The Silent Ones: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller(62)

‘We know that, but they don’t.’

‘Look, the one thing you can do for yourself is to put the business right out of your head. I’ll do my very best for you, you know that. You’re causing yourself undue distress by dipping in and out like this.’

‘I know, and I’m so grateful for all you’re doing, Beth. It might sound silly but I really feel like Mum and Dad are siding with Chloe and Brianna now, and Tom’s all over the place at the minute. He just doesn’t seem like himself at all.’

‘To be fair, under the circumstances…’

‘Yes, I know. But I need his support and I’m not feeling it. I’ve put so much into the business for so long, it keeps pulling me back. It’s something I might just be able to control, in the middle of my life falling to pieces. That was until I saw how dire things are.’

‘I’m trying to warn you off taking an interest, so I shouldn’t tell you this, but I’ve spoken to Van Dyke’s and the big order is definitely going through. The goods have cleared Customs and should be dispatched by road very soon.’

Relief washes over me like a healing balm. The cancelled contracts are tiny compared to the Van Dyke order. That contract alone is big enough to keep the balance sheet looking healthy for the next twelve months.

‘Oh, thank God!’ I fight back tears of gratitude. ‘Beth, I can’t thank you enough. I—’

‘No thanks required. I’ll get this contract fulfilled even if I have to sell my soul in the process.’

‘Thanks for telling me,’ I say sheepishly. ‘I promise I’ll stop peeking at the emails, now.’

‘Good. You’ve got enough on your plate. Just concentrate on getting Maddy home. And Juliet?’

‘Yes?’

‘Look after yourself, too.’

‘Thanks, Beth. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you looking after Josh. He’s had a bit of a hard time on the coach trip home.’

‘Just focus on yourself and your family,’ she says. ‘That’s what’s really important.’

I hesitate, wondering whether to articulate my wild suspicions about my own sister. I decide against it and push the thought away, for now. Beth, like Tom, already thinks I’m flaky and finding it hard to cope.





Forty-Six





The police station





Neary asked Dana to sit in on the witness interview back at the police station.

‘It will be interesting to hear his take on how the girls were acting when he saw them,’ he added.

She nodded, pleased. Any detail, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, might help shed a little light on the case.

Peter Brewer was a short, stocky man in his mid forties with wiry salt-and-pepper hair. He wore dark brown trousers and a checked shirt and carried a battered brown leather satchel.

Dana watched as the kitchen salesman wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He was obviously uncomfortable being summoned to the police station.

‘Sorry.’ He tugged at the collar of his creased shirt. ‘Haven’t had a chance to get changed yet. I came straight over here soon as I got back from my work trip.’

‘And we’re very grateful you did, Mr Brewer.’ Neary nodded. ‘So, if you could start by telling us exactly what happened yesterday, please.’

‘I usually have at least one night away from home during the week,’ Peter began. ‘This week it was Newcastle. I worked from home during the morning and set off about midday. I had a client meeting at teatime and then dinner with our biggest supplier last night.’

Neary nodded while March made notes.

‘I came out of the house initially to put my case and some door samples in the car, and that’s when the movement across the street caught my eye.’

‘When you say movement, are you referring to the two girls?’

‘No, actually. There was no sign of the kids at that point.’

Neary leaned forward. ‘So where did the movement come from?’

‘Someone was in Mrs Wilford’s front garden. They had their back to me and they were just sort of standing there.’

‘Can you describe this person? Adult? Male or female?’

‘Adult and possibly male. I… I’m not sure. Sorry.’ Peter looked sheepish. ‘I just sort of glanced in the direction of the movement and then thought nothing more of it.’

‘Did it not bother you that someone was lurking in an elderly woman’s garden?’

‘No, not really.’ Peter looked flushed. ‘I mean, some of the older people on the street have a gardener for a couple of hours a week, that sort of thing. There’s never any trouble on our road.’

Neary frowned at the irony but didn’t comment.

Peter opened his mouth and closed it again. Waited.

‘Can you recall what the person was wearing? Was it dark or light clothing?’ Neary tried again to glean any possible shred of detail.

‘A dark T-shirt, I think, maybe long-sleeved, and a baseball cap… Yes, a dark baseball cap.’ Peter looked pained. ‘Bessie’s hedges are a bit overgrown. I could only see the upper part of the person. But as I said, I didn’t really take anything in. I wish I had.’