Somehow I feel I should be surprised or shocked, maybe both, but after the events of the past few weeks, nothing shocks me now. ‘If he has had something to do with Alice’s death, he needs stopping. We can’t let him get away with all this. Show me the files before I drink too much wine and can’t make head nor tail of it all.’
We go into the second bedroom, which is no more than a box room. I’m not even sure you’d be able to fit a single bed in it. There’s just enough room for a desk and a filing cabinet. Tom switches on the laptop and takes a box from the drawer, which contains several memory sticks.
‘I don’t keep anything important on the hard drive itself. Too easily corrupted,’ he explains. Within a few minutes he has logged in and is calling up the files. There are several folders within folders and Tom finally gets to the one he’s after.
‘Right, here we go. Here’s a list of the transactions, the dates, description and amount and over here is a list of where I’ve tracked the payments to. They criss-cross numerous accounts and are disguised within other transactions, but if you follow this flow chart I made, you can see that ultimately the payment ends up in an off-shore account, which is then linked to Leonard. Have a look.’
I follow the flow chart and look through the various documents Tom has copied into the files as supporting evidence. It’s like a spider’s web of transactions and, to be honest, company law is not my area of speciality and after a while I lose track and have to take Tom’s flow chart as gospel.
‘Okay, I’m no expert on this type of law but, if you’ve got all the evidence to back this up, then what are we waiting for?’
‘I’ve only just put all the pieces of the jigsaw together. I’ve still got to get some sort of proof that the funds end up back with Leonard. Once I’ve got that and spoken to Martha, then there’s nothing to stop us.’
‘Do you think Martha will be able to implicate Leonard? Thinking about it, she did try to warn me someone else was involved. She phoned me when I got back into the UK and I had some threatening text messages. They must have been from Leonard. Do you think you’ll be able to persuade Martha to give evidence against Leonard?’
‘I don’t know. I suppose it depends how deeply she’s involved.’
‘Martha is the weak link. If we can get to her, then we’ve got a case.’ I sit back in the chair and let out a sigh. ‘At least then Mum and Luke will be able to see I wasn’t imagining things where Martha was concerned.’ I look at Tom. He isn’t smiling. In fact, he has an almost sorrowful look on his face. ‘What is it?’
‘Nothing.’
‘There’s something you’re not telling me. I know that look. What are you holding back?’
Tom shakes his head and looks down at his hands for a moment before sitting up and clicking out of the files and into another set of files marked ‘pictures’.
‘I didn’t want to have to tell you this, but you’re one of my oldest friends, you know how much I care about you.’ He clicks a folder within the main folder.
‘What is it?’ I ask again. I have this impending feeling of distress. Tom is about to show me something that I’m going to like least – by far. I brace myself. There can only be one thing.
Tom clicks a picture icon. The screen flickers for a second and is then filled with an image of Luke and Martha in an embrace. Not just an embrace, but a full-on kiss. The picture has been taken at a distance, but there is no mistaking the subject matter. Martha with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, a pink T-shirt, which I have half a suspicion is one of mine, and a pair of jeans. Luke is wearing his surf T-shirt and a pair of jeans. They are on Brighton seafront, the pier in the distance and pebble beach immediately behind them.
‘Where did you get this?’ I demand, the anger rolling inside me, building up higher and higher. The pressure so tight, I think my chest might burst.
‘I took it,’ says Tom. ‘I followed her for a few days – after you first told me you were suspicious of her. I thought I’d be able to put your mind at rest. But turns out …’ He nods towards the screen.
‘I can’t believe it. After everything that’s happened. Luke was making me feel like I was the jealous one, like I had some sort of problem and was overreacting.’ I look at the picture again. I want to smash the screen with my fist. I jump up from the chair and march out to the living room, searching for my handbag, where my phone is.
Tom follows me and before I have a chance to call Luke, he takes the phone from my hand. ‘Not now. Leave it for a while. You’re angry and upset.’