Page 26 of The Truth Will Out (DI Sam Cobbs #18)

S am arrived at work and summoned the team together.

She had no intention of telling them about the message she had received.

Bob had dropped by her office as soon as he’d got there to check how she had coped the evening before.

He seemed distressed by her appearance, although he tried not to show it.

“Right, as far as I can tell, there have been no developments overnight.” In other words, Rhys’s body hasn’t been discovered yet, or if it has, we haven’t received word of it.

Otherwise, Jason would have told me on my way in this morning.

“I want you to finish off going through the list of names we have from the back of the photo. Try to track down the ones you didn’t speak to yesterday.

I believe this could be important. Maybe the suggestion Bob made about one of them being the killer is true.

Who knows? The more people we speak to, the better.

Bob, can you get on to the council and ask them to hand over any files they have about Pendle House?

I’m guessing they’ll request a warrant, but it’s worth a try, and yes, you can tell them about the investigation, as nothing has appeared on the news yet. ”

“Okay, I’ll still keep it sketchy and see what I can get out of them.”

“We also need to go over the other idea that surfaced late yesterday, before we left for the evening. Liam, I’d like you to thoroughly go through Claire’s computer.

Specifically, her search history. Let’s see what she’s been working on, for Lord knows how long, behind our backs.

It could turn out to be the key and tell us how the killer found out about her and what she was up to. ”

Bob’s brow furrowed. “You think she might have triggered a file on the computer? A website perhaps?”

Sam shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I’m just throwing it out there, partner.

It’s not like we’ve got anything else to go on, is it?

I don’t have to remind you all of the need for speed and accuracy in obtaining this information.

Rhys is still missing. That fact alone should be enough to urge us on.

I’m clinging on to the other important fact that is staring us in the face: his body hasn’t been found yet.

Until it is, there’s every chance we might find him alive, safe and well…

” Her voice trailed off. That was the hope.

She needed to get the urgency across to her team, but inside, she was crying out to be out there, scouring the streets to find him.

She had woken up in a slightly more forgiving mood; however, she had no idea how long that would last. “I’ll be in my office, dealing with my usual mundane task.

” She closed the door behind her. On the way to her seat, she paused to admire the view as usual, but this time, her gaze dropped below her to a figure she thought she saw in the corner of the car park.

The sunlight glinted on something. She turned and ran out of the office, took the stairs two at a time and sprinted through the reception area.

By the time she reached the spot where she’d seen the person lingering, it was too late.

Seconds later, she received another text:

Close, but not close enough. You’re slacking, Inspector Cobbs.

One more slip-up and it could signify the end for someone close to you.

Do I mean Rhys? Or do I have someone else in mind?

Maybe your sister or her husband. Both celebrities in their own right within the town.

I’ll be in touch soon, Inspector. Until then, happy hunting.

Not all roads lead to the truth, don’t forget that.

Sam heaved out a sigh and headed back to the station. Bob was standing at the entrance.

“Is everything all right? Did you forget something in the car? ”

She was in two minds whether to reveal the truth or not. “I thought I saw someone lurking in the shadows. It was my imagination playing me up.”

“Christ, don’t do that to me. If it happens again, promise me you’ll ask either me or another member of the team to go with you.

What if it had turned out to be the killer?

You wouldn’t have stood a chance; you had no weapon with you.

Why take the risk? With what’s been going on, it’s too dangerous for you to be out there alone. Got that?”

Sam stroked his arm. “Thanks for caring. Message received, partner. You have my word; I won’t do it again. Come on, let’s get back to work. I’m in need of a caffeine fix. I think I’ve missed my usual quota for this time of the morning.”

“Easily sorted.”

They reached the main office. “I’ll be in my cave. Can you bring my drink in, Bob?”

He nodded and fixed the drinks, offering to make one for the entire team while he was at it.

He delivered her coffee and said, “Don’t tell me, I’ve missed my vocation in life.”

A glimmer of a smile tugged at her lips. “I’m saying nothing. Thanks, Bob, for everything.”

“For checking to see if you’re all right? Are you sure you’re not keeping something from me?”

“You know me better than that. I wouldn’t do it.”

His eyes formed tiny slits. “That’s debatable. I’ll leave you to it, for now.”

“Give me a shout if you discover anything interesting.”

He saluted and closed the door behind him.

Before she started on her post, Sam picked up the phone and rang her sister. “Crystal, it’s me.”

“I know. It tells me that on my little screen. Marvellous inventions, these new smartphones. They’re smarter than some adults I know.”

“All right, smart arse… see what I did there? Anyway, I’m just checking in with you to see if you’ve managed to secure a bolthole for the next few days. ”

“I have, but I’m not going to tell you. That’s the wisest thing, isn’t it? What if the killer is monitoring your phones?”

“Oh God, you’re on top form. I never even considered that. When do you head off?”

“That’s need-to-know information. Again, I don’t think you should know.”

“I’ll call you back on another line.” She ended the call, bolted out of her chair and walked towards Bob at speed. He ducked, sensing that she was about to clobber him when she held out her hand.

“What in God’s name are you doing, man?”

“Protecting myself.”

“You’re a damn idiot. All I’m after is your phone.”

“What? Why?”

“Just because I can.”

“You think the killer is monitoring your calls, is that it?”

“It’s a precaution I’m willing to take.”

He handed his phone over, and she returned to her office to call her sister back. “It’s me again. I’m using Bob’s phone.”

“You’re presuming that one is safe?”

“I have to. Give me the address of where you’ll be staying, just in case.”

“God… you’re now scaring the shit out of me, Sam.”

“Sorry, that’s not my intention, I promise. All I’m trying to do is keep you safe.”

“What about Dad? Have you contacted him?”

“No. I reckon he should be safe, being overseas at the moment. Address?” she prompted a second time.

“As it happens, after we spoke last night, Vernon rang around a few of his mates. One of them is away for the week. He’s told us we can stay there, provided we don’t have any wild parties.”

“As if that’s likely to happen at your age. Oops, sorry, that slipped out.”

“You wait until I see you. You’ll pay for that.”

“I still need the address, Crystal. ”

Sam jotted it down. “I’ll arrange for a drive-by now and again, if only to ease my mind.”

“Thanks, I think. I appreciate your willingness to keep us safe; however, it’s a little disconcerting that you’re having to do it in the first place.”

“I’m doing it because I love you.”

“Before you go, I don’t suppose there’s been any news on Rhys overnight, has there?”

“Nothing at all, which is why I’m doing my best to ensure you stay safe. I’m glad you’re not fighting me on this one, sis. Thank you for trusting me.”

“I’d trust you with my life. I’ll keep in touch. Maybe you should invest in a new phone.”

“I’ve got an old phone in my drawer. I’ll see if I can revive that and get it working. Take care and remain vigilant, Crystal.”

“I will. Don’t worry about us. Promise me you’ll do the same. Think before you make a decision, and never go anywhere on your own. Take Bob with you.”

“I will. Don’t worry. Love you.”

“Love you more.”

Sam ended the call and returned the phone to Bob. “Thanks. I wanted to call Crystal. I’ve told her and Vernon to go away for a few days, you know, to keep them out of harm’s way. I’ll get back to it.”

“Great idea. We can’t be too careful… after Rhys going missing. But I don’t have to tell you that. It sounds to me like you have it all in hand.”

Sam winked at him and returned to the office.

The post took longer than normal for her to complete.

She was amazed that she didn’t find herself distracted throughout the mundane task, which left her wondering if she had truly forgiven Rhys or not.

She joined the rest of the team. Liam was at the drinks station, making everyone another cup of coffee .

“How’s it going? And please don’t tell me slowly,” Sam asked. She perched on the edge of the desk adjacent to Bob’s.

“As it happens, I was about to come and see you to bring you up to date on what we’ve found.”

Sam leaned in and rested her hands on her thighs. “I’m all ears.”

“Liam has been busy going through Claire’s files, and he discovered one that sparked his interest. Claire had decrypted the file. It showed the same list of people who were in that photo, but there was someone who wasn’t.”

“I’m intrigued. Go on.”

Liam handed Sam and Bob a coffee each and went to collect the others. “Well done, Liam. Not just for making the coffee but for finding the file.”

“It was nothing really, boss. I tried to think outside the box and opened file after file until I found it buried inside another one. It’s the type of thing I used to do when I was growing up because I didn’t want my brother reading my personal stuff.

Times were hard, and we were forced to share a computer. ”