with the Extradition Unit and see Crisp tomorrow morning.’

‘Good man.’

‘Doesn’t seem the French police are over the moon to see us. No one’s invited us to any gourmet dinner. Looks like it’s going to be me and Norman — and the receptionist if he pulls.’

‘Good to know he’s getting back to his old form.’

‘Yeah? That stingy sod Tony Case has booked us into a double room. I’m going to have to share with Norman and put up with him snoring. Just hope he doesn’t get anywhere with the receptionist. Don’t fancy the idea of having to listen to him shagging his arse off all night.’

Grace grinned, then winced. ‘I’m with you on that one! Bell me tomorrow, when you’re on your way.’

‘You’re right about one thing, though, Roy.’

‘What?’

‘Lyon — it’s a nice city.’

‘Enjoy!’

‘Huh.’

As Roy Grace drove out of the short-term car park he felt drained.

‘Thank you,’ Cleo said.

‘For what?’

‘For taking me with you. I know it was hard.’

‘Listen, it was hard for both of us. Not something we thought was going to be coming into our lives.’

She shrugged. ‘From what you said on the plane, that conversation must have been really hard for you both. It really shook you seeing her, didn’t it?’

‘It did. Even more than I’d expected. The irony is that I still don’t really know anything. For all this time I’d hoped one day to have answers. Now finally I find her and get to talk to her and she’s told me little I didn’t already know, and still no explanation as to why she left.’

‘She’ll tell you one day, Roy. The important thing is you’ve had contact finally, she’s alive. She sounds really stressed. You’ll get a chance to ask again.’

‘I hope so. I really do need to know. I have to know. So many questions.’

‘At least she’s not been found dead somewhere, abducted and murdered.’

Grace fell silent, looking at the satnav screen, then at the road signs. Rain was falling. The wipers clunked, the sky above them was dark and gloomy.

‘Thank you for coming,’ he said. ‘You were brave.’

She shook her head. ‘No. That wasn’t about being brave. I needed to know.’

‘To know what?’

‘About you. I lost the last man I loved, to God.’

Grace nodded. He knew the whole story, she’d told him before. Richard, the barrister she’d dated for three years, who’d joined a charismatic church.

‘I needed to know I wasn’t losing you too, to a ghost.’

He stared at her bleakly. ‘Sandy put me through ten years of hell. I didn’t believe it would ever be possible to be happy again. You’ve made me happier than ever, and you know I love you more than I knew was possible. Nothing could change that.’

She leaned over and kissed him. ‘I believe you.’

He shot a glance at her. ‘For years I wondered how I would feel if she turned up on my doorstep. I would have taken her back, I guess. But not now. Not any more.’ He sniffed, blinking away tears. ‘You won’t lose me. Not to a ghost. Not to anything.’

As he focused on the road ahead, out of the corner of his eye he saw Cleo looking at him, And he felt deep in his heart the intensity of her love. One thing he knew now for sure was where his future lay.

Even if Sandy did make a full recovery, it would change nothing.