The Yacht Party (Lara Stone)

In that moment, Lara could see how fond Melissa was of Jonathon.

‘I’m sorry Melissa, but I have to ask. I’m sure you know I’m a journalist.’

‘Indeed,’ she said crisply.

‘I’m looking into the trafficking claims, but also the theory that Jonathon was murdered.’

‘Murdered?’ said Melissa. Her expression was sceptical.

‘I think Jonathon might have been deliberately targeted. Can you think of anyone who wanted to harm him?’

Melissa shook her head slowly. ‘The high-finance world is tough, ruthless even. But they’re not murderers.’

‘His brother Simon thought he might be worried about his business.’

It was a slight exaggeration, but Lara was convinced that Melissa knew something.

‘I have no knowledge of his business affairs, although there was one thing…’

‘Go on,’ pressed Lara.

She hesitated before she spoke again.

‘I’ve worked with Jonathon for nearly ten years and he always paid promptly, but his last two invoices are still outstanding.’

‘Jonathon di

dn’t pay you?’

She waved it away.

‘Look, financiers have cashflow problems like anyone. Besides, I owed him. Jon helped me out over the years, so I was prepared to cut him some slack.’

‘How much did he owe you?’

Melissa told her a six-figure sum. Not for the first time, Lara wondered if she was in the wrong business.

‘That’s a lot of money.’

‘He was a good friend.’

Lara leaned forward.

‘If you did care for him, help me out here, Melissa.’

‘Help you fuel a wild conspiracy?’ she said, shaking her head.

She put her hand on the table, her dark red polished nails like spots of blood on the starched white linens.

‘Lara, rich men die every day. They may have more money in the bank than you or I, but they bleed the same blood, succumb to the same illnesses. I’m not sure theories involving murders and trafficking are helpful.’

Lara knew Melissa was talking about Jonathon, but she had unwittingly touched a nerve. Lara had been young when her parents had died, but she wasn’t too small to hear the whispers – from adults and from bullies at boarding school.

‘Have you seen something, Melissa? Heard something?’

‘There is someone who might help you,’ she said finally. ‘A guest.’

She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice. ‘Jago Bain, he’s some sort of PR guy, lobbyist. There was a party on Pandora a few weeks ago, Jon’s inner circle.’