However, there was a good chance the Terrier was planning to exert more pressure any day now, so she opened up a fresh email and typed:
How about an exclusive with me and Connor after the series has finished? Happy to talk you through the investigation then: an inside look on how we pulled it together. Will also allow use of quotes from the episodes if needed, obvs subject to legal oversight.
Terrance replied straightaway.
I might take you up on this, unless I get to the truth first of course. How are things going with Kinsley?
None of your business.
Closing down the thread, Cristy checked to see if there was anything new from Paul Kinsley and found that fortunately there wasn’t. She really didn’t want to engage with his canny methods of persuasion right now, and actually, she didn’t want to speak to David either, which was why she hadn’t told him yet that she was back in the UK. Of course, she’d have to deal with them both sooner or later, but for today – in fact, for the whole weekend – she needed to focus entirely and exclusively on this edit.
And the hope that Meier would get in touch again.
CHAPTER FORTY
It was past eight o’clock on Sunday evening by now, and they were all still at the office, pulling together the next episode, when an unknown US number appeared on Cristy’s mobile.
Guessing, hoping, it was Lauren Hawkes (now Lauren Beagle, according to Meier), she quickly alerted the others and clicked straight to speaker.
‘Cristy Ward speaking,’ she said, her eyes on Connor.
‘Hi, I think you might be expecting my call.’
‘If this is Lauren, then yes I am,’ Cristy told her.
‘I hope you’re not recording this. If you are …’
‘I’m not, but you must understand that if you reveal something the police need to know, I am legally bound to pass the information on.’
‘Naming me as the source?’
‘Possibly. Much will depend on what you tell me, but I can’t be party to covering up a crime – if one has been committed.’
Lauren’s laugh was dry and sad. ‘It has,’ she confirmed, ‘and more than one, but I’m guessing you already know that.’
Not prepared to admit to what she did or didn’t know, Cristy said, ‘What specific crimes are you referring to?’
Avoiding a direct answer, Lauren said, ‘Tell me this, has Claude seen Nicole yet?’
‘I believe he was there yesterday.’
‘And he hasn’t contacted you since?’
‘I’ve left messages, but so far, I haven’t heard from him.’
A low murmur of voices at the other end revealed that Lauren wasn’t alone. Cristy guessed a lawyer was advising her and nodded when Connor mouthed the same thought.
Coming back onto the line, Lauren said, ‘I hope he keeps to his word. If he doesn’t, I’ll … I guess I’ll speak to you again, but …’
Sensing she was about to end the call, Cristy said, ‘Is there something, anything, you can tell me now? Do youknowwhat happened to the twins?’
When there was no response, Cristy felt a frisson of alarm go through her. ‘Are they still alive?’ she pressed.
There was another silence, before Lauren said, huskily, ‘I’m sorry. I’m only calling because Claude asked me to …’
‘But what did he want you to tell me?’
‘All he said was that I had to do what I thought was right, but I know he wants to speak to you himself, so I’m going to let him do that first. If you don’t hear from him by the end of the week, you have this number now; you can call me back.’
