Bad Sister(71)

‘Yes, I knew that all the prison officers did, but after you mentioned the bird tattoo I thought they should be looked at again. And guess who gave your Niall an alibi?’

‘He’s not my Niall … but who?’

‘One Kelly Barton.’

Connie’s jaw dropped. No way. The sneaky rat.





CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR


Connie


Sunday 18 June

‘I need to see you. Now.’ Connie disconnected the call before her anger spilled over. She’d managed little sleep after Lindsay had dropped her home at midnight. She’d spent an hour sitting up in bed, poring over Steph’s unsent letters – everything swimming around her head, nagging her, making her question things again, and again. The letters had all been written by Steph to her mother. Poor girl. She guessed they hadn’t been posted because Steph knew her mum would never be able to read them, her dementia preventing that, or even any understanding if someone else read them to her.

Just as Connie had thought sleep might finally steal her, her mind conjured another face. That bastard, Niall. She’d been suspicious of the timing of him getting back in contact and she’d also allowed herself to think he might’ve been the one who’d given Kelly Barton her name in the first place, helped the despicable woman link Connie’s name to Hargreaves. But she hadn’t considered that Niall and Kelly were together.

Could Lindsay still be wrong? Yes, he had an alibi. But was it a trustworthy one? That lowlife Kelly would stoop that far just to get in on the action – be in the right place for a killer story. She could’ve lied for Niall, said she was with him in return for him giving her the juicy details; insider information.

Getting him to explain was likely to be futile. Wouldn’t he continue to feed her lie after lie? She had to do something, though. Attempt to gain some form of explanation.

‘Before you launch into me …’ Niall thrust a garage-bought offering of flowers into Connie’s hands. ‘I’m sorry.’ He stayed on the doorstep, head bowed. So, he thought he’d get in with a quick apology, try and diffuse her anger. That wasn’t going to work.

‘How could you do it to me?’ Connie snatched the flowers from him, then thought better of it and threw them back at him. They hit his chest, then fell – a flurry of red petals floating to the ground.

‘Flowers were a bad idea, then,’ he said, his smile faltering.

‘Deciding to come back into my life was a bad idea.’ Her initial anger released, Connie stood back and invited Niall inside. He gingerly stepped over the threshold.

She closed them both inside.

‘I assume you’re not happy with me,’ Niall stated casually.

‘And I assume you know why!’

Niall cricked his neck from one side to the other, then sat down. His eyes were puffy, dark bags visible beneath them. He looked rough. The past year had clearly not been kind to either of them.

‘I’ll let you enlighten me. I don’t think it’s wise for me to guess why you’re mad.’

‘No, of course not. Because then if what I say isn’t what you think it might be about, you’ll be off the hook.’

‘I’m not sure I follow—’

‘Oh, enough, Niall.’ Connie didn’t want to play more games. ‘I know about Kelly Barton, all right? That’s why I’m mad at you.’

He gave a brief nod, didn’t try the ‘I don’t know what you are talking about’ spiel. He knew it was pointless, that he was defeated.

‘In my defence, I was drunk.’

It was no good, she couldn’t sit still – she had to pace.

‘Haven’t heard that excuse a hundred times, Niall. Although they’ve usually been from criminals.’

His head snapped up. ‘I am not a criminal.’

‘You’re bloody acting like one.’

‘I let a few things slip, big deal. You know what she can be like.’

‘What do you mean, you let a few things slip?’

‘A bit of background stuff, you know – about your … er … issues with Hargreaves.’

‘Wow, you’re a real friend.’

‘I’m sorry. Really sorry. She was clever – she obviously knew where the prison officers went to drink and followed us to the bar one night. She lulled me into a false sense of security; she flirted with me, paid me attention—’

‘And that’s all it took.’ Connie spat the words at him.

‘She plied me with alcohol all night, knowing if I got drunk I’d talk openly.’

Connie smarted as she remembered her own plan the first night she’d invited Niall over a couple of weeks ago. Her idea to get Niall drunk, to loosen his tongue. The same as Kelly. Were they that very different, then – both taking advantage of a loose-lipped drunk to get what they wanted? Connie put her fingers to her temples and rubbed them.

‘Are you still sleeping with her?’

‘What? No. I never slept with the woman. Give me some credit.’

‘But she was your alibi?’ A creeping heat spread up her neck. ‘She said you were together the night Hargreaves was murdered, and when his body was dumped outside the prison gates the following morning.’

‘Well, I’d been there most of the night …’ he mumbled.