TOYL

glancing over to look at Richard.
    ‘Are you going to speak with Richard?’
    ‘Yes. Although we don’t expect him to be able to help, if what you and the medical staff say is true.’
    ‘Right.’
    ‘We’ll do our best not to upset him,’ Gasnier promised. ‘But we’ve got to do anything that can help us to find your fiancé.’
    ‘So you do believe that Dan is in danger?’
    ‘New evidence has come to light,’ he replied. ‘We need to discuss this in a side room.’
    Emma and Lizzy followed Gasnier and Davies into a nearby side room.
    ‘I have some news,’ Gasnier said.
    His stony expression set alarm bells ringing.
    ‘We do believe that Dan is being held somewhere,’ he continued. ‘We found evidence at Stuart Harris’s flat that leads us to believe he kidnapped him.’
    ‘Stuart?’ Emma said, taken aback. ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘There was a photo of Dan on Stuart’s computer. I’m afraid it showed him tied up. We also found a copy of the letter sent to you, supposedly from Dan. Added to the fact that Stuart’s name was down at the couriers.’
    ‘But you didn’t find Dan?’
    ‘He wasn’t being held at the flat,’ Gasnier said. ‘Our officers are searching the place for clues as to where he might be.’
    ‘But what does Stuart say about it? Can’t you make him tell you where Dan is?’
    Gasnier paused and glanced down at the floor. Emma noticed that his hands were clasped, as if in prayer.
    ‘I’m afraid we won’t be able to ask Stuart anything,’ Gasnier said finally. ‘He died an hour ago. I’m sorry.’

54

    ‘I just can’t believe that Stuart would have done this,’ Emma said as they entered the flat.
    They’d returned shortly after being told the news of Stuart’s death, deciding that there was little else they could do at the hospital. Richard needed to rest, and the police were taking things in hand. Emma had wanted to go and talk with Will, following the revelation that he had been in Stuart’s flat, but Lizzy persuaded her it was best to wait until the morning.
    ‘I can’t understand what he was thinking of,’ Emma continued, closing the door behind her. ‘What did he think he could gain by doing this?’
    ‘Maybe he wasn’t thinking,’ Lizzy offered, heading for the kitchen and filling up the kettle. ‘Maybe he was just doing whatever he thought it would take to win you back.’
    ‘You’re saying he did all this for love?’
    ‘Maybe. Love is a pretty strong emotion – it can make people do strange things – bad things. Just look at what Stephen Myers did to you – that was all supposedly for love.’
    ‘It’s not the kind of love that I recognise.’
    ‘It’s a warped version of love,’ Lizzy said. ‘Some of the worst things are done in the name of love.’
    ‘I’m the common factor here,’ Emma commented.
    ‘Don’t be silly,’ Lizzy chastised.
    ‘Stephen Myers loved me and he died. Stuart loved me and now he’s dead too. We don’t know if Dan is dead or alive…’
    ‘I’m certain that he’s alive, Em. The police will find him soon, you’ll see.’
    ‘I hope you’re right. It’s just that I can’t help thinking the worst. If Stuart did do all this to punish me, why would he keep Dan alive? What would he have to gain?’
    ‘Dan must have been still alive, to make the call to the wedding shop – when he cancelled the dress. You heard his voice, so it was definitely him.’
    ‘Yes,’ Emma agreed. ‘But maybe that was Stuart’s plan all along – to force Dan to call them, and make it look like he was just running out on me. In his mind, it would have set it up perfectly for us meeting again – I thought Dan had left me, and then Stuart comes back into my life, wanting to get back together.’
    ‘Sounds plausible.’
    ‘But what really worries me,’ Emma continued, ‘is what happened after Dan made that call. We know Stuart wrote the letter that was supposed to be from Dan. And he must have been the one using Dan’s mobile to text me.’
    ‘The note on the flowers,’ Lizzy said, ‘you said it was in Dan’s handwriting.’
    ‘Stuart could have forged that. But even if Dan was forced to write that, there’s been nothing since. He could have murdered Dan at any time.’
    ‘Do you really think he would be capable of murder?’
    ‘Who knows,’ Emma said. ‘Maybe Stuart killed himself because he couldn’t face what he’d done – maybe leaving the image of Dan on the computer screen was his suicide