Where the Truth Lies by M J Lee

Author:M J Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781788633161
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2018-10-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Sarah Castle was making her way up the stairs to the third-floor flat when her phone rang. She knew exactly who it would be.

‘Did you get it for me?’ asked Ridpath.

‘Listen, I don’t feel good about this—’

‘Did you get it?’

She stopped on the landing just below the woman’s floor. ‘It’s on a thumb drive. Not as much as I expected though for a major investigation.’

‘You got all the files?’

She was getting annoyed with his questions. She was the one doing him a favour, for God’s sake. ‘All of them.’

‘Good.’

‘Another woman has been murdered.’

‘What?’

‘I’m just going to interview the woman who called it in.’

‘Shit.’

‘Exactly. Charlie Whitworth’s at the scene with the SOC team.’

‘I need to get the thumb drive tonight.’

‘I’m going to be here till late.’

‘I’ll come to you. I need to check out the crime scene for the coroner anyway.’

‘I’ve got to go.’

She cut him off before he could reply. She was already regretting downloading the files for him, but what the hell. What was done was done.’

She climbed the last few steps to the fire door, pulling it open. The woman’s flat was on the left, number 23. She knocked on the door and it was immediately answered by a female constable. Why did women always get the liaison jobs while the men did the bloody investigating?

‘How is she?’

‘Fine, trying to put her kiddie down for a nap.’

‘You go for a break, I’ll interview her.’

The constable stepped out of the way to allow her to enter. A woman was standing in the living room, holding a baby to her breast and rocking left to right. The woman stared at her and raised a finger to her lips.’

Sarah Castle stood still, watching the baby’s eyes flutter briefly before closing.

The woman stopped rocking and started walking towards the crib. As soon as she did a wail far louder than any police siren erupted from the tiny body. The woman began rocking again, singing a plaintive, out-of-tune lullaby.

Sarah Castle stood there waiting.

Finally, the baby settled down again and closed its bright-blue eyes. The woman kept on rocking for ten more seconds before walking over to a cot in the corner and placing the baby gently down on the mattress, covering her over with a pink blanket.

‘I’ve been trying to get her to nap for the last hour. There’s too much going on,’ she whispered, tiptoeing away.

The woman was young: late twenties, Sarah guessed. Her hair was blond and lank and she had the careworn look of all young mothers faced with a 24-hour vigil over a young baby whose husband was never around to help.

‘Do you want a cuppa?’ She pointed to the kitchen.

Sarah nodded yes. ‘My name is Detective Sergeant Sarah Castle—’

The woman placed her finger on her lips again. ‘Can you keep your voice down? She’s a light sleeper.’

‘Sure’, Sarah whispered. ‘I’m here to ask you about what you saw.’

The woman placed a mug of tea in front of Sarah and pushed the bowl of sugar towards her. ‘You don’t know how much I look forward to this.

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