Page 51 of Her Lips Are Sealed

‘I don’t think he has the balls, and apart from those two photos and the mess, there was nothing else in there. Wouldn’t he have had a notepad he wrote those odd letters on, the lipstick in his pocket?’

‘Did we search all his pockets?’

‘I did, I went through all four pairs of joggers he had in a heap on the chair in his bedroom and the one pair of jeans in the drawers. There was nothing, no notepad. I didn’t even see a pen.’ Cain sighed. ‘Let’s hope it’s him because I think he fits.’

‘Hoping he fits isn’t the same as being able to prove he fits though.’

Cain couldn’t argue with that logic. She was right and she could tell as much as he wanted to argue with her, but he didn’t.

There was no answer at Rena’s even when Cain curled up his huge fist and hammered on the door so loud it almost bent in its frame. ‘Now what?’

‘She said she doesn’t go out much.’

‘Well, she might have fibbed a little bit about that unless she’s hiding inside. You’re so gullible at times, Morgan, for someone so clever.’

‘Shut up, let’s wait in the car for a bit.’

Cain turned and walked back to the car which was parked a little further down the busy little street. They got inside and waited. Morgan wanted to see if Rena turned up, although she knew they couldn’t hang around for long.

‘Who’s that?’

She looked up and saw Rena strolling down the street with two carrier bags of shopping, headphones on. She was almost dancing to the beat of whatever song she was listening to, and she looked as if she didn’t have a care in the world. A far cry from the Rena she had spoken to just days ago to break the news of her sister’s murder.

‘Well, I’ll be damned. She looks like a different person from the one who told me she got her shopping delivered because she couldn’t face going out to do it on her own.’

‘You’d believe anything.’

She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. ‘I do not, let’s wait a minute until she goes inside before we get out.’

Once Rena’s front door was closed, Morgan hurried out of the car down the street and hammered on the door herself. It was opened almost immediately, and when Rena realised who it was she withdrew into herself, making her entire body seem smaller.

‘What do you want?’

‘Hi, Rena, can we come in?’

‘Not really, I’m not feeling well. I don’t want to talk.’

‘That must have come on fast, you looked quite well a minute ago carrying your shopping.’

Morgan smiled at her, and a flash of anger so dark filled Rena’s eyes for a split second, then she opened the door and let Morgan into a flat that looked as if it had been gutted and cleaned by a team of professionals.

‘How are you?’

‘Better.’

‘You look it. How are you coping though?’

‘Who’s this?’ Rena pointed to Cain, who had to duck his head to step inside of the doorway.

‘Cain Robson, my colleague.’

‘Nice to meet you, Cain, you’re much better looking than the last guy she brought here.’

Rena held out her hand towards him, her cheeks pink, a small giggle escaping her lips as she winked at Cain.

Morgan did a double take. Was this really the same woman whom she and Ben had spoken to? It was as if she’d been replaced by someone else. Gone was the nervousness, the messy hair, dirty flat; her clothes were freshly laundered – she recognised the scent of the Fairy washing powder that Morgan used herself. She had expected Rena to implode after the news of her sister’s death, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect on her.

‘Why are you here? Have you caught the killer yet?’