The computer equipment recovered from Wheatley’s student apartment revealed an interesting absence of information, which in itself was damning. He had installed and employed an array of software and devices designed to prevent leaving any sort of electronic trail. His cellphone, which was not recovered, was discovered to have been loaded with software that projected a false position, to anyone who tried to track it. Though this program was legal, other software and apps installed were not. In total he seemed to have gone to considerable lengths to leave false trails, and to hide his true online activities, and physical locations. This was considered the likely reason it had been difficult so far to place him at the locations of the other bombings the agents were investigating. But with sufficient resources and time, it was thought likely that these defenses would fail, and information would come to light which demonstrated he was directly involved in the other attacks.
Finally, there had been no sightings of Billy Wheatley since he was captured on CCTV driving the rental car onto the Lornea Island ferry over two weeks previously, a ferry which he did not drive off. There had been no activity on any of his electronic devices, nor anything from his multiple online accounts and aliases. Watches placed on his student address, his family home on Lornea Island, and on the few actual friends he was known to have, in particular one Amber Atherton, had not seen any contact from Wheatley, nor any evidence to suggest anything other than he had perished that night. And while Wheatley’s body had not been found, this was perfectly consistent with the likelihood that he had either fallen, or more likely jumped from the Lornea Island ferry on February 2nd.
It was therefore the conclusion of the investigating agents, that the perpetrator of the string of domestic terror attacks on the Fonchem Chemical facilities was one William ‘Billy’ Wheatley, and that he had died, most probably by suicide, on the evening following the final attack.
When the report was finished, Black read it through, looking satisfied.
West however, did not.
32
Three Months Earlier
I’m still here. I can’t believe it. It’s the morning now, and I’m still here. At Lily’s house. The Lily Palace. But not just that, I’m actually in her bedroom. With her. Well actually she’s asleep, but she’s right next to me. This is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. And I’ve had quite a few amazing things happen to me.
I sort of want to get up, because I feel like I’m filled with electricity, but also I daren’t move, because I don’t want to wake her up. I want to tell you what happened, but I don’t think I really should. It’s kind of private, you know? I’ll tell you a bit. Just so you know what’s going on.
We came back from the meal at the yacht club, and we came upstairs, and I didn’t know what was going on, not really, and I think I was a bit drunk too, and Lily said she wanted to have a shower, and then she took off her clothes right in front of me – well not all of them, she left on her underwear, but even so, and she went next door into the shower – she has a bathroom that leads right off her bedroom, and not just a little room either, it’s massive, and after a while I heard the water running, and I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there, and then I heard her calling me, in this really soft voice, so in the end I went in there, and she was in the shower, and I couldn’t really see, because of all the steam, but she didn’t seem to mind, and she told me to come in and rub her shoulders, so eventually I did. But then she screamed and said I had to take my clothes off first, which I guess I must have forgotten to do, but then she helped me, and it was really funny, which I wasn’t expecting. Not at all. And then, well, I think I really should stop there, but maybe I could just say that we didn’t. Didn’t stop I mean.
I’m not that experienced with girls. I mean, I’m not that experienced with girls in that way. Or at least I wasn’t. I suppose I am now. I kind of always knew I’d have to do something about it. But I never expected… I never expected it would be with Lily. Very gently I turn my head to look at her. Her golden hair is all ruffed up on the pillows, and her mouth is slightly open. I can’t believe I’ve kissed that mouth. She’s… She’s perfect, even when she’s asleep like this, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful girl. It makes my heart beat funny. I think it’s making me feel ill.
“Billy…” She suddenly murmurs to me. She’s not asleep after all. But her voice is so soft and lovely.
“Billy, will you please stop staring at me?”
I turn away at once, and look at the ceiling instead. “Sorry.”
I try to concentrate on it. It’s different to the room in my apartment. There the ceilings are low, and there’s a cheap light bracket. Here the ceiling is high up, and there’s a swirly round coving thing above a kind of mini chandelier fitting, I don’t know what you’d call it. Suddenly Lily moves, her hand slides across my stomach, and then she starts to pull herself on top of me. The next thing I know she’s lying right on top of me, her long hair making a
