Page 103 of She Saw What He Did

‘I’m planning on going back to Fernsea today. I don’t know why. It’s wild thinking on my part,’ she said.

‘I’d come with you,’ he said, ‘but I’m training all day.’

‘Not a problem,’ she said, trying to hide her disappointment. She would have liked him with her.

‘I hear you’ve applied for the post of Inspector at Porthaven.’

‘Yes,’ she said, feeling embarrassed. ‘I probably won’t get it.’

‘You’re qualified enough. You know you’ll be under me,’ he said playfully.

Ellen blushed.

‘Sounds uncomfortable,’ she joked.

He grinned.

‘I promise I’ll make it as pleasurable as possible.’

She realised they were bantering and was enjoying it.

‘So, Fernsea after breakfast,’ he said.

Ellen thought she should let Peter know that she wouldn’t be home tonight. He wouldn’t be happy about that. She’d have breakfast and then phone the station. She’d call Peter last. The longer she could put off phoning him the better.

*

Scott scrolled through Ryan’s internet history for a second time. It didn’t make any sense. Ryan had been disinterested in the murder on the island and yet, his browsing history showed him to be obsessed with the Millers. He’d returned numerous times to the Google Earth map of their street and house. He’d even google searched the couple dozens of times. Scott couldn’t understand why Ryan would want to do that. It seemed Ryan had been more interested in the murder case than he’d let on. He clicked back to the home screen and studied Ryan’s desktop. He hovered over the folder titled ‘photos’, and then clicked into it. It was password protected. Scott picked up his pencil and chewed on the end of it before typing Ellen’s name into the password box. It opened. There was only one file in the folder and it was titled ‘Ellen’ and contained numerous photos of her. They’d all been taken without her knowing. None of them were posed. Scott scrolled through them quickly. Many seem to have been taken at the station. Scott shivered. It was bizarre. Why hadn’t he noticed Ryan taking these? He was always on his phone though. They’d often joked how Ryan’s phone was an appendage of him. It was too creepy for words. He came out of the folder and went back to Ryan’s search history. The last few searches had been the Millers’ house and holiday cottages near their village in Fernsea. He was about to close the computer when something occurred to him. He switched to Google and did his own search for Artem Taris. After reading a news article he clicked back to Ryan’s searches. That couldn’t be right, surely, he thought. It didn’t make sense. How could Ryan have searched the name Artem Taris, days before police had released the name?

Chapter Sixty-Four

Abby

My eyes are tired and my head aches. I’ve gone over and over the instructions. I hear Jared walking about upstairs. I’m finding it hard to concentrate with his constant movement. I’m almost wishing he had gone into work. My eyes cloud over, and I rub my forehead. How can I possibly do this? But how can I not? If only that bastard would let me speak to Sam. Niggling doubts keep entering my mind. What if Daphne had lied to us? He may have had a gun to her head. For all I know he has … Oh God, stop thinking. Stop thinking now. My heart continues to race, and I feel light-headed. I won’t be able to do it tomorrow. I’ll lose my nerve. I should call Sergeant Burden. She’ll protect us. I know if I carry out this assignment, I may never see my daughter again. I’m not stupid enough to believe that I will leave Asquith Hall alive. My body grows hot and I’d do anything to open a window. My mind races, searching for answers but I only hit a brick wall. It’s my life for Sam’s. There must be a solution. There must. I pick up my phone and scroll into the photos. I flinch at the pictures of Sam, my baby. She’s feisty. Too feisty sometimes, and that’s what worries me. She won’t like the man. She’ll tell him as much unless Daphne keeps her under control. I place my lips onto the photo and let the tears flow.

‘I love you,’ I whisper. ‘It will be alright.’

Tomorrow it will all be over. Sam and Daphne will be home again with Jared. The man will disappear. His assignment will have been completed. And me … It will be the end. Jared and Sam will go on without me. It’s unfair. I never did anything wrong. I was a good mother, a faithful wife. Why is this happening to me? No, this is wrong. There has to be a way out. I just have to find it. At that moment the doorbell rings. As usual my breathing starts to quicken. I’m not expecting anyone. I slide the living room curtain back slightly and peek nervously out of the window. A uniformed policeman stands on the doorstep. Immediately I panic and my heart jumps into my mouth. Oh God, does he have news of Sam? Please no.

*

Sparrow didn’t like the kid’s silence. It was worse than her screaming. It unnerved him. He had only twenty-four hours. Everything had to go according to plan. He didn’t need someone hearing the kid now, or for the mother to lose her cool at the last minute. Everything had to run smoothly. Tomorrow he’d be on his flight to Brazil. It would all be over. He’d start a new life. Hopefully the bastards would put the money into his account but if they didn’t … he’d cope. He had the fifteen thousand to come from the Millers. That had been a bonus. Everything had worked out. The kid and the old lady would be freed. He just had to make sure the kid didn’t escape before the delivery was made. He had to get her under control. He didn’t want to think about the mother. It wasn’t his fault after all. They took the box. He didn’t force them to get involved. It had been their fault. They had forced him to do things he’d never in his life dreamt of doing. Why hadn’t they kept their noses out of things that hadn’t concerned them? Thoughts raced through his head as he turned into the Millers’ street. He drove past the house twice before reassuring himself all was safe. He parked the Fiesta in the next road. He was anxious. He didn’t want to make any mistakes, not now. He had to be careful. The Millers’ street was quiet. The sun sparkled through the trees and was hot on his back. He reached the house, looked around, and then rang the doorbell.

*

Scott shielded his eyes with his hands and peered into Ryan’s living room window. He reeled back in shock.

‘Jesus,’ he muttered before looking again.

The place had been ransacked. He remembered it was a mess before, but he would certainly have noticed the couches torn to shreds. There was barely anything left of them. Someone had clearly gone crazy with a knife. He shivered. The glass coffee table lay on its side. Fragments of glass were everywhere. He stepped back from the window and wondered who the hell he should phone? He couldn’t phone the police. He was the police for pity’s sake. Ellen was in bloody Fernsea and he couldn’t very well phone Ryan. He walked to his car and leaned against it. He’d have to call Ellen. After all, there was no one else on the island he could phone. He clicked into his phone and saw his hand was shaking. What the hell was going on? Nothing made any sense. There was no reply and he cursed before leaving a voicemail asking her to call him urgently.

*

He saw the curtains twitch and pulled back his shoulders in readiness. There was the sound of several locks being undone and then Abby Miller stood on the threshold. He tried not to show his disdain for her. She looked at him. Fear shone in her eyes.

‘What’s happened?’ she asked.

‘Sergeant Burden asked me to come,’ he said lightly.

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