Page 45 of The Girl in the Woods

Ana nodded. ‘Look, give me your number, so I’ll know it’s you when you call,’ she said, smiling.

The woman hesitated for a second. ‘Okay,’ she said, finally. ‘I’m Olivia Wilson. I’ll WhatsApp my number when I get home. I’d better rush, or I’ll be late for work.’

‘Don’t forget,’ called Ana as Olivia rushed off.

Ana cursed. She’d hoped to get the number immediately. Then, checking the time, she saw she was also late and hurried to her car.

‘Beth Harper,’ said Will to the copper behind the desk.

‘Can I help, sir?’

‘I wouldn’t be asking for Harper if I thought you could help,’ snapped Will. ‘Some of us have jobs to do. Can you let her know I’m here?’

The desk sergeant gave Will Moulson a hard stare. He’d become a copper to get respect from people, not this kind of shit. The bugger could wait. ‘Take a seat, sir,’ he said, pointing to the waiting area.

Will sighed. ‘I’ll stand.’

‘Your choice, sir.’

The desk sergeant tidied the counter and answered a call. Finally, just as Will was getting red in the face, with anger, he buzzed through to Beth.

Will, agitated now, sat down and swung his foot back and forth. ‘Is she coming or what?’

‘On her way, sir.’

A few seconds later, Beth entered. ‘Mr Moulson. Thank you for coming. We didn’t request it.’

‘Leigh said you came to the house and asked some questions.’

‘Just routine. Come through. Would you like tea or coffee?’

‘I haven’t got long,’ he said, his agitation evident. ‘I just don’t want the police turning up at the garage. Doesn’t look good, you know.’

Beth led him to an interview room where Tom was waiting.

‘DI Miller,’ introduced Beth.

‘Thank you for coming in, Mr Moulson.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ interrupted Will.

‘Is everything all right, Mr Moulson?’ Beth asked. ‘You seem rather tense.’

‘I’m late for work.’

‘It was your choice to come in, Mr Moulson. If you’d prefer to do this another time.’

‘No, I just want to get things over with. It doesn’t look good when the police come to your house. Leigh should have phoned me.’

Tom looked down at the paperwork before him while Beth kept her eyes on Will Moulson.

‘You hinted to DS Harper on Sunday morning that if the police didn’t do something about the trail bike rider, you would have to take things into your own hands. Is that correct?’

Will laughed. ‘I was angry, okay?’

Tom nodded. ‘So you weren’t serious? Only someone did take it into their own hands and they smashed the bike to bits.’

‘Like I said to my wife. I’d like to buy that person a pint. That kid was torturing everyone with that bloody bike.’

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