Page 104 of Silent Scream

‘There’s a second victim, Nicola,’ Kim said, quietly. ‘And this one was pregnant.’

Nicola leaned across the table and reached for the handbag Kim had moved. She took out a box of cigarettes and a disposable lighter. Kim had seen no evidence of a smoking habit when they’d visited the previous day.

She placed a cigarette in her mouth but her thumb fumbled with the lighter. She got it on the third attempt.

‘Tracy Morgan,’ Nicola whispered.

Kim looked at Bryant who raised his eyebrows.

‘You’re sure?’

‘Yes, I’m sure. It’s not something I’m particularly proud of but as a youngster I was pretty nosey. My school report always went along the lines of “Nicola would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other peoples’”.’

Bryant chuckled. ‘Yeah, I’ve got one at home just like that.’

Nicola shrugged. ‘Well, I used to sneak around and listen at doorways. I remember hearing Tracy telling the other two she was “up the duff” as she put it.’

‘Any idea who she was seeing?’ Kim asked. It could be another lead.

‘No, I heard her say she was going to speak to the father but I didn’t hang around for too long in case they caught me.’

Nicola drew on the cigarette as realisation dawned. ‘There’s a third, isn’t there?’

They said nothing and allowed her a minute to digest the news.

‘Is there anything you can tell us about the ...’

‘Louise was the other one. I don’t recall her last name but she was the ringleader; the toughest. No one messed with Louise. Even after the other two had run away –sorry, after the other two hadgone– no one dared mess with her.’ She paused for a second. ‘You know, now I think about it, she was insistent that her mates would not have run away.’

‘Is there anything about Louise that would help us confirm an identification?’

Nicola stubbed out the cigarette in a cut glass ashtray. ‘Oh yes. Louise had a denture. Three of her teeth were knocked out in a fight with girls from another school. She hated how she looked without it. One of the other girls at Crestwood hid it one night for a laugh. Louise broke her nose.’

‘Do you know anything about an incident involving the daughter of William Payne?’

Nicola frowned. ‘Oh, you mean the night guy?’ She shook her head. ‘We never saw him very much. I never heard of anything in particular but I remember them being on lockdown for a month for something. But they were always up to mischief of some kind. Still ... they didn’t deserve this.’

Bryant flipped a page in his notebook. ‘Do you recall much about Tom Curtis?’

Nicola narrowed her eyes. ‘He was younger than the other staff members. He seemed a bit shy and quite a few of the girls had a crush on him.’ Nicola’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Oh no, you don’t think he could have been the father of ...’ Her words trailed away as though she couldn’t even finish the thought.

The idea had crossed Kim's mind but she chose not to respond.

Kim didn’t feel that Nicola could offer anything further at this point.

She stood. ‘Thank you for your time, Nicola. Please don’t share this information with anyone until the victims have been formally identified.’

‘Of course.’

Kim headed to the door and turned. ‘Which one went first?’

‘Sorry.’

‘Who disappeared first, Melanie or Tracy?’ Kim asked. Nicola had already told them that Louise was the last.

Nicola scrunched her face in thought. ‘Tracy went first because Melanie and Louise thought she’d just disappeared because of the pregnancy.’

Kim nodded and was halfway out the door.