In The Frame Read online

  “I saw this woman being interviewed, and my first thought was wow, she’s gorgeous,” he said.

  I raised my eyebrows.

  “Then I recognised a slight Sunderland accent, so I really started paying attention. And then as I listened more and heard what she was actually saying, it was like I had a revelation. She just seemed so switched on. So clever. I was hooked. I realised I wanted to meet her.”

  “Danny, can I break something to you? You cannot go around stalking people you see on TV.”

  “Haha, no, it’s not like that. She’s a journalist. She’d uncovered some massive fraud, and... Well, I don’t know, really. It just seemed like I wished there were more people like that in the world. She became a kind of role model.”

  “Who was she?”

  “Clare Woodbrook from the Daily Echo.”

  “Never heard of her, sorry. Is she aware of your devotion?”

  He laughed.

  “No, I expect she’s blissfully ignorant. And in any case, it’s really not like that. I’ve followed her career though. She’s just brilliant. She keeps investigating major scandals and exposing them, and she’s absolutely fearless. I aspire to be a tenth as good. If I can do that, I’m happy.”

  “Maybe she’ll be writing about me, when I get sent to prison.”

  Danny stopped walking.

  “Anna, you’re not going to prison. You haven’t done anything.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m not going, though. No jury’s going to look at all that evidence and decide to believe me. I know I wouldn’t if it was the other way round.”

  “So, we find out the truth then and give them that.”

  I shook my head.

  “I’m not wanting to sound defeatist, but how do we do that? There’s no logical explanation for any of it except the one the police have already decided on.”

  We started walking again. I could see my breath in the air.

  “Let me help you,” he said. “Let me investigate. I’ll find out what really happened.”

  “You don’t want to be taking on my problems. Honestly, you should be keeping as far away from me as possible, for your own sake.”

  “Anna?”

  “What?”

  “Can you just do me a favour?”

  “What?

  “Say ‘okay’ now, and then wait till I’ve said something else, and then say ‘yes’?”

  I tried to work that out. The effects of the drink didn’t help.

  “Okay,” I said.

  “Will you let me help you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Perfect.”

  “That’s not fair. You tricked me.” I couldn’t help smiling, despite everything.

  “I can’t promise it’s going to work, but if you didn’t do it, which you didn’t, then we also know somebody else did. Whoever it was has been clever, but they’re not as clever as us. Agreed?”

  “If you insist.”

  “I do. We’ve just got to prove it.”

  We reached the entrance to my hall of residence. I asked Danny in for a cup of tea but he declined.

  “Then you would think there were false pretences,” he said. “Let’s meet tomorrow morning and decide on a plan of action.”

  He assured me he wasn’t missing anything important on his course. Lots of the students would be on the march anyway. We swapped phone numbers and shook hands. It was our first-ever physical contact. As I watched him cross the road in the direction of the Baker Street tube station I hoped it wouldn’t be the last. It was such a shame about his girlfriend. I’d definitely need to find out more about her.

  * * *

  Four other people were waiting by the lift when I arrived. I saw one nudge another, who cast a glance in my direction, before all four then looked away. The journey to the eighth floor passed in a desperately slow silence. I got out. The others were all going to a higher floor. As the doors closed, I suddenly heard excited voices before they were all whisked out of earshot.

  Rather than go straight to my room, I decided to drop in on the common room to speak to as many of my housemates as possible, to explain what had happened, and see if they had any bright ideas. Normally at least a handful of them would be in there, watching Amelia’s portable TV. The lights were off. I flicked the switch but there was nobody there, just a rectangle in the dust where the TV should have been.

  It all seemed so strange. These were supposed to be my friends. Where were they? Why were they not supporting me? I decided to check in on Sophie to see how she was feeling, but there was no answer when I knocked on her door. I moved to Amelia’s room and tried there instead. I thought I could hear voices, but when I knocked they stopped. I called out and tried again, but nobody came to the door.

  I gave up and returned to my room. It was small and cold and horribly lonely. From the window I could see cars streaming along Marylebone Road. It was a long way down. I wondered how long it would take me to fall, and how blissfully carefree the journey would be, until I landed and all my problems simply vanished along with my heartbeat. I shuddered. I wasn’t quite there yet.

  I just didn’t know what to do. My only friend in the whole world seemed to be some bloke that I’d just met in a bar. And how was I to know that I could trust him, really? Maybe his sudden appearance wasn’t quite such a coincidence after all. Maybe he was part of this unknown, twisted conspiracy against me. Maybe right now he was laughing with his cohorts, describing my abject misery, while raising a glass to a job well done. As Joseph Heller said in Catch-22, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not after you. Somebody had definitely decided I was expendable, but I didn’t know who or why.

  “Right, you bastards,” I said to myself. “I’m going to fucking show the lot of you.”

  6

  Wednesday, November 22nd, 1989

  THE situation didn’t look any better the following morning. I had a terrible night, sleeping fitfully, so when I finally decided to get up and face the day I was overcome by an overwhelming tiredness.

  In the kitchen I took a tea bag from the box in my cupboard, but when I went to get milk from the fridge I noticed that everything had been labelled with the name of its owner. Somebody had stuck a sign on the wall warning of the dire consequences of using something that wasn’t your own. Until this moment, we’d operated a trust system, but it seemed like those days were over. Charming, I thought. Well you can all just fuck off.

  I tried to clear my head of the growing sense of neurosis, but it felt like a losing battle. I was supposed to be meeting Danny in the cafe at ten. Was it just so he could continue to laugh at me? And yet, deep down, I knew I was being irrational. He’d offered to help. God knows I needed someone. If he was part of the problem then so be it. It was a risk I was going to have to take.

  I had a shower but couldn’t be bothered to sort out my hair, so decided on a hat, teamed with my big duffel coat and a scarf to keep out the worst of the wind. He was already seated at a table when I arrived, wearing jeans and an ice blue sweatshirt, his leather jacket over the back of his chair. He smiled when he saw me walking towards him. Immediately I felt better. And then the smile turned into a laugh.

  “What’s funny?” I asked, feeling the limit of my patience fast approaching.

  “Nothing, it’s just...” His grin was getting wider.

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look a bit like Paddington, that’s all.”

  I looked down at my outfit. And then I saw the funny side.

  “And who are you? Hercule Poirot?” I said, giving in to an involuntary smile. “You need to work on the moustache.”

  He stood up and we embraced, and suddenly I felt a whole lot better again.

  I removed the coat and scarf, but the hat had to stay for reasons of vanity. The cafe was warm and busy, with steamed up windows and the aroma of bacon. The tables had seen better days, but the other customers didn’t seem to mind.

  We or
dered a pot of tea and two full English breakfasts. I hadn’t even given a thought to food the previous day, but my appetite was fast returning. When the food arrived, I poured the tea and then we both tucked in. Once we’d finished and the plates were taken, I returned to the pot and poured us each a second cup.

  “So,” he said, confronting the unspoken conundrum. “Any news?”

  “Since last night? Nothing really, except my housemates all seem to hate me.” I explained about the missing TV, the food labels and the way everyone seemed to be avoiding me.

  “Do you think any of them know what’s going on?”

  “I don’t think so. I was out with four of them.” I raised my hand to cover a yawn. “Sorry, I didn’t sleep too well. The others on my floor are a lad from Iran, I think, called Bahrom. We never see him. He’s got his own group of friends, and stays away a lot so he’s there maybe once a fortnight. Then there are the two Jasons: Jason Ashburn and Jason Critchlow. Jason Ashburn is a bit of a geek, nice lad but seems completely harmless. He’s only interested in work so never really socialises, although we think he fancies Sophie. He’s out of his depth though. She’d eat him. And the other Jason is away, I think. He’s on a placement somewhere. We haven’t seen him in weeks.”

  “Have you ever fallen out with any of them?”

  “Me? No, not really. We have the occasional disagreement, as you do when you live with people, but I’m the most laid-back person I know. I just want to take pictures and be good at it. I tend to get on with everyone.”

  “Okay. So we agree it’s unlikely it’s some sort of vendetta?”

  “I hope not, anyway. I can’t see it.”

  “So talk me through Monday night again. Everything you can remember, just in case you missed anything last night.”

  I went through it all from the start, from Amelia’s invitation, to arriving home, via the Polytechnic. I mentioned how Sophie had been taken ill and Todd had given her a lift home. That seemed to spark something in Danny.

  “I hate to say this, but Todd?” he said.

  “What about him?”

  “I’ve only met him very briefly but he didn’t seem... how can I say it politely? He didn’t seem particularly friendly.”

  “No, I was a bit shocked by that.”

  “Have you known him long?”

  “A few months.”

  “And you trust him?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  The waitress returned and asked if we wanted anything else. I think she was keen for us to vacate the table. Danny asked her to give us a few minutes.

  “You don’t think he could have let himself into your room while he knew you were out?” he continued, once she’d left.

  “No, it’s impossible. Why would he do that? He doesn’t have a key. And before you ask, no, he can’t have secretly copied it either. It’s always on me.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Completely.”

  “And he’s done nothing to make you doubt him? Never been angry with you before?”

  “No, it’s all been good, generally. Just the odd moment. He was a bit moody at the weekend, and I think he was annoyed I wasn’t going home with him after the restaurant, which is probably why he said he wasn’t coming back. Aside from that, and then yesterday, he’s normally been okay.”

  “Just okay?”

  “Better than okay. It’s been good.”

  Danny nodded.

  “Right,” he said after a moment. “This is difficult. There’s nothing that obviously stands out. And yet, there must be.”

  “Because?”

  “Because you didn’t do it.”

  “As long as you still believe me.”

  “I still believe you.”

  He placed his hand on mine. I perceived it as comforting rather than an attempt to seduce me. I saw the waitress giving us a dirty look.

  “I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” Danny continued, letting go. “I’ll go to the hall of residence now. I think all lectures are cancelled because of the march, so hopefully there’ll be a few of the others there. I’ll ask around, see what I can find out, and get a sense of the place.”

  “Are you sure? It’s a bit like the lion’s den at the moment.”

  “It’s the best place to start.”

  “You’re brave. But thank you.”

  “What are you up to?”

  “I’m going to go and see Todd and see if I can smooth things out with him, and have a proper conversation.”

  “Good luck. Call me when you get back, or I’ll call you.”

  “Perfect.”

  I tried to pour a third cup of tea, but the pot was empty. We decided to leave it there, so I followed Danny to the counter. We split the bill.

  “One thing that’s bothering me,” I said, as we headed to the door. “You said you’ve got a girlfriend. Is she going to be happy with you helping a damsel in distress?”

  Danny smiled.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “What’s her name? Do you live with her?”

  “She’s called Shelley.”

  “Ooh, like the poet?”

  “Something like that. And no, I don’t live with her. She’s from back home, although we have weekends when we can.”

  “Nice. And, does, er, Shelley write you romantic poems as the name implies? During periods of prolonged absence?”

  He started to blush.

  “No.”

  “Haha. She clearly does. And I bet you write them back. Roses are red, violets are blue, I love you Shelley and you love me too.”

  “No!”

  “Fibber. You’re going red.”

  “I’m very hot.”

  I started to laugh.

  “Well, I’ll tell you what. I won’t mention it again, on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That you never again say I look like Paddington.”

  7

  DANNY took a small bunch of flowers and a large box of chocolates to the checkout of the twenty-four-hour convenience store on Baker Street, and winced when he was told the price. It was a necessary investment, though. He tried to avoid eye contact with the houseman as he walked past reception of the hall of residence and then took the lift to the eighth floor, thankful that nobody else had got in with him. When the doors opened, he paused for a moment, took a breath of air filled with the scent of burnt toast and stale cigarettes, and decided he could do this. It was time to embrace the role.

  Anna had explained the layout: two rows of four rooms, on opposite sides of the building, with a communal kitchen and common room in between. One side was boys, one was girls. He turned right, looking for room 804, but when it wasn’t there he entered the common room to cross to the other side. Two girls were deep in conversation. He tried to make out their words, looking for any indication of the prevailing mood, but they stopped and looked up when they noticed him.

  “Can I help you?” asked the one nearest the window. She had dark hair and dark eyes, and was smoking a roll-up cigarette.

  “Sorry, I’m just looking for a room,” he said.

  “Are they for me?” asked the other, looking at the flowers. Her bright red hair was striking.

  Danny smiled and blushed. So far so good.

  “No, I, er...” he began.

  “Leave him alone,” said the first.

  Danny walked through the common room, out the other side, and then found 804 at the end of the row. He knocked, loud enough that he knew they’d hear.

  After a moment he returned to the common room.

  “Hi again,” he said. “Sorry to interrupt. I wonder if you could help, actually? I was looking for Anna. Do you know if she’s due back?”

  “Anna? Ha. Good luck there,” said the first girl. “Who are you?”

  “Danny. Just a friend.”

  “And you want Anna? Just a friend and you’re carrying flowers?”

  Danny looked down and blushed again.
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  “Kind of a new friend.” He moved the flowers and chocolates behind his back.

  “Does Todd know you’re here?”

  “Who’s Todd?”

  “Anna’s boyfriend.”

  Danny paused.

  “What? Seriously? As in...?”

  She nodded.

  “Looks like she’s done you as well,” she said. “Lucky escape. I’m Sara, by the way. This is Sophie.”

  “Hi Sara, pleased to meet you. And Sophie.”

  He let out a deep breath.

  “But she said...”

  “You can’t trust a word she says. Sorry to break the news.”

  “Do you mind?” Danny indicated to a chair.

  “Feel free.”

  He undid his jacket and then sat down, placing the flowers and chocolates on the table.

  “Are you sure they’re still together?”

  “As far as I know,” said Sophie.

  “God, I must look a complete twat.” He started removing the cellophane from the Milk Tray. “I don’t suppose I’m leaving these then. Fancy a chocolate?”

  “Rude not to.” Sara reached out for the box. “Thank you.”

  “Just one then I’ll leave you to it,” said Sophie. She stood up. “Catch you later, Sara, if you’re around?”

  “I’ll be back after the march, whenever that is,” she said.

  Sophie turned and walked out of the room.

  “Sorry to sound stupid,” Danny continued, once he was alone with Sara, “but what do you mean you can’t trust a word Anna says? Aside from the obvious. She seemed so nice.”

  “You haven’t heard, then?” She started rolling another cigarette, licking the edge of the Rizla paper.

  “Haven’t heard what?”

  “She’s been thieving from the Poly.”

  “What, Anna has? Are we talking about the same Anna?”

  “It was a shock to us as well. But yeah, apparently.”

  “Jesus. What did she pinch?”

  “A couple of cameras. We had the police here and everything.”

  “When was this?”