Page 82 of Dying Truth

‘I can be sure of that,’ Saffie said. ‘I know every member of both Hearts and Diamonds and I can assure you—’

‘Okay, I believe you but there’s something else I need to ask you about, Saffie.’ Kim took a breath. ‘The toxicology report detected traces of Fluoxetine and Clonazepam in Sadie’s blood.’

There was no reaction, which indicated no surprise.

‘Why did you remove her antidepressants?’ Kim asked, pointedly.

Saffron seemed to open her mouth as if to refute her words and then changed her mind. She simply shook her head.

‘Were you trying to avoid the stigma of having a sister with problems? Is your image that important to you?’ Kim asked.

‘No, it’s not that.’

‘So what is it, Saffron, why did you do it?’

‘I was told to.’

‘By whom?’

‘My parents,’ she whispered.

Kim was confused. ‘I really don’t understand the problem if your sister had been prescribed…’

Her words trailed away as Saffie met her gaze for the first time in about five minutes.

Kim followed the breadcrumbs that the girl had dropped.

‘They weren’t Sadie’s tablets, were they?’ she asked.

Saffron didn’t argue, and Kim finally, fully understood.

The Winters had been medicating their thirteen-year-old daughter.

Fifty-Seven

Dawson pulled up at what must have been the grandest house yet.

He knocked the front door of the home of Harrison Forbes; the last name on his list. Harrison’s name had appeared on the roster eleven months ago and had simply disappeared for the beginning of the spring term.

Dawson paced a few steps before knocking again. He heard the sound echo around the hall.

He stepped back and took a look around. There were no vehicles parked around the property, and there was an air of silence.

He strode to the three-car garage block and tried the handle. Locked.

He walked back to the house and knocked again.

He wasn’t expecting anyone to answer. There was clearly no one home but it was best to check before he began peering in windows. He had no wish to frighten the living daylights out of anyone.

He stood on tiptoe and glanced in through the bottom left corner of the kitchen window. At first glance, it appeared tidy and organised. Until he took a second look. The kitchen wasn’t uncluttered, it was empty.

He moved along to the next window, which revealed a grand, spacious lounge area, without one item of furniture.

Damn it, the Forbes family had evidently moved out, and he had no other address.

He got into the car and headed back down the drive. He entered the traffic to the main road and then took the next left, leading him up the drive of the next available neighbour.

Oh, to have your nearest neighbour about a quarter mile away, he thought. But a bugger if you just needed a cup of sugar.