Second wife. Second best. Second fiddle.
My pregnancy with Kit wasn’t special, even though Andy did his best to seem excited, because he’d done it all before. Our wedding was a lovely, classy, elegant affair at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office, but it wasn’t the big white church wedding I’d dreamed of as a little girl, because Louise had already had that. We’ve never been to Venice, or South Africa, or to see the Northern Lights, because he’s been to those places with her. He was unfaithful to me: he broke all our promises to each other when he and Louise slept together again, but because I was the mistress, because he was Louise’s before he was mine, I accepted it and took him back.
I wasn’t the reason for their break-up, but somehow I’ve always felt it was my fault. So I’ve put up with the litany of seconds instead of firsts; the guilt and the compromises, the snide remarks, and the open hostility. I’ve sucked it up and plastered on a smile, accepting it all as the price of loving him. I always believed that, if I gave it time, Louise would move on with her life, and Andy would be wholly, unquestionably mine.
But what I failed to understand until this moment is that it’s not just Louise who’s mired in the past. Andy is the one who can’t let go.
I pull into the driveway outside our house, watching my husband as he gets out of the car, and for the first time since that night in Covent Garden, instead of floating on air, I find my feet planted firmly on the ground.
WILHEMINA JANE POLLOCK
PART 2 OF RECORDED INTERVIEW
Date:- 25/07/2020
Duration:- 34 Minutes
Location:- Kingsbridge Police Station
Conducted by Officers from Devon & Cornwall Police
(cont.)
Normal introductions were carried out. Continuation of Interview.
POLICE
Sorry about the interruption, Dr Pollock. Did someone get you some tea?
WP
Please, call me Min. I’m fine, thanks. Look, is this going to take much longer? I’ve left my four boys with my husband and I really need to get back.
POLICE
I’ll try to make it quick. We’ve been a bit short-staffed here. I won’t keep you any longer than I have—
[Phone rings]
WP
Shit, sorry. My husband. I thought I had it on silent.
POLICE
Do you need to take that?
WP
No, it’s OK.
POLICE
Dr Pollock – Min – we were talking about your sister-in-law’s relationship with Mr Page. Was their divorce amicable, would you say?
WP
Of course not. [Pause.] Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. But if people can sort things out amicably, they don’t get divorced, do they?
POLICE
So they didn’t get on well?
WP
No, no, they get on fine now. Shit. I mean, they got on fine. [Pause.] Sorry. I still can’t quite believe Andrew’s dead. I wasn’t his greatest fan, but he didn’t deserve this.
POLICE
Do you need to take a moment?
WP
No, I’m OK.
POLICE
So, would it be fair to say things were difficult in the immediate aftermath of the divorce, but that Mr and Mrs Page got on well now?
WP
Too well.
POLICE
In what sense?
WP
[Pause.] Doesn’t matter.
POLICE
Dr Pollock, we are investigating a murder. Everything matters.
WP
Just … [Pause.] Oh, you know. Andrew had Lou twisted round his little finger. I kept telling her she had to move on with her life, but …
[Pause.]
POLICE
Your sister-in-law still had feelings for him?
WP
She’d have taken him back in a heartbeat.
POLICE
Was that a possibility, do you know? That they’d get back together?
WP
I don’t know. But he was certainly sending mixed signals.
POLICE
What do you mean?
WP
Look, he was just … I don’t know. It was hard on her, that’s all. [Pause.] She takes things to heart. Especially after what happened at Oxford with her tutor— Well, you know about that.
POLICE
Did Mrs Page believe there might be a reconciliation between her and Mr Page?
WP
We all knew the divorce was a huge mistake. Andrew said as much.
POLICE
He told you that?
WP
Not in so many words. But he said he wished he could go back and do things differently.
POLICE
And you took it to mean he regretted his divorce?
WP
It was obvious what he meant.
POLICE
Did he say anything else?
WP
Only that he was going to sort the whole bloody mess out this weekend.
POLICE
What mess?
WP
No idea. That’s just what he said. “Whole bloody mess.” His words.
POLICE
What do you think he meant?
WP
I told you, I don’t know.
POLICE
When did you have this conversation with Mr Page?
WP
Just after he got back from the beach last night. [Pause.] God. That was the last time I talked to him.
POLICE
How did he seem to you?
WP
I don’t know. A bit upset. I suppose you heard what happened at dinner?
POLICE
Can I hear it from you, Dr Pollock?
WP
It was fine, at first. Louise was in a good mood, though how she doesn’t strangle Caz— Sorry. Figure of speech. Anyway, right at the end of dinner, Caz said something stupid and upset everyone, and Lou walked out. Andrew went after her, and they had this huge row down on the beach. We all heard them.
POLICE
Mrs Page didn’t mention that.
WP
Well, it probably wasn’t anything serious. I don’t want to make too much of it. I saw Andrew after, and he said they’d sorted everything out.
POLICE
Do you know what the row was about?
WP
No. [Pause.] To be honest, after everything that’s gone on these last few weeks, I’m surprised it took this long for someone to end up dead.
Five weeks before the party
Chapter 11
Louise
Chris is already waiting for me at a beachfront table when I get to the Venezia, pecking away at her iPad. A large glass of white wine is sweating on the table in front of her. She pushes her oversized sunglasses on top of her head as I thread my way towards her, waving aside my apologies. ‘Glad you were late, darling,’ she says cheerfully, as I bend and kiss her cheek. ‘Gave me time to finish my emails. And this is my second glass, if you’re planning to catch up.’