Find Her Alive (Detective Karen Hart) by D. S. Butler

Author:D. S. Butler [Butler, D. S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2023-02-07T07:00:00+00:00

Karen updated Rick on the drive to Branston, and just as before, Phoebe’s grandmother was sitting in a chair beside the patio doors when they entered her room.

She looked at them both wide-eyed when they walked in, and dropped the paperback she’d been holding.

‘What’s happened?’ she asked with urgency as Rick scooped up the Agatha Christie book.

‘I’m afraid I don’t have any news,’ Karen said quickly, and some of the panic left the woman’s expression. ‘We have another question for you.’

‘Oh, I see,’ she said.

Rick handed the thin paperback back to her.

‘Thank you.’

‘This is my colleague, DC Rick Cooper,’ Karen said as Rick stepped back and stood by the patio doors.

‘Lovely view,’ he said.

The woman smiled. ‘Yes, I’m lucky to have a room on the ground floor.’

‘Do you manage to get outside much?’ he asked.

‘Sometimes. I need a wheelchair for long distances these days.’

Karen noticed there wasn’t one in the room.

‘But I’ve got a walking frame, and I can just about get out there on my own, though they don’t like me to do it without one of the staff present, and they’re all so busy. I don’t like to make extra work for them.’ She turned to Karen. ‘Is there no news on Phoebe at all?’

‘We’re still trying to locate her,’ Karen said. ‘In fact, we think you might be able to help. Could you look at these images for us? We think it might be Phoebe. They were taken on Friday night and she’s with two men. We wondered if you could identify them for us.’

‘Well, I can certainly try,’ she said, pushing her reading glasses further up her nose.

Karen showed her the stills from the CCTV.

Mrs Moore’s lower lip wobbled. She pressed a hand to her cheek.

‘What’s wrong? Do you recognise them?’

‘I . . . This looks like something you might see on Crimewatch. These images . . .’

Rick was quick to reassure her. ‘It’s just what all the CCTV footage looks like these days. We’re looking for anyone who might have seen Phoebe recently. That’s why we’d like to identify these men.’

‘Is she in trouble?’ Mrs Moore asked.

‘We don’t know, but we’re going to find her, make sure she’s safe.’

She put her thin hand over Rick’s. ‘You’ll find her?’ she asked earnestly.

‘We’ll do our best. You have my word.’

Karen was starting to regret bringing Rick with her. Not because she didn’t think he could cope, but because she had underestimated what emotions this situation might generate in him. He’d just lost his mother, and for years he’d struggled with the idea of putting her in a care home.

Unlike Rick’s mother, Mrs Moore didn’t seem to have any cognitive problems, but maybe this visit was too much for Rick. Too much, too soon. Outwardly, he appeared to be coping, but this had to be hard for him.

Mrs Moore looked at one of the images again, pulling it closer and hunching over, so it was only inches from her face. ‘Oh, I think I know . . . Yes, I think I know who this is.

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