Page 133 of Final Betrayal

‘He was giving out loads when he came home from prison. Saying I’d let someone into the shed. He never said anything was missing, though.’

‘So who did have access to it?’

‘I never let anyone take nothing. Are you saying I did? Are you accusing me?’

‘No, I’m not.’ Lottie dug her fingers into the palms of her hands. ‘Who comes in and out of your house?’

‘The Meals on Wheels crowd. The community nurse, though she hasn’t called in ages.’

‘Anyone else?’

‘Conor’s friend Tony. He helped me out a bit. With shopping and the like. That nice wife of his called once. Lovely girl.’

‘Megan Price?’

‘Oh, is she not called Keegan? They were married, you know.’

‘I think they’re separated, or else she never changed her name,’ Lottie said. Maybe she needed to check that out, but she had more pressing matters at the moment. ‘Were they ever here together? Megan and Tony.’

‘Not that I can think of straight off.’

‘When was the last time either of them called?’

‘I can’t remember that.’

This was going nowhere. ‘Did Conor ever say something was missing from his workshop?’

‘All that lad does is moan since he came home.’ Vera slapped her walking stick on the floor.

‘Mrs Dowling,’ Lottie said, ‘I have to get someone from our forensic team to examine the workshop. There may be evidence there linked to a crime.’

‘I knew it. You!’ Vera pointed the stick at Boyd. ‘With your smiles and your tea, chatting me up so I’d let that woman snoop around my house. Trying to catch me off guard. Do you know what? I may have let you look once, but if you want men in white suits to come in here, they better have a warrant. Now leave, both of you. And don’t come back. Stitching my boy up again. Corrupt. That’s what you are. You guards are all the same.’

Lottie and Boyd escaped before Vera Dowling could slam her stick into either or both of them.

‘For a woman with chronic arthritis,’ Boyd said, ‘she sure has strength.’

FIFTY-EIGHT

Lottie asked Boyd to draw up a request for a search warrant for the Dowling premises, and as she tapped her phone screen to check with her mother once again, Sam McKeown appeared at the door.

She cancelled the call. ‘Did you find something?’

‘Your daughters’ phones.’ He held up two evidence bags. Through the plastic she could see what she knew for certain were Katie and Chloe’s mobile phones.

Her heart lurched and bile rose into her throat. ‘Where were they found? Where are my girls?’

‘They were in a rubbish bin outside the Clerk lounge bar, across the street from the courthouse. I’ve asked uniforms to access all the security footage from businesses, but with the area still sealed off following the accident, it will take time. Obviously we’re trawling council CCTV for yesterday’s relevant timeline.’

‘How can two girls disappear just like that?’

‘You know how, boss, without me spelling it out for you.’

She knew. She said, ‘The network of tunnels may have been used. I want the drawings and maps on my desk.’

‘I’ve been trying to find someone to get me that information. But it’s hard.’

‘My daughters’ lives are at stake. Don’t tell me something is hard.’

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