BooksBarbecue
Back The Midnight Man
Chapters (70)
  1. Title Page
  2. Contents
  3. Copyright
  4. Praise for Caroline Mitchell
  5. Also by Caroline Mitchell
  6. Dedication
  7. Epigraph
  8. Prologue
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. About Caroline Mitchell
  70. About Embla Books

Dammit, Sarah thought. If she was granted more access to the investigation rather than being sent out to take statements she might be more au fait with the case. ‘I think Elsie was abused by her father and it really messed her up. Christian could be the result of incest.’ She reached for the journal and opened the tear-stained page. ‘Silence, close your eyes, kneel,’ scratched into the page with a heavy pen over and over again. ‘I think this is referring to abuse. Nobody helped her when she was young. It’s why she turned to food.’ Sarah sighed. The theory sounded much more sensible in her head. ‘She’s always spoken about her ex, but she’s never been married. Christian’s birth certificate doesn’t name the father. There’s no record of another man in her life.’

‘So Christian is a child of incest and a murderer because we don’t know his father’s identity?’

‘I …’ Sarah frowned as her reasoning deserted her. She hated being placed on the spot. ‘He fits the profile. He’s a loner, he’s never had proper socialisation. He’s cared for his mother all his life. I remember her from school, her parents were odd …’ A blush stained her cheeks as her argument fell away. ‘And it’s the way he looks at me, you know? Like he has a dark secret or something.’

‘So, he’s creepy – as is half the population of Lower Slayton. Is that it?’

‘He was at Angelica’s funeral. It was meant to be for family only, which raises the question – why was he there?’

Yvonne raised a manicured hand. ‘OK, Sarah, let me stop you before you embarrass yourself any further. Do you think we aren’t aware of everything you’ve told me and more?’ She did not wait for a response. ‘We’re way ahead of you.’

Yvonne wore a half smile as she spoke down to her. ‘It’s not public knowledge yet but Christian Abraham is Simon Irving’s son. Angelica was his half-sister. Hence why we’ve not rushed in to make an arrest.’

Sarah’s mouth dropped open. ‘I … I didn’t know.’

‘How would you? You’re a statement taker. You’re not investigating this case. You’ve got to be careful, throwing accusations around. Simon Irving is a powerful man.’

‘I wasn’t throwing anything,’ Sarah said, in an effort to defend herself.

‘So you didn’t just march in here with a bent-up journal and say you knew who the Midnight Man was?’

‘I … I was just trying to help.’

‘But we don’t need your help,’ Yvonne said. ‘We’re all over this.’

‘Fine,’ Sarah replied. ‘But as the DI said, all hands on deck. I need time to catch up with the case.’