Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(59)

‘No way, I don’t see it.’

‘Neither do I, but it’s difficult to get past the evidence.’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Marky.

‘So many things point this way. Now we also have the possibility that you lot, you tight-knit lot, are lying to me about the day of the funeral and who came back with who.’

‘I came back with Jago.’

‘And what time was that?’

‘Late – about three in the morning,’ answered Marky.

Carter arranged his money on the counter in a neat pile.

‘You say you stayed in London till then but we have CCTV footage of you at the Bristol services at half past eight. Why is that?’

Marky’s eyes searched the ceiling for the answer, then he grinned awkwardly. ‘Yeah – that’s right. We did come straight back; well, we went to Exeter to see some mates.’

‘I want their names and addresses.’

Marky shuffled and looked around the room; he thrust his hands in his pockets. His face had gone pale.

‘What about Kensa?’ asked Carter. ‘Didn’t you see her there at the edge of the cemetery at the funeral?’

He looked uncomfortable, distracted. He’d begun glancing towards the door as if he wanted to leave. ‘Yeah, it’s possible.’

‘You know Kensa, don’t you?’

‘Of course I do; I’ve known her all my life.’

‘Of course you have. You’d know if she ever had been in trouble, needed help? Like one night at a beach party maybe?’

Marky stared at Carter, speechless.

‘Mawgan saw her at the funeral, went to talk with her,’ added Carter. ‘They even came home together in Mawgan’s car.’

‘Look, I’ve got to close up now. I promised to go and visit Mum. Was there anything else?’ Marky came out from behind the counter and went to stand by the front door. He waited there for Carter to leave.

‘Thanks for the chat and the bracelet,’ the detective said as he straightened the column of coins on the counter. Carter slid the leather knotted bracelet up over his hand and adjusted it while Marky waited for him to leave. ‘You want to ease up on the coke, your nose is looking pretty lively.’

Carter heard the door shut and lock after he went out and back down the steps. He put a hand up to stop the sand from flying into his face and going into his eyes. He took his sunglasses out of his top pocket and put them on as he crossed the street. Towan was coming out of the farm shop.

‘Can I have a word?’

Towan stayed where he was and waited with a petulant look on his face. ‘You work here most days?’ asked Carter.

‘Only when I have to. Look, what is it? I have a date.’

‘Not what you wanted to do in life, this?’

‘Oh well, it will do, until a better offer comes along,’ answered Towan.

‘And what would that be?’

‘Oh, you know, convert this whole line of rubbish shops into a casino and have a strip club on the end where the Surfshack is.’ He grinned as he watched Marky drive away from across the road.

‘Ambitious,’ said Carter, pretending to be impressed.

‘Yeah – just joking. I intend to leave here pretty soon anyway – I don’t really give a shit what happens to it after that. I have to stay here for now – show willing, sell fucking potatoes for a job, keep myself out of trouble.’

‘Why, because you’ve just come out of prison?’

‘Yeah, pretty much.’

‘Learned your lesson?’

Towan shrugged. ‘I learned a lot in prison, that’s for sure.’

‘But is it a place you’d be keen to go back to?’

‘No. I did my time. I’m staying clean now. What do you want? You have nothing to pin on me – you finished?’

‘Whoa . . .’ Carter rocked back on his heels. ‘Calm down, tiger. You’re in no position to be rude to me. You may be used to the Sheriff’s ways but they’re not mine; I assure you, I won’t let you off anything. I find you have anything to do with this little boy’s disappearance and you’ll never surf again except from a belt round your neck in a prison cell.’

‘What kid? I don’t know anything about a kid,’ said Towan, backing off.

‘You know what kid I’m talking about. There’s not a person in this town who doesn’t know. I’m going to find him. I have a lot of resources at my disposal.’

‘Hasn’t helped you so far, has it? Look, I do what I’m told to. I can’t afford to upset anyone right now. People tell me to jump and I say “How high?”.’

‘What about if you were told to blame someone for a rape he didn’t commit?’

‘You’ve lost me now.’





Chapter 28


Willis found Lauren waiting for her kneeling by the front door.

‘There was someone here. A woman called Kensa,’ she said, struggling to breathe and talk.

Damn, thought Willis. They should have insisted she stay away from Lauren. ‘What did she want?’

‘She says she’s seen Samuel in her dreams. She was talking, repeating what she’d heard, and it sounded just like him. Even her expression; the face she made – it was just like him. The way she said “Mommy, Mommy” – like Samuel says it.’