Voicemail answered. “Abs, just to let you know, we know where your sister is staying. She’s in Waterfoot and we’re on our way there now.” He hated leaving voicemails. “We need to let her and Kenny know something that’s happening but it’s all good. See you.”
“How do you know it’s all good?’ Loneghan asked, pulling off the main road onto a side street.
Alex winced as Loneghan took a rather sharp turn. “She’s elated that her sister’s alive. I don’t want her to be worried. Did you do your driver training?”
“Three times.” Loneghan’s grin was evil. “This could be interesting. Our intel might not be right. Kenny might dismiss what we tell him. He might be waiting for Jones’ boys to come round.”
“Doubt it when his missus is pregnant.”
“True. But this visit might not be welcome. You being a cop might stop him letting Abby’s sister be in touch with Abby.”
Being goaded was something that Alex had learned to ignore, having two brothers and two cousins who took winding him up as being a sport.
“Maybe. But right now we need to make sure that house is secure and Abby’s pregnant sister leaves it.”
There was another sharp turn and Alex wondered if Loneghan had a driving licence full stop.
“I’ll give Indy a call – see if she’s found out anything else.” He had a nagging feeling begin in the pit of his stomach, one that was making him feel tight and restless.
“She’d call us. You know what she’s like, she’ll be obsessing over every thing that comes through. And Drew has his contacts.”
The car accelerated rapidly as Loneghan went through lights just before they turned red.
“I assume Drew has people on a separate payroll?”
“Probably. Drew does what Drew does. He’s still got fingers in pies, but he’s left alone by the law. We always need a few bad guys to stop new ones trying their luck.” Loneghan sounded jaded.
“You ever think about leaving the force?”
“No.” Loneghan actually slowed to take the next turn. “No idea what else I’d do.”
“Do you do anything outside of work?”
“Read true crime novels.” He sounded serious.
Alex shook his head.
“Joking. I watch sport and drink beer. If I painted myself yellow I could be the cop version of Homer Simpson without the beer belly.”
“So nothing like Homer Simpson then?”
Loneghan grinned, the car slowing down. They were on Kenny’s street, a row of large houses set back from the road through long drives. Electric gates were at the end of most drives.
The road was quiet; only one other car was parked on it and that was a couple of hundred metres away from Kenny’s house. Alex got out and looked around, feeling the stillness, something hanging in the air that felt stagnant, as if it was waiting.
“I’m not good with this.” He looked at Loneghan, who didn’t seem comfortable either. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Alex looked down the drive and saw one car on it, a BMW SUV. His pulse began a beat that would’ve been suitable for a nightclub. Images of Abby’s sister being hurt or worse in the house went through his mind. Bile rose in his throat.
“Should you be here?” Loneghan’s question made him focus.
“Let’s do what we’re here to do. See if they’re home.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw a couple of missed calls from Abby.
Loneghan had headed over to the gate, a pedestrian one. Alex watched him press the buzzer to be let in.
No answer.
Loneghan tried it again.
