The Raven's Mark by Christie J. Newport

Author:Christie J. Newport [NEWPORT, CHRISTIE J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

I knock on the front door and stand fidgeting until John Wilson finally answers. At the sight of me, his eyes go skyward. ‘You got him?’

‘No.’

‘Why are you here then?’

‘Can I come in?’

‘Diana isn’t doing so good since your last visit. I think it would be best if—’

‘Please? I just have a few questions. It — you — could really help.’

He kicks the door open with his heel. I brush past him into the narrow hallway.

‘Who is it?’ Diana calls from the lounge. She sounds as though she’s just woken up.

When I go in, she is pulling herself up into a sitting position on the couch. She has a pillow behind her and an orange blanket is draped across her legs. She points to the armchairs. ‘What on earth happened to you, Detective?’

I sit in the chair Millie sat in last time. ‘Just an accident. I’m here because we have a person of interest.’

John’s eyes light up.

‘No name as yet, but a description of him. Now, this has to stay between us, okay?’

John nods. Diana’s gaze seems to be going in and out of focus. Her movements are sluggish.

‘You okay, Diana?’ I ask.

John strokes his wife’s upper arm. ‘She’s on medication for anxiety. She’s been on it for years, ever since . . . Anyway, the doc upped her dose. It’ll take a while for her to adjust.’

‘Tell us.’ She speaks very carefully. ‘The description.’

I watch them closely while I repeat what I’d said to Danielle. This time there is no look of recognition. Only hope, followed swiftly by disappointment.

John takes hold of his wife’s hand. ‘I don’t know anyone like that. No one comes to mind.’ He looks at Diana. ‘Can you think of anyone, sweetheart?’

She slowly shakes her head. They are not lying. They have no idea. Maybe someone will occur to them later, but for now, this is another dead end. Danielle, on the other hand, knows something.

I leave the Wilsons feeling like an utter shit. I built up their hopes only to shatter them. I’ve done it too many times. I’m not surprised they don’t welcome my visits. They’ve yielded nothing but disappointment of the worst kind.

The rain and hail have vanished and the sun is edging through a thicket of clouds, a rainbow in the distance. I tread heavily back to my car and climb in. A loud ringtone in my pocket causes me to jump so that my knees hit the steering wheel. It’s my own phone but for a second, I thought it was the other one. I pull it out, expecting the call to be from Yvette. It’s Dillon.

‘Ma’am?’ Here we go. Danielle must have been straight on the blower after I left.

‘We need you here. Now.’ Her voice is urgent. I detect panic.

‘What’s happened?’

‘Jennifer Lambert’s been taken.’

I close my eyes. It isn’t Millie, or Aunt Margie, or Yvette, or Amer. It isn’t any of the people I expected it to be. I can’t lie to myself, I’m relieved. But Jenny? Another kid?

‘What? When? Where from?’

‘Just get here, will you? 7 Salvador Street.

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