Nothing.
We waited.
“Do it again,” I said.
Jamie was just about to but stopped when he heard a voice.
“Who are you?” Male. Gruff.
“Police, open the gate.”
“You come about Jeremy? Have you found him?”
I frowned. That had not been the reaction I’d been expecting. “Not yet, but we have a few questions that will help us with our enquiries.”
“Oh, okay.” Disappointment.
“Who is Jeremy?” Jamie mouthed.
“Amy’s brother,” I whispered then shrugged. “That’s all I know.”
The gate clunked as though bolts were being thrown, then it opened.
Before us stood a man who appeared to be in his late fifties. A graying moustache and long sideburns gave him a hippy vibe, and his blue eyes were the same shade as Amy’s.
Was this her father?
“Thank you, sir,” I said. “May we come in?”
“Sure.” He gestured for us to step into the compound.
That was easier than I’d anticipated.
“And you are?” I asked, pulling a notebook and pen from my pocket. Might as well give the appearance of being official.
“Abraham.”
I wrote it down. “Abraham…?”
“Just Abraham, we don’t do surnames here, we are all one big family.”
Jamie cleared his throat and looked around. “These kids get formal education?” His deep voice and public school accent always gave him an air of authority. Being six feet two and handsome enough to adorn glossy magazine covers helped as well.
“They’re homeschooled, a curriculum that has been approved by local authorities.” Abraham tightened his jaw. “And you are?”
“Detective Inspector Morris.” Jamie flashed the ID. “We’ve got a few questions for Nigel Strand.”
Abraham’s eyebrows shot up. “Nigel?”
“Yes, can you take us to him?” I guessed he had the best accommodation in the compound. The one I could see to my right that was bigger and newer than the others with a painted blue front door.
“Nigel has been with the Good Lord for over five years now.” Abraham pointed to a fenced-off patch of land to his left that held a large wooden cross in the center. “He’s buried there.”
Fuck! There went my chance to subject the asshole to some serious pain. “He’s dead.”
“Yes.”
I guess that explained why their online presence had deteriorated.
