Page 15 of Her Deadly Promise

‘He’s safe. He’s with his grandparents.’

‘I should have checked on Billie earlier. Maybe I could have found her in time and called an ambulance.’ Meera began biting the skin around the edge of her thumb.

‘Or you could have been hurt too. You couldn’t have known.’ Gina always encountered guilt. The guilt of people wishing they’d done things differently, been there more, picked up a phone and made a call – anything. ‘Did you see anyone acting suspiciously either around here or by the school?’

She picked up her drink and hugged it close to her chest. ‘No. The children were running around screaming and playing so all I could hear was them.’

‘Was Billie seeing anyone?’

‘Yes.’

‘We don’t have a name for him. Do you know who he is?’

Meera nodded. ‘She introduced us a few weeks ago when I saw him on the doorstep. I don’t think they’re that serious, but I do know he works as a gardener. I’ve seen his van around here. Nathan Merry Gardening Services.’

They had a name and a business. Gina knew he’d be easy to trace now. The sooner they could find him, the better. ‘When did you last see him?’

Meera scrunched up her nose. ‘A few days ago, maybe it was the weekend. I think he stayed on Saturday, but I couldn’t swear to it.’

‘Did Billie ever talk to you about anything or anyone who might have worried her?’

Looking down at the floor, Meera hesitated. ‘No. We mostly talked about school and the children. We’d both been a bit busy lately and we hadn’t spoken much. I can’t believe I’m never going to see her again.’ Her lips trembled as she took another sip of coffee.

‘Are you sure? She never confided in you, or mentioned something that might have been worrying her?’

Meera’s son interrupted them. ‘Mummy, can I come down now?’

‘Five minutes, sweetie.’

The boy stomped in the room above.

‘Well, there might have been something. It’s not something she said.’

‘What was that?’

‘The night before last, around midnight, I heard what I thought was Billie shouting from inside her house. I thought she might be on the phone, and it was only once so I ignored it and went back to sleep.’

Gina thought back to what Mrs Pearlman had said, about the man she saw from her bedroom window just before midnight.

‘Maybe she was having an argument with Nathan.’

‘What makes you say that? Did you recognise his voice, or did you see him?’ From what Mrs Pearlman had said, it wasn’t her boyfriend, but it was late and dark.

‘No, I just heard her shouting and I thought she was arguing with him. Billie did that. When she met someone, it’s like she’d sabotage the relationship. I think it stems back to Kayden’s father, so I don’t blame her for being wary of men. I think I’d be the same. He left her pregnant and he’s no help. She struggled to trust. I don’t know much but what I do know is, not long after she’d start dating someone, she’d end up dumping them. When I heard her shout, I thought she was dumping her boyfriend. I asked her about it the next day, but she didn’t want to talk about it.’

Gina smiled sympathetically. ‘Where did you go after visiting your mother yesterday?’

‘To a friend’s house. We had a meeting to discuss who was going to do what at the school fete. Billie was meant to come but I told them she was ill. We had the shock of our lives when my neighbour called to tell me what had happened to Billie.’ Meera wiped her tears away. ‘I was too scared to come home so when I left my friend’s house about eight, I went straight to my mother’s and stayed there.’

‘Which friend did you visit?’

‘Nadia Anderson.’

Gina had her name down and intended to visit as soon as possible.

‘She lives at One Mockingbird Avenue, just in case you need an address.’

‘Thank you. Is there anything else you can tell us that you think might help?’

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