Page 22 of When You're Safe

“Go on, say it,” Finn said.

“Say what?” Amelia asked.

“You were right,” Finn said. “Idon’t think he’s the killer. But he could have an accomplice.”

“If there even is a killer,”Amelia said, still holding onto a wisp of hope that both DeGrey deaths wereunrelated.

Reaching the lobby of the policestation, Amelia turned to the on-duty constable, who looked several years beyondretirement age and was sitting at a desk looking bored.

“Thank you for letting us use yourinterview room,” Amelia said.

“No problem, Inspector,” hereplied. “Any luck?”

“Not yet,” she said. “But couldyou wrap up the interview with Devon Langdon regarding the issues at the GrimDog/”

“Of course,” he said, standing up.“Oh, me back.”

“Stiff?” Finn asked.

“When you’re sat behind a desk allday and get to my age, you’re thankful you can still stand up,” he said,walking to the back of the room.

“You should try driving my rental,”Finn retorted.

The constable looked puzzled andthen nodded, disappearing toward the interview room,

Finn and Amelia walked out intothe afternoon sunshine.

Carnwell village looked like asleepy, idyllic slice of English summer under the blue skies. Amelia thought itpretty, but she always saw herself ending up somewhere a little more rugged.Perhaps a coastal cottage on a Scottish island, surrounded by the raging sea.If she could end her days anywhere, it would be somewhere like that.

“The only line of inquiry left,”Finn said, “is interviewing more of the DeGreys. Maybe we’ll get lucky withsomething.”

“Maybe,” Amelia answered,distantly, still thinking of the ocean and the sea mist. Her mind then turnedback to Langdon. She could feel in her gut that the guy’s alibi was going tocheck out. He was guilty as sin for other things, no doubt, but murder? Not these;at least, not directly.

She took out her phone to checkher messages and was surprised by what she saw.

“What is it?” Finn asked, clearlyseeing the look on her face.

“I have four missed calls fromChief Collins,” she said. “I set my phone to silent for the interview.”

“One call is checking in,” Finnsaid gravely. “Four means something big has happened.”

Amelia nodded and pressed recallon her phone. It only took two rings before Chief Collins answered.

“Where’ve you been?” The chief soundeda little annoyed,

“Sorry, Chief,” Amelia said. “Wewere interviewing a suspect. But I think it’s a dead end.”

“I’m afraid you’re not done forthe day yet, Winters,” Collins said.

“Why? What’s happened?”

“The blood tests have finally comeback from the pathologist,” Rob said in a stone-cold voice. “Quentin DeGrey wasmurdered. We have one, maybe two murders on our hands.”

CHAPTER NINE

The sun was golden in the sky asit pushed on through the evening, and Finn should have been at ease in its glowwhile on the road.

He was not.

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