Page 30 of Her Deadly Promise

‘Where what is?’

‘You know,’ she snapped.

‘I’m not discussing this again but all I’m going to say is, this time, keep that mouth of yours shut and I’ll deal with the police.’

She trembled, almost dropping her phone. The last thing she needed was him coming home later and taking everything out on her. She pressed her ribs and flinched. It would be more evidence for her collection, but it hurt so much. They both had something the other wanted. Maybe she’d exchange what she had for what he had when the time was right. Either way, she didn’t want the police interfering in their personal lives. She went to speak, to remind him of what was at stake but instead, she muttered, ‘I’ll see you later.’

‘Give Will a kiss from Daddy when you pick him up and I’ll sort out the police.’ He ended the call, leaving Nadia as clueless as she was before she called him and angry that she was no further forward.

She gasped as she spotted the time. Her client would be waiting. Grabbing a bottle of water and the car keys, she ran out the door. As she turned the ignition, her phone beeped again.

I see the police have paid a visit. Unless you want your life turned upside down, say nothing.

It was the same mystery messenger as before. She glanced up and down the road as she pulled out of her drive. There was no one around. It had to be Ed playing with her mind. He was the only person who knew that the police had only just visited. He’d also know that she really wouldn’t want the police in the house, not with the secret that she was hiding, and no doubt Ed would tell first if it saved his skin.

NINETEEN

‘Guv, we’ve had a call from Nadia Anderson’s husband. He said he’s working away but will come in first thing tomorrow morning.’ Jacob took a seat next to a computer in the incident room.

‘I was hoping to speak to him today. Where is he?’

‘He says he has business in Derby and he’s stopping over.’

Wyre entered, looking flustered as she fanned herself with an A4 notepad. ‘It’s stifling out there.’ She flopped onto a plastic chair and wiped her sticky fringe from her forehead.

‘Any luck with Nathan Merry’s alibi?’

‘Maybe just a bit.’ Wyre unscrewed a small bottle of lemonade, which fizzed over the top.

Gina sat up straight in her chair, poised to hear what her colleague had to say.

‘One of the neighbour’s heard the ride on mower going around the time that Billie was murdered.’

‘Did this neighbour actually see him?’

‘No, but a man living in a house opposite saw Merry get out of his van on the same day while he was out pruning his shrubs. He said that Merry didn’t come back to his van until after he’d finished which was around five.’

Gina leaned back and bit the cap at the end of her Biro while thinking. ‘So, unless he had another vehicle parked out the back somewhere, he didn’t leave that garden?’ She glanced at the large map of the area where a pin marked Merry’s alibi. Following the back of the house, she too could see that the nearest road was quite a jaunt.

‘That’s right, guv. I checked out the back. There are at least a couple of acres to the nearest road or path. It’s farmland that has been left to grow naturally. There are stingers and shrubs galore. It would have taken him too long to get to the nearest road where, at a push, he could have parked another vehicle up. I also checked to see if he had any other vehicles registered to himself and he hasn’t. He only has a van.’

Jacob sighed. ‘That rules Merry out, then.’

Wyre sat and took an apple out of her bag. She crunched as Gina glanced across the board, trying to avoid catching sight of the crime scene photos. ‘Let’s do that check on Edward Anderson so that we have background on him before he comes in tomorrow.’

Jacob nodded and turned back to the computer.

O’Connor came in and joined them, his nose looking sunburned. ‘I’ve got the camera footage from the library so I’m going to go through it in a few minutes.’

‘Great. What do we know about Shaun Brock, the father of Billie’s son?’

Wyre smiled. ‘That, I can help with. I have an address for his mother. As far as I can see, he’s never lived alone in this country, always travelling then going back to hers. I can also confirm that he’s been back in the country for several weeks.’

Adrenaline coursed through Gina, almost making her light-headed. The threatening message that he sent was at the forefront of her mind. She tapped Jacob’s shoulder. ‘I think we need to pay Mr Brock a visit, now. We could have this sewn up by the close of today.’

TWENTY

As Jacob drove, all Gina could think about was Shaun Brock and that message he sent to Billie. Let me see him or I’ll swear, I won’t be responsible for my actions.

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