Page 105 of The Guilty Girl

‘By the way, Superintendent Farrell was looking for you early this morning.’

‘You never saw me.’

Lottie fled down the stairs, knowing she had to act fast to keep ahead of her boss.

49

Albert wasn’t at his office. His PA told Lottie he’d left for the Goldstars boxing club shortly after he’d taken a call from the coach, Barney Reynolds.

Lottie scratched her head. What was so urgent the day after his daughter’s murder that he had to visit a junior boxing coach?

She drove back to the club feeling like she was going round in circles. The chock-a-block traffic punctured the excitement she’d felt about Lucy’s phone being found.

She parked, slammed the door shut and placed her hand on the bonnet of a white Mercedes. Warm. Inside, raised voices echoed from the miniature office; otherwise there was no one about. She walked in just as Albert punched the filing cabinet with his fist.

‘Sorry to interrupt, boys.’

‘What do you want?’ Albert said, then faltered realising who he was talking to. ‘Oh, it’s you, Inspector.’

‘Back so soon?’ Reynolds said, seated behind the excuse for a desk.

‘What’s the row about?’ Lottie said.

‘No row.’ Albert nursed his fist in his other hand.

She leaned against the door jamb. Waiting them out. Hoping one or the other would reveal what was going on. Chance would be a fine thing. They watched her in silence.

‘Albert, can you spare me a few minutes?’

‘Sure, sure. Barney, make yourself scarce.’

Reynolds squeezed out of the tight space. ‘I’ll be in the gym if you need me for anything.’

Once they were alone, Albert took the chair. ‘I’m sorry you had to walk in on that. Barney panics too easily. He told me about Jake. Do you think the boy is connected to my daughter’s death?’

‘Early days,’ Lottie said.

‘What happened to him?’

‘I’m working through the events. Need to ask you a few questions.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Did Lucy know Jake?’

‘She might’ve heard me talking about him. I doubt she knew him personally.’

‘The truth of the matter is that Jake was dealing drugs at her party.’

‘What? There’s no way she’d have allowed that. Lucy knows … knew my stance on drugs.’

‘Still, Jake was there, and now he’s dead. Were you or Barney aware that he was involved in drug pushing?’

‘Barney would’ve thrown him out of here in a flash, no matter how good a boxer he was. Drugs have tainted sport for so long, I have no tolerance for them.’

Time to change direction. ‘Tell me about Terry Starr.’

‘What about him?’