The Attic Room: A psychological thriller by Linda Huber

Author:Linda Huber [Huber, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Linda Huber
Published: 2015-07-22T04:00:00+00:00

David Mallony ushered her into his office and was approving when he heard about Naomi’s new home.

‘Good. We don’t know what the blackmailer’s planning,’ he said. ‘If he phones again, try to keep the line open for as long as you can. Talk to him. That’d give us more time to pinpoint the call.’

‘Do you think he knows the police are involved?’

‘Oh yes, but he’ll think he can make you comply now without telling us. I have a feeling it’ll be a letter next time, with a demand for money, and I think it’ll come by post in the morning. He won’t want to risk being seen near the house. So it would be better if you stay on until tomorrow at least.’

Nina sat staring at the glass paperweight on David’s desk. What he said sounded logical, and it was reassuring to know the blackmailer was unlikely to appear on the doorstep. She turned back to David Mallony. Now for the difficult question.

‘What have you found out about – John Moore?’

‘There was a large number of pornographic images involving children on his computer. We’re investigating to see if that was as far as it went. I can’t tell you any more at the moment, Nina.’

In a way Nina was relieved. Maybe it was easier if she didn’t know the ins and outs of what her father had done. A thought struck her – why on earth hadn’t he disposed of the laptop? He’d got rid of bags full of shredded paper. What was on the shredded paper that wasn’t on the laptop?

‘Contact details for other paedophiles, I imagine.’ David Mallony sounded depressed when she asked him. ‘Leave it to us, Nina; you don’t need to know the details.’

Nina was glad to accept this. She told David Mallony about meeting Emily Moore and Paul, and he listened, an interested expression on his face.

‘Good for you. But you know, it’s not at all certain this blackmailer is George Wright. He does have a record, but he’s been pretty quiet for the last six or seven years. We’re keeping an open mind there.’

Back at the house, Nina started to organise her belongings for a possible departure the next day, then went to look at the photos on the table. Paul wanted to see them again; she would leave them here in the meantime. The ‘people’ snaps were laid out in groups, with the ‘non-people’ ones in a pile at the side.

She picked up a photo of herself as a young child with Claire and John Moore. It was so frustrating that she remembered so little. She had a hazy memory of the house, more a sense of familiarity than an actual memory. There was the horrible feeling that John Moore might have been abusive in some way. But maybe she only felt that because she know about the pornography on his computer… and because Claire must have had a powerful reason for that enormous, long-term lie. Was this what Claire had been trying to say, moments before she lost consciousness? Nina swallowed.

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