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Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Dedication page
  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. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. Acknowledgements
  97. DEAD GUILTY
  98. 1
  99. FALSE WITNESS
  100. Also by Michelle Davies

‘What are you looking for?’ asked Nathan.

‘Statements from Violet Castle’s mates.’

‘Why?’

‘I’ll tell you in a minute.’

Accessing the case file on HOLMES, Maggie found the statement given by Violet’s flatmate, a girl called Lila. Scrolling down, disappointment set in. The information she hoped might confirm the first part of her theory wasn’t there.

‘Tell us what you’re looking for and we might be able to help,’ said Belmar.

‘I want to confirm the nickname Violet went by.’

Burton came up behind them.

‘Someone wasn’t listening properly in the briefing,’ he chuckled. ‘Umpire said she was known as Ruby, because of her red hair.’

Maggie swivelled round in her chair to address Burton. ‘As in “Ruby Tuesday”?’

His eyes widened as he caught her drift. ‘You mean . . .?’

‘I think so,’ said Maggie, adrenaline accelerating through her veins. ‘We need to talk to Lila, now.’

‘I’ll come with you,’ said Belmar. ‘You can fill me in on the way.’

‘Will someone please tell me what’s going on?’ pleaded Nathan.

‘I will in a minute,’ said Burton. To Maggie he added, ‘What else do you need?’

‘Start cross-reffing everything. Dates, phone numbers, associates. And tell Umpire I think I know why Poppy Hepworth pushed Benji off that wall.’

83

Two things were abundantly clear to Maggie as she observed Lila Morris. The first was that someone had beaten the girl to a bloody pulp in the last week or so. The black eyes she’d been given were still swollen but yellowing, same for the bruises smattering her cheeks, temples and, most disturbingly, her chest, made visible by the clingy, low-cut top she was wearing. There were claw marks on her shoulders and down her arms, etching the handful of tattoos already marking them.

The second thing that was clear was that she wasn’t going to tell them who’d inflicted the injuries no matter how hard they tried to persuade her.

‘I keep telling you, I didn’t know their name, it was a punter I’ve not been with before,’ she said, swinging her bare legs onto the stained sofa and crossing them. She put a pouch of tobacco on her lap and began the process of making a roll-up.

‘It’s GBH,’ said Maggie. ‘They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.’

‘I’m not bothered so I don’t know why you are. Besides, that’s not the reason you’re here. It’s Ruby you want to know about, not me.’

Her voice belied her tough exterior. It was soft, fragile. Young. Maggie hated to think of what had happened to Lila in her childhood that led her into prostitution even before she was out of her teens.