After she ends the call, I turn to Cath and Zoe, who must have heard most of the call. ‘They have proof that Matt changed his name by deed poll. But they’re still holding Mum.’ Tears prick my eyes as I pause. ‘She said I need to be careful – in case he’s still out there.’
‘She’s right.’ Zoe shakes her head. ‘You must be. It’s unbelievable isn’t it, the lengths he’s gone to already. Who knows what else he’s capable of?’
‘He’s a vile, twisted human being.’ I shake my head. ‘I hope the police find him and lock him away for good.’
‘Hopefully they will.’ Cath goes to the kitchen windows and closes the curtains. ‘I’ll do the rest, shall I?’
Zoe nods. ‘Thanks. Now, Jess. How about I make us something to eat?’
*
Half an hour later, when PC Page arrives, I show her the painting. ‘Thanks, Jess. We’ll take it with us.’
‘It’s proof, isn’t it?’ I insist. ‘That Matt is Charlie’s brother?’
‘It’s certainly possible.’ She pauses. ‘I’ll be in touch.’
*
That night, I try to think where Matt could have been since he disappeared or where he could have hidden. Then as I think of the painting again, my heart starts to thump. If all this has been about Matt losing Charlie, he’s going to go back to the house, I’d put money on it. He’s going to want to pick up his brother’s painting, I know Matt and the twisted way his mind works. Then it’s like a light switches on in my brain. Even though it’s late, I call PC Page.
‘It’s another hunch, but I think I know where Matt may have been hiding.’
‘Where?’
‘I honestly think he’s playing a cat and mouse game. It’s somewhere close enough to watch my mother, but the last place anyone would guess at.’ I pause. ‘Mrs Guthrie’s house.’
She’s silent for a moment. Then all she says is, ‘I’ll get a car up there straight away.’
‘There’s something else.’ I hesitate. ‘I think he’ll go back to our house. He was obsessed with that painting. It’s his only remaining link to his brother.’
Outside my bedroom door, I hear a floorboard creak. Then there’s a knock, followed by Cath’s voice. ‘Jess? Are you OK? I thought I heard voices.’
‘I’m fine. I was talking to PC Page.’ Going to the door, I crack it open to see her face, dimly lit by the light from the landing, enough to see her frown.
‘Is anything wrong?’
I shake my head. ‘No. Everything’s fine. It was just something I thought of – to do with earlier.’ I break off. ‘I think I know where Matt may have been hiding. In Mrs Guthrie’s house – across the road. She died recently.’ Conveniently. The word shocks me. Could Matt have had a hand in that too?
‘God.’ Cath looks horrified. ‘That’s a bit close. As long as you’re OK?’
I nod. ‘I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed.’
But as I lie in bed, my mind won’t rest. As I go over the events of today, I imagine Matt at Mrs Guthrie’s upstairs window, hidden in the shadows as he peered from behind the curtains. I picture his eyes on me as I walked up the lane. The more I think about it, the more certain I am that he’ll be wanting his painting back. I envisage his anger when he finds it isn’t there.
*
The next morning, I wake early, through the gap in the curtains, peering outside, edgy, constantly on the lookout. For Matt. When I go downstairs, Cath’s sitting at Zoe’s table, texting on her phone. When she hears me come in, she turns around. ‘Did you sleep OK in the end?’ Her voice is bright. ‘Have you heard anything from the police yet?’
‘No.’ But I’m sure if there’s any news, PC Page will keep me posted.
Cath gets up. ‘It’s a gorgeous day out there. Shall we go out for breakfast? My shout.’
‘I don’t know.’ She’s trying to cheer me up, and I don’t want to sound dismissive, but until I know what’s happening with my mother, I don’t really feel like going anywhere.
‘Go on, Jess. It’ll do us both good.’
Against my better judgement, I let her sway me. ‘I’ll just go upstairs and get my stuff.’ In my room, I brush my hair, then grab my phone, as Cath’s voice comes from her room. ‘You ready?’
‘Just coming.’ I open my door. ‘You’re right. It’s a good idea.’ I follow her downstairs. ‘Where are we going?’
‘There’s a place the east side of Hove – a diner. I thought as well as breakfast, some sea air would do us good. I was thinking, that if you haven’t heard anything by then, maybe you should call PC Page for an update?’
‘Yeah.’ With that in mind, I feel a little brighter.
But as we get into her car, I’m frowning, thinking back to a comment she made, a while back. About how she owed my mum. ‘What you said before … you said you owed Mum. What did you mean by that?’
Cath’s quiet for a moment. ‘She was always there for me when Oliver was at his worst. I felt it was my turn to do the same for her.’
‘Was there any other reason? To do with Matt?’ As I mention his name, her hands stiffen on the steering wheel. ‘It was just that you said he tried it on with you.’
‘There’s really not any more to say about it. At the time, I told him where to go. But I’ve wondered since, that if I’d told your mum at the time, she might have ended their relationship and none of this would have happened. But knowing the way Matt works, he’d have persuaded her to end our friendship, instead. To be honest, I’m embarrassed about the whole thing.’
When my phone rings, I glance at the screen, where a
