Page 43 of Worse Than Murder

‘That’s not why I called you. I thought you should know.’

‘We’ve got a plane coming in tomorrow to take out a couple of people who need medical attention. I’ll see if I can get on board. I’ll go straight to the house, get my car, then go to the Lake District.’

‘Matilda’s got your car.’

‘Cheeky cow. Sian, is there anything else I should know?’

‘She’s dating your replacement, Odell, but she’s ignoring him, too.’

‘This killer, who is he?’

‘We don’t know. He’s gone quiet. We’ve nothing. DCI John Campbell, you know, Pat’s son, he’s been drafted in from Manchester to lead the investigation, but there’s no evidence, no witnesses… It’s like… well, we were wondering if he’s gone quiet because Matilda’s left.’

‘Have you checked out Steve Harrison?’

‘We have. It’s not him this time. He’s still licking his wounds after being scalded.’

‘I’m coming home, Sian. I’ll go straight to the Lake—’ She freezes on the screen.

Sian guesses the connection has broken. She closes her laptop.

‘Are you all right?’ Daniel asks from the sofa.

She turns and looks at him. She didn’t realise he was there.

‘Have you been there the whole time?’

‘You didn’t say it was private.’

‘No. Well, it wasn’t. Adele’s coming back home. She’s going to go straight to the Lake District where Matilda’s hiding.’

‘Is she hiding?’

‘Well, maybe not hiding, just… taking some time out.’

‘Will Adele be able to convince her to come back to Sheffield?’

‘I’m not sure. I hope so.’

‘Me too. I really like Matilda,’ Daniel says with a smile.

Ican’t move. I watch, frozen, glaring out of the restaurant window at the cavalcade of police vehicles parking haphazardly. An officer with inspector epaulettes steps out of the front passenger side of the leading car and heads straight for the steps. I watch her intently, not taking my eyes from her as she walks with confidence, head held high, shoulders back, firmly pushing the door open and breezing in.

Sally and Philip must have seen the commotion from the kitchens as they are waiting for her, a united front.

‘Mr and Mrs Meagan, nice to see you again,’ she says, a professional and courteous smile on her face. She holds out her hand and shakes both Sally’s and Philip’s. ‘I was wondering if my team can use your car park while we investigate a discovery made in the woods by the lake’s edge.’

She’s not asking for permission to use their car park. It is merely good manners to explain why she’s here. Her team are using the car park whether the Meagans like it or not.

‘A discovery? What have you found?’ Sally asks.

The inspector looks over her shoulder at me, then back to Sally. ‘Your…visitor,’ she says, emphasising my role as an outsider, ‘found a registration plate floating in the debris of a fallen tree earlier this morning. As we investigated, we found other items which seem to have come to the surface. It’s our estimation that the storm has dislodged something from the lakebed. We need to send a team of divers down for a closer inspection.’

I lean towards Lynne. ‘Who is that?’

‘Inspector Gill Forsyth. She’s the main woman in charge at High Chapel.’

‘Will we need to close?’ Philip asks.