Chapter Nine - The Enigmatic Wedding Guest
Posted on: 09/12/2024Miriam completes her call, her face ashen with worry. She turns to face me, her expression a mix of concern and urgency.
“John, that was Constable Blake on the phone. He says the message received by Victoria’s mother came from a phone belonging to someone we both know – Luke Mortimer.”
The name sends a jolt of anxiety through me. Luke Mortimer, a notorious local drug dealer, is well-known to the police in Brighton and Hove. His involvement signals a deeper, more dangerous undercurrent to the night's events.
My worry mirrors Miriam's as the gravity of the situation sinks in. "Luke Mortimer," I say, the name heavy on my tongue. "He's more than just a small-time crook. This complicates everything."
Miriam's eyes search mine, her voice trembling with concern. “John, what have you gotten yourself into?”
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the unfolding crisis. "I don't know yet, Miriam. But whatever this is, it's more dangerous than I anticipated.
"Moreover, John, how does Victoria fit into all of this?" Miriam asks, her brows furrowed with worry.
I take a moment to collect my thoughts, the pieces of the puzzle still swirling in my mind.
"That's the part I can't quite figure out yet," I admit. "Victoria is caught in this web somehow, but I don't know how or why."
Miriam's eyes are wide with concern as she listens. "Could it be that she saw something she wasn't supposed to? Or maybe she got involved with the wrong people without knowing it?"
"Possibly," I respond, my mind racing to consider all angles. "But this seems too orchestrated – too deliberate to be just a coincidence. If Victoria or Luke Mortimer is sending messages from his phone, there’s something much deeper at play. And it's not just about Victoria anymore. There might be others involved, like the man at Brighton Station.”
“The man who was standing next to Victoria, and who’s now following her?”
“Yes, him Miriam. I’ve seen him before.”
My thoughts return to the CCTV footage from Brighton Station. The image of the man standing next to Victoria flashes vividly in my mind.
“His cap came off, Miriam, when he and Victoria were pushed down onto the platform by a passenger racing past them. For a split second, his face was clearly visible.”
“And?” presses Miriam.
A sense of familiarity gnaws at me, but the specifics remain elusive. My memory races back, trying to pinpoint where I've seen him before. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hits me – his face comes sharply into focus.
"It’s him," I murmur, my voice tinged with astonishment.”
“It’s who?”
"The man at the wedding reception." The realisation clarifies, each detail clicking into place. "He was sitting next to Victoria's brother."
Miriam's eyes widen with shock as she absorbs my words. "Are you sure, John? This could be the connection we’ve been missing."
"I'm certain," I reply, the clarity of the memory reinforcing my conviction. "He must know Victoria's brother. That means he’s not just some random stranger – he has a direct link to her family."
The implications of this revelation spiral through my thoughts. If this man has ties to Victoria's brother, it raises questions about his intentions and his involvement following Victoria. Is he friend or foe? Does he know Luke Mortimer?
"We need to find out more about this man," I state firmly. "Who he is, what his connection to Victoria's brother is, and why he's involved in all this."
Miriam nods, her face reflecting a mixture of determination and concern. "If we can identify him, it might give us the leverage we need to protect Victoria and unravel whatever plot Luke Mortimer is entangled in."
Feeling the weight of urgency and newfound clarity, I pull out my phone and dial Lady Margaret. My heart pounds in my chest as I wait for her to answer. When she does, I waste no time.
“Margaret, this may be nothing, but can you remember who your brother sat next to at the wedding reception?” I ask, trying to keep the tension out of my voice.
There’s a brief silence on the line. Then, she responds, her voice curious but composed. “Next to Timothy. Victoria was on his right and Ruben was on his left. Why do you ask?”
My breath catches at the name. Ruben. It's a name that fills in another piece of the puzzle, drawing the connections tighter.
“Do you know Ruben well, Margaret?” I ask, trying to glean more information.
“Not really,” Margaret replies, her voice tinged with unease. “He latched onto Timothy not so long ago. He’s always around the estate. Be honest, John, I don’t care for him much. There’s something about him.” Her last words catch in her throat, filled with apprehension. “You don’t think he’s up to no good, do you, John?”
I’m about to respond when I hear another voice on the line, causing my heart to skip a beat.
“Margaret. Who are you talking to?” I can just make out the voice. It's Giles.
“I was just talking…” Margaret begins to reply.
There’s a sudden sound of a door slamming, then the line goes dead. A chill runs down my spine as the abrupt silence fills me with dread.
"Miriam," I turn to her urgently, my voice tinged with alarm. "The call abruptly cut off. Something isn't right. Giles was there, and then it just ended."
A flicker of concern flits across Miriam's face as the weight of the situation settles in. "We need to report it, now."
"I agree. You phone the police, Miriam," I say decisively. "I must search for Victoria. I have a sinking feeling she's in real danger."
With a sense of urgency coursing through me, I grab my coat and hastily gather Victoria's phone, my own phone and race towards the front door, my mind focused on finding Victoria.
Next Chapter to be published soon.