Her Perfect Family(76)

‘Sorry. Not you. Someone this end.’

‘Oh right. Go on.’

‘Well, there might be. A trigger for Laura. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.’





CHAPTER 56


THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR


Matthew punches in the search to his sat nav. An hour and a half. Damn. Mel will need to send a local unit but he wants to be there too. In fact he wants to lead on this. He’ll ask them to wait for him.

‘I’m sorry Wendy but I’m going to have to make a detour. Emergency.’ He carries on round the roundabout while the sat nav recalculates and then takes the right exit.

‘So where are we going now? I thought we were going to the station to wait for your boss. I have work I should be doing, you know.’

Matthew doesn’t answer but instead is doing the calculation in his head. He should make it to Wells just after 11 a.m. if the traffic’s OK. Doable. It’s a long shot but the best use of his time while Mel focuses on finding Sam’s wife. And he wants to be the one who brings Laura in.

He thinks again of her standing at the railings by Amelie’s school, handing her the note.

‘I asked you a question.’ Wendy’s curt, her arms crossed.

‘OK. Start talking and I might answer. Tell me everything you told Lily about her husband. Everything. We need to find her.’ Matthew’s head is practically bursting with the possibilities. Laura, or Sam’s wife? Or Alex hiring someone? What the hell is really going on with this case?

‘Tell me first where we’re going.’

‘Detour to Wells.’

‘That’s bloody miles. You can’t just kidnap me. Let me out.’

‘Sorry. No can do. We’re on a dual carriageway and it’ll take too long. You need to help me out here so cut the victim act. You know full well you should have checked in with the police the minute Gemma’s name was released.’

Wendy stares again out of the passenger window. ‘People don’t trust you if you go running to the police. My clients like to be sure everything we do is confidential. I have the right to make a living.’

Matthew bites his tongue; Wendy was never in the force. She came to PI work via security. Has a whole different take. It’s a waste of time arguing with her. Outcome’s the issue now. Also time. Wendy’s another pair of eyes; he might not rate her moral compass, but word is she’s very good at what she does. She probably has more undercover hours under her belt than any backup he can get at short notice for this. Fact is, she just might be useful if he can get her to cooperate.

It’s all a long shot, but if Ed is right and Laura’s going back to the cathedral for their anniversary, they’re going to need a very careful approach. They have no way of knowing if Laura is armed. Just how dangerous she may be. Mel might want to clear or close the cathedral but Matthew doubts they’ll have time or a mandate for that at such short notice on a hunch.

He’ll just have to keep this as low key as possible. Bad news is Laura knows what he looks like. Must have checked his website and address to reach him through Amelie. He could request an undercover female officer to assist but – no time. The fallout will be horrendous if they get this wrong. Last thing they need is another scene in a cathedral.

‘How do you fancy helping me bring in a key suspect? It’s a long shot. Might be a wild goose chase, but if it comes off, you’ll get all the brownie points from the DI. She’ll probably stop talking about charging you for obstructing the inquiry.’

‘She can’t charge me. Don’t be ridiculous. I haven’t done anything.’

‘You failed to tell us that Gemma Hartley was key in one of your marital cases. DI Sanders is not happy.’

Wendy narrows her eyes and then turns to him. ‘OK. I might help.’

‘Good. But first tell me again about what you passed on to Lily.’

Wendy talks him through it. How Lily Blake was sick of rumours about her husband and wanted to know one way or the other. She hired Wendy to find out. It didn’t take long.

Wendy discovered he was seeing two students: Gemma Hartley, and more recently a mature student, late twenties, studying politics. That’s why she was back at the campus – updating on the latest affair. She supplied picture evidence to the wife weekly, got paid and thought no more of it until Gemma Hartley was shot. She said, even then, she was sure it couldn’t be anything to do with Lily. A timid personality. Also heavily pregnant. Matthew remains shocked that Wendy didn’t contact the police.

He turns briefly to her but parks his outrage. Needs must. She’d better be as good as he’s heard.

‘Right. This long shot. I should be completely transparent here.’ He pauses. ‘I’ll request backup but we may not get it and there’s a small chance our target could be armed.’





CHAPTER 57


THE DAUGHTER – NOW

She’s tired of it all. This strange place. This unending sleep – stuck by the ocean.

She wants so badly to wake in her bedroom at home with the fairy lights wound around the bedhead and all the books on their shelves on the opposite wall. Colour-coded. Spines aligned. She can picture the room so clearly in her head but she can’t make it there; can’t even make herself dream about it.