Silent Bones by Rachel Lynch

Author:Rachel Lynch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
Published: 2023-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Kelly marched into Eden House in a bad mood. Being played sat uncomfortably with her. Being lied to was far worse. Steve Thompson had questions to answer. She tasked a uniform with the job of arranging to bring him in. She could have easily sent a squad car to Westmorland Comp, to embarrass him, but, though tempting, that wasn’t her style. Maybe that’s what Michelle wanted. It seemed her old school peer had an axe to grind and was using her to wield it.

A historic misconduct accusation could ruin Steve’s career, so she needed hard facts. Like his whereabouts around six p.m. on Tuesday night.

She’d ceased to be shocked at how far people would go to cover their tracks once they went down the rabbit hole of crime. It was like a game of dominos. Once you went over the edge and committed an act that could put you away, going further to cover it up was not such a big leap.

Nothing was off the table. Hadn’t Steve Thompson already hinted to her that whoever killed Brian had panicked at the discovery of his body and bumped off a potential witness? Were there more? As she was once told in the early days of her detective training: as an investigating officer of murder, you knew two things. One was that you didn’t do it, the other was that your partner didn’t either. Everybody else was a suspect. That included Michelle Parkinson. Kelly had to put her feelings to one side as she grappled with the case. Everything she knew about Steve Thompson and Michelle Parkinson had to be shelved until she finished the job.

She took the stairs and found Kate with Rob in her office. They looked grave.

‘Everything okay? I’ve had a breakthrough,’ she said breathlessly.

Rob got up and walked past her sheepishly and closed the door.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked Kate.

‘This morning I had Dan in your office telling me he’s getting a divorce.’

‘Oh, and what has that got to do with Rob?’ she asked.

‘He’s just come in and told me he’s getting one too. He’s been kicked out by his wife. I told him to go and pack a bag and check into a hotel but he’s refusing. He says he feels better at work.’

‘Bloody hell.’ Kelly sat down heavily.

‘What’s your breakthrough?’ Kate asked.

Kelly told her what Michelle Parkinson had told her, and about her meeting with Steve Thompson.

‘How trustworthy is she?’ Kate asked.

‘I haven’t a clue. I’d back him, but then that’s Michelle’s point, she’s saying the institution closed ranks to protect themselves.’

‘Why hasn’t she come forward before?’

‘Exactly that. She said she knew she wouldn’t be believed because she was a loser who dropped out of school and he was a respected teacher, and pals with the local police department,’ Kelly retorted.

‘Local police department?’

‘John Porter.’

‘Oh.’

‘Kelly, can I be candid?’ Kate asked.

‘Of course, that’s what I rely on you for,’ Kelly said.

‘Is this too close to home? You’re personally involved with each and every one of our persons of interest, and the victims, as well as the lead investigator.

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