Elliott tried to chase the thought but it was gone. It was more than he’d meant to say. Maggie squeezed his shoulder a little tighter this time. She always told him to keep things to himself, but he really wanted to find his friend. Then all of a sudden a thought entered his mind which made him sick with fear.If you tell, you’ll go to hell.When the Midnight Man was finished with Jahmelia, he was coming for him.
‘You did great,’ Maggie said, as they walked out to the hall. She drew him close like she could feel his worry. ‘How much longer will the police be in our house?’ she asked Yvonne.
‘Not long,’ Yvonne replied, bouncing on her heels as she walked with them down the hall. ‘But we appreciate you giving us permission for the search.’ All residents in Slayton were being visited by the police in case Jahmelia was hiding out somewhere. Elliott stole a glance up at Yvonne, but she would not meet his gaze. The hallway was long and bright, with posters on the walls.
‘I hear you’re a friend of Sarah’s,’ she continued. ‘Sarah Noble. She’s been telling us all about you – and Elliott.’
‘I’ve known Sarah since school,’ Maggie answered.
‘Yeah, yeah,’ Yvonne replied.
Elliott scratched his nose. Yvonne said ‘yeah, yeah’ a lot. It meant she wasn’t really listening at all.
‘Sarah’s only a statement taker, barely out of probation, in fact,’ Yvonne continued. ‘But she does her best, bless her.’
‘I’m sure she’s a very capable officer,’ Maggie replied, as they got to the door.
‘Oh, what am I like?’ Yvonne smiled, in no hurry to let them out. ‘I’ve spoken out of turn. Sarah’s a great little officer. She’s very pragmatic. Doesn’t believe in all this superstitious nonsense. She’s always said that there’s a logical answer for Elliott’s behaviour.’
‘And what do you mean by that?’ Maggie’s voice grew sharp. ‘Because I don’t like your tone. It’s bad enough officers are traipsing through my house … Elliott’s done nothing wrong.’
Yvonne’s hand touched her mouth. ‘Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, Mrs Carter, I didn’t mean to offend you. Elliotthasbeen helpful. We’re all so worried about Jahmelia. If we’ve seemed … aggressive with our methods then I apologise. If Elliott was missing, we’d do the exact same. Please don’t take it personally.’ She flashed them both a smile before opening the door.
Elliott blinked in the sunlight. Felt his mother relax a little next to him as she spoke. ‘Of course. I understand.’ But Yvonne had been mean about Sarah. He could see it on her face when she spoke. His schoolteacher, Miss Grogan, said if everyone was kind then the world would be a happier place. Elliott liked Miss Grogan a lot.
As his mother ushered him into the car, Elliott took her by the hand. ‘I don’t like that police officer. She’s not a nice lady,’ he said.
‘Yes, seems that way,’ Maggie replied as Elliott strapped himself in. ‘But don’t you worry about it, sweetheart. You’ve done all you can for Jahmelia. I’m sure they’ll find her soon.’ She closed the car door before he could answer. Elliott chewed on his bottom lip. Had he done the wrong thing by speaking up? He would talk to Sarah. She would help find Jahmelia. Because something told him she was the only one who could.
47
Sarah dropped a tuna sandwich onto Richie’s desk. She had gone on a four o’clock sandwich run to the new bakery in the centre of town after finding out some of her colleagues hadn’t eaten all day. But the new owner, Lisa Davis, had given her a grilling before she left, pressing her for details of the case. Sarah had listened patiently before offering reassurance, telling her not to believe everything she read in the press. It felt good to be back in the office. To feel like she finally belonged. The revelation of her identity, something she had always feared, had gained her a quiet acceptance.
‘Thanks for this.’ Richie twisted the lid off the bottle of Diet Coke that she had also deposited on his desk.
‘How’s it going?’ she said, glancing over his shoulder as he tapped his computer keyboard. She squinted, trying to read the Word document on his screen. But as he spun his chair around to face her, she quickly averted her gaze.
‘Slowly,’ he replied. ‘Thanks to his super-duper lawyer, Abraham is now answering “no comment” to everything.’ Richie nodded towards Yvonne. ‘How’s she treating you?’
‘She’s been strangely nice, now the cat is out of the bag.’
‘Nah.’ Richie swigged his Diet Coke. ‘She’s keeping the DI on side.’ He tilted his head in Sarah’s direction. ‘What’s the deal with you and Bernard?’
Sarah’s gaze narrowed. Had Richie been speaking about her to the DI? ‘There is no deal. He played golf with my husband. They were friends.’ She scanned the room. Everybody else was getting on with their work. Yvonne left the office, paperwork in hand.
Sarah leaned against Richie’s desk. ‘Why are you asking about the DI?’
‘I’m just figuring things out. He’s very protective of you, isn’t he?’
Sarah’s eyes widened. ‘We’re not carrying on, if that’s what you mean.’ She spoke in a harsh whisper, mindful of her colleagues.
‘None of my business if you are.’ Richie raised his hands in the air.
‘Then why ask?’ She took the chair next to him, her voice low. ‘Is that what people are saying? Did you speak to him about me?’
‘Sarah,’ Richie smiled. ‘Chill. Nobody’s saying anything. I’m just trying to get a handle on the DI. He plays golf with Irving too. They’re pally, from what I’ve heard.’
Sarah’s frown deepened. ‘What are you getting at?’
