Finders Keepers by Edie Baylis (epub ebook reader txt) 📕

expanding floorboards; the water immersion coming on. The large house was quiet with no one in it and being alone was unnerving her more than she liked.

Venturing down the stairs, she wandered into a large sitting room and marvelled at the beautiful upmarket and expensive furniture and accessories. Although she’d been in this house for over a week, she hadn’t ventured outside the bedroom in all of that time, apart from into the garden with Gwen earlier.

She hadn’t even seen Jonah Powell – apart from that once when he’d come into the bedroom to speak to Robert. Even then it was only a vague recollection. And of course the night they’d found her, but she could remember nothing of that.

Teagan found herself wandering across to a polished glass shelf and picking up an ornament – one of those crystal figurines that the light refracted off in a thousand different directions. It looked the sort of thing a woman would buy – as did the cushions and matching curtains, but Jonah wasn’t married as far as she could gather. Hadn’t Gwen said it was nice not to be the only woman here?

But then, who was that on this picture? Teagan picked up the gold-framed photograph and looked at a devilishly handsome man, who she presumed was Jonah Powell, standing with a stunning blonde.

Her hands suddenly became clammy. It was him! That man she’d seen rushing from Footlights the night of Helen’s death. Although she’d only got a fleeting glimpse, she was sure it was him. Those eyes...

Hearing a noise, Teagan stiffened and quickly placed the photograph back down. What was that? Was Gwen back?

Unnaturally scared, Teagan made her way out of the sitting room and cautiously peered into another reception room, stopping in surprise to see Robert bent over his laptop. ‘Oh, you’re back!’ she exclaimed.

Robert swung around startled, wearing an expression of deep irritation, making Teagan shrink from the look on his face. She watched with growing sadness as he clumsily tried to hide his reaction, but no matter how much he tried to conceal it, he didn’t want to be around her.

‘I didn’t want to disturb you,’ Robert muttered, his attention already back to his screen.

From her position, Teagan could only see a screen full of green scrolling text. ‘I’m going stir crazy sitting upstairs, so I thought I’d have a wander,’ she babbled for want of something to say. ‘Are you still working on that project?’

‘Project?’ Robert frowned. ‘Oh yes, yes, I’m still doing that.’ He paused the scrolling text and turned back to face Teagan. ‘Do you need something?’

‘No, I’ll erm... I’ll leave you to it.’

Robert shut the lid of his laptop and stood up. ‘Stay here if you wish.’ He picked up the laptop. ‘I’ll be back some time later.’

‘Please stay!’ Teagan begged. ‘I don’t like it here.’ She glanced over her shoulder. ‘I saw a photograph... This Jonah... it was him at Footlights that night Helen died. I know you said it was Dulcie who shot her, but can you really be sure?’

Teagan wanted to reach out and touch Robert as he neared her. She needed some kind of contact - for him to touch her hand, her arm – something, just so that it might make her believe she wasn’t poisonous. But she couldn’t in case he refused. Being refused was worse than being ignored.

Robert’s jaw clenched. ‘Oh, for God’s sake, Teagan! There’s so much you don’t understand!’

‘They why won’t you tell me?’ Teagan cried. ‘You won’t tell me anything, yet you say I don’t understand.’ She moved closer when Robert got up. ‘Where are you going?’

‘I’ve got things I need to do.’ Robert sighed, waiting until Teagan moved to one side so that he could pass through the doorway without brushing against her.

Teagan stared at Robert sadly. His actions spoke volumes. ‘Please don’t leave me here!’ She lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘I know what you said, but look what happened here. That man killed his own brother!’

Robert swung around, his eyes flashing. ‘Would you have preferred to have stayed at the flat with Saul Powell then? Is that what you’re saying?’ He shook his head in contempt before storming from the room, leaving Teagan to stand frozen from his words.

WILLING HIS CAR TO GO FASTER, Robert raced up the M40 towards Maidenhead, his breathing increasing with his heartrate. He felt like he was drowning – running out of oxygen and sinking fast. A myriad of unwanted thoughts revolved endlessly in his mind in a faster ever-increasing loop. He was suffocating, truly suffocating and everyone around him was part of that.

Throwing his cigarette end out of the window, he struggled to see through the film of tears. If he blinked, they would roll down his cheeks and he refused to allow one single tear to escape. Not now. Not ever.

He clenched his jaw and gripped onto the steering wheel harder, squinting through his reduced vision as the speedo hovered on 90 mph.

It was all about timing. Timing was of the essence now more than ever.

Spotting the sign for the one mile warning to the Maidenhead junction, Robert mentally checked his calculation. Working backwards from the mirrored texts he’d received from Heath’s phone, the man should be arriving to see his father or be there already.

His focus shifted to the dashboard clock and his thundering pulse slowed. Providing nothing had changed, he was within time. Good, because he had to be.

Hearing a notification, Robert snatched his mobile from the passenger seat and stabbed in his PIN number. Balancing the handset on his knee, he changed down gear and exited onto the slip road. Coming to a halt in the queue, he opened the server message.

An alert from the other trace. The O’Hara number. There had already been one this afternoon, but this was a new one. He’d check it out as soon as he’d finished here.

Come on, come on!, he thought, inching his way to the head of the roundabout. Everything