Honeytrap: Part 3 Read Online Free

a tough one.’
    ‘Do you think he could have been lying?’
    Jess considered it. ‘He might have been, but he’s bitter enough to have done it. For a man who claims that
he
finished the relationship, he still seems weirdly obsessed with Sylvie. I mean, he’s obviously been following her around. And how did he even get into that reception? It was ticket only and you know what the bloke on the door was like.’
    Harry picked up a pencil and rolled it between his fingers. Sarah Thorne had provided the two tickets for Mackenzie, Lind to use. ‘Maybe he slipped the guy a sweetener, a score or the like. Most doormen don’t earn that much. And who’s going to notice one extra person in there? Or perhaps Brett just waited for the right opportunity and managed to get in without being seen.’
    ‘I suppose. So did you ask Sarah where her boyfriend went after he left Wilder’s?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Because it was a short conversation and she did most of the talking. And anyway, why are you still so convinced that Keynes is in the frame? I’d have thought Brett Rush was a more likely suspect. He sounds like a man with a grudge, and he had just as much opportunity.’
    ‘I just … I don’t know. I suppose I’m working on the premise that he wouldn’t have been so openly angry and bitter if he’d actually done something to her. He didn’t even try and hide how he felt. Wouldn’t he have behaved differently if he was directly responsible for her disappearance?’
    ‘Perhaps. Unless he’s trying to shift the focus on to Keynes.’
    ‘Except you don’t even believe that Sylvie is missing.’
    ‘I’m speaking theoretically.’
    Jess frowned at him. ‘Even though she didn’t turn up for college today? And what about this whole phone business? You don’t think that’s odd? If I’d lost my phone, I’d be trying to find it. She hasn’t even called Lorna to see if it’s shown up.’
    ‘It hasn’t – I asked Guy Wilder – but it’s not that odd that Sylvie isn’t bothered. It’s a work phone, one we provided. She won’t need it again until she has another job. The girls don’t use them for anything personal because all the texts come through to the office.
    She’ll have another one, I’m sure.’
    ‘But you don’t have the number?’
    ‘We always contact them on the work phone. That’s the way we operate. We’ve got a landline number for her, but she hasn’t replied to any messages. It looks like she hasn’t been home yet. But it’s only Monday. If she’s been staying with a friend or a boyfriend, she could still be with them.’
    ‘And what about college?’
    ‘What about it? Maybe she’s had a bellyful of Brett Rush, especially if he’s been following her around. She could be trying to avoid him for a while. Or maybe she’s been partying and just didn’t feel up to it.’
    Jess put her elbows on the table and stared at him. ‘And what if Joshua Keynes is holding her somewhere? Or if he’s already …’
    She didn’t need to finish the sentence for Harry to understand what she meant. He was about to protest, to wave her worries aside, but suddenly recalled how he’d felt when the police had turned up and told him about a body being found. His first thought then had been that it was Sylvie. ‘So what are you thinking?’
    ‘I’m thinking we should follow Keynes, see where he goes. He’s an estate agent so he must have access to lots of properties. And you’re right, we should probably check out Brett too.’
    ‘What’s with the “we”?’
    ‘You owe me,’ Jess said. ‘I followed Ellen Shaw for you, remember? How did that go, by the way?’
    Harry pulled a face. ‘Not as well as it could have, and now she’s done a moonlight flit so God knows where she is.’
    ‘Oh.’
    ‘Well?’
    ‘Well what?’
    ‘Isn’t this where you say that it’s probably for the best.’
    Jess gave him a wide-eyed innocent look. ‘It didn’t even cross my mind.’
    ‘Of course it