The Lazarus Hotel by Jo Bannister Page A

those who knew her.’
    Four hands went up immediately; after a moment he added his own. ‘You’re right about one thing,’ he said coldly, looking at Will. ‘I was her coach. Tessa?’
    The doctor shrugged helplessly. ‘Possibly. I’m not sure. I see a lot of patients in the course of a year. I don’t remember the name. Where did she live?’
    â€˜The family lived in the Midlands,’ said Sheelagh. ‘I don’t know where she lived in London – I had her number, that’s all. Will, where was she when you knew her?’
    The fury that had goaded him to pick a fight with a man he couldn’t hope to beat had dissipated, leaving him subdued and a little sullen. ‘She used to have a flat in Colliers Wood but she could have moved.’
    â€˜Then yes, it’s possible I treated her at some point. I’ve never specialized in sports medicine but I could have seen her as a GP. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific but I have a list of about two thousand patients at any given time and if I don’t see somebody regularly…’ Her voice tailed off apologetically.
    Larry said, ‘Five yesses and a maybe. Joe?’
    He took time to answer. ‘Yes, I met her too. My daughter played some tennis – most of her friends were other players. We met quite a few of them over the years.’
    â€˜She visited your home?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    Larry spread his hand. ‘That’s it?’
    Joe bristled. ‘What were you expecting? It’s normal enough for kids to bring their friends home, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Joe, there’s nothing normal about any of this,’ Sheelagh exclaimed impatiently. ‘Tell us again how you heard about this course.’
    He looked faintly embarrassed: ‘There was a postcard tucked into a business magazine I still get. Offering stressed-out executives a psychological MOT. I thought, Why not – what harm can it do?’
    There was a lengthy pause while the others pondered that. Then Tariq said, ‘So probably all of us have known Cathy to some extent at some time. But so what? What does anyone hope to gain by bringing us together like this?’
    It had taken Will almost till now to start thinking clearly again. To learn, this long after, new shocking facts about the death of a girl he’d loved had swept the feet from under him. It had also been a shock to find himself among people he’d previously known only by ill repute. And losing control had shocked him to his foundations: Will Furney never lost his temper, whatever the provocation. So it had taken a little time for him to get his head together again; but now the answer to Tariq’s question seemed obvious to him. ‘Doesn’t it rather smack of grudge?’
    â€˜Revenge? For what?’
    Will stared at him. ‘For the fact that Cathy’s dead. She was twenty-six years old. She was beautiful and talented. She had everything to look forward to. But she drove her car—’ His voice cracked on it; he had to swallow and try again. ‘She committed suicide. Someone blames us for that. We don’t know one another but someone knows us all. I think he blames us for her death. He wants—’ He fell silent.
    â€˜What?’ asked Tariq.
    Blinking, Will returned from a moment’s reverie. ‘I don’t know. But there’s something he, or she, wants very much. And it occurs to me to wonder if the lift going off when it did was only a bit
    of forgetfulness after all.’

Chapter Eleven
    â€˜You don’t think this is getting a shade imaginative?’ ventured Miriam. ‘Isn’t the obvious answer also the most likely – that the silly sods downstairs forgot? They’re not used to having people up here.’
    Will frowned. ‘This is the first time you’ve held a course in the hotel?’
    She didn’t react as if she’d blundered. ‘In this