For Your Own Protection(52)

‘Her condition’s stable,’ the woman continued, ‘so that’s something to be thankful for.’ She sighed and shook her head. ‘I just can’t believe this. After what happened to Alex. It’s a nightmare within a nightmare.’

‘Alex?’

She frowned. ‘You don’t know about Alex? About what happened to my son?’

Matt knew he was on dangerous territory here. ‘Sorry, no. I’m afraid I only know Rachel from work. We used to work together,’ he added. ‘I haven’t seen her for a while, but I spotted the news article detailing what had happened, so I wanted to see how she was.’

The lies were coming easily now.

Hilary seemed not to have even heard Matt’s explanation. ‘My son, Alex, Rachel’s partner – he was killed just over two weeks ago. Hit and run.’

Matt blinked in disbelief.

Alex McKenzie.

He knew that name. Alex McKenzie was a trader at UGT. In a different department to Matt, but he knew of him.

Could it be the same person?

‘I’m very sorry to hear that,’ Matt said.

How could he find out for sure?

‘Yes, it’s been such a difficult time. The worst two weeks of my life. And now with this – well . . .’ She threw her hands up in frustration. ‘You begin to wonder what will be next.’

‘Thinking about it, Rachel did mention her boyfriend. He was a City trader, wasn’t he?’

Hilary nodded. ‘A very good one. He was tipped for higher things. He was with UGT. You know it? The big City bank.’

‘Yes, I know it.’

Again she wrapped her arms around herself. ‘All that potential, all that life, those possibilities – marriage, children, a career – just snuffed out.’ She grimaced. ‘It’s just not fair.’

‘No, it’s not fair.’

She looked off into an imagined distance. ‘I’d better get back to Rachel. Would you like to see if you can go in the room? I can ask one of the staff.’

‘It’s okay,’ Matt replied. ‘Like I said, I just wanted to speak to someone.’



By the time Matt had left the hospital, he’d already found the online stories about Alex McKenzie. There were a couple of small pieces in the local newspapers, but it hadn’t hit the headlines to such an extent that it would have come up on Matt’s radar. If Matt had still been at UGT, then yes, he would know. But, distanced from the company, all his news about UGT came via Sean, who had obviously neglected to tell him.

After all, it wasn’t as if either of them really knew Alex.

But now, under these circumstances, it had new importance.

Natalie had connected the attempted murder of Rachel Martin to Charlie through the presence of the mystery man.

And Matt now knew Rachel was connected to Alex McKenzie. A UGT worker. Now dead.

Was something or someone connected to UGT putting Charlie in harm’s way?

He paced outside the hospital entrance as the traffic passed by, grasping for answers.

What the hell had he been caught up in? Attempted murder. A suspicious death. Charlie needing protection . . . What could be the link to UGT?

Then a name rose to the surface.

James Farrah.

He was a link between UGT and Charlie.

But he could also say the same of himself, and Sean . . . Could this all be connected to Matt?

But he hadn’t even worked at the company in months. And he hadn’t known Alex McKenzie.

Had Sean or James? There was only one way to find out.

Matt tried to call Sean. There was no answer, so he left a hurried message, asking him to call back as soon as he could.

Frustrated at the closure of that avenue for the moment, his thoughts turned to James.

Tonight he’d confront him.

It was worth a try.





CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX


Beth had just lifted Charlie into the bath when there was a knock on the door. She exchanged glances with James, who was leaning against the bathroom doorframe.

‘Let’s just ignore it,’ James suggested. ‘It’ll be someone selling something or collecting for charity – always is, this time of night.’

Beth wasn’t so sure. ‘Sarah mentioned she might pop round sometime this week after work – she’s got those clothes for Charlie that Ewan has grown out of.’

James nodded. ‘I’ll go and answer it. But if it’s a tin-rattler . . .’

‘No, I’ll go,’ Beth said. ‘If it is Sarah, then I’ll have to come down anyway – and besides, you don’t often get to give Charlie his bath. I won’t be long, sweetie,’ she said, kissing Charlie on the forehead. She got to her feet. ‘You be good for James.’

‘I will,’ he replied. ‘Can I have my submarine?’

‘Sure,’ she said, reaching for the plastic bath toy and slipping it into the water. ‘I won’t be long.’ She touched James’s arm on her way out of the room. ‘Have fun.’

‘We will,’ James said. ‘So,’ he said, kneeling down at the side of the bath, ‘it’s just you and me. The men together.’

Charlie was splashing around with the submarine in the water, adding his own sound effects. ‘I love my submarine.’