Page 31 of The Taskmaster
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
I was about to say no, but I remembered something, and thought it might be worth a shot.
“Maybe. Do you remember that night, when we bumped into you at that Italian restaurant in town, Alessia’s?”
“Last year? Sure. I remember,” she said, her brow wrinkling in confusion.
“I was with my parents. It was the night he got the all clear from the doctors, and we were out celebrating.”
“Oh yes!” Her eyes widened with recognition. “That’s right. We were there too. My mum had decided to take me and Ava out for an early birthday meal.”
“That’s right,” I reiterated, nodding. “You took a photo of me and my dad, on your phone, and then you printed it off becauseof how happy we looked. You wanted me to have a copy that I could frame.”
“I did,” she exclaimed, and then her smile faltered. “Is everything okay with your dad?”
“He’s fine, but I can’t find the photo.”
“Do you want me to forward a copy to you? I’m sure it’s still in my camera roll somewhere.” Jess took her phone out and started to scroll through her photos to find it, humming and tutting to herself, then muttering, “I must’ve deleted it. I don’t know why. I’m so sorry, Abi. I should’ve sent you a copy when I took it. I’m such an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot. Don’t worry. It’s fine.”
I had hoped she’d still have it on her phone, but I knew it was a long shot. Why keep a photo from a year ago, when she’d already given me a hard copy?
“I kept getting reminded that my storage was low, and I have so many photos of Ava, I guess I deleted it accidently.”
It wasn’t an accident. She just deleted it. It wasn’t her fault. But I was sad that I wouldn’t see it again. I loved the look of pure happiness on my dad’s face in the photo.
“It’s okay. I’m sure my copy will show up soon,” I said.
“I hope so.” She sighed, and smiled apologetically. “I know how much that photo meant to you. Your dad had been through so much with the cancer. I know it affected you badly, and you were all so happy that day, after he got the all clear.”
“We were. They were happy memories.”
It was just a photo. I had to remember that. Worse things happen. I couldn’t let the fact that it was missing, probably taken, get to me. I had far more pressing issues to deal with.
Chapter Twenty-Three
THE TASKMASTER
It was lucky the police let Adam Noble go when they did, after taking him in for questioning over my kills. He had an important date to keep today. His best friend’s wedding.
I’d been eager to attend the event myself. His friend, Will, and his bride-to-be, Bryony, had history with me that no one could erase. We shared a bond. For them, it might be a trauma bond, after all, I murdered her father for the part he played in my childhood abuse at Clivesdon House, but it was a bond all the same.
So I wasn’t their favourite person.
Big deal.
I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.
But Will knew what I’d been through. He’d been there. And months ago, I’d have chosen to attend his wedding to cause a scene, or to do something to fuck shit up. But all of that had changed because of her. I wasn’t here for them today; I was here to see her.
Abigail was officiating the wedding. I wanted to watch her. Observe her. See how she was with other people. To know what made her tick. And as I stood outside her office, pretending towork on my laptop as a ruse for being in the building, a lot was becoming clearer.
Earlier this morning, I’d hacked into the council website. Their office calendar showed a booking for IT maintenance that day. It gave me the perfect opportunity to enter the building and move around freely.
I spent twenty minutes staking out the car park, waiting for their arrival, and then, as luck would have it, a van appeared with an IT company logo on the side.
One lone driver was currently lying in the back of his van with enough drugs in his system to keep him knocked out for the rest of the day. I didn’t stick around to see if any of his colleagues arrived afterwards. I took his ID badge and walked right into the foyer of the council offices, straight past security, and into the heart of the building with my laptop case and a confident smile.
