Option two. There’s a bag in front of me and it’s stuffed with tea towels. I could ram one into her mouth, drag her into the garden and plunge her head straight into the water butt next to the back door. I’m wondering if she’ll fit into it if I break a couple of bones. That’s a better idea, more befitting of what she deserves.
These options weren’t what I’d meticulously planned for her but I might not have a choice. I had a better plan that lies in wait which is why I’d rather do this later.
My heart is banging ten to the dozen as she stands outside the door, then her phone goes. Saved by the ringtone.
Great, I don’t have to compromise. The plan still stands and my mantra never fails me.
All debts must be paid in full.
TWENTY-FOUR
Gina pressed her phone to her ear as she continued to update Brodie from outside Craig’s study. ‘We’ve found a teddy bear and it’s the same make as the ones found at the other scenes. It’s pink, though. It also looks like the Crawfords’ dog has been chewing it.’
‘Thanks for letting me know. I’ve been informed about the hoodie and the newspaper clipping. Keep looking.’
‘There’s something else. Jacob and I spoke to Kain’s ex-wife, Sheena. She told us that Kain used to meet a man named Zed in a pub in Kidderminster, annually, around this time of the year, maybe a little later. She only knows the man as Zed and Kain didn’t call him to arrange this; it was a long-standing agreement. Victim Two was known as Zed.’
‘They could have met up recently, then,’ Brodie replied. ‘Great work. I’ll update the team here and the system. Call again if the search turns anything else up. Our priority is to find Craig Crawford, but keep looking. Let’s not close the investigation on him alone, not yet.’
Gina ended the call and entered the study. Piles of boxes, old tech magazines and books filled the room. She started with his desk while Jacob began rooting through the metal officewardrobe at the far end of the room. Splashes of rain hit the window. Gina peered out to see O’Connor walking the nosy neighbour back towards her house across the road. Several other neighbours had gathered around for a look.
She slid open the top drawer and it contained a stapler, several pens and a hole punch. The next drawer wasn’t any more exciting. It seemed to be stuffed full of plugs and chargers. There was nothing in the bottom drawer either. She lifted up his in tray and spotted lots of paperwork from the company he worked for with details of jobs he had scheduled and places he was meant to go to. None of the paperwork mentioned Newcastle. Where had he been? Gina started leafing through the magazine pile, looking for any clue as to where Craig could be and not a single hidden sheet of paper dropped out.
‘Guv, I’ve found something.’ Jacob held up an empty burner phone box. ‘Probably pay-as-you-go.’
‘Is there a number attached to it?’
Jacob began leafing through the box and smiled. ‘Yes.’
‘Read it to me. I’ll message it straight to the station. If we try to call he might hang up on us. We need to see if we can trace the number.’ Adrenaline began to shoot through her body as Jacob read the numbers out. She hit send. Wyre messaged back.
I’ll get onto that straight away. I’ll call you as soon as we know.
‘Is there anything else in that wardrobe?’ she asked as she walked over to Jacob.
He placed the box on the desk and stepped aside. ‘It’s rammed full of all kinds of things.’
Several old porn magazines slipped off the top of a pile. She reached underneath them and pulled out a stack of photo albums. After flicking through a few pages, she could see thatthey were mostly filled with photos of a red-haired teen wearing a combination ofGhostbustersand Led Zeppelin T-shirts. He was with his parents and friends on holidays. She flicked to a photo of him with a girl. She had a tiny brown mole just above her lip. He had his arm around her and she was in the middle of dotting ice cream onto his nose, and they were laughing. ‘We should bag these up.’ Gina turned the page and saw another photo of the same girl doing a handstand on the edge of a rock with only the sea in the background.
Jacob let out a roar and shouted, ‘Yes.’ His one hand shot up victoriously into the air.
‘What?’
‘Look what had got caught behind the printer.’
Gina took the sheet of paper. ‘It’s a short-term rental agreement with Jordan and Harper.’
‘And they’re only down the road.’
‘Let’s head there now. We are this close to finding Craig.’
TWENTY-FIVE
JUSTINE
She sat on the couch in Lindy’s lounge and sipped tea.
‘I know Kain wasn’t an easy person to be around but I miss him. I can’t help it. You did so much for him, Justine, and I’ll always be grateful that you tried to help him.’ Lindy’s eyes watered up.
