Page 263 of The Silent Appeal

To: Carol Dearing

From: Dustin Perez

Date: June 9, 2025

Subject: Post-play slump

Dear Carol,

Well, The Count of Monte Cristo is over. Don’t know about you, but I won’t be acting with the Mendham Players again. Let’s hope Fairways choose a play with parts for a pair of middle-aged hotties like us!

Speaking of Fairways, I arrived at work this morning to discover that Fran walked into Lockwood nick and confessed to the murder yesterday morning. The news will break in the media soon enough, I’m sure, but thought you’d like the gossip first. They’d been having an affair, apparently. Dustin xxx

Message exchange between Sarah-Jane MacDonald and Carol Dearing on June 9, 2025:

2:07 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Kevin is raging. His old Honda Civic has clocked up a parking excess of over £300 at Stansted Airport. He has to collect it from the pound and the taxi will be over £100.

2:10 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

He’s also alone with the company’s new accounting software and is convinced it has an agenda.

2:14 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Kevin looked in an envelope she left in his safe. All it contains is her passport. Of course, the outer door of the office was locked, which is probably why she took mine.

2:16 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

I doubt we’ll ever know exactly why she came back, and then went again.

2:22 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Sorry I didn’t tell you about her breakdown. She didn’t want to worry you.

2:23 p.m. Carol wrote:

She didn’t want to worry me, and now this.

2:25 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Kevin explained why he met Fran in the park without telling me. I thought at first it was just another lie, but now I believe him.

2:25 p.m. Carol wrote:

And?

2:29 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

She asked to meet him there to apologize for being distracted at rehearsals. We rang the number Nicky-Rose had for “Kev.” It went to Lucas’s voicemail. He’s never had an affair, Mum. Not with Fran OR Nicky-Rose.

2:26 p.m. Carol wrote:

I know. He’s a good man.

2:28 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Ridiculous of me to suspect him. Fran is a churchgoer while Nicky-Rose is a free spirit. Neither has anything in common with Kevin—or each other.