‘We’re just trying to establish where everyone was at the time. Thank you for that. Is there anything else you can tell us?’
The girl leaned over and whispered in Gina’s ear. ‘I know Phil deals drugs. He offered to sell me some coke once. Please don’t say I said anything as I don’t want to lose my job. He’s one of our bigger spenders. I overheard him mentioning that he was going to offload some gear that night.’
Gina noted what she had said on Jacob’s pad and he gave her an understanding nod. He wrote ‘CCTV’ underneath her note. He was right. The Angel Arms’s CCTV would show those who left the premises and at what time. She also knew of Phillip Brighton’s arrest for drug possession and dealing. His property would have been searched by the arresting team and she would catch up with them soon.
‘Could he have hurt Holly? I mean he gives me the creeps, the way he looks at me.’ The girl checked over her shoulder, making sure no one would hear.
‘We are looking into all possibilities at the moment. Has he said or done anything to you that you’d like to mention?’
She shook her head. ‘No. I just feel like he’s always watching. He has these beady eyes and he stares a lot. He just gives me the creeps, that’s all.’
‘If you’re ever worried, please do call us. Here’s my card. If you hear, see or remember anything that you think will help us with the case, please call me.’
A man cleared his throat loudly and tapped his fingers on the bar. ‘Anyone serving?’
‘I best go back to work.’ As she left her stool and served the man, Samuel Avery headed towards Gina.
‘You still here?’
‘I’ll need your CCTV for Saturday night.’
His shoulders dropped. ‘How did I know you were going to ask that? Any sign of trouble in this town, you always want my CCTV. Of course, Detective Inspector. You can have whatever you like, but we best make it quick. My date has arrived.’
Hannah flicked her long blonde hair and took a seat at the bar. Her casual dress was nipped in at the waist by a chunky belt. ‘Mum? It’s you again. I wish you’d just leave me alone.’
‘It’s not all about you, Hannah,’ she said as she stepped outside, Jacob following.
‘What was that about?’
Gina took a deep breath and rubbed her tired eyes. ‘There appears to be something going on between Avery and my daughter. That’s my daughter, Hannah. You remember her, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do. Sorry, guv. Wish I hadn’t asked. Tell you what, I’ll go in, get the CCTV and meet you back at the car.’
Her phone rang. ‘O’Connor. What have you got?’ Gina asked as she gazed at her daughter through the pub’s leaded bay window. Hannah sat on a bar stool and flicked her hair as she smiled.
‘The blood results from Phillip Brighton’s top have come back but that’s nothing, the blood was his. But there’s more.’
‘Okay, give it to me.’
O’Connor paused for a second. ‘During the search of his bedsit, the officers not only found all the usual stuff to convict him of dealing – scales, little bags, drugs, money. They found a password-protected pink tablet. It’s the same make and size as the one Holly owned.’
‘Holly’s missing tablet? I want him ready and waiting for my return.’ Gina took one last look at Hannah and hurried to the car to wait for Jacob. Hannah would have to wait.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cass stared at her phone, then back at the cake.Don’t eat it, don’t you dare. If you want friends like Kerry, you have to look good. Be the part.She snatched the cake from next to the filing pile and flung it in the tin bin by her feet. It wasn’t just Kerry, it was Elvis. Whoever he was texting would soon be history. His hands would be all over her once again. She began pretending to sort the papers in alphabetical order by client name. Pretending was fine. It’s all she had to do that day at work, that and answer a phone that rarely rang. Shut off in her own world, she could imagine what Elvis was up to and how Kerry was spending her day. Would Kerry be back at work considering what had happened to her best friend at her wedding reception?
Kerry worked for Daddy’s company. There would be no back-to-work interrogation by an uncaring manager. Even Ed worked for the company – handsome Ed or Fox Mulder as Cass liked to call him in her thoughts. She’d watched reruns of allTheX-Filesepisodes many times and, in her mind, Ed was Fox. That family had everything; health, wealth and happiness in abundance. Cass had enjoyed some of that as a child when she’d been Kerry’s best friend, especially the wealth, before Holly took her place. But Holly was as dead as yesterday’s reception flowers that stood upturned in her bin. The best friend place in Kerry’s life was vacant and Cass had to take it back.
‘There’s a few spare slices of cake left. Want some more? I bet you do.’ Melody tottered past in her heels, holding a box.
‘No, thank you.’ Why would she want more cake? They were all in it, trying to encourage her to eat more so they ate less. It wouldn’t work. She knew them too well. They could keep their cake. She wasn’t going to eat today. ‘Hey, Melody?’
The woman turned back, just before the double doors.
‘I’m going on lunch break in half an hour. I have to go somewhere. Could you man reception for me, please?’
‘Of course. I’ll take this cake around, grab a drink, then I’ll head back. You going anywhere nice for lunch? Got a date with Elvis?’
