Bad Sister(54)

‘Is this the envelope I picked up at your office before we took you to identify the suicide victims?’

‘They have names.’ Connie tutted. ‘Stephanie and Dylan, and yes, it is.’

‘I take it your fingerprints are all over them.’ Mack took a pair of gloves from his trouser pocket and pulled them on.

‘Well, yes. As are yours.’

‘Only on the envelope.’ Mack shot her a warning glance before taking the photos out.

The first was the one of her and Jonesy, which Mack barely looked at, placing it carefully behind the second. He looked at the one of her and Gary, briefly, then his head snapped up and he glared at Connie.

‘What? What is it?’ Connie asked, alarmed at the look on Mack’s face. His skin paled, his lips parted. He went to say something, then pushed his chair back. Holding the photos in his gloved hands, Mack rushed from the room.





CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN


DI Wade


Lindsay flinched as Mack stormed towards her.

‘We need a chat, Boss.’

His momentum carried him forwards, and, not waiting for her response, he headed out of the double glass doors leading to the outside of the station. Lindsay jumped up to follow him. What on earth had just happened in that interview room?

‘What’s going on?’

Mack paced the enclosed courtyard area, the one usually used by the smokers, his head bowed.

‘Well, you wanted the low-down on why things were a bit …’ Mack flapped a hand dismissively, ‘strained, you know, when I first saw Connie Summers.’

‘First saw? Every time, really, Mack.’ Lindsay leant back against the wall, hands in her trouser pockets, waiting for whatever revelation was coming next.

‘Yeah, well.’ He stopped pacing and held out the photo that had been grasped in his gloved hand since leaving the interview room. ‘Don’t touch it, just look.’

‘I do know how to manage potential evidence, thanks.’ Lindsay moved away from the wall and inched her face towards the photo. ‘This was one of the ones sent to Connie, I take it?’

‘Yep.’ Mack’s head was turned away, looking blankly at the wall ahead.

Lindsay regarded the photo. Two figures, one of which she assumed to be Connie, in a top window of a terraced house.

‘Okay … so … who’s that she’s with?’ Lindsay wasn’t sure why Mack was reacting so strangely.

‘Look closely, Boss. At the house.’

It was dark in the picture, but a nearby street light was illuminating the house. Black door. Miniature conifers lining the path.

‘This is your house.’ She looked up sharply. ‘So what the hell is Connie doing in it?’

Mack closed his eyes for what felt like a long time. Lindsay wanted to push him along, get him to hurry up and explain. Had she been right about Mack being involved with Connie? She’d half been joking, teasing him. Mack slid the photo back in the envelope before she had a chance to study the other figure in the window more closely.

‘When we asked Connie to make the list of names of men she’d been involved with, or had taken an interest in her, I knew what I was likely to see,’ Mack said.

Here we go.

Mack shook his head. ‘Here’s the list. She sent it through earlier.’ He handed it to Lindsay.

Lindsay snatched it, annoyed he hadn’t shown her immediately. She skimmed the names.

‘She didn’t even know the surname.’ Mack’s voice was low, tight. ‘Christ, she’s something else.’

Lindsay saw the name. Gary.

‘Ah, I see.’ Lindsay couldn’t keep the relief from her tone. ‘Connie was involved with your son.’

‘If you could call it involved. She’s ten years older than him, she picked him up in a bar, he brought her home to our house, she used him and left. Left him in bits – I was witness to that, even though he didn’t really speak about it.’

‘Why? Because of a one-night stand? Sorry, Mack, but I’m pretty sure that happens all the time.’

‘Yes. But not all of them end up in a pregnancy.’

‘Connie’s had Gary’s baby?’ She blurted it, loudly, then smacked her hand over her mouth.

‘No, Lindsay.’ Mack swung around, his eyes were wide. ‘The heartless bitch terminated it, without even discussing it with him.’ He brushed past Lindsay and went back inside. She stayed there, her mouth gaping. She hadn’t seen that coming.

What further surprises did Connie Summers have for them?





CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT





She’d made herself an easy target.

People don’t realise how much information we can find out. Just because we’re locked up, doesn’t mean we’re cut off. I have a good network, both inside and out. And news of her cock-up spread through the wings – one bloke had been transferred here, she’d written a report about him, too. He kicked up an almighty stink, wanting it done again, saying she was incompetent. She’d ruined his life. He was only jumping on the bandwagon, but why not?

I was, too.

It hadn’t taken long to realise who she was. And a few calls confirmed it.

Sometimes the stars align perfectly.