Keep My Secrets by Elena Wilkes (large ebook reader .txt) 📗

was within inches of Martin but they didn’t touch.

‘What’s going on?’ She tried to read his face. ‘Mr Saunders says the case has changed?’

‘Things have got complicated.’ Martin couldn’t look at her.

‘What? How complicated?’ Frankie’s eyes moved from one to the other.

‘Shall I go through it with her?’ The barrister moved around the small space like a caged animal. She found her thighs were shaking. Martin gave a brief nod.

‘The night of the party, I don’t know if you’re aware, but Martin allegedly broke into a property. A leather belt was recovered at the scene. The said belt has Mr Jarvis’s fingerprints on it. Mr Jarvis’s fingerprints are on the police database and there is no doubt about the match.’

She swallowed involuntarily.

‘The elderly lady at the house also gave a description of the intruder. She described Martin quite precisely.’

The shake got worse.

‘The lady had a heart condition. She was hospitalised after the break-in. And I’ve just received notification that she very sadly—’

The shake stopped.

‘—Died. Last night.’ He stopped pacing.

Martin’s face was the colour of stone.

‘So there is talk from the prosecution that the added charge of aggravated burglary will be withdrawn and a charge of manslaughter laid in its place.’

‘I really thought it was best that you heard this from Martin or myself, in private, where you can ask anything you need to know. I thought it might come as a bit of a shock, and in your condition, along with everything else—’ He broke off as someone in the corridor called his name.

‘Ah sorry, just one second—’

He flapped out of the door. Frankie stared after him but Martin grabbed her hand.

‘I will never, ever tell them that you were in that house, Frankie. Do you hear me? I will never tell them that you were anywhere near my boat. They’ve got me for all of this. That’s enough. You need to go out there and live your life. You and the baby.’ His hand dropped to her belly. ‘All I need in return is one thing; it’s a huge thing, but I need an answer.’

‘Martin—’ She couldn’t cope. This was too much to deal with.

‘No, listen, I’m deadly serious. I need to know that you’re out there waiting for me, Frankie. I need to know that our connection is still solid. I need that. I feel like I’m suffocating in this filthy place. I can’t breathe.’ He lifted his chin as though searching for air. ‘The thought of you is like oxygen. As long as I can hold onto that, I’ll be able to survive.’ He gripped onto her fingers even tighter. ‘I’m serious, Frankie. Without you I won’t even—’

She saw his eyes startle suddenly. His hand slowly lifted to hover in mid-air at her throat.

‘Where did you get that necklace?’

She instinctively touched the tiny crystal.

‘I said, where did you get it?’

Her brain floundered for an answer. She didn’t know what to say.

‘Why?’

‘Frankie, this is important. Just tell me.’

‘I found it.’

‘Found it where?’ His face had gone white.

‘I can’t remember.’

‘You can’t remember? What do you mean, you can’t remember?’ He grabbed her arm and shook her a little. His grip was tight, getting tighter. ‘Tell me, Frankie. Where did you get it?’

‘Martin, don’t, I—’

‘Where, Frankie? Where did you get it?’

She watched his face go from white to angry red. He let go and stood suddenly. Her eyes jerked up with the movement. Her mouth mumbled over the truth. Vanessa. She couldn’t drag Vanessa into all this – she’d been through enough brutality and pain. She just couldn’t do it to her.

‘On-on the street,’ she stuttered. ‘Maybe outside the house where that party was. I-I can’t remember exactly.’

The sound of voices from the other side of the door got louder and Mr Saunders bustled in.

‘Right. Where were we? Ah, yes.’ He seemed unperturbed as he riffled through the papers in his bundle and peered across at Frankie.

‘Miss Turner, would it be okay if I asked this very pleasant prison officer to escort you back upstairs, please? There are several points I need to go through with Martin before we resume this afternoon’s session.’

Frankie stood; the room spun a little.

Martin gripped her hand and pulled her to him. ‘And that’s the honest truth, Frankie?’ His eyes burned into hers.

She swallowed, nodding. ‘Yes, that’s the truth.’

‘I’m sorry, you really need to say your goodbyes.’ Mr Saunders fluttered his papers.

Martin dipped and kissed her full on the mouth, his hand snaking around her waist to draw her in. The taste of him was sweet like honey. She let the feelings flood in – they felt so easy – so simple. How she longed for things to be as they were.

The officer gestured for her to go through the door. She glanced back; Martin was sitting, hands clasped and head bowed, not wanting to watch her leave. She could hear the barrister’s voice getting down to business. The door began to close behind her until all she could see was a tiny glimpse of Martin’s cheek in the gap.

‘Now…’ She saw the barrister lean forward a little in earnest. ‘Let’s look at this in the cold light of day. These rape charges—’

She saw Martin nod. The door closed but the barrister’s voice resounded in a muffled echo.

‘—Thankfully the amount of time the body was in the water has washed away all traces of DNA…’

Her hand reached out for the wall. The officer’s footsteps ricocheted back at her. Her head turned back to the door.

‘Are you alright, miss?’

But the words just kept on coming.

‘—The police won’t be able to substantiate the charges, Martin, so they haven’t been brought, but—’ floated through the air.

She couldn’t breathe. The atmosphere felt thick, like treacle. She tried to drag oxygen into her lungs but it wasn’t happening. Stars began to burst in front of her eyes; a tunnel of darkness was moving towards her at lightning speed.

‘Oopsy-daisy.’ There was a man’s voice and she felt hands circling her waist as the stairs pitched and rolled.

The tunnel zoomed up. She