‘Who?’
‘Craig. I’m sorry. He also knows what I did and I wondered if Pia could have seen or did you tell her?’ Justine put her shaking hands into her pockets. ‘I kissed you, that was all and I said I was sorry but you didn’t have to go and tell Craig. What was it, an anonymous message? My husband has always been a lying cheat with someone or another. I just wanted to make him pay and as soon as I did it, I knew it was wrong and I know you love Pia and you’d never cheat like Craig. Anyway, I thought you had the right to know about Pia.’ Her mind had been thinking all sorts while she thought Craig had been having an affair with Simeon. Simeon had rejected her back then and her thoughts had jumped to the idea that he preferred Craig more. Justine could tell that she’d floored him with that revelation.
He took a few deep breaths and looked away. ‘I guess I’ll deal with all that later. Right now, I have to go and you’re holding me up. Why are the police looking for you? They didn’t say much? I need to know.’
‘I’m on the run. The police think I’m involved but I’m not. I need the chance to sort this before they take me in. I’m begging you not to tell the police that I was here.’
He let out a long, slow breath. ‘I just want all this to be over.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘If it’s any consolation I was flattered when you tried to kiss me but I’m obviously not like my wife. I’ve always been faithful.’ He paused. ‘I don’t believe for one second you’re a dangerous fugitive, Justine. You can leave out the back. It takes you onto a football field. Cross it and you’ll know where you are.’
‘Thank you.’
His keys jangled in his trembling hands. ‘Go.’
She darted out of the back door. She loved her son with all her heart but it was time for him to face the consequences ofhis actions. Sometimes being a parent was about making tough decisions. She knew she’d been wrong to try to hide Danny’s laptop and she was wrong to make Danny lie to try to implicate Craig. She didn’t have time to question her own morality over the past couple of days, all she had time to do was put things right. At least she didn’t have to think about what Pia thought of her any more. Their friendship was over.
As she ran through the woodland, she realised she’d left her tablet on the stairs. She pulled the burner phone out of her pocket and tried calling Danny one more time but like all the other times, all she got was the dead tone.
It was almost nine that evening and midnight would soon be on her if the next part of her plan didn’t work out.
She had to get to the derelict house. After reaching the cover of trees, she stopped to feel for the paring knife in her pocket. She pulled it out and held it up against the moonlight. She had no idea what she was going to find at that house but she was prepared for anything.
FIFTY-ONE
Back at the station, Gina stood outside the interview room with Jacob. ‘What did Garth say, about Danny’s laptop?’
‘There was a deleted message on an app that gamers tend to use from someone who calls themselves BustYourAss.’
‘Charming.’
‘That’s what I thought. The message said, “Need to talk. Can’t live with this shit over my head any longer. You have to meet me now.” We’re thinking that Danny was talking about the video. There are also other deleted messages in the run up to Kain’s murder. Kain had been trying to blackmail Danny for money and threatened that if he didn’t manage to get ten thousand pounds, Kain was going to show the video to the police. There are numerous credit card applications in Danny’s name, which were all turned down.’
‘So, Danny has a strong motive and Craig does too. He’d want to cover for his son. I also think that when we questioned Justine and Danny, they spun us a yarn about the money that Kain took from Craig as a deposit for a security system. Justine knows and she too was trying to cover for her son. That still doesn’t explain Zavier’s murder or DCI Briggs’s attempted murder. Can we confirm who Danny was messaging?’
‘It was Craig.’
Gina sighed. ‘Craig is now hiding Danny somewhere. Do we know if Craig has used his bank cards recently?’
‘I checked this with Garth, too. Not for two days.’
‘He knows we’re trying to trace him. Then he goes and sends that horrible message to Pia, ending it with, “I’m coming for you.” We need to bring him in. Let’s talk to her. See what she knows.’
Gina entered the interview room with Jacob and they both sat opposite her.
After Jacob introduced them for the tape, Pia scraped her chair along the floor to be closer to the table. ‘That message, I couldn’t stop reading it all day. Then I thought of Craig and how little I knew him. I have so stuffed up my life. I just want things to go back to the way they were before the affair and I know Simeon is going to find out. I can’t keep this from him. You have to find Craig. I’m scared of him. I told you what he was like at the apartment.’
Gina interjected. ‘That’s what we’re trying to do. Did Craig mention anywhere else that he might go? Favourite places? Places he went to be on his own? Friends?’
‘No, I’m so sorry. I wish I knew more.’ She paused. ‘Thank you for not doing this in front of Simeon. I need to be the one to tell him.’
‘How about Danny? Did Craig ever mention where Danny hung out?’
‘He never spoke about Danny when we were together. Danny almost caught us one time because he came to meet his dad early. From this day onwards, I was never sure if he saw me or not, but he didn’t say anything. Craig said Danny had accused him of seeing someone and they’d argued over it.’
Gina felt her frustration building up. Pia knew nothing of any importance. She let out a quiet sigh. ‘How well did you know Kain?’
‘Not well. I met him at Lindy’s house but that was it. I know what Lindy told me. Kain had always been trouble. Look, I don’t know anything that will help. I had an affair with what looks like your prime suspect, that is all.’
‘Have you heard from Justine Crawford today? We’re really worried about her.’
