Lost Souls by Jenny O'Brien (android e book reader txt) 📕

know, it won’t be long until somebody spills the beans and all hell breaks loose.’

DCI Sherlock rested his elbows on the desk and, steepling his fingers, propped his chin on the tips. ‘Now, tell me some good news.’

There isn’t any! But all she said was, ‘We took Janice Stevens into custody because of blood found in her bathroom but we’re going to have to release her if her alibi checks out and there’s nothing to suppose that it won’t. The facts all agree that, if Ronan took Ellie, there wasn’t time for his mother to assist him. But she could still have helped him cover up his tracks following Ellie’s disappearance. The blood is the most important thing. I’ve asked the CSIs to rush through the DNA analysis but until we can confirm or not that it belongs to Ellie Fry, there’s not a lot we can do with the information.’

She paused to take a long breath. ‘There’s been no further sightings of Ronan Stevens and no suggestion as to where he would have taken Ellie, if indeed he has. But we’ve broadened the search with this in mind.’ She lifted a hand up to tuck a stray curl back behind her ear. ‘There’s also the disappearance of Barbara Matthews, sir, and a possible link with the disappearance of Katherine Jane. Bates is taking the lead.’

‘Hmm. I received your application form earlier, Darin,’ he said after a brief pause, shifting the conversation along with his glasses, which he dropped onto his nose. ‘Cutting it a little fine, weren’t we?’

‘I wasn’t sure if I had the necessary experience, sir.’

‘What? Thirteen years isn’t long enough? How much experience do you need?’

She refrained from answering, determined not to say anything she might regret. She had the makings of a good life, and one wrong move would end it in an instant.

‘Okay. I can see you’ve taken an oath of silence,’ he said, his eyes glinting. ‘CS Winters has rearranged his calendar accordingly so back here in the office at five for your interview.’

‘But—’

‘No buts, Darin. We’re already getting pressure from HR because of extending the submission date. The new DI will be announced 10 a.m. tomorrow morning whether we interview you or not. If you can’t manage your workload then you’re certainly not up to managing the team on a more formal footing.’

Back in the incident room, a coffee by her elbow, Gaby almost dropped her head into her hands in frustration at Sherlock’s intransigent behaviour. He didn’t seem to understand her workload, either that or he was unprepared to make allowances. But whatever the reason for his stance, she was far too busy to spend time thinking about it. The case had taken on a life of its own. It had so many loops and twists that she was struggling to stay focused. She recollected a conversation she’d had with one of her previous bosses about woods and trees but the forest was thick and the branches and foliage obstructed her view.

Her phone pinged and the first proper smile of the day touched her lips at the sight of Rusty’s name filling the screen and the little x that ended the message. The thought of Conor having a sleepover and Rusty’s plans to cook her tea around at his place broadened her smile into a grin until she remembered how unlikely it was that she’d be finished anywhere near the usual time afforded people in nine-to-five jobs.

With a quick tap of her fingers, she typed out a reply, which wasn’t really a reply at all. Busy. I’d love to but will phone you later. Her finger hovered over the x briefly. It was a shift forward in their relationship and one he’d decided to initiate … She depressed the key and hit send, her smile lingering as she returned her phone to the desk.

‘Ma’am, can I have a word?’

She looked up as Diane made her way across the room.

‘Certainly, take a seat.’

But Diane shook her head.

‘It won’t take long. I’ve been checking Janice Stevens’s alibi and it doesn’t quite pan out. She dropped the boys off at the sports centre just like she said at 8.30 but she didn’t get into work until 9.15. I was speaking to her secretary and that’s a good twenty minutes later than usual. Apparently she gave the excuse of a road accident along the A470. The thing is, I’ve checked with the traffic police and there was no such accident.’

‘Silly woman thinking that we wouldn’t spot that.’ Gaby sat back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other, her fingers tapping a tattoo against the top of her thigh. ‘So, what could Janice Stevens have been doing in those twenty minutes is the question – it’s something I’m pretty sure she won’t want to answer. Mmm.’ She lifted her head from where she’d been studying her unvarnished fingernails. ‘Where does she work again?’

‘Gallard and Smithson of Deganwy.’

‘Which is about seven minutes, give or take, from Llandudno. So she could have easily returned home to perhaps check she’d switched off the iron or to meet up with her desperate son and hide a body.’

‘What would you like me to do?’

Gaby reached for her pen, swivelling it through her fingers a moment only to set it aside.

‘What would you do, Diane?’

‘What would I do?’ she repeated, her jaw dropping slightly.

‘Yes, you. We have two choices. Either trust it’s nothing or question her again in the certainty that, if she’s lied by omission once, it’s likely she’ll lie a second time, and bearing in mind that, as a lawyer, she’ll know all the tricks of her trade.’

‘Then there’s little point in keeping her, is there? Statistically it’s unlikely that she’s involved in Ellie’s disappearance. She wasn’t spotted in any of the CCTV footage,’ she added, qualifying her words. ‘However, it is possible that her son contacted her and that she is involved now. I think we should release her but try and keep an eye on her movements.’

‘A