Page 145 of Final Betrayal

‘We both have secrets from that night, Tony, so don’t go making accusations, especially without proof.’

Tony dug his hand in his pocket and put a silver coin on the table.

Conor glanced at it, then looked up. ‘Where did you get that?’

‘Found it in the tunnel. The day we went down with Bob. When did you go back to build the wall? You must have dropped it then.’

Conor knew he could deny it, but then who was Tony going to tell without implicating himself in another crime? He put the can to his lips and drained his beer, then opened another.

He was about to tell Tony the truth when there was a knock at the door.

Lottie felt herself being half carried out to the car. Boyd sat into the seat beside her.

‘The blood?’ she sobbed.

‘Paramedics don’t think either girl was stabbed. Chloe has a slight cut to her neck as if a knife was held there. Maybe it slipped. No visible stab wounds on Katie. They both took a bang to the head and were most likely drugged.’

‘Who did it?’ She furiously rubbed the tears from her eyes. ‘Megan Price?’

‘Or Tony Keegan.’ Boyd reversed the car onto the road. ‘Will I drop you home?’

‘Just a minute. Think, Boyd. We’ll get plenty of forensic evidence from their clothes, and from Kirby. We need to bring in Price, Keegan and Dowling. We have no idea where Megan is, but let’s send a team to Keegan’s house, and we’ll get Dowling.’

Boyd grabbed the radio and asked for McKeown. Gave him the instructions and also told him to send a team to Dowling’s house. He eyed Lottie. ‘Can I drop you off first?’

‘I’ll see this through and then I’m taking time out for my family.’

‘I’ve heard that before.’

‘Just drive the car, Boyd.’

The kitchen was too small. Not like when they were younger and his mother was at work and they could all hang out and laugh and smoke and drink vodka from mugs. Megan told Conor to drive her car.

‘Where are we going?’

‘I want to show you something. Go down past Petit Lane car park.’

‘That place is crawling with guards,’ Tony protested.

‘Not that exact area. I think Conor knows an entrance to the tunnel that no one else is aware of,’ Megan laughed. She saw his shoulders hunch and knew she was right.

‘Why do you want to bring us there?’ Conor said. ‘Back to the scene of the bloody crime.’

‘What crime would that be?’ Tony scoffed. ‘I think you’re the one that has blood on your hands.’

‘Shut your mouth, Keegan.’

The three one-time friends got out of the car at the north side of the council buildings. Hoarding covered the area where once Gill had outlined his visionary plans for regeneration and renewal. Megan could see the house where Amy and Penny had met their deaths. In the distance, if it wasn’t dark, she’d be able to see her own house, and further beyond that lay the scene where Louise and Cristina had died. Full circle, she thought.

‘Open it,’ she said, pointing to the door cut into the hoarding.

‘Come on, Megs,’ Tony said. ‘This is mad.’

‘Don’t you ever call me that. My name is Megan. I want to hear the truth from both of you and then I’ll be gone.’

‘You need to see a doctor,’ Conor offered. ‘You’re losing a lot of blood.’

Megan eyed the two men. She knew her arm was covered in blood, but she didn’t care. That aggressive blonde bitch had lunged at her and the knife had slipped as she was about to cut her throat. She’d stuck a needle in their necks to subdue them and decided to leave them for later. First she’d deal with the two rats in her life, then she’d take her time with the girls and Detective Kirby.

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