Page 102 of She Saw What He Did

Chapter Sixty-Three

The kid worried Sparrow. She was getting out of control. What if she screamed at night? Someone was bound to hear her. Both of them were getting on his nerves. The mother was nothing but a nag. They’d now given him no choice. He cautiously opened the basement door. It would be just like that little brat to dive through them and he didn’t want to be touching her again.

They were huddled in a corner. They looked up at him with their wide sad eyes. Why did they always have to make him feel so guilty? He couldn’t afford for there to be any hiccups. He couldn’t let them fuck it up for him now.

‘I’ve brought you some chocolate,’ he said.

The kid looked unimpressed.

‘I’ll give it to you soon. But first we’re going to make a little film.’

Why didn’t she fucking speak? Usually she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

He pulled his phone from his pocket.

The old lady gasped and whispered ‘No,’ her eyes filled with fear. He glared at her angrily.

‘Not that kind of a film. What do you think I am?’

The woman relaxed slightly and clutched the child close to her. Jesus, thought Sparrow. They think I’m a paedophile.

‘It’s a film for your mummy.’

*

Scott tapped his pencil on the desk and looked at Ryan’s computer. What could the password be? He’d tried all the obvious ones. He glanced at Ryan’s desk drawer and drummed the pencil on the desk again. He couldn’t really rummage through that. He snatched his phone from the desk and clicked into the last number called. Ryan’s phone rang and rang, finally going to voicemail. Scott again looked at the drawer and then jumped up to lock the station doors. He walked back to the drawer, waited a few seconds and then yanked it open. It was impossible to see the contents clearly. Like everything else, Ryan’s desk drawer was also a mess. Scott figured if he moved a few things Ryan would never know the difference. He was disappointed. The drawer only contained rubbish. There was nothing there to hint at what the password might be. He was about to close it when some photos lying at the back of the drawer caught his eye. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. They were of Ellen. Why would Ryan keep photos of Ellen in his drawer? He looked at them in bewilderment and then something clicked in his brain. Carefully he slipped the photos to the back of the drawer and then typed Ellen’s name into the password box. It was incorrect. He tried again. This time he typed EllenB and watched in surprise as the computer unlocked.

*

Ellen hadn’t slept well. The hotel room had been hot and stuffy. She had tried opening the window but then it had been too noisy. There was nowhere as quiet as St Cecilia’s, she thought.

She’d lain awake much of the night thinking about Abby Miller and trying to figure out what she and her husband were hiding. It bothered her. She knew she should go home today but she had a strange presentiment that she couldn’t explain. She’d book the room for another night and ask them for a fan. Her thoughts turned to Weis. He was being the perfect gentleman. He’d taken her for another lovely meal. This time Ellen had made sure not to drink too much. There hadn’t been the goodnight kiss this time and she couldn’t help wondering why. She opened the door and was surprised to see Weis standing outside.

‘Oh,’ she said. It was almost as though she had conjured him up.

‘I was just about to knock,’ he said, looking embarrassed. ‘I was thinking you might like some breakfast.’

‘Yes, I was about to get a coffee,’ she smiled.

She followed him out of the hotel and to his car.

‘I know you’re going home today …’ he began.

‘I thought I’d stay another night.’

‘Ah,’ he said.

He turned into a quieter road and looked sideways at her.

‘There’s a big dinner at Asquith Hall tomorrow night. Did you see the news?’

Ellen nodded, ‘Yes.’

‘It’s probably not connected, but that guy being Ukrainian and …’

‘I know what you mean.’

Was that her presentiment? she wondered.

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