The radio repeated almost the same words, later in the programme, with a barely relevant clip from a distraught animal rights spokeswoman, about the cruelty and general wickedness of those who trafficked in poor innocent pangolins. For good measure, she added a rant about rhino horn, despairing of the sheer stupidity of thinking it held any magical qualities. Dimly, Thea understood that the woman was missing the point. All magical qualities existed thanks to human belief in them, and humans could steadfastly believe a vast range of extremely stupid things. In most cases, you really weren’t supposed to judge or criticise, because that would hurt their feelings.

It would be a real satisfaction if the murder could be neatly tied to the trafficking, with additional punishment for the perpetrators. They’d get much longer spells in prison if they could be shown to be killers as well. It gave Thea a new surge of purpose. Somehow she was going to nail these people, in the few days she still had left in Barnsley.

242

Chapter Eighteen

The Wednesday evening call to Drew began as most of the others had, with Thea using the landline yet again. Stephanie picked up the phone yet again. ‘God, Steph – what’s happening? Why is it always you that answers? Is there something wrong?’

The child took a sharp breath. ‘No!’ she gasped. ‘Everything’s all right.’

‘I don’t believe you. You sound so odd, darling. What’s the matter?’

‘It’s a secret. You mustn’t ask me. I’ll go and find Dad. He didn’t think you’d phone today. He says he asked you not to.’

‘But I want to talk to him. I told him that last night. Where is he?’

‘Oh … somewhere. Wait a minute.’

‘I can end this call and start again on the mobile, if you like. Would that help?’

‘Oh yes! That would be great. Do that, then. I’ll put this one back.’243

‘Okay, then.’

Thea gave it twenty seconds, and then keyed the shortcut for Drew’s mobile. Had Stephanie really said there was a secret? The idea was just as startling as it had been when it first occurred earlier in the week. Thea felt angry, then hurt at being excluded. It had not sounded like a nice secret, as she had hoped. She didn’t have a birthday coming up. Drew knew better than to plan a surprise holiday, party or unannounced visitor. But half those twenty seconds were spent coming to see that she could not ask him. Stephanie would be blamed for her failure to stay quiet. And if it was something nice, she would ruin an elaborate plan that had her gratification as its main purpose. She would do a lot to avoid that.

Even if it was something sinister, a dark and dangerous threat that had to be kept away from her, she had no choice but to wait until her husband was ready to reveal it.

Drew answered, in a quiet voice. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said. ‘I could have come to the phone quite easily, you know.’