Janet shrugged and smiled that infuriating smile again. ‘Don’t think so, darling, because we haven’t wasted any police time, have we? But I promise you, and I mean this most sincerely, I will watch out for your baby, and the others. I want to help, I really do. That’s why I contacted you. I knew you wouldn’t see me unless you thought I knew something. But, the thing about me, I can’t bear it when people make other people suffer. Whoever took your—’

Helen turned and ran out of the café without waiting for the woman to finish her sentence.

She wished she hadn’t bothered telling Winkler – her instincts had been right. It was a waste of time.

She was an idiot.

As soon as she got home she sat at the computer, deleting all the messages between her and Janet, erasing all trace of her stupidity so she would never have to be reminded of it. After that, she felt a little better.

Chapter 28

Chapter 28
Patrick – Day 5 – Afternoon

Patrick strode through the corridors of the station aware that every person he passed was staring at him. He kept his head down. The last time he’d experienced anything like this was when Gill had tried to kill Bonnie, and everybody knew – not just what she’d done but that he’d arrested her – and he’d felt then like an alien who’d crash-landed on this planet, not understanding this peculiar place or its gawping inhabitants. This wasn’t as intense as that (he prayed nothing ever would be) but today he should have been walking the walk of triumph. Case solved, criminals caught, justice – of the roughest sort – done.

As he’d turned to walk out of the pub last night, Suzanne had caught his arm – her touch, even in moments like this, sent a little jolt through his body – and said, ‘You did well today, Pat. You should be proud.’

And it was true. Right now, the McConnells would be the happiest and most relieved parents in the world. That was down to him. Although Zoe McConnell would have some explaining to do to her husband over the fact that she had lied about locking the car, and Patrick was tempted to get her to do some explaining to the police. Maybe later. For now, while there was still one child missing, he needed to put all his energy into finding Frankie. He wouldn’t rest until Frankie Philips was back with her parents.

If she was still alive.

He entered Suzanne’s office and shut the door behind him. She had organized an urgent state-of-play review with the most senior members of the team plus, on Patrick’s insistence, Carmella.

Unfortunately the other senior detective on the team, who sat smirking at him now, was Winkler. Pat wondered if he’d spotted Suzanne and him in the pub last night.

‘Patrick, take a seat,’ Suzanne said.