Page 15 of Gone in the Night (Detective Morgan Brookes #16)

FIFTEEN

Susie carried in a tray with four mugs of tea and a sugar bowl on it. Cain took a mug, heaping two spoons of sugar into it and stirring. Beth and Stefan declined, and Morgan felt too queasy to drink tea but thanked Susie, who left them to it.

‘Do you know of anyone who might want to hurt Sharon?’

Beth was having a hard time looking away from the viewing window, even though she could no longer see her daughter’s mutilated body. She shook her head. Stefan nodded.

‘That idiot Eddy Lightburn is out of prison. Have you spoken to him, arrested him yet? I’m assuming you know he beat the shit out of her.’

‘Yes, we have officers looking for him as we speak.’

‘Good because he’s a vile man.’

Beth finally tore her gaze away from the window and looked at Morgan.

‘I don’t think it was him.’

Stefan’s head snapped in his wife’s direction, so fast Morgan wondered if he’d given himself whiplash. ‘What, are you being serious?’

Beth ignored him. ‘He’s handy with his fists, loud mouthed, likes to drink, I just don’t think he’s the kind of man with the brains to find out where Sharon was and go and do this to her.’

Stefan looked at Morgan. ‘Beth isn’t a very good judge of character; you can disregard that.’

Beth glared at him. ‘Clearly, I’m not a very good judge of character because I’m still married to you. How dare you tell them to disregard my opinion? Where were you last night because you weren’t home? You were arguing with Sharon only last week.’

The tension in the room was so fraught the air was practically crackling with the energy.

‘What are you saying, Beth, that I snuck out of the house and stabbed our daughter to death? I may not be her biological dad, but I’m the one who has been there since she began to walk.

I’ve always treated her as if she was my own child, so don’t throw that in my face, especially not now of all the times. ’

Cain was staring at Morgan, but she couldn’t look in his direction; she was trying to figure out where to go from here. There had been some important revelations in the last couple of minutes that she couldn’t disregard.

‘Cain, do you want to see if Declan will let you take a statement from Stefan in his office, whilst I take one from Beth? It might be easier that way.’

Beth was back staring at the small window again. ‘Yes, I think that would be best. I would like to talk to you without being criticised by my husband who can’t lie straight in bed.’

Cain stood up. ‘Come on, we’ll go somewhere else.’

Stefan walked towards the door, but not before he turned and glowered at Beth. Cain ushered him out, closing the door behind him.

Beth waited a minute then began to talk. ‘I’m sorry about that, but I’m devastated and I’m furious that someone has hurt my little girl. I’m never going to talk to her again and tell her I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry about what?’

‘About not sticking up for her last week when Stefan threw her out of the house and told her to never come back. I turned up mid-argument and stood there with my head bowed, too afraid to argue with him because I wanted an easy life, but he’s a liar.

He’s always been a liar. He’s always been unfaithful too, but I love having a life where I never have to worry whether I can afford to eat out for lunch.

I’m disgusted with myself that I put up with him for all this time, all his lies, deceit and unfaithfulness just to have an easy time.

I watched my daughter walk out of my life and didn’t even try to stop her.

I’m never going to be able to tell her I’m sorry and I’m furious with myself, but even more so with him.

Lord help me because I’m so angry with him I think I might stab him myself. ’

Morgan stopped writing. ‘I get that you must be devastated and angry, but please don’t say that in front of anyone else, Beth. Do you really think Stefan could have done this to Sharon?’

Beth paused; her eyes downcast. She shrugged. ‘I don’t know, I’m lashing out because I’m so mad.’

‘Has he ever been violent towards you or Sharon?’

‘No, not ever.’

‘Does he have anger issues?’

‘Only when he’s caught out in his web of lies.’

‘Can you tell me what happened between him and Sharon? What did they argue over?’

‘Sharon has been telling me for years that he sleeps around. I told her it was none of her business and to leave it be. She did until last week when she caught him sleeping with her friend whilst I had been away for a couple of days, visiting my oldest friend in York. Sharon came to the house to borrow a dress.’

‘She doesn’t live with you both?’

‘No, she has a beautiful little cottage where she works from home. YouTubing has turned into a full-time job for her, which is, was, nice.’

‘Sorry, she came to borrow a dress?’

Beth nodded. ‘I’d told her to help herself, that I was on my way home and would see her there.

I hoped we could have a bit of a catch-up.

Lately she’s been too busy vlogging and solo camping to come around much, and I miss her.

She has the code to the gates, the keys to the house, so she let herself in and went upstairs to get a dress for the wedding she has this weekend.

’ Beth paused, struggling to breathe, and Morgan reached out for her hand.

‘It’s okay, you’re doing really well. I know this must be so hard for you.’

Beth nodded. ‘Her friend Leah walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. She’d clearly been in the shower.

Sharon said Leah was horrified but not as horrified as Sharon was.

She told her to get out of the house now, wouldn’t even let her get her clothes, pushed her out of the front door and locked her out.

The girl was standing in the driveway in nothing but a towel, with wet hair and no shoes. ’

‘Sharon told you this?’

She shook her head. ‘Marie. I also watched the camera footage that Marie downloaded before Stefan could delete it.’

‘What did she do? Leah, I mean.’

‘Marie stepped in and did what she always does, took her into the garage and gave her clothes, called her a taxi and sent her on her way.’

‘You must have been so upset about this.’

‘Angry, degraded, yes. I wasn’t upset about Stefan because he’s always been this way, but I felt terrible for Sharon.

I mean, she knew he was a player, but that was too much for her.

He slept with her best friend just because he could.

She then confronted Stefan who told her to get out and keep her nose out of his business.

Sharon lost it. Marie had to stop her from attacking Stefan, who wasn’t bothered at all by any of it.

Not even when she threatened to tell me.

I’d walked into absolute carnage in time to hear him tell her he was finished with her, she could get the hell out and never come back.

They were done, no more money, no holidays or handouts – and Sharon told him to go fuck himself.

I’ve never been so proud of my baby; she had the courage to do what I should have done myself years ago, and now she’s not here for me to tell her that.

I know what I must do now; I’m not going home with him.

It’s over, it has been for a long time, this just brought it all home. ’

Beth buried her head in her hands and sobbed. Morgan moved next to her and did the only thing she could. She rubbed her back gently, all the time wondering if Stefan had killed his stepdaughter.