Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(60)

Lauren looked up, still on her knees. She closed her eyes as she swayed and hugged herself. Willis got down to help her up.

‘Come on, Lauren, we need to talk about this. Come and sit down.’

Willis led her through to the kitchen and sat opposite her at the table. ‘Tell me what happened.’

Willis listened and waited for Lauren to finish. Her eyes were so full of hope and her hands were shaking as they held her mug of tea.

‘I know who Kensa is – Carter and I met her last evening,’ Willis said.

‘Who is she?’

‘She lives in a caravan in the fields above town. She says she knows Toby, she remembers meeting him years ago when they were teenagers.’ Lauren had a confused expression on her face. ‘And she would have seen Samuel at the funeral. She was there, at the edge of the cemetery. She didn’t come forward but she would have heard Samuel then. We can’t be sure that she’s not making it up, but we are investigating everything she says. I promise you, we’ll take it seriously.’

‘Stop a minute . . . how does Toby know her? What do you mean? He hasn’t been here since he was a child.’

‘Listen, Lauren, I’ll tell it to you the way I heard it, the way I understand it – I’m sorry it seems like this is one more problem for you to absorb, but it may help us understand where Samuel is, in its own way. Okay?’ Lauren stared back at Willis. ‘Something happened here, in this place, that’s been covered up for years. It’s something that involved Toby.’

Lauren frowned and she shook her head.

‘Fourteen years ago, in June 2000, Toby came down here with his father for the summer. He had a holiday romance with Kensa, the woman you met today. Things didn’t end well. Toby was accused of attacking her but it never come to court. It wasn’t even investigated.’

Lauren looked away as she tried to take in everything Willis was saying. She picked up her pen and began writing headings.

‘So let me get this straight,’ she said. ‘Toby is supposed to have attacked the woman who came here today?’

‘Yes.’

‘I have to talk to him.’ Lauren stood and picked up her phone.

‘Use the landline.’

‘No, I need to get some fresh air.’

‘Lauren, wait, please sit down. I haven’t finished.’

She sat down again.

‘The circumstances around the incident are difficult.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The claim is that Toby raped Kensa.’

‘Raped? That’s not possible. But, even if it were, what has that got to do with Samuel? Why would they take my son? Does someone hate Toby that much?’ Willis didn’t answer. ‘Did he admit to the rape?’ asked Lauren.

‘He believes he must have done it.’

‘I need to talk to this woman and I have to ring Toby.’

Lauren stopped to catch her breath as she walked up the steep and winding road. Willis walked on ahead. Lauren was clutching her phone in her hand. She wanted to get to the top of the road to be sure she had enough signal so they wouldn’t get cut off. Willis stopped and waited at the beginning of the second field; she stepped into the gateway as Lauren rang Toby’s number; it went straight to answer machine, so she left a message. Willis stood looking out over the green sodden field as it rolled up into the blue sky. She took a few deep breaths as she leaned her arms on the top of the gate and rested her chin. Lauren joined her.

‘I can smell wood smoke,’ she said. ‘I haven’t smelled that in years.’

‘Lauren, remember to keep as calm as possible with Kensa. She is also a victim in this. If she knows anything about Samuel’s whereabouts we need to make her want to tell us. If we upset or scare her she’ll be gone.’

‘I understand.’

Willis unlatched the gate and pushed it open, avoiding the deep muddy ruts where vehicles had pulled in. Lauren followed Willis as she walked to her left past the thick hedge and up to the line of caravans at the top of the field. As they walked towards them Willis kept her eyes on the last van. She was also looking for the horse but there was no sign. The smoke curled upwards from a fire to the back of the van. She saw movement and Kensa came round to the front and threw out a bucket of water into the grass. She looked their way and stood staring at Lauren for half a minute, watching them push their way up the steep field. Then Kensa turned away and disappeared from sight.

As they reached the van Kensa was sitting on one of the white plastic chairs, poking through the ashes of a fire. She looked up as she raked the ashes; the wood flared red beneath the black of charcoal as it spluttered and spat. Kensa took up a piece of cardboard and began fanning it.

‘My horse has gone – someone’s taken him. I rode him home, came to see to the fire and now he’s gone.’

‘Morning, Kensa.’ Willis watched as Kensa studied Lauren. ‘I’ve come to ask you some more questions if you don’t mind. This is Lauren, you met already at the house?’

‘Hello,’ Lauren said.

‘He’s called Misty. I’ve raised him since he was a foal. He’d never wander.’

Willis pulled out a chair away from the smoke and sat down.

‘Kensa, we’ll get searching for you when we leave here.’ Willis looked up at Lauren. Lauren gave a small nod to reassure Willis that she was okay.