Page 104 of Dead to Me

So Seaton had ended up hearing the stark truth from Esther herself.Which had been undeniable proof, if not exactly kind.

But Reid didn’t really have time to worry about the man’s feelings, any more than he had time to worry for Esther Thomas.All Reid needed to know for sure was that neither of them would warn Philip about any of this.

And at that thought, he realised that somehow he’d ended up acting like Anna: putting a single objective above all the collateral damage.And strangely, the idea didn’t trouble him at all.

He should probably still try with Seaton, though.As the lift doors closed on them, he said, ‘I’m… sorry if this is all quite difficult.’

Seaton turned his head sharply away.‘Whatever there was between Philip and Esther… that doesn’t mean he killed anyone.And it doesn’t mean James did, either.’

Reid took a moment to gather himself as he stepped out of the lift at the ground floor.

‘If you were James,’ he said in a quiet, non-confrontational tone, ‘and your mother found your girlfriend’s necklace in her bed… what would your first thought be?If youknewthat you’d never been in there with her?’

Seaton was silent for a moment and then said, ‘I wouldn’t assume anything.I’d ask her what it was doing there.And if he did, Holly would have just told him.’

‘But we know from Cordelia and Kit that she didn’t tell anyone,’ Reid countered, still gently.‘Holly understood what it would have meant to tell.She understood the ramifications and the hurt it would cause.And maybe also what it would mean to the lifestyle she was getting to live.’He glanced at Seaton.‘She went to get advice from Kit about it before she said anything.Which means even if James did ask her, she hid the truth from him, and unintentionally let him think the very worst of her.’

Reid watched him.He could tell that Seaton was thinking all this through.And he was an intelligent man.He would inevitably think about James’s attempts to stop Anna investigating.The apparent poisoning in his room, which must have been staged to make James seem innocent.

He can’t have done any of it alone,Reid thought.

Which meant that Philip had to have known.He’d been trying to protect his son, perhaps in part out of overwhelming guilt for what he’d caused.And he was still trying to protect him now.

Seaton said nothing in reply.He walked ahead of Reid through the security barrier and out onto Midland Road.And then, without turning or waiting, he walked away.

Reid watched him go with a momentary feeling of sadness.It would have been good to have Seaton’s help for the next stage.But it didn’t really change anything.He knew where he needed to go.

41.James

Monday, 23 June

Aria was out of it.Really out of it.Muttering to him about dragons chasing her down before turning to him with huge eyes and promising she’d never tell anyone anything.Whatever they’d given her had done its work.

They stumbled and swayed their way away from the group, darkness coming down over them like a cloak.

James gave a half-smile.Almost home and dry.

But then there were jogging footsteps and a call came from behind him.

James rounded on his bodyguard with a sigh and waved a hand towards him as if he were drunk, and not inwardly screaming with tension.

‘Sod off, Ned,’ he said.‘We’re only going five feet that way.’He pulled Aria– or whatever it was she was really called– closer towards him and gave Ned an appealing look.He dropped his voice.‘Can we have a couple of minutes of space, you know?’

Ned blinked at him, clearly surprised by this turn of events.It made James cringe, seeing the reaction.He hated the idea that he was being seen as some kind of a cheat, but it was better than the alternative.

Somuch better.

Tomorrow, he’d just have to convince Ned that he’d been drunk and confused.That the anniversary had made him emotional.

Ned started to back away, and James gave him a grateful grin and then turned Aria’s stumbling form round once again.He knew where he needed to take her.He’d thought this through hours ago, because sometimes you had to plan for everything going to shit.

He was leading her past the edge of the college, between the buildings and the river.They passed the platform for the punts– the last few people were cramming themselves into boats to watch the fireworks display from the river– and drew her onwards.

He saw the cobbles in front of him light up in flickering red, and a moment later an explosion sounded.

The fireworks, seven minutes late and absolutely when he needed them.

In the sudden illumination he could see the unglamorous side exit to the college: the big refuse bins and the gate beyond.It was flanked by two security guards and the St John’s Ambulance crew.All there, ready and waiting for disaster.

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