Page 110 of She Saw What He Did

‘Right, I’ll be there in a few minutes.’

He thought again of Abby Miller. He hoped she kept her nerve.

*

Forensic officers from Porthaven swarmed around Ryan’s flat as Scott looked on. He’d already tried calling Ryan, several times, but without success. He wasn’t answering his phone or responding to text messages. Scott tried not to dwell on the horrific possibility that Ryan had murdered the Ukrainian man. Why the hell would he do something like that? It made no sense whatsoever. Scott had worked with Ryan for three years. He wasn’t the murdering type. Not that Scott had any idea what the murdering type was.

‘Right,’ said the officer who had earlier introduced herself as Lawley. Scott didn’t know if it was her first or last name and under the circumstances it seemed a bit frivolous to ask. ‘Forensics should be able to find something. Hopefully we’ll get a lead.’

‘Great,’ said Scott.

‘His laptop shows he had a real interest in the Millers, just like you said.’

‘Yes, his computer at the station shows the same thing.’

The officer smiled and went back into the bedroom. Scott felt stupid and useless since they had arrived. He knew that Porthaven officers thought they were amateurs on the island. Maybe they were right. After all, what real policing had he ever done? No wonder Ellen liked to go to the mainland. At the thought of Ellen he pulled his phone from his pocket. She should have called back by now. She’d surely want to know what was happening. He walked outside tapping her number in as he went.

A small crowd had gathered, and they looked at him expectantly.

‘Hey Scott,’ called one. ‘What’s happening?’

He was tempted to say, ‘Nothing to see here,’ but he just smiled. He’d always wanted to say that.

‘Nothing to worry about,’ he said instead.

‘Has something happened to Ryan?’

‘I really can’t comment at the moment.’

At that moment his phone rang, and he clicked into it eagerly.

‘It’s Peter,’ said a voice at the other end. ‘Have you heard from Ellen? I tried the station and her flat. She hasn’t returned any of my calls.’

Chapter Sixty-Eight

The man looked familiar and then Ellen realised.

‘Ryan,’ she whispered.

It couldn’t be. What would Ryan be doing here in Cornwall? He’d gone missing, hadn’t he? Of course it wasn’t him. It was just someone who resembled Ryan. But as she peered closer, she knew it was him. There was no doubt about that. Ellen tried to make sense of everything. Why was he driving the Fiesta, and why so fast? Ryan’s eyes widened at the sight of her.

‘Ellen?’ he said quietly.

She looked down at the carrier bag in his hand. Scott’s words about the missing cartridges ran through her head.

‘Ryan, what are you doing here?’ she asked, her eyes not leaving the carrier bag. ‘Why were you driving so fast?’

Ryan sighed heavily.

‘Oh Ellen, why couldn’t you have stayed on the islands?’

His hands moved to the carrier bag and a cold chill ran through Ellen’s body. She turned. The Mini was close. She began to run. She could hear him hurrying after her. He was near. She could hear him breathing heavily. Her hand reached out to the Mini’s door and then she felt herself yanked backwards. Her foot twisted beneath her and she yelped.

‘Ellen, please, I can’t take much more,’ he said softly into her ear. He had pulled her back into his arms and she could smell the sweat that emanated from him.

‘Ryan, what are you doing? This is madness,’ she gasped. Her throat felt tight and she thought if he held her much closer she wouldn’t be able to breathe.

‘I can’t …’ she stuttered.

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