For Your Own Protection(28)

She just ran.





CHAPTER EIGHTEEN


Catherine’s disappearance had been bothering Matt all evening and the following morning.

Why would she clear out of her flat so quickly?

It’s like she was running from something. Or someone?

He’d tried her mobile countless times, but with no joy. To take his mind off the mystery, and faced with an empty day ahead of him, he changed into his jogging kit. He’d try and outrun his concerns.

The buzz of his mobile interrupted his plans. He stared at the caller ID, debating whether to leave it to ring off.

It was Sheila McIntosh, from UGT.

Matt paused, thinking things through. He knew he’d soon have to face the world of work again, but part of him didn’t want to.

Could he do this now?

He took a deep breath and answered. ‘Hello, Matt speaking.’

‘Matt, it’s Sheila here, from Gabriel’s office.’ Sheila was always very matter-of-fact, very professional, with a clipped tone. She could sound unfriendly, but Gabriel’s assistant of over ten years was actually a very nice lady.

‘Sheila, lovely to hear from you.’

‘You too, Matt. Is now a good time to talk?’

Matt kicked off his shoes. It wasn’t.

‘Sure.’

‘Gabriel would like to see you this afternoon.’

That brought Matt up short. He hadn’t expected that and didn’t feel ready. But, coming from Gabriel, he knew this was a demand, not a request. ‘No problem.’

‘Perfect. If you come over to the offices for four, that would be great.’



The UGT offices were situated in the heart of the City of London. Matt gazed up the twenty storeys of piano-black tinted glass. The impressive and imposing structure, just four years old, projected money and power. He couldn’t help but think of the decaying building that housed the North London College of Further Education, and the constant fight for funding just to ensure that the students could study without the threat of the ceiling leaking on to them.

Matt was met with a warm smile at the reception desk. ‘Mr Roberts, lovely to see you.’ Holly was one of the smiliest, happiest people in the building. ‘Are you here to see Gabriel?’

Matt nodded.

‘Sheila let me know you’d be arriving,’ she explained. Her brightness dimmed slightly. ‘I’m really sorry, but you’ll have to sign in as a visitor. Sorry.’

‘No worries.’ Matt’s ID had been retained on leaving the company twelve months ago. He completed the requisite boxes.

Holly brightened again. ‘Fantastic. Here’s your visitor’s pass. The meeting is on the top floor, room 20Z. If you wait there, Gabriel should be along with you shortly.’



Matt stepped out of the lift on the twentieth floor. Room 20Z was empty, save for a tray with coffee, tea, and biscuits placed in the middle of the oval table. Matt loitered at the window, looking out across London and the River Thames, waiting nervously for Gabriel to arrive.

His thoughts turned back to Catherine, and the mystery that surrounded her.

‘Who are you?’ he asked the world below.

‘That depends,’ came the unexpected reply.

Matt spun around as James Farrah approached, his smile professional and his palms outstretched.

James looked pleased to see him.

Matt looked over James’s shoulder, to see if Gabriel was with him. He wasn’t.

‘Gabriel’s meeting is overrunning,’ James explained, reading his thoughts. ‘He asked me to swing by and make sure you’re okay.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘He should be along in the next five minutes or so.’

Matt watched as James circled the table, settling by the window. He, too, admired the view, but seemed preoccupied. Matt wasn’t sure why he was hanging around.

James tapped on the tinted glass. ‘Look, Matt,’ he said. ‘I know things have gone downhill between us in recent years. But it doesn’t have to be like that. I was hoping we might be able to start afresh.’

Matt didn’t want to point out that things had never really been good between them. ‘It’s okay, James. You don’t have to do this.’

‘Yes, yes, I do. I have to. We have to do this. For Beth’s sake.’

‘Beth?’ Just hearing James say Beth’s name was enough to put Matt on edge. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to discussing Beth with him.

‘Yes. You must know how much it’s affecting her, you and I being so off with one another.’

Matt said nothing. The fact that James now had more of a handle on what Beth was thinking and feeling, when that had been Matt’s preserve and pleasure for so long, was painful.

‘We need to sort things out, be more amicable,’ James continued. ‘Would you like a drink?’

‘I’m okay,’ Matt replied. He was thinking through what James had just said. Had he been so blind as not to notice how his behaviour towards James was affecting Beth?

James poured himself a coffee from the steel urn and stirred in two sugars. ‘Look, Matt, I know things aren’t easy right now for you, with the news the other day about Australia, but it’s just so important to Beth that she knows you’re happy with it all.’ He took a sip from his cup, but kept his eyes on Matt for a reaction.