Madison ignored the question. ‘Did you come into the ladies, while I was in there?’
He pulled a face like he was sucking on a lemon. ‘And why would I do that?’
‘Because sometimes you can be a dick with your silly pranks.’ She remembered the time he’d put a very real-looking plastic spider on her pillow while she was checking her post box – done to scare in the guise of a prank. He thought things like that were funny whereas Madison didn’t. After that incident she’d checked her bed every night for spiders. Then there was the time he refilled her shampoo bottle with chocolate sauce. It had taken her a week to forgive him. He didn’t even live in her block, he merely visited her and Alice.
‘Well, I wasn’t tonight’s dick.’ He glanced at his phone. ‘Ooh, I’m onto something here. I’ve gone and got me a date. See you both later.’ He grabbed his puffy coat and pulled it over his long-sleeved T-shirt, finishing off with his black and orange stripy scarf. The firelight caught his deep, chocolate-coloured eyes, making the pupils look like they had little fires burning within them. She glanced down at his boots: black. Were they the same boots she saw under the toilet door? Maybe, maybe not. ‘Madison, you need to chill a bit.’ With the last word said, he was out the door quicker than she could reply.
Alice tilted her head and played with her hair. ‘He’s a dick.’
Finishing her drink, Madison stood. ‘I think I’m going to head off now, I have a stack of work to do and my assignment is due in tomorrow.’ That was a lie but she needed to get home and she was going to get a taxi with Nanna’s fiver. She’d been scared too many times already that evening, there was no way she was going to risk another. ‘I’m getting a taxi, do you want to come with me?’
Alice flicked through her messages on her phone. ‘Nah, I’m heading to Rachel’s in a minute. It’s still early. Don’t forget to look at your messages, Miss Popular. Your phone hasn’t stopped lighting up.’
Doing her coat up, Madison headed for the door and stepped out into the car park. She exhaled and a plume of white mist coiled in the air. It had to be Tyrone in the toilets, trying to scare her.
Her thoughts flitted back to the figure on the dark lane. Was someone following her? Had someone been following Amber? She took a deep breath and forced that thought out of her mind as she lifted her phone to check AppyDater as she walked to the taxi rank.
15
Tuesday, 26 January
‘Residue of superglue found on her lips? That’s just revolting.’ DS Jacob Driscoll finished the rest of his chocolate bar and put the wrapper in his pocket.
Gina stared up at the old converted house on Bulmore Drive, the place where Amber Slater’s father had agreed to meet them. It must have been a grand family home many years ago. ‘Was that your breakfast?’
He nodded. ‘Jennifer has obviously been working through all the forensics stuff most of the night. We normally have something together but she was showered, up and out before I was properly awake.’
‘That’s dedication for you. I like Jennifer.’ The chunky heel on Gina’s boot cracked through an icy puddle, sending a wave of cold water over her toes. She wrapped her scarf around her neck as they crossed the car park, weaving in and out of several badly parked old cars.
‘I do too.’ His hair had grown a little longer on top but the sides were still short and defined neatly against his face. He was definitely more Clark Kent than Action Man now. He shivered a little and zipped his coat up further.
‘You two make such a sweet couple.’
He shook his head and carried on walking. ‘Give over. Sweet. What kind of word is that?’ Pressing one of the bells, then another, he soon realised none of them worked. He finally knocked, hoping that one of the residents would hear and answer the door.
The main door opened and a grungy looking lad stood there. His checked shirt opened onto a black T-shirt. Black skinny jeans reached his ankles. ‘Yeah.’
Gina inhaled and the smell of stale sweat hit her, turning her stomach a little. She wished she’d had a little bite to eat before coming out as tummy rumbling nausea was plaguing her now. ‘DI Harte and DS Driscoll. We’re here to meet Mr Slater but we will need to speak to all who live here in turn, including yourself.’
His shoulders dropped. ‘Sorry, I thought you might be a reporter. Someone knocked earlier, trying to get a story. A guy from theWarwickshire Herald. I told the man to sling his hook.’
‘Thank you for that.’ The last thing she wanted was for the press to start coming up with a million and one theories of their own and they could not get wind of the superglue. That information was just for her department and the killer.
He pulled a hairband from his pocket and scraped his greasy curly mane into a bun on the back of his head. ‘Mr Slater is in Amber’s apartment, waiting. He had a spare key.’ He paused. ‘We can’t believe what happened to Amber. It’s a shock, you know? Losing a friend.’ A faint smell of weed wafted from the man’s clothing.
Gina nodded as he pulled the door open. ‘We’re sorry for your loss. What’s your name?’
‘Curtis.’
Jacob pulled out his notebook and passed it open on a page to Gina. It contained five names. Amber, Corrine, Tyrone, Curtis and Lauren. ‘Which flat is Amber’s?’
‘Up the stairs and left.’
‘Thank you,’ Gina replied. The entrance hall was quite roomy for the size of the building, with a staircase ahead. Her back brushed against the post boxes as she passed, all of which were overspilling with takeaway flyers and unopened letters. Jacob led the way up to the first floor and another thinner set of stairs led up to another level. As they reached the flat, Gina knocked. A shuffling noise came from behind the door. ‘It’s cold out here.’
Jacob moved from foot to foot, trying to keep warm.
She heard the catch click.
