Private Princess

Chapter 35

Peter Knight stood in his office, hands on his head, his eyes burning into a map of the United Kingdom that he had taped to the office wall. Brightly colored pins had been jabbed into various towns and villages with Post-it notes attached. These were places with known connections to Eliza Lightwood — grandparents, cousins, ex-boyfriends, favorite getaway locations. Hooligan had laughed out loud at Knight’s low-tech methods, but Knight was a man who liked something tangible to work with, and in front of him was the map of what his Private employees had been able to piece together through Eliza’s records, social media and character profiling.

She could be anywhere, he thought, staring at the array of pins that stretched across the map.

But she was not.

“Peter,” a familiar voice said at the door, with a gentle knock.

Knight turned. His hands dropped from his head. His jaw dropped to the floor.

“Eliza,” he gasped.

“I heard you’ve been looking for me. I went to the coast to think,” she explained, taking the chair Knight offered her.

“You went to the coast?” he gently pushed.

“Just to drive, and think. There’s been so much bloody noise since my dad died. Some of it of my own creation, but then there’s his businesses, bloody lawyers, relatives who want a handout. He’s not even in his grave and they’re after his money.”

“That must be hard.”

“It is hard. I just needed a break from it. I just wanted to drive and listen to music. No phone. No arseholes trying to call me. Present company excepted, of course.” She gave a weak smile.

“There were some things I needed to talk with you about.” He spoke gently, finding himself convinced by Eliza’s words and manner. “Do you know a woman by the name of Sophie Edwards?”

A look of bewilderment passed over her face. “I know a Sophie Edwards,” she explained. “But I imagine there would be more than a few people by that name in London.”

“This Sophie was at LSE with you.”

“Then yes. Why are you asking?”

“Actually,” Knight smiled, anxious that Eliza was becoming too defensive, “it’s for another case Private is working. I saw your name on her class records.”

“Oh.” Eliza relaxed a little. “Small world, isn’t it? But yes, we were in the same class at LSE. We kept in touch, but we aren’t particularly close.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“The weekend before last. She came to one of my bigger dinner parties with her boyfriend.”

“She has a boyfriend?” Knight asked, hiding his surprise.

“Sort of. I don’t know how serious they are exactly, but it’s London. His name’s Mayoor Patel; he’s a hedge fund manager that I work with pretty often. Great guy. Very funny.”

“Does he come to all of your dinner parties?”

It was a moment before Eliza replied. “No.”

“Why?”

“Because he brings Sophie,” she admitted, breaking her gaze from Peter.

“And Sophie had a thing for your father?” Knight guessed, seeing his torpedo strike.

“Two types of people go to LSE, Peter. Those who want to make money, and those who want to take it.”

“And which one was Sophie?”

Eliza smiled, but there was no happiness in it. Only malice and resentment. “She looked at my dad like he was a five-star meal ticket. Why are you asking me all this, Peter? And don’t bullshit me about other investigations. I’m not stupid, so spit it out.”

Private’s agent met her wild stare. “I think Sophie Edwards was the one blackmailing your father.”