Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
SARAH
It was difficult to leave Jared after Christmas. We’d intended to stay through New Year’s, but DCI English had asked Theo to come to New Scotland Yard in London. His call came only four days after Christmas.
Jared assured me he was fine and would spend New Year’s Eve at the Gloaming with the rest of the village. Still, I felt like I was abandoning him, torn between my cousin, who’d been there for me for the last few years, and Theo, who was hurting over these murders.
It was my cousin who’d decided for me because he’d seen Theo’s pain too.
“He needs you,” Jared told me while I was wavering over what to do.
And Theo had been there for me while I grieved Grandpa. Despite my fears—despite so far being unable to choke out the words I love you, even though it was obvious to everyone I felt them—I needed Theo to know he could count on me.
Sitting curled up on the large couch in Theo’s London flat, I stared out at the buildings that stretched along Half Moon Street.
The sky peeked above the proud rooflines, cloudy and dark and ominous.
It matched the roiling in my gut. I’d wanted to accompany Theo to Scotland Yard, but the police wouldn’t let me join the discussion and Theo saw no reason in dragging me along.
I’d protested that I just wanted to be with him, but I got the feeling in the end that Theo needed space to process. I understood that.
My phone rang in my lap, startling me, and I scrambled to pick it up, fumbling and dropping it before I finally got a look at the screen. Even though I’d known it was too early to hear from Theo, I was disappointed it wasn’t his name. It was Liz, my agent.
I answered it, forcing a smile into my voice. “Hi, Liz. How are you?”
“Sarah, I’m good. I’m good. Just calling with a few updates.” My agent was originally from Newcastle and had never lost her Geordie accent. Usually, I could listen to her speak all day, but I struggled to concentrate at the moment.
“Okay.”
“Is now a bad time?”
I shook myself, sitting up. “No, of course not.”
“Great. First up, the film rights contract is almost complete in absolutely record time. I’ve never had a film rights contract go through this fast, which is exciting. We’ve just sent it back to Cavendish’s people, so they’ll be sending it to you for your signature soon.”
“Wonderful.”
“Cavendish must be very eager to get this into production.”
“He is.” I cleared my throat, my heart racing a wee bit. “Liz, you should know that Theo and I are … we’re more than writing partners for this script. We’re seeing each other.”
“Right, right. Good to know,” she answered briskly, as if it mattered but it didn’t. I relaxed for a mere two-point-five seconds before she continued, “Now that you’ve decided to no longer remain anonymous, your publisher would like you to do an interview with Rise and Shine Britain.”
I blinked rapidly. “The … the biggest morning television show in the country?”
“The very one. It’s an exciting opportunity, Sarah. And this isn’t just slotting you into the book section of the show. It’s a proper interview. Your publisher would love to use the opportunity to announce the film rights deal with Cavendish.”
My body flushed hot from head to toe. “I … I …” I didn’t want to disappoint anyone but, “Liz, I’m not ready for something like that. I haven’t had any media training—”
“We can set that up.”
“I’m not …” Bloody Nora, the thought of going on national television made me want to upchuck. “No. I’m not ready. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. How about a national magazine instead?” Liz swiftly moved on. “HEY! Magazine wants to interview you. It would involve some photos and questions about your rise to success.”
Even though that still filled me with nerves, I nodded. “I can do that.”
“Amazing. I’ll let your publisher know and they’ll communicate all the info.”
We chatted a wee bit longer about a few more foreign deals, and I promised Liz I was almost finished with the latest Juno book and would send her the final manuscript as soon as edits were completed.
Self-publishing the e-book meant I still paid for editorial services and then would send the final file to Liz for her to forward on to the publishers for the print edition.
I had to be very disciplined about the deadlines because we had to coordinate the release.
Being swept up in an affair with Theo Cavendish should have been a recipe for distraction from the book, but being who he was, I was more inspired than ever.
At that thought, after I got off the phone with Liz, I made a coffee and grabbed my laptop. Instead of worrying about Theo, I was going to be productive and try to write at least one new chapter.
My phone sounded with several new text messages over the next few hours.
One from North checking in to see if all was okay.
He knew Theo was talking with the police today.
Another from Aria asking pretty much the same.
One from Jared. And, surprisingly, one from Sloane Ironside asking how I was, when I would be returning to Ardnoch, and if I’d still like to do coffee when I got back.
At her text, I stared at my phone in wonder.
I couldn’t remember the last time this many people had been interested in my well-being.
It felt nice.
I replied to them all and told Sloane I wasn’t sure when I’d be back home, but I’d text her as soon as I did. I asked after her and we texted back and forth for a bit before she was distracted by a cake order.
Another thousand words later, Sloane texted me a picture of the cake.
It was a three-tiered wedding cake decorated with a sweeping band of icing flowers that draped down over the tiers in a spiral.
The flowers were so beautifully crafted, they looked real.
I told Sloane so and then snapped a picture of the page I’d just written.
She texted back:
Did you just send me a sneak peek of your new Juno book? Monroe is going to be so jealous! DYING *skull emoji*
My shoulders shook with laughter.
Saving my manuscript, I closed the laptop and got up to wash out my cup. I hadn’t eaten anything since Theo left because I’d had low-level nausea all day.
Releasing a slow breath, I stared up at the clock on his kitchen wall. Shouldn’t he be back by now? At least five hours had passed.
As if I’d conjured him, I heard the lock on the front door turn and I rushed out into the living room to see Theo enter the flat. His expression was drawn, his shoulders hunched with exhaustion as he closed the door behind him.
He looked haunted.
I rushed across the room and pulled him close. His arms bound tightly around me as he buried his head in the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply.
We didn’t say anything for what felt like a long time. Eventually, Theo released me, stroking a thumb tenderly over my cheekbone.
“What happened?” I finally asked.
Stepping back, Theo shrugged out of his coat and hung it on the hooks by the door. “They have a primary suspect.”
My heart jumped. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
Theo scrubbed a hand down his face, his fingers scratching over his stubbly cheeks.
“Hopefully. His name is Quinn Gray. They found his DNA on the skirt belonging to Helen, the last victim. He’s in the system for stalking a girl at university a few years back.
His parents died in a car accident when he was eighteen.
It was not seen as suspicious at the time.
He stalked that girl a few years after the accident, but she moved abroad after graduation, so she, thankfully, escaped him. ”
“What happens now?”
“The police are gearing up to release a statement. There will be a manhunt for Gray. And we need to find him fast because …” Theo squeezed his eyes closed, his expression drawn.
When he opened them, there was that haunted look again.
“Sarah, I spoke with their team of analysts. They told me what their expert psychologist thinks, and it lines up with the thoughts I shared with DCI English. The last two victims in my show were the father and the stepmother. Gray has neither, but he will find an alternative to fit the sick narrative he’s playing out.
And they—we—need to figure out who he might hurt next. ”
My stomach twisted with dread. “We? Theo … you know this isn’t up to you?”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “I wish that were true. But I feel responsible for flipping some fucking switch in this bastard. Sarah … you didn’t see what I saw today.
The horror and the pain … and it was so eerily similar to King’s Valley.
Seeing that inflicted on real women, human beings with lives and families … ”
“Sweetheart,” I whispered, reaching for him.
He hugged me hard again. “We have to find him.”
I was afraid we did. I was afraid if Theo didn’t have some part in bringing Quinn Gray down, he’d never let go of the guilt.