I hold up the hip flask. ‘Cheers.’
You stare at me, wide-eyed, pleading for your release as the creature nips again. At least I don’t have to listen to your cries. I glance at the girl and she sleeps so peacefully, murmuring as her dreams take her on a journey to another world. I lean over and kiss her on the forehead. ‘Goodnight, darling. Here’s to a new life, just me and you.’
Susan fidgets and pulls against her restraints knowing I’m the winner in all this and she is going to die. I sit, take another drink and watch as another rat scurries along to join his friend.Hurry up, cousin, I’ve prepared this final showdown for you.
I check my phone, no messages. There’s someone else I need to call. I love a friendly voice. ‘Hello,’ I say into the phone. ‘I needed to hear your voice.’ What I really need is to find something out.
Sixty-Three
‘Wyre, take a look around the back. Here.’ Gina threw the torch to Paula Wyre as she headed to the side of Stephanie Baxter’s house as Gina peered through the gap in the curtains. It was far too dark to see anything. She could just about make out the edge of a coffee table from the clock on the cooker. She knocked again. ‘Stephanie. Stephanie Baxter. It’s DI Harte.’
‘Come here, guv,’ Wyre called.
Gina trod carefully along the concrete passage, trying not to trip on the uneven slabs. She rubbed her hands together and blew into them, hoping to get some feeling back soon. ‘What have you found?’
Wyre shone the torch through the shed window onto a pile of old blankets and a pillow in the corner, just behind the mower. An empty bottle of water stood on an upturned box. Wyre pushed the shed door, it wasn’t locked. She flashed the torch around. ‘I’d say someone has slept here or has been sleeping here.’
‘Hmm.’ Gina glanced back at the house and stepped towards the kitchen window. Again, the curtains and blinds were all drawn across the back end of the house.
They stopped as they heard someone shuffling towards them, sniffing. The woman turned into her garden and screamed as she almost bumped into Gina. Flapping her arms, she went to run but Gina caught her arm.
‘Stephanie Baxter, it’s DI Harte.’
The woman screamed and pulled away, then she stumbled back towards the side of the house before leaning against the wall and letting out a sob. ‘Police.’
‘Yes. I’m DI Harte and this is DC Wyre. We need to ask you a few questions relating to the murder of Dale Blair and the disappearances of Susan and Phoebe Wheeler. Can we go inside and talk? We’re all getting soaked out here.’
She wiped her eyes, took her keys out and unlocked the door before leading them in.
‘Did you know someone’s been sleeping in your shed?’ Gina glanced around the kitchen as she turned the light on. Two empty wine bottles sat on the work surface along with a few ready meal wrappers. The ultra-modern high gloss kitchen was a far cry from her own.
The woman almost choked on her words. ‘It was me.’
Stephanie fumbled with the cups and tried to put the kettle on but her trembling hands had other ideas and tears began bouncing off her chin, onto the worktop. She almost knocked a cup onto the floor.
‘I can do that. Tea?’ Wyre asked as Gina led Stephanie into the living room, turning the light on as she did.
‘Come on, Stephanie, let’s sit down a moment.’ Gina took her arm and led her into the living room.
The pale woman’s teeth began to chatter. ‘I… I…’ Gina spotted a bruise and blood on her face and a scratch on her wrist.
‘What is it, Stephanie? What are you trying to tell me?’ Stephanie grabbed her long dark hair that had slid out of her clip and twisted it like a rope, tucking it to one side. A few sodden strands stuck to her cheek and snaked beneath her coat. ‘You don’t look well, can I get you an ambulance? Are you hurt?’
She shook her head. Gina felt the photo in her bag. Maybe that would prompt her to talk. Something had happened and Gina needed her to open up. ‘We have this photo of Dale and Susan. I can see now that this girl is you. How do you know them?’
She went to open her mouth and paused for a moment before continuing. ‘I need to speak to Susan before I speak to anyone else. It can’t wait.’ The woman pulled her phone out and began trying to call Susan.
Gina observed her erratic behaviour and waited. Susan hadn’t answered her phone since she went missing and it was off. ‘Susan is missing and we need to find her. Do you know where Susan is?’
The woman slowly shook her head as she stared at the wall.
‘How did you get the injury to your head and wrist?’ Blood had trickled down her face and from her arm to her lap.
Again, Stephanie clammed up. Gina was getting nothing out of her at all. She crept to the kitchen, leaving the woman rocking back and forth on the settee. ‘She needs medical assistance. Can you discretely call an ambulance? She’s definitely showing signs of being in shock.’
Wyre nodded, stirred the tea and handed the cup to Gina. ‘I’ll go outside and make the call.’
‘Thank you.’ Gina headed back into the lounge.
