Schoolgirl Missing: Discover the dark side of family life in the most gripping page-turner of 2019

She turned to the screen and gave an involuntary shiver at the face looking back at her. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ she whispered.

As she looked at the details again, she noticed a phone number. Realising she had only a few seconds before Jake came back, Neve took out her phone and took a quick photograph of the screen.

Just as she put her phone back in her bag, the door opened, and Jake reappeared.

‘Just Stan, wanted to borrow some turps,’ he said, shuffling round to the computer screen and logging out of the system. ‘And don’t worry about Lee. I expect he was just making sure Poppy was all right. That’s his job.’

‘Yeah, sure. Thanks again,’ said Neve, with what she hoped was a convincing smile. ‘I’d better go.’

‘Neve,’ said Jake, turning to face her.

‘Yes?’

‘Remember, I’m here if you ever need me. Whatever the occasion. You do know that, don’t you?’

‘I do. And thank you.’ His kindness was touching, and Neve appreciated his concern.

‘I probably shouldn’t say this, and I’ll probably kick myself afterwards, but what the hell…’ began Jake.

‘You don’t have to say anything,’ said Neve, gently.

‘I do, because likewise, if I don’t, I’ll kick myself for that too.’

‘Looks like you’re in for a good kicking,’ said Neve, trying to make light of the situation, even though the laugh she tagged on was full of nerves.

‘You deserve to be happy, Neve,’ he said, taking her hand in his and cupping it with the other.

Neve looked down at their hands and placed her free hand on top of his, her thumb brushed the acrylic paint smeared across his knuckles. ‘I am happy,’ she said. ‘On the whole, I am.’

‘You deserve to be happier,’ said Jake. ‘I can—’

Neve made a shushing sound, cutting through the sentence, moving her hand on his cheek. ‘I know,’ she said, looking him directly in the eye. She resisted the urge to kiss him, instead disengaged herself from him and stepped away. She was dangerously close to giving in to her desire. Pausing in the doorway, she turned to him. ‘You’re a good man, Jake Rees.’

He gave a rueful look, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans. ‘I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing,’ he said and then added sincerely, ‘I meant what I said.’

‘I know.’

‘Go on then, or you’ll be late. Reassure that husband of yours that’s there’s nothing to worry about.’

Neve gave Jake a small smile. ‘Nothing to worry about at all.’

Chapter 4 (#u56023287-049c-5ee3-a97c-911d542d6da8)

Kit loosened his tie as he sat down at his desk. It had been a stressful morning already and the day wasn’t going to get any easier. Thankfully, Poppy was now safely at school, but it was still bothering him that she was hanging around with an older bloke. And then there was Neve.

He could kick himself for giving her false hope at the weekend with his eagerness to make love. He should be more careful about what he was saying as lately she had been pressing him again about having a baby. As much as it pained him to see her so upset about his refusal to agree, the thought, or rather the fear, of having another child was stronger. Besides, Neve knew the score. He’d made it perfectly clear from the word go, but the other night, well, he’d been unfair to her.

She had looked so damn sexy after getting back from her swim. Her hair still damp, and falling in those soft waves, her face clear of make-up which made her green eyes seem larger and more alluring. She’d come in laughing at something Poppy was saying, her T-shirt not quite as damp as her hair, but enough so that he could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. He’d got an immediate erection.

Making sure Poppy was occupied with a packet of crisps, a can of Coke and her favourite tv show, Kit had taken the stairs two at a time and practically burst into the bedroom just in time to catch Neve before she took a shower.

‘Well, someone’s eager,’ Neve had said, raising her eyebrows, as he had pulled her towards him and wriggled her T-shirt off over her head.

‘And why wouldn’t I be?’ Kit had mumbled as he had started to kiss her neck and work his way down to her breasts.

Neve had run her hands through his hair. ‘I saw Sophie at the swimming pool,’ she said.

‘Mmm,’ said Kit, distractedly, working her joggers down over her bottom.

‘You’ll never guess what?’ said Neve, as she stepped out of her fit-wear.

‘No, you’re right, I’ll never guess,’ said Kit, sweeping her up into his arms and laying her on the bed. ‘And I’m not going to. You can tell me later.’ He undid his trousers, his eyes lingering over his wife’s body.

‘She’s pregnant,’ said Neve.

Kit stopped unzipping his flies. Neve talking about pregnancies and babies was never a good sign.

Neve carried on. ‘Twelve weeks. Her and Mark are really happy. She said Mark was over the moon.’

‘Stop,’ said Kit. ‘I don’t want to hear about other people’s pregnancies. Not exactly a turn on. And before you say anything else, I know where this is going.’

‘Please, Kit. I know we’ve talked about it before but just think about it. I mean, really think about it.’

He wanted to tell Neve that he was never going to change his mind, but he knew that would mean an argument and (a) he was sick of arguing about it, and (b) he was as horny as hell. If they argued, that would mean no sex.

He felt a twinge in his boxers. ‘OK, I’ll think about it,’ he said, straddling his wife on the bed.

‘You will?’

‘I will.’

Her face was alight with happiness and any guilt Kit might have felt was brushed away as she opened her legs to him.

And now, of course, he had paid for agreeing to think about a baby in that moment when all he could think about was sex, when he would have agreed to practically anything. Neve wasn’t about to let it slide and now he’d upset her. That, together with the stress of Poppy going walkabout, meant he felt sorry for Neve. Being married to Kit probably wasn’t turning out quite the way she’d envisaged. Kit knew he had to make amends with his wife. Especially so, with Jake lurking in the background; he didn’t want Neve thinking Jake was a more appealing alternative.

Kit didn’t want to have to keep tabs on what Neve was up to, but if it came to it, he would. He had far too much to lose to allow himself the indulgence of taking his eye off the ball. It wasn’t just that, but Poppy would lose a mother – another mother, and he didn’t want that for his daughter. He wasn’t sure he’d ever find anyone as understanding as Neve when it came to Poppy. Right from the start, over seven years ago, Neve and Poppy had hit it off. Neve was only in her early twenties then, several years Kit’s junior, and had already been through the wringer. He knew she’d gone through a particularly tough time, suffering a miscarriage and then going through a divorce.

Kit appreciated that this was nothing short of harrowing, so much so, that Neve had needed counselling and still did, hence the art therapy. It genuinely made him wonder why the hell she wanted to put herself through all that again. He knew he couldn’t face it and he couldn’t understand why she was so … so desperate. So desperate to put herself in that position again, to make herself vulnerable, to open herself up to the possibility of history repeating itself. It was beyond his understanding. And that was where they fundamentally differed.

And now Neve was spending more and more time at her art lessons. Was she desperate enough to do something silly? Did she think Jake Rees was the answer?

Well, Kit wasn’t prepared to allow that to happen. He was going to pull out all the stops to make sure it didn’t. What was it they said? All’s fair in love and war. He nodded to himself. He liked that motto. It suited him. He’d been described by some people as driven, focused and determined. Others, usually those on the opposite side of the negotiating table to him, might chose words like, single-minded, stubborn and belligerent. Kit couldn’t deny any of these observations. The strategy he used in the boardroom could easily be transferred into his personal life. Kit was a winner and he certainly wasn’t going to lose to anyone, especially to the likes of Jake Rees.

Going into the shower room at the back of his office, Kit had a quick freshen up and splashed his neck with the aftershave Neve had bought him for his birthday that year. He remembered her saying at the time that it was very sexy and her favourite. He looked at the bottle. ‘Compulsive’. He hoped it would live up to its name.

He spent the next hour catching up on emails and preparing for the meeting that afternoon with the Harbourmaster. Sean had put together a PowerPoint presentation and forwarded it over to Kit to give it a once over. Kit had tweaked it here and there and added his part to it, before sending it back to his partner.

By the time Neve arrived, at eleven on the dot, Kit was happy everything was in order.