Perhaps, she theorised, if she stopped looking out for the texter, they would approach her, or reply. If they knew something about Ella’s death, they could be in danger too, and wary of being seen. She sipped her hot chocolate and turned back to face the window. There were lots of people sat at the tables and chairs outside. What if one of them had left the phone somewhere else in the café on purpose, to throw her off the scent? But if so, why would they come to the Starbucks at all?
She waited a few more minutes, having to be strict with herself not to turn back around. Maybe I should try calling the phone... she thought. Just as she pulled her phone out to make the call, she jolted upright as a hand gently tapped her right shoulder. Nearly dropping her phone, she turned on her stool.
Leo stood opposite her, a broad smile on his face, “I thought that was you!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“HI!” SHE MANAGED TO stutter out. She hadn’t seen him come in, but the surprise of seeing him pulled her from the murky thoughts of Ella’s death and the mystery texts. She realised she was pleased to see him – he was really the only friend she’d made since coming back to Oxford.
“My dad told me about Tom – please give your mum my best wishes,” Leo said with an earnest half-smile.
“Thank you,” she replied, unable to return the half-smile.
“Would you like another drink? Or some cake?” He seemed sincere in his condolences, but he still had his signature smirk as he gestured towards the cake.
“Yes, please, it has been the most surreal couple of days,” Paige said, “I would really like some cake,” she said, standing up to follow Leo to the counter, “But, I owe you a drink from last time - I’ll get these.”
“Thank you, but given what you’ve been through, I think you can owe me for the time being,” Leo said, ordering some brownies. Paige didn’t argue, she was happy to accept his generosity, especially as she hadn’t received her first month’s payment from Eckland yet; her bank account was already looking a little sad.
They brought their brownies over to an empty table, “Do you mind me asking what happened?” Leo said, somewhat more tentatively than he usually approached difficult subjects.
“Rufus,” Paige said bluntly, her throat catching as she tried to elaborate more. She made herself trace her eyes over every inch of her brownie so that she didn’t have to meet Leo’s eyes. His sympathy was overwhelming, even if it was well-meaning.
“Rufus...” Leo said, his breath halting for a moment. She looked up, somewhat surprised at how taken aback he was. Noticing her looking at him, he added, “Sorry, I just was expecting you to say it was an accident.”
“Well, it was, I suppose,” Paige said, “They fought.”
“They fought?” Leo said, surprise still tinging his voice.
“Yes. Tom wouldn’t let Rufus talk to me, and they fought. Rufus pushed Tom and he hit his head,” Paige said, getting it out quickly and hoping Leo would move away from the subject.
“I’m so sorry, that sounds awful,” Leo said, clearly sensing the desire to change subjects. He paused to take a bite of brownie and then added, “I hope my dad didn’t make a fuss about you having time off?”
“No, he has been very understanding,” Paige said, “I have been enjoying working for him.”
“That’s good to hear.” He paused again, words seemingly alluding him as she struggled to change the subject.
“Yeah,” Paige added in a perfunctory reply.
Leo thought for a moment and added, “You seem a good match. He’s been looking for someone for a while.”
“Really?” Paige said, chewing her brownie and thinking over her next words. She ran back through Eckland’s weird remarks in her head, trying to summon any inkling that he had previously had help. He had never mentioned anyone, let alone named Ella as his research assistant.
Although cautious of their new friendship, Paige realised she had to ask Leo about Ella – what if he had met her? She would find out once and for all if Eckland had been pretending not to know Ella. Doing her best to keep her tone casual, she said, “He was looking for a while?”
“Yes,” Leo replied, taking another bite of his brownie, “after his last assistant left suddenly.” Paige’s heart started to pound again – was Leo talking about Ella?
“He had an assistant before me?” Paige asked, still nonchalant.
“Yes – a student of his. I only met her very briefly at a function – a book signing, I think,” Leo said, furrowing his brow as he tried to recall, “Ella? I think that was her name.”
Paige didn’t want to seem overly interested and so just nodded, giving no clue that she knew who Ella was. She replied, “Did she work for him long?”
“I’m really not sure,” Leo said, “I know she left suddenly, and dad wasn’t pleased about it.”
“Really? Do you know why?” Paige said, unable to contain herself.
She realised she had appeared too keen when Leo replied, “No, I don’t...” with a slightly curious look on his face, “Did dad say something to you about her?” He added, putting his brownie down on its plate, as if to give her his full attention.
“No, actually...” Paige said, adding, slightly quieter, “Which is odd...”
“Oh, not really,” Leo said, “Dad is a very ‘in the moment’ kind of person. He’d forget I existed if I stopped coming ‘round for dinner.” He said it with some humour, but Paige’s face darkened. Is that what happened to Ella? She thought, A troublesome employee, cast aside and then forgotten to the point that he doesn’t even remember her after she died?!
That thought horrified her more than she thought it would. She had developed a connection with Eckland, even if not in the same way Jade said Ella had; his eccentricity was surprisingly charming, and he treated her ideas with respect. For
