The Dead Wife

Chapter Ten

Conmere, Friday, 10 May, 1.00 p.m.

Steph chose to drive up to Cumbria. Her Fiat 500 didn’t miss a beat as she motored north, but all the same, it was with relief Steph saw the entrance to Conmere Resort Centre. She swung her car through the gates and followed the road, which filtered through trees and eventually opened up to reveal the imposing Edwardian building of Conmere House. Signs indicated that she was to follow the road past the main entrance and to a car park further along. There were already lots of cars in the car park and, looking at her watch, Steph realised she was cutting it fine to get to the welcome meeting.

The receptionist checked Steph in. ‘Leave your bags here and the concierge will take them to your lodge. If you go through to the main reception room there on the left, the welcome talk is just about to start. You’ll be given your room key at the end.’

‘Thank you,’ said Steph, now wishing she’d left just half an hour earlier. She hated the thought of being the last one to enter the room.

She was relieved to see it was a very informal affair in the reception room. There were probably another seventy-five to one hundred travel-agency PR people and reporters, all standing around in small groups chatting amiably and all with a drink in their hand. Steph was approached by a waiter with a tray of champagne and she gladly took a glass before making her way over to the buffet table and filling up her plate with as much food as was polite. She was starving and knew just one glass of alcohol on an empty stomach would be enough to make her want to curl up and sleep this afternoon. She had to make sure she paced herself and was able to write a full report. She also wanted to keep her wits about her so she didn’t miss an opportunity to find out more about Elizabeth.

The clinking of a spoon against a glass brought the chatter of the room to an end and all the guests turned to the front, where three men and a woman were standing – the Sinclairs.

‘Hello and welcome to Conmere Resort Centre,’ began one of the men. ‘It’s great to see so many of you here. My name’s Dominic Sinclair and this is my mother, Pru, and my brothers, Harry and Owen.’

Dominic was a natural speaker and came across as professional and charming. Steph tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but her mind kept drifting back to Sonia Lomas and her quest to find justice for her daughter. Steph looked at the Sinclairs – could one of them be a murderer, as Sonia had implied? Which one looked as if they could be capable of killing Elizabeth?

A round of applause from the other guests brought Steph back from her thoughts as Dominic invited everyone to enjoy the buffet and feel free to ask any questions as they mingled. The Sinclairs smiled at the guests, although Harry Sinclair’s contribution was rather more lacklustre than the rest of his family’s.

Steph finished her drink and exchanged the champagne flute for a bottle of sparkling water, making a show of examining the label as she surreptitiously kept an eye on her hosts. Pru was already engaged in conversation with one of the guests, standing slightly to one side, but her eyes every now and then scanned the room.

Dominic was holding court with a group of reporters; with his hands in his pockets, he looked at ease in their company, smiling and being particularly engaging, looking at the scale model of the resort in the centre of the room, identifying various points of interest. He was clearly in his element.

Aware that she should probably be speaking to at least one of the Sinclairs, Steph let her gaze seek out the remaining brothers. Owen was talking earnestly with two older men.

So that left Harry Sinclair – her person of interest. Not immediately seeing him, Steph casually wandered over to the centrepiece of the room, beside which Dominic was chatting. The model of the resort was under a glass case, labels showing the main attractions. The indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi, sauna and spa pool were at the heart of the park and fanning outwards were the other facilities with groups of lodges dotted around. It looked like a small town to Steph.

Something made her look up and on the far side of the room, standing almost in the shadows, was Harry Sinclair. They locked eyes for a moment. Steph’s heart bumped hard in her chest and, for a second, all she could hear was the pumping of blood in her ears at the power of his gaze. And then a beat later he broke the brief but intense moment, his eyes returning to his phone.

Steph exhaled a small but controlled breath as she continued to watch him and was pretty certain he was purposely making himself appear unavailable to speak to anyone. As soon as someone looked as if they were approaching him Harry would raise his phone to his ear and mouth an apology to the approaching guest, accompanied by a smile, before looking down as if in deep conversation. Steph witnessed him do this at least three times, and it was quite amusing to watch.

After deflecting a fourth approach with this ploy he looked up and, again, looked over at Steph, who gave a small shake of the head in admonishment. He offered a blank look in reply.

A small laugh escaped Steph’s mouth. This was too good an opportunity to miss. Milling her way through the guests, she headed straight for Harry Sinclair. As she neared him he looked up and put his phone towards his ear, with his by now well-practised don’t-bother-me look. Steph was undeterred and came to a halt in front of him.

‘That’s a ten for presentation, ten for technical ability and a nine for artistic impression.’

Slowly, Harry lowered the phone. ‘Only a nine for artistic impression? Where did I lose the point?’

‘Repetition, darling. Repetition,’ said Steph in a mock-showbiz voice. ‘You can’t pull the same stunt all the time – someone will get wise.’

‘Such an amateur mistake.’

‘I’d say.’ She leaned in conspiratorially. ‘However, your secret’s safe with me.’

‘Why do I get the feeling there’s a catch coming?’

‘Because I wouldn’t be doing my job as a travel reporter if there wasn’t.’

‘True. Fire away.’

‘Give me an exclusive on the resort and we’ll say no more.’

‘An exclusive? I’m not sure if I’ve anything exclusive to tell you.’

Steph knew she had to pace herself here and not get too carried away. ‘Oh, I don’t know, there must be power battles between three ambitious brothers such as yourselves. What really goes on in the boardroom?’

Harry gave a laugh, which Steph felt was forced. His eyes looked wary, although he tried to hide it. ‘You’ve come to the wrong place if you want any scandal.’ He paused and looked at Steph’s lanyard. ‘Ms Stephanie Durham.’

‘It’s Miss, just to clarify, and no one ever calls me Stephanie – it’s just Steph.’

‘Ah, fatal mistake,’ said Harry. ‘Never say you’re just someone – it’s so passive, which I suspect, with you, is a contradiction.’

‘Definitely not. Proactive, I’d say.’ Steph smiled broadly at him. He really did have the most sparkling eyes when he was joking. For a moment it hid the deep sadness that she sensed lay within. ‘If there’s no scandal, why don’t you give me a guided tour?’

‘There’s no scandal and there’s a guided tour in half an hour.’

Steph wasn’t giving up so easily. ‘What about if you show me your favourite part of the estate later? After I’ve been on the official guided tour?’

Something must have caught Harry’s attention. He looked over Steph’s shoulder and his expression darkened.

‘Shit,’ he muttered.

Steph turned to follow his gaze. ‘Shit,’ she heard herself echoing. Sonia Lomas was heading straight for them. What the hell was she doing here? Sonia had never mentioned to Steph that she was coming to the resort. How was this going to play out in front of Harry? She turned and looked for a reaction, but Harry’s gaze was fixed on his mother-in-law. Steph had a second to decide how to play this. She opted to say nothing and see how Sonia was going to react, but couldn’t help feeling irritated at the unexpected appearance. It could ruin everything.

Harry stepped forward. ‘Hello, Sonia,’ he said, his voice the epitome of professional politeness. ‘I didn’t know you were coming.’

‘I didn’t tell you, that’s why,’ replied Sonia. She looked at Steph and then back at Harry. ‘And who’s this? Your new girlfriend?’

Steph silently thanked Sonia for the coded message.

‘No. This is one of the guests.’

Steph held out her hand to Sonia. ‘Stephanie Durham. Vacation Staycation website and magazine. I’m here to cover the reopening of Conmere Resort Centre.’

Sonia shook Steph’s hand. ‘Sonia Lomas. My daughter was married to Harry.’

Steph feigned a thoughtful look, followed by what she hoped was one of realisation. ‘Oh, I see. Er … Elizabeth—’

Harry cut her off. ‘Nothing that needs discussing here.’ He turned to Sonia. ‘Would you like to go somewhere more private, where we can talk?’

Sonia raised her eyebrows. ‘No. I wouldn’t actually. I’m quite happy to talk right here.’

Steph looked from one to the other. She had no idea what Sonia’s game was. As far as Steph was concerned, she was supposed to be here to make discreet enquiries, but now Sonia had turned up it was clearly putting Harry on his guard. She felt she should excuse herself, but the professional side of her knew she should stay rooted to the spot to glean as much info as possible.

‘I’d sooner we didn’t,’ said Harry, and then he turned to Steph. ‘Would you mind excusing us?’

‘Oh, yes, of course,’ said Steph, although it was the last thing she wanted to do.

‘Why don’t you stay?’ said Sonia. ‘I’d prefer to have someone else here.’

Harry leaned closer to Sonia and said something in low tones that Steph couldn’t make out above the buzz of the room. Sonia listened for a moment, her face hardening before she took a step back. ‘Please, Sonia,’ said Harry. ‘Not here. Not today.’

‘What? Are you worried I’m going to cause a scene? I don’t suppose you want me to start reminding everyone about what happened here two years ago, do you?’

Steph looked at Sonia, who swayed on her feet, and she and Harry simultaneously put a hand out to keep the older woman from stumbling. It was then Steph got the whiff of alcohol from Sonia’s breath.

‘Get off me,’ said Sonia, her voice rising enough to make the guests nearby turn around. There were tears in her eyes. ‘Don’t you care, Harry? Don’t you care what happened to your wife?’

Before Harry could answer Dominic appeared, his manner rather more abrupt than his brother’s. Steph could see the anger blazing in his blue eyes. ‘What the fuck is she doing here?’ Dominic hissed and then, noticing Steph, made a clear effort to regain his composure. ‘Mrs Lomas, this afternoon is strictly for the press. I’m afraid you can’t stay.’

‘That’s what you think,’ said Sonia.

Dominic turned his head and wrinkled up his nose. ‘Jesus. You’re drunk,’ he said. ‘Honestly, Harry, you need to get her out of here before I call Security.’

‘Go easy,’ said Harry, eyeing his brother. ‘I don’t think we need Security.’

Dominic looked at Steph. ‘And don’t even think about reporting this,’ he said. ‘You do what you’re here for. OK?’

Steph was rather taken aback at Dominic’s aggression. She was about to pull him up for it, but Harry spoke first.

‘No need for that.’ He turned to Steph. ‘Apologies; my brother didn’t mean to sound so rude. Did you, Dom?’

Dominic took a moment to collect himself. ‘No. Sorry. Very sorry. Please, let me get you a drink while Harry sees to his mother-in-law.’

Steph was pretty sure Dominic was anything other than sorry, but she accepted his apology all the same. However, she wasn’t about to be bought off with a drink. Fortunately, Sonia started up again.

‘Look, you two, don’t try to silence me like you did my daughter. I’m not scared of either of you. Any of you.’

‘No one wants you to be scared,’ reassured Harry. ‘Let’s talk about this – somewhere else. Please, Sonia.’

Steph watched Harry put a hand on her arm and offer a sympathetic smile. He seemed genuinely concerned about Sonia. He had a kind and calming way about him. Hardly the reaction of someone who might have murdered his wife.

‘Don’t touch me,’ snapped Sonia, clearly not ready to accept the olive branch.

Steph moved towards Sonia. ‘Why don’t you come outside with me?’ She smiled warmly at the other woman. ‘There’s no need to cause a big fuss here. If you want to be taken seriously, there are better ways to do it.’ She willed Sonia to agree to come with her.

‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea,’ said Dominic.

‘It bloody well is if you want me to leave quietly, and just because I’m going it doesn’t mean you’ve heard the last of me,’ said Sonia. She linked her arm through Steph’s. ‘I’d like to leave now. With you. No one else.’ Sonia looked defiantly at the older Sinclair brother.

‘Just get her out of here,’ said Dominic, glancing around the room. ‘Quietly. There’s a room directly across the hall. She can sober up in there. I’ll get someone to bring in some coffee.’

‘Thank you,’ said Sonia as she staggered slightly on the turn and allowed Steph to lead her towards the door.

Steph glanced over her shoulder at Harry, whose eyes she was sure had tracked them the whole way across the room. She could see the brothers muttering to each other and then Harry give a slight nod in her direction.

Across the hall and in the sitting room, Steph sat Sonia down on the sofa. ‘What are you doing here?’ she whispered. ‘I thought you were going to leave this to me.’

‘I changed my mind,’ said Sonia. She flopped back on the sofa and closed her eyes. ‘I’m not drunk, by the way.’

‘I’m not so sure about that.’

‘I’ve had a couple of drinks, but that’s all. A bit of Dutch courage.’

‘I still don’t understand what you’re doing here though.’ Steph was anxious to find out but Sonia was being vague. ‘Look, if you want me to investigate your daughter’s death, you’ve got to let me do it. You can’t come gatecrashing. All that’s going to do is put the Sinclairs on edge. I don’t need them getting suspicious and giving them any clue that I might be working with you.’ Sonia’s eyes remained closed. ‘Do you even understand what I’m saying?’

Sonia opened her eyes and looked at Steph. ‘Truth be told, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I don’t really know what I was hoping to achieve. I thought maybe I could cause a bit of a stir and get people talking about Elizabeth again.’

‘You need to leave it to me,’ said Steph. She could see the pain in Sonia’s eyes and a surge of sympathy welled up in Steph’s chest. ‘Please, let me find out things my way. If you go for a full-on attack, they are only going to close ranks. I need to win their confidence, not put them on their guard.’

Before Sonia could answer, the door opened and Harry walked in carrying a tray with two cups of coffee on it. ‘Thought you might like one too,’ he said to Steph.

‘Thanks.’ Steph looked at Sonia, whose eyes were once again closed. She could only assume Sonia was acting but she decided to play along with her for now.

‘How is she?’ Harry placed the tray on the side table and looked down at his mother-in-law.

Steph shrugged. ‘Sleeping it off, I guess.’

Harry let out a long sigh. ‘She never used to drink but I think what happened to Elizabeth has pushed her over the edge.’

‘It’s hardly surprising.’

‘You obviously know about what happened to my wife?’

‘Yes, and I’m sorry for your loss. I researched your family prior to coming here.’

‘Well, looks like you’ve got yourself a nice, juicy story. One for the gutter press. Get a couple of photos and you can probably make yourself a few pounds.’

Steph inwardly winced at the remark. Despite how accurate it may be, the way Harry said it made it sound callous and uncaring and she found herself challenging his assumption. ‘What makes you so sure I’m going to run a story on this?’

‘I thought that’s what all journalists did.’

‘We’re not all hacks. Some of us have integrity and, technically speaking, I’m here for PR and advertising, not scandal,’ said Steph, inwardly blanching at her contradiction. She, of course, had a hidden agenda but she wasn’t going to let Harry know that. She ignored the voice of conscience in the back of her mind.

Harry gave her a sideways look. ‘I’ll happily be proved wrong,’ he said.

Sonia let out a small groan and opened her eyes. Steph admired her acting ability as she took a moment to focus and take in her surroundings. Her gaze rested on the cup of coffee. ‘I suppose that’s for me.’

Harry passed her the cup. ‘Black, no sugar and a splash of cold water. Just as you like it.’

Steph noted that Harry still remembered how Sonia liked her coffee and realised that he was more thoughtful than she would have expected.

‘Thank you.’ Sonia sipped at the warm liquid.

‘How did you get here?’ asked Harry.

‘Taxi from the station. I’d heard about the reopening and I found myself catching a train. I’m not sure why.’ She dipped her head but not before Steph saw the tears welling up in the older woman’s eyes.

Steph rummaged in her bag and pulled out a tissue, passing it to Sonia, who mopped at her eyes. Taking an audible breath in and releasing it slowly, Sonia placed the cup on the table and stood up. ‘I need to go.’

‘Where are you staying?’ asked Steph. ‘I could drive you back.’

‘I’m not staying anywhere. I’m getting the train home.’

‘Not in that state you’re not,’ said Harry. ‘You need to sober up first.’

‘I’m not drunk. I’ve had two drinks, that’s all. God knows why I came here. It was a stupid idea. Might have known I’d hit a brick wall with you. I can’t believe how uncaring and cold-hearted you are about my daughter. I thought you loved her but you clearly didn’t.’

Sonia pushed past Harry and headed for the door. He looked shell-shocked and perhaps not without reason, Steph thought. He had been anything but uncaring and cold-hearted with Sonia since she’d turned up, but right now this wasn’t Steph’s main concern. She rushed after her and caught her up in the hall. ‘Let me drive you, please.’

‘No. I’ve got a cab waiting. I just wanted to say my bit and leave,’ said Sonia as she strode towards the main entrance.

Steph followed her out. ‘I will get to the truth,’ she said. ‘But, like I said before, I can’t promise it will be what you want to hear.’

Sonia paused and eyed Steph intently. ‘Just don’t be taken in by them,’ she said eventually.

‘I’ve been around long enough not to do that.’ Steph was slightly affronted that someone would think she was gullible. ‘I’ll find the truth even if it kills me.’

‘Let’s hope not,’ said Sonia as she climbed into a waiting taxi. Her eyes never left Steph as the driver started the engine and the car pulled away.

Steph turned to go back inside but hesitated when she saw Dominic Sinclair standing at the top of the steps, his hands in his pockets, watching her. Despite the warmth of the afternoon, she gave a small shiver. His eyes were as cold as ice and his face unsmiling. She forced herself forward and smiled. ‘She’s going home now. Won’t be bothering you again.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said Dominic. ‘Sorry, what did you say your name was again?’

Steph held up the tag on her lanyard. ‘Stephanie Durham. Vacation Staycation.’

Dominic frowned. ‘Durham. Stephanie Durham. Have we met before?’

Steph smiled, hoping to disguise the unease she was feeling. ‘No, we haven’t. I’ve just got one of those faces that everyone thinks they recognise.’

Dominic smiled back. ‘I’m usually good with faces but even the best of us get it wrong sometimes.’

‘Right, better get back to the reception,’ said Steph, injecting false cheer into her voice. Her stomach gave an anxious roll. Something about Dominic Sinclair scared her and there was an undercurrent of danger to him that was unnerving. In Steph’s profession this made someone particularly interesting, although she sensed she would have to be very careful around him.

Chapter Eleven

Conmere, Friday, 10 May, 1.50 p.m.

Harry sighed. Sonia Lomas turning up had been the last thing he had expected and the last he needed. He wasn’t quite sure what she was hoping to achieve by her visit, but that wasn’t what troubled him the most.