Letting out the Worms: Guilty or not? If not then the alternative is terrifying (Kitty Thomas Book 1 by Sue Nicholls (primary phonics .txt) 📕

‘No comment.’ Paul kept his eyes on the wall behind her, his face stony.

Officer Poulton interrupted. ‘Are you aware that your daughter, Kitty, contributed to our investigation? We have her notes relating to times and places from your past. It was she who uncovered this witness.’

Paul’s voice grew louder. ‘I don’t believe you. She wouldn’t do that.’

Miss Lynch murmured in his ear that he should keep a lid on it.

Poulton rammed home his advantage. ‘I wonder what Kitty thought when she found out.’ Paul glared, and Poulton continued, ‘Perhaps you knew what she was working on. You were probably worried that she might find something to incriminate you.’ He cocked his head. ‘So, what I’m wondering is...’ Suddenly his face was about six inches from Paul’s, ‘Did you attempt to murder your own daughter?’

In fury, Paul shot out a hand, grabbed the collar of Poulton’s jacket and drew back his other hand in a tight fist. Poulton clamped his fingers round Paul’s wrist and tried to wrest it from his lapel, and the solicitor leapt from her chair to cower in a corner. Jennifer Mann ran around the table to tackle Paul from behind, grabbing his bunched fist and at the same time, kicking his chair from under him. Outside the room a siren warbled, and footsteps pounded along the corridor towards them.

Releasing Poulton, Paul crashed to the floor, trying to shake off DS Mann, and spat at Poulton, ‘Kitty - my own daughter? You bastard. Think I’d hurt her? Never!’ Spread-eagled on the floor, he yelled the words that had been buzzing round in his head since his arrest. ‘Maurice or Mick must have done it.’

The room became quiet, and realising that his temper had once more caused his downfall, Paul slumped back on the floor. As Jennifer Mann climbed to her feet, the door burst open and four uniformed officers ran in. Poulton held up a hand, and they halted; their breath coming in heavy blasts. In the room’s silence Christabel Lynch smoothed her crumpled shirt over the fold of her stomach and said from the corner of the room, ‘With your permission DI Poulton, Mr Thomas and I will take a moment to discuss this.’

64 SAM

After Josh hung up, Sam reran their conversation with a sense of unease. His dad was not altogether on top of things these days. It was possible he had wandered off and lost his way home. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, Sam swept his thumb through the contacts on his phone.

‘Hello, again.’ Anwen sounded surprised.

‘Hi Anwen. I’m worried about Dad. He seems to have gone walkabout and I wondered how he was when you saw him this afternoon.’

‘He was OK at first, but then I told him about Paul’s arrest and the next I knew, he had gone out in the car.’

After apologising to Anwen for disturbing her, Sam hung up and stood, perplexed, bouncing his phone in front of him. The only explanation that made sense was that when Maurice heard about Paul’s arrest, he went to the police station to try and help his mate. It would be typical of Dad to bumble in and get under everyone’s feet, meaning well but making things worse. Sam sighed.

65 PAUL

‘My client does not wish to make any further comments,’ Miss Lynch announced to DI Poulton.

Paul was calmer now. His interlaced fingers relaxed on the table but out of sight, his knee vibrated shaking the suspended floor, and between his palms his thumbs twisted and writhed.

DI Poulton regarded Paul. ‘I’m sure you don’t, Paul, but you have made accusations against two other people. If there was a collaboration between yourself and these two men, whom I believe to be the ex-husbands of Sabrina Roman and Millicent Adu, the sooner you tell us, the better are our chances of catching them and less likely you are to be charged with all three murders.’

‘The bastards nearly killed my daughter,’ Paul mumbled, ignoring Christabel Lynch’s protestations. ‘If they hadn’t done that, I’d be glad to take the rap.’

Poulton sat up in his chair and said, ‘Just to get things clear, you are telling me that you, Maurice Roman and Michael Adu are jointly responsible for the deaths of Fiona Rutherford, Millicent Adu and Sabrina Roman?’

‘No comment,’ replied Paul.

66 SAM

The front door of the police station burst open, and about six uniformed officers pelted out of the building and leapt into waiting cars. As they screeched off, sirens warbling, Sam caught the closing door and stepped into the tiled lobby. It did not take long to see that his father was not there, and he let out a frustrated sigh.

An officer behind the desk looked up. ‘Can I help you, Sir?’

Sam pulled a rueful face. ‘Thanks, but I doubt it. I thought my dad might be here. I think you are holding his friend, Paul Thomas, and I thought Dad might be trying to help.’

‘May I have your name, please Sir?’

‘Sam Roman.’

‘And your father would be,’ the policeman peered at his screen, ‘Mr Maurice Roman?’

Sam felt relieved, ‘Yes. He’s here then?’

‘No Sir. Not yet. May I ask you to take a seat?’ The officer pointed at a line of four brown plastic chairs against the wall.

‘OK.’ Sam frowned his bewilderment and sat down, taking out his phone to read the news.

Behind the desk, the officer lifted the phone.

67 LUCAS

At Churchills, Lucas was getting ready to leave. Still wondering where Mick might be, he thumbed a text to Megan to say he was setting out, and looked up when a blinking blue glow lit his peripheral vision. Outside the window, two police cars were pulling up, and as he watched in mild curiosity, three uniformed officers climbed out of each