Her stomach churned. She hated her husband with a passion but she had to know what was going on. The truth was worth the fear and the hiding out from the police. Denying the rage in her gut was too painful, she had to speak to Simeon, tell him exactly what had been going on. He deserved to know. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Pia’s face when she blurted it out. She didn’teven care about her secret anymore. Everything needed to come out.
She opened the glove compartment and saw the small paring knife she’d taken from her mum’s house tucked behind the stupid useless burner phone.
A million thoughts went through her mind but she knew she had to listen to her conscience. She was going to speak to Craig and Danny at midnight and persuade them to turn themselves in. If it was all a misunderstanding, it would sort itself out. This had to end. Another part of her shivered at the thought of confronting Craig with that. If she was wrong about the video being a deepfake… she trembled. She thought of the times Craig had got angry, the times he’d pushed her around and she didn’t trust him. She still had scratches on her legs and marks on her arms from when he’d dragged her across that field. Also, that message had seemed all too honest and open. Craig was never that transparent. He was up to something and she didn’t know what.
She had a weapon and she wouldn’t hesitate to use it on Craig if she had to.
FORTY-NINE
Gina sighed as she drove down yet another street and followed another dead end when it came to finding Justine and Lindy. ‘I’m thinking that Justine had a five, maybe ten-minute head start on us, that’s up to three miles potentially given the type of roads available and the time it would have taken her to run to her car.’
Jacob nodded in agreement and ended his phone call. ‘No one has seen her and her car hasn’t been caught on any ANPR cameras. A couple of cars have been cruising the scenic routes but no one has come across her.’
‘While they keep looking, we need to head to Pia Yates’s house, see if Justine has tried to contact her. As far as we know, Justine doesn’t know about the affair so she might try to confide in Pia. We need to find out what else was on that laptop so let’s hope that Garth manages to get through all the files soon. Justine also hid his laptop, knowing we were going to end up searching her house. She’s got a lot of explaining to do.’
‘It’s frustrating, isn’t it, guv?’
She nodded as she accelerated along the road. ‘Did you manage to update DCI Fraser?’
‘Yes, I messaged him.’ Jacob paused. ‘They’re also probably going to be letting Fabien Stone out in a short while. They’re charging him with the assault against you and his solicitor is pushing for bail.’
‘I guess it is what it is.’ She sighed. Her face still ached and it was definitely going to swell considering she hadn’t managed to ice it. ‘He was in custody when Lindy was taken and Briggs attacked and however much I don’t like him, everything he said stacks up. There was a solid link between him, Craig, Kain and Zavier, though. I’m struggling here. Do you have any thoughts?’
‘I keep coming back to the friendship group and mostly Craig. Seeing that video has confused the situation more and has added his son to the mix.’ He frowned. ‘Danny Crawford hasn’t been seen for a while?’
‘Are you wondering if he’s been taken too? I know he’s assaulting Kain in that video but again, we need to think outside the box here if we’re to make all the links. Although, it is logical that he’s on the run and his father is in on it, or protecting him.’
Jacob shook his head. ‘I just don’t know. All I know is the next line of questioning is taking us to the only member of the friendship group who isn’t missing, Pia. She had an affair with Craig and they parted under bad circumstances. She said he hurt her.’
Gina scrunched her brows. ‘All debts must be paid in full. That’s what Briggs’s attacker said to him.’ She paused as she mulled that over. ‘I’m coming back to the teddy bears. The killer is using them to send us a message or mark their territory. It’s one person or two people working together. If there’s two, they’re both on the same page. Can you call Kapoor, chase up if they’ve found out any more information on the backgrounds of the friendship group? This has to go back a long way. To when Briggs, Zavier and Kain all worked together. Pia has known Craig for years, since they were teens. Could this be a part of herpast as she is clearly connected to Craig? We can’t rule that out until we know for sure but we don’t have anything else to suggest she’s involved. She was with Craig and they were happily having an affair until recently. Maybe the guilt she feels for sleeping with Justine’s husband might cause her to help Justine hide from us. I’m clutching at straws here.’
‘It’s something else to bear in mind,’ Jacob replied.
‘Equipment was used for Zavier’s murder. Pia also had access to Craig’s shag pad where she could have pinned all those photos to the wall, and she’s friends with Justine, she’d have access to her house to plant the evidence under his bed, framing Craig. She could have easily got hold of his hoodie and Justine’s card being in the pocket could have been a coincidence. A witness saw a man vomiting in a lay-by after Kain’s murder, could it have been the hoodie and cap that made the witness think it was a man? We need a break in this case. Better still, we need to find all the missing persons of interest. Can you send Kapoor a quick message, ask her if there are any updates?’
Jacob nodded and began typing out a message as Gina drove in silence in the direction of Pia and Simeon Yates’s house. Justine had to be somewhere and their house was a good place to start.
Jacob shifted in the passenger seat and faced her as he spoke. ‘Kapoor has replied already. The two murder victims and DCI Briggs were all working at the Kidderminster station alongside each other thirty years ago. The newspaper clipping we found under Craig’s bed was dated a year before. The same three worked there together for five months, July to November. We don’t have any more information about their time there, again, that’s an issue with records. Kapoor said that she found something that connects two of them.’
‘What’s that?’
‘The mistreatment of a suspect in custody, Zavier and Kain were mentioned but nothing was done.’
‘Do you have the name of the person who made the allegation?’
‘Carol Tayne. She accused Zavier and Kain of spitting at her and pushing her but there was no proof. Briggs wasn’t mentioned. Maybe we’re on the right track.’
Gina found herself exhaling on hearing that Briggs wasn’t mentioned. She thought about him in hospital and she hoped that his brother had arrived to be with him.
‘I don’t recognise the name Carol Tayne at all.’
‘She died of a drug overdose three years later. She was originally arrested for possession of heroin.’ Jacob blew out a breath.
‘Great, I guess she can’t help us then. Can you request backup, just in case we find Justine? We can’t lose her again if she’s here. We’ll be a laughing stock if she’s there and we lose her twice.’
After pulling up on the road, Gina knocked twice on Pia and Simeon’s door. Pia answered and inhaled sharply while glancing over her shoulder as a man joined her. Her eyes widened. Gina knew exactly what Pia was thinking. She didn’t want her affair to be brought up in front of her husband.
Simeon smiled. ‘Hello.’ He glanced at his wife.
