Page 74 of Her Lips Are Sealed

Morgan took out the folded-up picture of the guy who’d stolen Pickles and unfolded it showing it to Lisa. ‘Is this him?’

‘Oh God, yes, and he’s wearing those same clothes as the guy I told you about. I let him in, my stupid ego was flattered by the attention, and I let him walk straight in without giving it much thought.’

Morgan swallowed the lump in her throat. ‘You did nothing wrong; he was cunning and convinced you he wasn’t dangerous. I’d have done the same.’

Lisa rubbed at her eyes with so much force she made the skin around them an angry red colour. ‘No, you wouldn’t.’

‘I would, the only person at fault here is him and we’re going to catch him. I promise. Where does Mike work?’

Lisa nodded. ‘No idea, sorry. I don’t know him that well, but he’s usually off on Thursdays and home by five thirty.’

‘I need to go speak to Mike, but you won’t be on your own, there will be an officer guarding the door until we can get you moved someplace safe until we catch him.’

‘Thank you.’

‘You don’t need to thank me, I’m so glad you managed to call me.’

Morgan stood up on legs that felt like they were made of rubber. Lisa’s statement had been traumatic for the both of them, but she needed to find Mike. He could have the answers they’d been hunting high and low for the last four days.

FORTY-SEVEN

Contrary to what she would normally do and go to speak to Mike without telling anyone, she rang Ben who picked up immediately.

‘Hey, how’s it going?’

‘For a small village there’s a lot of area to cover, put it that way.’

‘Somebody must know him.’

‘Yeah, you’d think so. How did you get on?’

‘It was harrowing. Is anyone near to Lisa’s address that could go and speak to her neighbour upstairs. Mike?’

‘I bet it was. I can ask Cain, he’s probably the closest. Why?’

‘Lisa said the guy knocked on her door with her cat in his hands and pretended he was going to visit Mike upstairs, which is what caught her off guard. Someone needs to ask Mike if he did go see him first. I spoke to Mike’s neighbour, Sally, and showed her a picture of the guy and she didn’t recognise him, but she would if he was a friend of Mike’s surely. Unless she doesn’t want to drop him in it, but I can’t see that, she seemed genuinely upset about Lisa.’

‘Yeah, but if she’s covering for someone it wouldn’t be the first time. Maybe she didn’t want to be the one to drop him in it.’

‘I suppose so, but she could have phoned in with an anonymous tip. I’m on my way back. Anyway, Lisa said her cat was ill, had been puking all night. Do you think we should check with local vets to see if anyone has brought a sick cat in? I can do Ulverston on the way back and get the PCSOs to do the rest.’

‘It’s a long shot, but we have nothing to lose at this point, speak soon.’

He hung up, and she shrugged.

Morgan would go to the vets, which was also Kevin’s, on one of the quieter streets in Ulverston before travelling on to Coniston to join the rest of the team.

South Lakes Veterinary Care was in a gorgeous, detached limestone double-fronted house that must have been a private house at some point in history. It had a large drive with plenty of parking, a grassy area for dogs to play on, and Morgan who had only been once before last year had been impressed by the staff. Usually Ben picked up the flea stuff for Kevin on his way to or from Barrow for the monthly crime statistic meetings that were held there. She walked in to a quiet waiting room. There was a woman with a nervous looking pug that was sitting on her knee shaking and across the opposite side was a woman with a cat in its carrier that was hissing at the pug. There was nobody behind the reception desk, so she sat down next to the woman and the pug to wait, smiling at her. When the receptionist finally came out Morgan stood up.

‘Hello, can I get some flea treatment for Kevin Brookes, please, and while I’m here has anyone brought a sick cat in today or last night?’ She knew she was clutching at straws, but these were desperate times.

The woman with the pug arched an eyebrow at Morgan, and she smiled at her. ‘It’s my cat not my partner, although he might need some after the week we’ve had.’

The woman grinned at her. ‘This is Neil, he’s come to see the nurse for his anal glands. That’s why he’s so scared; he knows what’s coming.’

Morgan grinned back. ‘Hi, Neil, sorry to hear that, mate, be over with before you know it. I think you and Kevin could be great friends with names like yours.’

Neil’s owner laughed then carried on trying to soothe her shaking dog.