Page 141 of The Guilty Girl

‘Sure. Great. Thanks. That’s fine, Inspector. Good.’

As she walked away, she pinged the tab on the Coke and gulped down half the can. Lei was still talking. Something about Oscar’s address and his sister. She kept going, her head spinning.

In the reception area, she came face to face with a livid Ivy Jones.

‘Ivy? What can I do for you?’

‘You can release my delinquent brother, that’s what.’

‘Brother?’ This was getting worse by the minute. Was this what Lei had been trying to tell her? Shit.

‘Oscar Jones, my brother, the stupid prick. Mum will explode if she finds out you have him here.’

Failing to make sense of this revelation, Lottie said, ‘Ivy, do you know why I had to bring him in?’

‘No, and I don’t care. He’s always in trouble. Whatever you say, it won’t shock me.’

‘He hit me with a bicycle chain and knocked me down a flight of stairs. And I suspect he attacked a ten-year-old girl.’

Ivy rolled her eyes. ‘Shit, he’s out of control. He can stay here. I’ll let Mum come to take him home. She’ll flay him alive and—’

‘It’s time we had another chat, Ivy.’

A flutter of uncertainty flashed across the girl’s eyes. ‘I … I can’t. Sorry. I’m late already.’

‘Something more important than your brother?’

‘I’ve a … a manicure appointment and I’ll be late if I don’t leave now.’

‘On a Sunday? I won’t keep you long. This way.’ Lottie led the reluctant girl through to the interview room.

‘Is he in there?’ Ivy said.

‘Yes.’ Lottie opened the door.

Ivy marched in and stood, hands on hips. ‘Oscar, I swear to God, you are impossible.’

‘Piss off.’

‘I can’t believe you attacked a detective and a little girl. There’s no hope for you.’

‘Sit down, Ivy,’ Lottie said forcefully. She needed to push on. She still had to contact the hospital to check on Sharon’s status. Interview Hannah and Cormac. Locate Terry Starr and the McAllisters. Plus she had to visit her mother. And her entire body ached.

To her surprise, Ivy pulled out a chair and sat. She was even more surprised when Oscar began to sniff. Fake tears? She needed to measure the dynamic between brother and sister.

‘Shut up, for God’s sake,’ Ivy snarled at her brother. ‘You’re making a show of me.’

Ivy was certainly the boss of this relationship, Lottie thought.

‘Ivy, what do you know about Jake Flood?’

‘Never heard of him.’

‘He was at Lucy’s party, working the bar.’

‘Oh, that Jake.’

‘Yes, that Jake. Why was he there?’