Page 109 of The Girl in the Woods

Will sighed. ‘I did go home,’ he insisted. ‘I don’t know what the fuck you’re insinuating,’ he scoffed, standing up. ‘Unless you tell me what I’m supposed to have done. Then I’m leaving.’

‘Why don’t you sit down and tell us where you were, who you were with, and what was in the envelope Hale gave you? If you don’t tell us, I’m sure he will.’

Will fell heavily into the chair. ‘You guys are killing me. Okay. The night the trail bike was smashed, I was writing out fake MOT certificates in my office. Two clients came to collect them. You can check it out with them. They’ll be pretty fucked off with me when you turn up.’ He sighed. ‘I left the fair early because I was meeting this woman I’ve been seeing. I suppose you’ll want her name too?’

Beth nodded.

‘The envelope was money for fixing Hale’s car where that little sod with the trial bike had damaged it and arranging a fake MOT. Okay? Fucking happy?’

‘I’d be delighted if you’d give us those names,’ she said, pushing a pad and pen towards him.

Will shot her a murderous look and then wrote the names. ‘Look, she’s married too. Her bloke’s a rough bugger. So, can you be discreet?’

Look who’s talking, thought Beth. Talk about the kettle calling the pot black.

‘Can you please question her when he’s not around?’

‘It shouldn’t be a problem,’ said Matt. ‘We’re not here to judge your private life.’

‘I might supply the odd fake MOT, but I ain’t no murderer, and whoever killed that girl, it sure wasn’t me,’ Will said, scraping back the chair and storming out.

‘Nice fella,’ remarked Matt.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

TWO YEARS EARLIER

The death of Anika’s husband Dil was the catalyst for Laurie. At his funeral, she was reminded how short life was. She’d tried to forget the past, but it would come back to haunt her at unexpected moments.

Going to her grave without taking her revenge was unthinkable. It would take some planning, but she figured she could do it. She’d tried hard to follow Anika’s advice and put it behind her, but she knew that she could never lead a normal life while he went unpunished.

‘Are you sure this is the right thing? Isn’t it best to let it go? It’s been nearly five years,’ Anika asked cautiously. She’d learnt to be careful with Laurie when broaching the subject of him.

‘Do you know how many nights I’ve lain awake wondering who else he’s done it to since or even before me? I should have stopped him, but who would have believed me then? No one. But, don’t you see, now I can? Now, I’ll be respected. I can’t let him continue doing it.’

Anika had reached her wrinkled hand across the table and taken Laurie’s. ‘Your mum would be proud. Her daughter now a police officer.’

It hadn’t been easy, any of it. She’d lost friends. Who wanted to be with a loser who wouldn’t have a drink on a night out and studied most of the time to get her A-levels? Of course, to them, the biggest betrayal had been becoming a police officer.

‘We’ll have to watch ourselves now.’ Her mates had laughed, but Laurie knew their laughter had been forced. But they had no idea. No idea at all what she’d been through.

‘Don’t you see,’ said Laurie tearfully. ‘Now I can find him. I’ll have the resources; wherever he is, I’ll go.’

Anika nodded, resigned. Once Laurie’s mind was made up, Anika knew there was no point trying to change it.

‘Another thing. I changed my name before joining the force.’

‘Ana Rawlins,’ Anika said.

‘You knew?’ asked Laurie.

‘I thought you did it because you felt ashamed.’

Laurie smiled. ‘I don’t want him pre-warned. I did it properly. Deed poll and that.’

All Laurie had to do was get transferred, which turned out to be easier than expected. Then Ana Rawlins was in Oxford, determined to get her man, which, without Anika’s support, she could never have done.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

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