There was no reply to that, so I headed out and stood in the street for a good five minutes, trying to work out if I could make out Tom amongst the indifferent crowds drifting this way and that along the dismal, traffic-jammed road.
No.
I tried to call him, but he wouldn’t pick up. There was nothing for it but to go ahead with the plan.
I was in a taxi on the way to Maria’s place on the edge of the city when my phone rang. I had been sitting straight, spine stiff, smoothing my hands over my tight skirt so that I could feel the suspender bumps beneath, wondering whether a few good deep breaths might help the churning of my stomach.
The phone’s sharp shrill didn’t help at all. It made me jump half off the seat, especially when I checked the screen and saw that it was Tom.
‘Oh, my God,’ I blurted, holding the phone in shaking hands. ‘It’s you.’
‘Yes. It’s me. Sorry about that.’
‘Don’t be. I’ve been trying to get hold of you since Friday.’
‘And in the meantime somebody’s got hold of you. You don’t waste your time, do you?’ His voice was cold and a sliver of its ice found its way inside me.
‘You don’t understand. It’s not what you think. Tom, have you really quit the Clarion?’
‘Never mind that,’ he said. ‘Listen. I’ve just finished talking to Louise and she says your hot date tonight is at Maria’s, with a man known only by his initial. Is that right?’
I held my breath. What was he going to say?
‘Is that right, Ella?’ he persisted. ‘Is it Judd Keane?’
‘I…doing this for you…’
‘Is it Judd Keane?’
‘Yes,’ I whispered.
‘Are you fucking insane?’
The volume of this question was such that I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
‘No,’ I said. ‘I just want to ask him some questions, that’s all. I’m not…interested in him.’
‘Oh, Christ. You can’t do this. Why are you doing this?’
‘Because I don’t want all your work to go to waste. Because I think he knows what happened to Mia. Because it’s the best chance anyone has of stopping him now.’
‘Ella,’ he cried. ‘Oh, God. This is madness. He’ll eat you for breakfast. Look, you can’t do this. Call Maria and cancel. Tell me where you are and I’ll come and pick you up.’
The taxi had pulled up outside a large detached house on a newbuild estate. Golden light glowed through the diamond-paned windows. The front door opened and Maria stood there, smiling and radiant in a stunning tight black satin sheath.
‘I can’t. I’m here. Maria’s seen me.’
‘Tell me the address.’
‘You can’t come here! Keane knows you.’
‘Tell me.’
‘No!’
‘Oh, for Christ’s sake – I’ll find it out myself. It’ll take me ten minutes. It’s my job, Ella.’
‘Tom, just leave it. I’ll call you afterwards, all right.’