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partly open filing cabinet that she knew she’d slammed shut only days before when she’d had to check something on their household insurance policy.

She walked over to the drawer and closed it with a snap, regretting with a sighing breath her decision to protect Caleb and Jacob from finding out about their brother. If she’d only stopped the car …

She left the room. Regrets wouldn’t get her anywhere. The stark truth was that Ronan would have waited if he’d been ready to speak to her.

Chapter 7

Gaby

Monday 3 August, 9.45 a.m. St Asaph

It was nearer ten than nine by the time Gaby walked into her office. She slipped off her jacket and, after placing it on the back of her chair, headed to the kettle situated on the ledge beneath the bookshelves and shook it. Her luck was in for once and with a flick of her finger, she set it to boil while automatically spooning coffee into two clean mugs. The role of acting detective inspector had many advantages. Firstly an office but secondly, and far more important as far as she was concerned, clean mugs and a half-litre of milk supplied daily by one of the invaluable station cleaners.

She’d texted Owen Bates, her senior DC, to join her for a quick catch-up and with the sound of the heavy tread of his footsteps on the laminate flooring outside her office, she knew he was going to be on time as usual.

As soon as he knocked on the open door, she handed him a mug and gestured for him to take a seat. The last time she’d seen him was when she’d visited him and his wife, Kate, in hospital following the birth of their daughter. It was amazing what a week away from the office could do to someone, she mused, taking in his relaxed demeanour and broad smile. He seemed like a different man, which made her pause as she wondered how long it would last in light of the news that she was about to share with him. As a copper, Gaby had never been one to withhold information, and always insisted on sharing knowledge as soon as she was privy to it. But now she decided to delay telling Owen about the missing girl until they got the pleasantries out of the way. She owed him that much. In truth she owed him a whole lot more.

‘It’s good to see you back, my friend.’

‘I wish I could say the same but …’

‘But?’ she prompted.

‘But I hated having to leave Kate and the kids.’

‘That’s perfectly understandable. I’d have been disappointed if you didn’t. Work is work after all and only to be tolerated as something that pays the bills.’

‘Easy for you to say. I’m sure you’d be quite happy to work for nothing if you could.’

‘Ha. I’m far from a charity, Owen.’

‘Talking of which, how’s the delectable—?’

‘Right. Back to work.’ She changed the subject neatly to one where she had an element of control. Her relationship with Doctor Rusty Mulholland was in its infancy and not something she was prepared to discuss with anyone yet. They hadn’t even kissed, apart from a peck on the cheek, which didn’t count. Suppressing a blush at where her thoughts were taking her, she said, ‘I’m sorry to say we have a missing girl, Owen. I know, right? It’s only been a week since we wrapped up that problem on the Great Orme.’

‘That’s life, isn’t it? We tootle along trying to keep busy in case Sherlock decides to cut our numbers along with our budget only to have a flurry of serious investigations come in back to back.’

‘God, don’t chance fate like that. I don’t think I could cope with any more.’ She propped open her leather briefcase and placed Ellie’s photo face up, pushing it across the clear expanse of desk, her attention on his compressed lips and unflinching gaze.

‘Elodie Fry,’ she said, getting right to the point. It was easier that way. Less messy in the long run to deal in only the facts. ‘Ellie for short. Last seen yesterday evening when her mother went in to turn off her light, a regular occurrence as the girl is a voracious reader. Sometime after, she packed her school bag with all the rudiments of a runaway. She hasn’t been seen since.’ She stopped a moment, expecting him to interrupt with his usual insightful stream of questions but all she got was silence, a silence she finally broke. ‘I’ve left Amy holding the mother’s hand. She’s also in the ideal position if the CSIs turn up anything. In addition, Jax has started a door-to-door and Marie and Malachy are coordinating the sea and land searches respectively. I’ve asked them all to be on hand to give us an update at one o’clock if nothing’s turned up by then,’ she added, taking note of the time on the silver-finished clock that hung on the wall above the door.

‘What would you like me to do in the meantime? You seem to have all the bases covered—’

‘Accompany me when I interview the headmistress over at Ysgol Ger y Môr primary school. She’s made herself available to meet us even though it’s closed – I’m expected in thirty minutes, which doesn’t give us much time.’ She pushed back from her chair and picked up her mug. ‘Come on. I don’t want to be late. We have a lot to get through.’

‘Hold on a mo.’

Gaby watched him withdraw a folded sheet of paper from his inside jacket pocket and gritted her teeth in anticipation of what he was about to tell her. She remembered back a week and the vow he’d made about not handing in his notice. But lots had happened in the last seven days. If he’d decided to rescind his promise there wasn’t a thing that she could do about it after what had so nearly happened to his wife.

‘God, Gaby. You need to lighten up.’ He opened the page and

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