Chapters (68)
- Cover
- Dedication
- NOW
- One
- BEFORE
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- NOW
- Twenty-One
- BEFORE
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- NOW
- Thirty-Nine
- BEFORE
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- NOW
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- AFTER
- Fifty-Six
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
‘Of course,’ DI Bennett replied, a slight smirk appearing on her face. ‘Nothing legal, oh no. This was information we managed to get from our friends in drug squad. They’ve been monitoring his movements for a number of months now. He visits this place at least once a month. They’re on the verge of getting the go-ahead to have full surveillance put on him. Apparently he’s a big player in the drug world. Or at least in the know of those who are. Doesn’t really matter. There are already enough meetings taking place about why this information wasn’t shared with us earlier. Anyway, he’s linked to the yard and we reckon we’ll find more evidence in his house.’
‘Getting a warrant?’
‘On its way now.’
‘This is going to destroy that family,’ Mark said, scratching at his increasingly stubbled face. ‘He was like a surrogate dad to them, by the looks of things.’
‘You said it yourself. The younger one, he didn’t think he was going to be blameless here. We’re going to need to talk to him again.’
‘What about Joanna Carter…’
‘Yes, yes, I know,’ DI Bennett snapped back. Mark was surprised by her irritated tone. ‘The girl I mentioned earlier, the one with the knife saying she killed her?’
‘She said that?’
‘The arrest didn’t go well. Turns out she had no idea how Joanna died. The young woman was referred to Psych. We don’t think she was involved at all. Just a very mixed-up girl.’
‘Boss…’
‘I know, I know,’ DI Bennett said, exasperation flowing from every word. ‘Cavanagh finished questioning her about thirty minutes ago. She has an alibi. For basically every single day since before and after Joanna’s death. Which we know includes the time Emily went missing too. She wasn’t even in England. Her mum provided proof that they were on holiday last week. No way she could have been involved. We think she was just mixed up.’
‘And made her way to where Emily was eventually found?’
‘It’s across the road. Hardly that much of a coincidence. One of the uniforms could smell something and checked it out.’
‘What was her name?’
‘Holly Edwards. Nothing to link her to Joanna whatsoever. We think it was just a breakdown of sorts.’
‘Joanna and Emily being found dead so close together – that’s no coincidence.’
‘It doesn’t quite fit yet, but I have a theory on that one.’
‘Really?’ Mark replied, wondering why it had taken so long to get to this point.
‘Rich killed them both. I know it sounds like a coincidence, but maybe Joanna saw what he did to Emily. That’s how Emily ended up here. He needed to chase her down or something, after being disturbed. He went back to deal with Joanna, realising he had to kill her or she would say something.’
‘It’s a stretch…’