Dark Room

crystal for a good week before you set off for the Hall that you'd made up your mind not to go through with the wedding. Angie and I assumed you were going to break the news to the old devil then, and call the whole thing quits. It came as a bit of a shock to find you hadn't.'

She stared at her reflection. 'Did I say I wasn't going through with it?'

'Not in so many words, but you were back to your old sunny self again, and I said to Angie, well, thank God for small mercies, she's come to her senses and told Leo to get stuffed, and Angie agreed with me. Well, you know we never liked him. He's very pretty, of course, but he wasn't for you, Jinx. Far too interested in number one, and you want someone who cares for you, sweetheart. Let's face it, we all do.'

She laughed. 'How's George?'

'Unmentionable. He's left me for a Filipino chef.'

'I'm sorry. Are you surviving?'

'Of course. Don't I always? Now, tell me why you rang. I feel in my bones there was a reason, and it wasn't just to hear my dulcet tones.'

She raised her knees and propped her elbows on them. 'I want you to phone Leo's parents and say you need to contact Leo or Meg Harris as a matter of urgency.'

'With reference to what?'

Something terrible... 'Can you invent an excuse? Say you're an old school friend of Leo's, that you're only in the country for a week and that you want to meet up with him. He went to Eton, if they ask. I just want you to try and find out where they are, without letting on you know me. Is that okay with you? I want to be able to talk to them and show there are no hard feelings. Could you do that for me?'

'Sure. What's his parents' number?'

'I don't know, but you can get it through directory inquiries, because I did it myself once. It's A. Wallader, Downton Court, Ashwell, Guildford, and if he answers, it's Sir Anthony and if she answers, it's Lady Wallader. And Dean, whatever they say, you must ring me back tonight. Please. I don't care what they tell you, you must ring me back. Okay?'

'No problem,' he said breezily.

The phone rang twenty minutes later. Jinx picked it up with trembling hands and cradled it against her face. 'Jinx Kingsley.'

'It's Dean,' he said carefully.

'They're dead, aren't they?'

There was a short silence. 'Why did you get me to make the call if you already knew?'

'But I didn't,' she said quietly. 'I guessed. Oh God-and I was so hoping I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't know who else to ask. Who did you speak to?'

'His father. He was pretty upset.'

She rushed into self-justification. 'The police came this afternoon and asked me questions about them, but they wouldn't say why. And I thought, my God, they're dead and no one's telling me.' She chewed her lower lip. 'Did Anthony say what happened to them?'

There was another silence. 'Look, love, half an hour ago I thought you were unconscious; then I find you aren't. I don't know what to do. I phoned back because I promised I would, but let me talk to your doctor in the morning. It'd make me a damn sight happier, it really would.'

'No,' she said coldly. 'Tell me now.' She thought she heard his nervous finger rattle the receiver rest. 'And don't hang up on me, Dean, because I swear to God you'll be out of a job if you do.' Oh Jesus! She sounded like her father ... No matter how much she tried to deny it, his tyranny and passion were in her, too...

'You don't have to threaten me,' he said in mild reproof. 'I'm only trying to do what's best.'

'I know and I'm sorry, but I'm slowly going mad here. I must know what's happened.' She waited but he didn't respond. 'Okay,' she said abruptly, 'then I'm calling in your debts.' Her eyes narrowed. 'Just remember that the only reason anyone feels confident about you running the studio in my absence is because I've encouraged you to make a name for yourself along with me. I didn't have to do that. I could have done what everybody else does, and put your work out under the studio's name. You owe me for that at least.'

'I owe you a great deal more, Jinx, which is why I'm shitting bricks this end. I don't want to make things worse for you.' He heard her indrawn breath. 'Okay, take it easy, I will tell you, but you must promise me you won't do anything silly afterwards.'

'Do you mean try and kill myself?''

'Yes.'

'I promise,' she said wearily. 'But if I was desperate enough to want to do it, then giving my word in advance wouldn't stop me. It's only fair you should know that.'

Perversely, he found this honesty more reassuring than the pledge. 'Sir Anthony said Leo and his girlfriend had been murdered. Their bodies were found last Thursday in a wood near Winchester but the police think they were killed the week before.'

She clenched her fist against her heart. 'Which day the week before?'

'The Monday, according to Sir Anthony, but I'm not sure he knows. He really was very upset.'

Ice settled in a frozen block inside her. 'What else did he say?'

'Nothing much.'

'Did he mention me?'