Page 117 of The Girl in the Woods

Meanwhile, the pressure was mounting to find The Vigilante. The Lees family wanted to have a funeral for their daughter. Ana surreptitiously glanced at her phone and cursed.

‘DC Wilkins and DC Rawlins check out these garages. See if anything connects them, similar items taken, that kind of thing. DS Harper and I are going back to the murder scene with forensics. We may have overlooked something.’

Everyone scraped back their chairs, and Ana winced. God, she was more stressed than she thought.

‘Ready,’ said Matt, looking over at Ana. ‘What about you?’

‘Just need the loo.’ She had noticed that Matt had been watching her closely ever since her odd behaviour at the clinic. He seemed puzzled by her friendship with the sex workers, and Ana was aware that he’d noticed her frequent phone-checking. Although he obviously sensed that something was amiss, he refrained from asking her.

‘Ready,’ she said, breaking into his thoughts.

Most of the garages had become dumping grounds for storage or workshops for home projects. Some had been converted into workout rooms or man caves. It seemed that only a few were used for storing a vehicle. Not one garage owner had found anything missing.

‘It makes no sense,’ said Matt when they returned to the car, but Ana wasn’t listening. She was checking her phone and getting more agitated by the minute

‘What’s wrong, Ana? I know there is something up. Why don’t you share it with me?’ asked Matt.

Impatiently, she threw the phone into her handbag. ‘It’s just that time of the month,’ she said.

Matt sighed. ‘Have it your way,’ he said dismissively.

‘What does that mean?’

‘You’ve become very secretive these days. You’re different to when you first arrived on this patch.’

‘Sorry, it’s all a bit complicated.’

Matt laughed, but there was no humour in it. ‘It always is,’ he said.

CHAPTER SEVENTY

Ana parked her car at the edge of the Ludbrook Grove estate. She didn’t want to come out and find her car minus wheels. It was almost ten and getting dark. Although she could see where she was going, she still pulled a torch from her bag and walked slowly, occasionally looking behind her. The anorak hid her face, but she felt it was unlikely she would see anyone she knew.

She pushed the buzzer to Frankie’s flat, and immediately the door clicked open. ‘Why didn’t you check it was me?’ said Ana. ‘I told you to be extra careful.’

‘I keep telling her,’ said Sharon.

‘I knew you were coming,’ said Frankie. ‘That’s why.’

Sharon rolled her eyes.

Ana glanced at her watch. He was already a minute late.

‘He’ll be here,’ said Frankie. ‘Chill.’

The buzzer sounded, and Ana wiped the sweat from her face. He looked like the smart boy from next door. He’s only a few years younger than me, thought Ana. God, I hope he knows what he’s doing.

‘This is Vicky,’ said Frankie, pushing Ana forward. ‘This is Spike. Have you got her stuff?’

He grinned and pulled his rucksack off his back. ‘Would I be here otherwise.’

He pulled out a small bag. Ana swallowed, checked it, and saw a syringe in the bag. ‘Just a useful little gift.’ He smiled. ‘It’s clean.’

‘Thanks.’ She smiled. God, why was she sweating so much?

She handed him an envelope of money, which he carefully checked, and then, with a cute smile, said, ‘Nice doing business with you, Vicky. I’ll see myself out.’

Ana let out a long breath. ‘Jesus,’ she huffed.

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