Page 58 of Final Betrayal

‘Why was she so upset when you told her about Amy’s murder?’ Lottie was intrigued, and worried.

‘I don’t know. Honestly.’

‘Maybe she went to Amy’s house. Did you check?’

‘I went round there first thing this morning. She hadn’t been there. Richard’s in a state.’

‘Did you ring her?’

‘I told you already, she left without her phone. Inspector, my Louise is a quiet girl. Reclusive even. She spends every waking hour studying and writing up her thesis. I have no idea why she hasn’t come home.’

‘Has she any other friends?’

He shrugged slowly, like his shoulders were struggling to hold up his head. ‘Not that I know of.’

‘Boyfriend?’

‘Why are you asking these questions?’ A light flared in his eyes. Anger? Or desperation? Lottie wasn’t sure, but she was certain he was holding something back.

‘Because it’s possible Louise is with a friend.’

‘I don’t think so.’ He fidgeted on the chair. A lie, she thought.

‘Do you have her phone?’

He slipped it out of his pocket, unlocked it and placed it on the table.

‘Have you checked her contact list?’

‘I rang everyone on it. It’s not a huge list, as you can see.’

Scrolling through the contacts, Lottie was surprised to find that a twenty-five-year-old girl could have so few people listed. Then a thought struck her. ‘Has she a second phone?’

‘A second phone? What would she want with another one. This is the latest model.’

He obviously didn’t know how young people operated. Lottie tapped on Louise’s social media apps. There were no recent updates.

‘There must be someone she confides in.’

He was shuffling his feet. Biting the inside of his mouth. Scratching away at an invisible speck on the desk. ‘There’s this girl, Cristina. Louise doesn’t know that I’m aware of their … friendship. But I rang her and there’s no answer.’

‘What’s her full name and where does she live?’ Lottie’s intuition told her Cyril Gill was uncomfortable with Louise’s relationship with the girl.

He gave her the name and address. Cristina Lee. A name she thought she’d heard somewhere recently. She wrote down both. ‘And is this Cristina a good friend?’

‘I don’t know what she is, but I want my Louise home.’

‘I understand your concern and I’ll see what I can do.’ With Conor Dowling out of prison and two murder victims lying in the morgue, Lottie was more than concerned for Louise’s well-being, but she couldn’t convey that to Cyril Gill. ‘Strictly speaking, we have to wait forty-eight hours before classing this as a missing person case, so in the meantime, I’d advise you to do your best to find your daughter yourself.’

‘You’re a waste of space. I’m going straight out to talk to those reporters outside. Then we’ll see who puts resources into finding my daughter.’

‘Mr Gill …’

But he was gone.

Lottie hoped Louise was safe, but instinctively she knew something was drastically wrong. She stood up slowly and wondered what other shit was going to blow up a storm today.

THIRTY

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