Taken by Lisa Stone

Author:Lisa Stone [Stone, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2020-06-01T17:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-EIGHT

‘What do you think of her story?’ Matt asked Beth as they left Mrs Goodman’s. ‘I get the feeling she knows Colin Weaver better than she’s letting on.’

‘I agree,’ Beth said. ‘She was aware his mother was in a nursing home, but I suppose she could have got that from someone else on the estate. There’s nothing to suggest she knew Weaver had Leila with him at her cottage, but why would he risk phoning her when he was supposed to be dead?’

‘Perhaps he was getting tired of the pretence once reality kicked in,’ said Matt. ‘Or perhaps he panicked and wanted to incriminate her.’

‘Maybe,’ Beth replied. ‘His call data should confirm just how much contact they had.’

‘What the—!’ Matt exclaimed as they arrived at the car. A large bright-red penis had been spray-painted on the bonnet.

‘It’s only just happened, the paint’s still wet,’ Beth said, looking around.

There was no one in sight but Matt set off at a jog up the road, while Beth took a roll of paper towels they kept in the boot for mopping up spillages and began rubbing off the paint.

Five minutes later Matt returned, out of breath, but without having found the culprits. All that remained of the graffiti on the car were some smudges of red paint that would have to be dealt with by the garage.

‘Let’s drive for a bit and see if we can spot them,’ Matt said, still annoyed, and jumped into the driver’s seat. Beth got into the passenger seat.

As Matt drove around the ring road on the estate they looked for anyone acting suspiciously. Beth’s phone rang and she switched it to speaker. It was DS Scrivener.

‘We’ve just left Mrs Goodman’s,’ she said.

‘Update me when you get back to the station. Are you still on the Hawthorn Estate?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Can you visit Kelsey and tell her we’ve arrested Colin Weaver? She has a right to know.’

‘Will do, sir.’

Matt completed the circuit and, having to accept he wouldn’t be catching whoever had graffitied the car today, drove to the block of flats where Kelsey lived.

‘Any news?’ Kelsey asked anxiously as soon as she opened her front door.

‘We haven’t found Leila,’ Beth said straight away. ‘But there has been a development.’

‘What? You haven’t come to tell me she’s dead!’ Her desperation was obvious.

‘No. Let’s go in and sit down.’ Beth touched her arm.

The living room was as clean and tidy as it had been on their last visit, and Beth thought Kelsey seemed to be suffering less from the effects of drug and alcohol withdrawal. ‘How are you doing?’ she asked her gently, sitting beside her on the sofa. Matt took up his usual position by the window.

‘Not so bad. I’m still clean.’

‘Well done,’ Beth said.

‘My sister thinks it’s a waste of time being clean now. She doesn’t say it, but it’s written all over her face. She believes I’m a lost cause. I know it’s unlikely I’ll get Leila back, but I need to try, just in case she’s still alive.

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