Home Truths by Susan Lewis

Author:Susan Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2019-06-19T17:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

As Angie entered the office her eyes darted anxiously between the grey-suited man getting up from her chair, and Emma who was at her desk looking both baffled and vaguely defensive.

‘DC Leo Johnson,’ the detective reminded her. ‘We’ve met before.’

Angie nodded, taking the hand he was offering. ‘What can I do for you?’ she asked.

‘Actually, it’s more what you can do for us,’ he replied with the ghost of a smile. ‘There was a mugging during the early hours of Monday morning, close to the station …’

Angie froze.

‘… and CCTV footage shows your van in the station car park around the time it happened.’

Angie’s mouth dried as Emma looked at her in confusion. Brenda Crompton’s place was the other side of town.

‘So I’m here,’ Johnson continued, ‘to ask if you saw anything that might help us.’

Angie could feel a painful heat spreading over her cheeks. ‘I-I don’t think so,’ she stammered. ‘W-what time did it happen?’

‘Around 3 a.m. The videotape shows you parking the van just after ten thirty and …’

Realizing he was about to say that it didn’t show her getting out of it, or driving off, any time before the mugging, Angie jumped in quickly. ‘I can promise you I didn’t see anything or anyone suspicious.’

Apparently surprised by the speed of her response, Johnson frowned.

Flustered, Angie looked from him to Emma and back again.

‘She wouldn’t have been there then,’ Emma told him. ‘Not if you say it happened at three o’clock.’

Realizing from the change in Emma’s tone that she’d guessed more than Angie wanted her to, Angie kept her eyes fixed on Johnson as she said, ‘I’m sorry, I wish I could help, but there was no one around when I parked.’ That at least was the truth.

Emma said, ‘I hope you’re not thinking it has anything to do with my nephew, Liam.’

As Angie started, Johnson said, ‘He’s not who we’re looking for,’ and reaching into his pocket he pulled out a card and put it on the desk. ‘If anything comes to mind,’ he said, ‘you can reach me on either of these numbers.’

Emma waited only until the door had closed behind him before rounding on Angie. ‘What the heck’s going on?’ she demanded angrily. ‘Why was the van in the station car park at any time, never mind at 3 a.m.? Brenda Crompton lives at least an hour’s walk from there, and as far as I’m aware there’s on-street parking outside her house.’

Angie swallowed dryly.

Emma stared at her hard challenging her to answer, until with an agonized groan she clasped her hands to her head. ‘Please tell me you’re not sleeping in the van,’ she implored. ‘Please, please.’

‘I’m not,’ Angie assured her.

Emma lowered her hands.

‘Not any more,’ Angie added.

As Emma’s eyes closed she said, ‘I knew something wasn’t right. I could tell … I should have … For God’s sake, why didn’t you go to Brenda’s?’

‘Because she doesn’t have room, and anyway I didn’t want her to know my problems.’

Emma threw out her hands in exasperation and disbelief.

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