‘No – but they said they’d be in touch if they find anything.’
‘I’ve been thinking, Mum. We ought to start our own investigation – into Matt’s past.’
I interrupt her. ‘It’s in the hands of the police, Jess. It’s best left to them.’
‘I know you think that.’ Jess pauses. ‘But I’ve thought about this. It really is seriously weird that after you two being together for two years, all I know about him is where he works and that he loves Indonesia … And I don’t even know if he’s been there.’
‘Jess, we’ve talked about this. He’s talked to me about stuff.’ I’m slightly exasperated. ‘There’s nothing weird – I promise you.’
‘Why do you always do this?’ Jess’s voice is fierce.
‘Do what?’ I’m not sure what she’s getting at.
‘Underplay things. It’s not normal that he doesn’t talk about his past. OK.’ She challenges me. ‘You tell me. What do you know about him?’
I hesitate. ‘Before we were together, he lived on his own. He’d just broken up with a woman called Mandy. It sounded like she was a bit of a psycho when they split up. I think that’s why he lived alone for so long.’ But already I’m thinking of what Lara told me, about the women in his life – wondering what else he’d hidden from me.
‘What about his family?’ Jess demands. ‘Any siblings? Old school friends? I know you were going to meet his parents at your wedding, but there must be other family members. I can’t believe you haven’t tried to find them.’ There’s a slightly accusing tone in her voice.
‘I tried to call his parents, but I had the wrong number. There isn’t anyone else to find.’ I rack my brains. ‘There was a cousin who was coming to the wedding, who cancelled a couple of weeks before. But there was no-one else in his family he was in contact with. Not all families are close, Jess, for all kinds of reasons.’
‘Don’t you think it’s odd you never met his parents?’ She fires the question at me.
My blood runs cold, as I tell her what Matt had told me. ‘They live in Edinburgh. They were going to come and stay a couple of months back, but Matt’s dad was ill and they had to cancel.’
‘You’ve got to admit, that’s neat and tidy.’ She sounds disbelieving. ‘How do you know he didn’t cancel them? Or if they were really coming in the first place? Have you heard from them at all?’
I shake my head. ‘I’ve emailed them – twice – to tell them the wedding was cancelled, then to ask them to contact me, but they haven’t replied.’
‘He probably gave you a false email address.’ Jess looks distrustful. ‘He’s got it all covered, hasn’t he? If you ask me, he’s a piece of work.’
My sigh is reluctant. ‘Even if you’re right, none of this changes anything, Jess. And like Cath said, maybe it really is better that he’s gone.’
‘Right.’ Jess is defiant. ‘But don’t you want answers? I’m going to start digging around. Rik’s offered to help me. There’s a Mandy in Matt’s Facebook contacts, so we’ll start with her. You should email the cousin who was coming to the wedding, too.’
All I know about Rik is the course he’s studying and his passion for surfing. I’m not sure how I feel about him getting involved, when we haven’t even met. ‘There is someone who knows more,’ I say slowly. ‘Lara. She’s known Matt for years. They had a fling – ages back, before he and I were together.’
‘When did you find that out?’ Jess sounds amazed.
‘Recently,’ I say shortly.
But Jess is immediately on to her. ‘So she and Matt kept their secret? I thought Lara was supposed to be your friend, too. She’s hardly reliable, is she?’
‘No.’ But apart from Jess, no-one is. I’m silent for a moment.
‘There’s another thing.’ Jess pauses. ‘I’ve been thinking about his obsession with the house. I think he was after your money.’
This time, it’s a step too far. ‘Look, Jess, can we talk about it at the weekend? I’d really rather you didn’t do this.’
But she refuses to let it go. ‘Think about how many times he went on at you about selling the house. He wouldn’t leave it alone, Mum. He had a reason, I’m sure of it.’
‘Jess, please. I really don’t want to have this conversation – not now, OK? We’ll talk, if you really want to, when you’re home.’
She gives in, albeit reluctantly. After she goes, I let my mind wander back to an evening shortly after Matt moved in. It was the first time he tried to persuade me to sell the house. But that hadn’t been about money. It had been about lifestyle – at least, that’s how he’d sold it to me. Had I been blind to what was right in front of me? He’d always liked beautiful things – well-cut suits, pristine shirts, smart furniture, his car, all of it expensive. But he’d had a well-paid job. If he’d had money problems, it wasn’t obvious.
Unable to settle, my mind is restless, turning things this way and that, getting nowhere. Later, when my mobile rings again, I glance at the screen, surprised when I see it’s PC Page.
She gets straight to the point. ‘I spoke to Lara Carmichael yesterday.’
I feel myself freeze, wondering what Lara’s said to her. But if it’s anything controversial, PC Page doesn’t say.
‘She was clearly as shocked as you were when she found out about Matt’s double life. We’ve also been studying his calls and texts.’ She pauses. ‘They’re clear evidence of his relationship with this other woman. I find it increasingly hard to believe he didn’t give himself away. There must have been calls he hid from you, or texts flashing up on his screen. Surely you must have had your suspicions?’
I shake my head. ‘There honestly
