Page 118 of Final Betrayal

‘Is she here yet?’

‘Who?’ Boyd said.

‘Don’t be smart with me.’ He thumped across the floor, narrowly missing the stack of box files, and burst into Lottie’s office.

Lottie lifted her head so quickly the blood didn’t react in time, and the dizziness blinded her. She could see two McMahons bearing down on her. She blinked and shook her head.

‘Sorry, sir. Did you want me?’

‘Why else would I be standing here? What are you up to, getting national television to run a segment on your daughters? You know the protocol. Those girls are over eighteen.’

‘Chloe’s only seventeen!’

‘They’ve only been gone a few hours, if they’re missing at all. Good God Almighty, what were you thinking of? Don’t answer that, because I really don’t want to know. But I do know this: you are in shit right up to your bloodshot eyes, Inspector Parker. Deepest of shit.’

His speech didn’t warrant a response, so Lottie clamped her lips tight. Just in case.

As if he couldn’t bear her silence, he said, ‘Say something.’

She shrugged.

‘Not going to give me any excuse?’

Eyeballing him, she said, ‘Do you have children, sir?’

‘None that I know of.’

She drew herself up straight and said quietly, ‘If you had, you’d understand that my daughters are the most important people in my life right now. Nothing else matters.’ She took a breath. ‘I know I have responsibilities to the families of the murder victims and to the team, but right now I need to find Katie and Chloe.’

‘But you don’t have to abuse your rank in the process. It makes a laughing stock of the station. You’ve damaged your reputation, not that that was hard, but you also made a mockery of mine.’

‘I’ll worry about reputations when I have my girls home safely.’

He sniffed. She thought it was in derision but she couldn’t be sure. He said, ‘Did you leak the Kelly woman’s photo to the media? To Cynthia Rhodes?’

‘I’m sure Cynthia had it on file.’ No point in walking herself in deeper.

‘Even so, you have no evidence to put Kelly out there as a person of interest in this supposed abduction you’ve concocted.’

‘Her photo is already in the public domain following her escape.’ Lottie suspected she should have kept her mouth shut; she wasn’t going to win this battle with McMahon.

‘There’s nothing else you can do but wait. Remember your training. That’s what we tell parents of missing children. Stay at home and wait. I’m not telling you to stay at home, but while you’re waiting, get to work on the murders.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘The courthouse incident has diverted media attention for the time being, but they will return, baying for blood and answers.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Feck off, sir, she added silently.

‘Your team needs direction. Leadership. Can you give them that?’

Not at the moment, she thought, but she said, ‘Yes, I can.’

‘Get to work then. And you’re to stay away from the Kelly case or I’ll take you off the murder investigations too. Am I clear?’

She nodded.

‘I’ve been up all night coordinating the rescue operation at the courthouse. I need to be able to depend on you.’

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