Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall, #3)(52)

“That was a very large group of people,” said Juliet, wiping sweat from her upper lip. “We’re not friends with the Huntleys, but in business terms, we may have crossed paths fleetingly.”

“You were also one of the original investors in Jesper’s hotel, along with Noah Huntley,” said Tristan.

Kate took the Companies House documents from her bag and held them out.

“What the bloody hell is this? A police interview?” Juliet exploded. Ashley stayed calm but didn’t say anything.

“Of course not. We’re just trying to work out the details of all this,” said Kate, managing to look unfazed. “Limited companies legally have to hold shareholder meetings, so Ashley, Noah, and the other company directors must have met. You were a director for five years, along with Noah? That’s not fleeting. Do you need to see the paperwork?”

“No! And that doesn’t mean Ashley and Noah know each other!” cried Juliet. “And I don’t like this mean and underhand way of producing all these photos and documents.”

Kate kept the paperwork on her lap.

“We’re not suggesting that Ashley has anything to do with Joanna Duncan going missing,” she lied. “But your reaction to all this is troubling.”

Juliet looked between them all. She was chewing her bottom lip and visibly fuming. She shifted in her chair and brushed her hair away from her face. Ashley looked down at his feet in the water. He seemed much calmer.

“How do you expect me to react?” Kate didn’t say anything, nor did Tristan. They let the silence play out. Juliet took a deep breath. She was still sweating, and her face flushed, despite the cool breeze and the water. Kate felt sympathy, wondering if she was suffering from menopause. “Maybe I should let you talk, Ashley,” she said pointedly, sitting back and fanning her face.

Ashley blew out his cheeks and wiped away the sweat glistening on his brow. “Yes. I know Noah Huntley. From afar. But I’m no longer a shareholder in Jesper’s hotel . . . I’ve only met him, after Joanna’s story, I think, three times. The opening of Jesper’s hotel,” he said, holding up his hand and counting on his fingers. “Our first shareholder meeting that we held in person . . . In subsequent years we would have shareholder meetings by teleconference—conference call, as they’re now known.”

“Did you ever visit Jesper’s when it was a commune?” asked Tristan.

The question seemed to take Ashley off guard. “No! No way! I mean, no,” he said. “Why would I? I wasn’t aware of a commune; well, I knew of it from Max when he was given the property, when he claimed squatter’s rights—”

“We assumed that Joanna would have gone into detail about the Noah Huntley story with you and the newspaper lawyers?” asked Kate.

“Yes. I’ve already said that—”

“Was Gabe Kemp ever a resident at the commune? Did this ever come up during the detailed legal discussions which led you to drop the rent-boy part of the Noah Huntley story?” asked Tristan.

“No. I didn’t know where Gabe Kemp was registered as residing! That’s a detail—”

“Gabe Kemp’s address would have been a formality and a detail that Ashley simply didn’t deal with,” said Juliet, interrupting him. “As the editor, he wouldn’t, couldn’t, micromanage. He was overseeing so many stories on a daily basis.”

“When was the third time you saw him?” asked Tristan.

“Who?” asked Ashley.

“Noah Huntley. You said you met him three times after Joanna’s story was published.”

“Max Jesper’s summer party last year,” said Juliet. Ashley shot her a look, and then he recovered and smiled.

“Yes. We’ve had an invite every year, but his annual summer party has always clashed with our summer holiday in France . . . We have a home in Provence. Last year, we didn’t go because of renovations, so we went to Max’s party.” Ashley sat back. “It wasn’t an intimate party. There seemed to be hundreds of people there, and it was a masked ball, of all things, so it was rather hard to keep track of who was who. I can’t remember seeing Noah Huntley there. Did you?”

“You just said that was the third time you saw Noah,” said Kate.

“I mean meeting. I can’t remember meeting him there. I saw him from afar,” he blustered, looking annoyed and stressed.

“We only fleetingly saw Max and Nick, and they were the hosts,” said Juliet.

“Why were you invited? If you barely know them?” asked Kate.

“Why not? Past business. The business and commerce world in the West Country is very small,” said Ashley.

“These kinds of parties are always a good networking opportunity,” said Juliet. “So much of what we do is about networking.”

“I spoke to one of the waiters who worked at that party,” said Tristan. “He said Noah Huntley offered him money to have sex with him in the sand dunes.”

Juliet’s eyebrows shot into her hairline.

“Oh dear. I barely know Noah’s wife, Helen, but I don’t know why she stays with him,” she said. “Once a politician, always a politician. I’ve had to deal with many of them in my line of work, and I’ve heard so many stories of affairs and adultery. So many of them seem to be gay and yet married.”