Page 136 of Final Betrayal

‘He stood up at a public meeting and denounced Cyril in front of half the town. It was enough to damage Cyril’s reputation. The council pulled the project. That was the end of all the work he’d put into it. He’d been planning it for three years. And it just took one mouthpiece to shatter everything.’

‘That mouthpiece being Bill Thompson?’ Boyd said.

‘Yes. He got his come-uppance, though, didn’t he?’ Belinda laughed but it turned into a sob, so she poured another drink.

‘Do you think Cyril might have had anything to do with the attack on Mr Thompson?’

Belinda looked at Lottie like she had three heads. ‘Cyril was devastated, but not enough to beat up an old man and rob him of a few measly grand. Didn’t that Dowling lad do it?’

‘He was convicted, but new information casts some doubt on it. Unless Cyril got him to?—’

‘Don’t you dare sully my husband’s name.’

The irony was clearly lost on Belinda, Lottie thought. ‘Conor Dowling worked for your husband back then. Did you know him?’

‘Cyril wouldn’t let me have anything to do with his business.’

Lottie detected a note of derision in the woman’s voice. ‘So he sidelined you in all his business dealings?’

‘Correct.’ Belinda slumped into the nearest plush armchair. Lottie and Boyd remained standing awkwardly in the centre of the large room. ‘But I knew young Dowling.’

Lottie’s phone vibrated with a text. ‘Sorry, I have to check this.’ Her head pounded and she felt ill when she saw Sam McKeown’s name. Could there be word on Katie and Chloe?

She opened it and read it. Nothing to do with the girls, but interesting all the same. She returned her attention to Belinda.

‘How did you know Conor Dowling?’

‘He was always hanging around here. Going over drawings and plans with Cyril. He was working as an apprentice draughtsman or something. Cyril took more of an interest in the lad than in his own daughter then. Always wanted a son, he said, but after I had Louise, he wasn’t interested in me enough to try for another.’

Lottie decided to change direction. ‘Do you employ a housekeeper?’

‘No.’ Belinda’s eyes slid into two dark lines. ‘Why?’

‘But you used to, isn’t that right?’

Belinda got up and filled her glass, then wandered around the room running one finger along surfaces as if checking for dust. ‘You wouldn’t be asking if you didn’t already know.’

‘What happened to her?’

‘I’ve had many housekeepers over the years. To whom are you referring?’

‘I don’t have a name yet, but it was ten years ago. Thought you might remember.’

‘We did have a young lady working here. She went out one night and never returned. We had no home address for her, or contacts. No one ever came looking for her.’

‘Did you report her missing?’

‘We didn’t know she was missing. She just went out and never came back. We assumed she’d got a job elsewhere.’

‘Without taking her belongings?’

Belinda shrugged. ‘Cyril sent whatever she’d left behind to a charity shop.’

‘Oh, and how long did he wait before getting rid of it?’

‘I’ve no idea.’

‘Can you remember anything about the night she went missing?’

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