She's Out by Lynda La Plante

Author:Lynda La Plante
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Crime
ISBN: 9781471100277
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 1995-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

DCI Craigh gave the signal and all vehicle lights went out; no sirens as the convoy moved slowly down the drive to the manor. There were lights on. The cars stopped and six men moved quickly to the rear of the house, six more positioned themselves around the front. Craigh, accompanied by Palmer and Mike, walked up the front steps. He tapped lightly and called quietly that it was the police. Receiving no reply, he stepped back, and Palmer hit the lock on the front door. At the same time, the men at the rear of the house got a radio message to enter via the kitchen.

The sound of the forced entry echoed like thunder inside the manor. Down came the front door as the back door splintered. They let rip with the information they were police officers.

Kathleen was putting coal into a scuttle when she heard the crash and the loud voices: ‘Police! Police!’ She chucked the scuttle aside, drew open the cellar window and climbed out.

Angela almost had heart failure. She was caught midway up the stairs and started screaming in terror.

Connie was the first to return. Big John had dropped her at the manor gates. She was picked up as she walked down the drive, two uniformed officers holding her between them as they pushed her towards the front door. By now every light was turned on, the place seemed to be swarming with police and she was as terrified as Angela. She thought they were arresting her because of Lennie; Angela thought they had come for her because of James Donaldson. They were questioned, asked for their names, dates of birth, and shown the search warrant: neither said anything.

Kathleen was equally terrified and, once out of the cellar, made a run for it, heading towards the woods. Two officers gave chase. By the time she was brought back, held between the two men, she was sobbing hysterically.

Ester and Gloria drove in just as Kathleen was being escorted from the woods. Both women were asked to step out of their vehicle, place their hands on the top of the car and stand with their legs apart. Gloria was yelling her head off, demanding that a female officer search her, as Ester shouted that she wanted to know what was going on. No one answered. They were shown the warrant as DCI Craigh walked out of the house. He instructed his men to run checks on all the women.

‘What you talking about?’ Gloria demanded.

Kathleen stood by the patrol car, head bowed, still crying.

‘What you think we are? Bleedin’ IRA? I’m from East Ham, she’s from Liverpool, you got this all wrong.’ Gloria was yelling and Ester nudged her to shut up. ‘I want to go to the toilet,’ Gloria shouted.

Ester warned her again to shut up but Gloria hissed back, ‘Have you forgot I got the dough in me knickers?’

The police received information that Kathleen O’Reilly was wanted for absconding from a magistrates’ court; there was an outstanding charge of fraud against her.

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