BooksBarbecue
Back Deadly Revenge Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

They were all feeling the pressure of a murder investigation on top of a missing baby in one family. David’s position as a local dignitary made it more likely the media would seize hold of the story straight away, before the police even had time to investigate his murder.

21

21

Jessica was visibly annoyed when Geraldine returned to her house. She was reluctant to answer more questions and agreed to sit down with her only after Geraldine insisted.

‘I need to be with my mother,’ Jessica said. ‘We’ve just lost my father and we still don’t know where Daisy is. Don’t you realise I’m here all on my own? Do you think it’s easy being in the house by myself? I don’t have time for this.’

‘I’m afraid “this” is a murder investigation,’ Geraldine replied, ‘and we need to speak to everyone who was close to the victim.’

‘We weren’t that close,’ Jessica muttered. ‘I really don’t have time to talk to you. I have to go and be with my mother.’

‘So let’s do this now, while we’re both here,’ Geraldine continued, ignoring the interruption. ‘Otherwise we’re going to have to ask you to come along to the police station to speak to us, and that will waste even more of your time.’

Pursing her lips, Jessica sat down, and Geraldine pressed on. She was slightly taken aback at the change in Jessica. No longer anxious and unsure of herself, she seemed quite assertive, almost aggressive in her attitude. But grief and worry could alter people’s behaviour and no doubt Jessica had not been sleeping well since the baby had vanished. Her irascibility could be down to lack of sleep.

‘Where were you on Saturday evening?’

‘If you think you can pin this on me, you’re going to end up wasting a lot of time. Yes, my father and I didn’t always get on too well, but you’ve got no proof I laid a finger on him. Anyway, I expect I’ve got an alibi. When was he killed? Well? Go on, tell me when it was and I’ll prove it couldn’t have been me.’

Experience had taught Geraldine that unforced confessions were not uncommon, so she sat back and listened, but Jessica said nothing that might incriminate herself, or her husband.

‘Were you aware of any bad feeling between David and anyone he knew?’

Jessica scowled. ‘I told you, my father was one of those people who fall out with everyone. I don’t think he meant to. I don’t know that he even appreciated the effect he had on other people. He wasn’t deliberately nasty, nothing like that, but he was –’ she hesitated. ‘He always thought he knew best.’

Geraldine watched Jessica carefully as she put her next question.

‘You asked me when your father was killed?’

Jessica nodded, her expression solemn.