One good lie, p.21
One Good Lie, page 21
‘Yes.’ When he put it like that, it sounded so weak, so tenuous.
‘Affairs aren’t a crime.’
‘His sister said he was dangerous.’
‘The sister he’s estranged from.’ Hitesh stared at her a moment. ‘People say things when they argue. Our job is to establish the truth. At this stage, we’ve no evidence to link Ewan to a crime.’ He closed his notebook, made to stand.
‘Wait! If Ewan has a history of violence, you’d know, wouldn’t you?’ Ruby said. ‘You must keep a record of offences.’
‘They’ll be on the police computer, yes.’ He slipped his notebook into his pocket. He was at the door now. His face softened as he turned to her. ‘I’m sorry to hear about your family argument. It’s been a difficult time for all of you. Try to get some rest. You can be assured if I find anything to link Ewan to a crime, he will be investigated.’
‘Colin called me,’ she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Hitesh angled his head. ‘Colin Halliday?’
Ruby nodded. She’d finally got his attention. She passed on the details of the call.
Hitesh took out his notebook and made a note. ‘Why didn’t you raise this earlier?’
‘I didn’t think it was relevant.’
‘But you do now?’
Ruby closed her eyes a second. ‘I don’t know. I just think all the evidence should be reviewed. For both cases.’
Lewis rounded on Ruby. ‘I think you should tell him everything.’
Ruby squirmed. But it was too late now, Hitesh was looking at her questioningly. She told him about the night phone calls, the face at the window, cringing as she talked about the door handle left upright, the feeling someone had been in the house. Because that’s all it was, a feeling.
Hitesh’s brow furrowed. He sat back down, turned a page in his notebook, made a note of dates and times.
‘Will you be able to trace the details of the caller?’ Lewis asked.
‘We’ll certainly try,’ Hitesh said. He turned to Ruby. ‘In the meantime, you need to think about some general safeguarding.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘This could be something, or nothing. But I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t look into it, and ask you to check the house is locked at all times, and keep your phone with you. Is there someone who could stay with you for a while?’
‘I don’t know.’ She hadn’t expected him to take it all so seriously. ‘Do you think it’s Ewan, trying to intimidate me?’
‘I’d prefer not to speculate. It might have nothing to do with Mr Wilson.’ He placed his notebook away. ‘Try not to worry. If anything else happens, then either call 999 if it’s an emergency, or give me a ring. You’ve got my number.’
Lewis stood. ‘I’ll see you out, Detective.’
Ruby was aware of them wandering into the hallway. The door being pulled to. Them talking in low voices. Perhaps Lewis was pleading with him, adding his own weight to the argument. But she wasn’t listening. What did all this mean? When Colin phoned, he’d implied she was in danger. He’d cautioned her to be careful. Was he right?
The front door juddered to a close. Lewis appeared at the door frame.
‘He doesn’t believe me about Ewan,’ she said. ‘He thinks I’m trying to get back at him for causing the argument with my sister.’
‘Leave it now,’ Lewis said. ‘You’ve told them everything. Let them investigate.’ He glanced at the sofa. ‘Why don’t I stay over tonight?’
‘I couldn’t ask you to do that.’ Though she couldn’t deny Hitesh’s response to Colin’s phone call, the feeling she was being watched, had rattled her.
‘You’re not asking, I’m offering. And your sofa looks a lot more comfortable than the lumpy mattress in Simon’s spare room.’
Chapter 50
I watch your progress from afar and I wonder if there is still more to do.
Sometimes you don’t know what’s good for you. I need to point you in the right direction, make you see sense. But you need to be receptive and let me in.
Are you ready for my next move? Are you ready for the truth?
Excitement flutters inside me at the prospect. It’s been a long time coming, a long time in the making, but I need to be cautious. The timing has to be perfect. When you are thinking straight, when you are stable. When you are ready to listen.
Because my next move will change everything.
Chapter 51
The following morning, Sophie was placing sandwiches in the kids’ lunch boxes when Daisy ran into the kitchen.
‘Mum, my coat’s too small.’
‘What?’ It was a half-hearted reply. She was concentrating on the boxes, fastening one then the other, cursing herself for not making the lunches last night. It was almost 8:20 a.m. They should have left for the school run by now. ‘Alfie!’ she called. ‘Have you got your shoes on?’
‘My coat,’ Daisy wailed. ‘It’s getting too tight. Look!’ A rip sounded.
Sophie spun around, faster than she intended. Her hand caught a beaker of juice on the table left over from breakfast. It tumbled to the floor. Pru, who was curled up in her bed in the corner, jumped back and scowled at the splashes reaching across the tiles.
‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,’ Sophie said. The beaker was on its side. Juice spilling off the table and pooling beneath. ‘It’ll have to do for today,’ she said to Daisy. ‘Go and check your brother is ready to go.’
She grabbed a cloth from beside the sink and started mopping up the mess. The children would definitely be late for school now. She was placing the beaker in the sink, cloth still in hand when her mobile rang. It was Ewan.
‘Ewan, can I call you back? Only—’
‘Sophie, this is important,’ he interrupted. ‘I’m at the police station. I need you to listen carefully.’
The cloth slipped out of her hand. She gripped the receiver with both hands. ‘What’s happened? Are you okay?’
‘I’m fine. Don’t worry, it’s just a misunderstanding.’
‘Ewan!’
‘Listen, I don’t have long. I need you to get me a solicitor. I’ll give you a name and their practice. They need to come to the station now. I’ve been arrested.’
* * *
Ruby was running out of the door to work when her mobile rang. She gritted her teeth, fumbled with her key in the lock and waited until she was away from the house before she answered. Lewis was still sleeping in the front room; she didn’t want to disturb him.
She stopped in her tracks when she saw who was calling. ‘Sophie?’
A sob winged down the line.
‘Sophie, is that you?’
‘Yes.’ The word was muffled. Another sob.
‘Sophie, what is it?’
‘I n-need you to come over.’
‘What’s happened?’
‘It’s E-Ewan.’
Ruby froze. ‘Are you safe?’ Had Ewan hurt her, or the children? Oh, God. Please. Don’t let anything happen to her. ‘Sophie?’
A car passed by on the road. Ruby pressed her free hand to her other ear to block out the sound of the engine.
‘Ewan’s been arrested.’ Another strangled sob.
Ruby’s mouth instantly dried. So, Hitesh had listened to her and looked into Ewan’s background. Isla didn’t think he’d been violent with his last two girlfriends. Perhaps there were other occasions. Hitesh must have discovered enough to spur him on to delve further. What else had he found? Something to link him to Charlotte? The whole notion, the whole scenario she’d spent the last twenty-four hours mulling over in her head was finally unfolding before her eyes. And it didn’t feel good.
‘Arrested for what?’ she said, battling to get the words out.
‘Something to do with drugs.’
Ruby jolted. Drugs?
‘C-can you come over? Now?’
Confusion and frustration hammered at her. ‘Of course. I’ll be right there.’
The line went dead. Ruby placed her laptop and bag into the back of her car and slid into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel, desperately trying to order her thoughts. Had the police received other information on Ewan? Or had there been an incident? None of this made any sense.
She was reminded of the dealer in the alley. Was Ewan working with him? And the talk of Sophie’s Valium habit. Could Ewan’s arrest be connected to her sister? It would muddy the waters rather.
She was glad Sophie was reaching out to her. Maybe she was starting to see through Ewan. She hoped so. Still, Ruby felt an uncomfortable twist inside. It was doubtful Sophie would feel the same if she knew about her conversation with Hitesh last night.
Though, she didn’t have time to think about any of these things now. Mark wouldn’t welcome her taking another day off, but, whatever happened, she needed to be by Sophie’s side and try to sort out this mess. She grabbed her phone and typed out a quick text to Kat.
Something going on in the family. Can you tell Mark I’m still sick today? Sorry to have to ask, but it’s important. Don’t worry, will fill you in later x
As Ruby joined the line of traffic heading into town, her mind moved to her sister. She’d sounded desperate on the phone. Her stomach curdled as she pressed her right foot on the accelerator. She needed to get to Sophie before anything else happened.
Chapter 52
Ruby wandered through Sophie’s back door to an eerie silence. No television blasting out, no children’s voices or footsteps pitter-pattering the polished flooring. A quick glance at the kitchen clock – 8:50 a.m.
‘Hello!’ Her voice echoed around the walls. In the front room, Pru was curled up on the sofa in a sun puddle. She raised her head and viewed Ruby through slit eyes. Had Sophie left for the school run and forgotten to lock the back door?
Ruby moved out to the hallway. The sound of a toilet flushing was followed by thuds of footfalls.
Sophie appeared on the stairs. Her hair was tied back, her face drawn. Red rims decorated her eyes. If she was relieved to see Ruby, it didn’t show.
‘Where are the children?’ Ruby asked.
‘I called Louise, asked her to take them to school.’
One blessing. At least they weren’t here, soaking up everything unfolding. They’d seen enough drama in their little lives already. ‘What exactly happened?’
‘I’m not really sure. He phoned as I was about to take the kids to school. Told me the police had been to his flat this morning and arrested him for drugs. Possession with intent to supply, I think he said, but it’s a misunderstanding. He wanted me to contact Stephen Walkton and ask him to go down there and sort it all out.’
Stephen Walkton was a well-known criminal solicitor based in Leicester, a fifty-something eloquent man with a shrewd eye and a sensitive manner with clients. Over the years, he’d developed a magnetic attraction towards high-profile cases, or those which didn’t quite fit the mould. But he was an unusual choice here. Unless Ewan was expecting the police to question him about something more sinister…
‘Why Stephen?’
‘Ewan’s followed his cases in the news. Thinks he’s impressive. The police offered to get him a solicitor, but he doesn’t trust them.’
‘What did he say when he called?’
‘He couldn’t talk for long. There was a search at his flat.’ Sophie bit her lip. ‘Drugs were found. Him and his flatmate were both arrested.’
‘What sort of drugs?’
‘Cocaine, I think. It’s nothing to do with him.’
Cocaine. Not Valium. Although she imagined most dealers would have access to a range of narcotics.
Sophie wiped her nose and sniffed. ‘It is going to be okay, isn’t it?’ She looked up at Ruby, green eyes pleading.
Suddenly they were children again, ten and eight, sitting on the floor in Bridget’s spare room after their mother had been rushed to hospital with suspected appendicitis. Ruby consoling her sister, rubbing her back, telling her everything was going to be okay, when actually she had no idea herself what the outcome would be.
‘It’ll work out, I’m sure.’ She pulled Sophie into an embrace, resting her head on her shoulder.
How was it going to work out? If Ewan was released, her sister would still be at risk. If he was kept in custody, Sophie would be broken and there would be no placating her.
The scent of Sophie’s pear shampoo filled her nose as her sister pulled back. ‘What am I going to do? I can’t bear to lose him.’
Ruby winced. She wanted to say, ‘You’re not going to lose him,’ though it sounded disingenuous in the circumstances. ‘You said yourself, it’s a misunderstanding.’ This was so wrong, so sneaky. She should be honest with her sister. Tell her about Ewan’s sordid past. But where to start? At least him tucked away in a police cell bought her time.
‘You know what the police are like when they get their claws into somebody. And they’ve got this big purge on drugs at the moment. I saw it on the news.’
‘What exactly have the police said?’
‘Nothing. They wouldn’t speak to me when I called. Perhaps I should go down there.’
‘I don’t think you’ll get any more answers at the station. What did Stephen say?’
‘He was in a conference or something, I couldn’t speak with him. His secretary said she’d send someone down urgently.’ She lifted her head, met Ruby’s gaze. ‘He will go himself, won’t he? Ewan was quite specific.’
Ruby wasn’t convinced, but she plastered her kindest smile on her face. ‘I’m sure he’ll do his best. Why don’t I ring the solicitors again and find out what’s happening?’
It took Ruby an age to get through to Walkton and Sons, only to be told Stephen was tied up on another case and a junior solicitor called Henry Martin had been sent. She asked them to get a message to Henry to call Sophie with an update as soon as possible.
‘I bet he’s straight out of law school,’ Sophie said when Ruby ended the call. ‘Ewan would have been better off with the duty solicitor.’
They wandered into the kitchen. The last time they’d been in there together was Sunday when they were arguing over Ewan. It seemed an age ago now.
‘I’m glad you called,’ Ruby said, flicking the switch on the kettle. ‘I’ve been feeling awful about the weekend.’
‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ A muscle flexed in Sophie’s cheek.
‘Okay.’ But it was like an elephant in the room, huge and suffocating. Especially as the incident was all about Ewan, the person they were talking about now. ‘How have you been?’
‘Fine. We’ve all been fine, until this morning.’
Ruby busied herself with making tea, heaping sugar into Sophie’s, in an effort to calm her. She hated seeing her like this.
Birds tweeted on the apple tree outside as she moved the mugs over to the table.
They sipped their drinks, the warm tea, gently soothing.
‘I should call Hitesh,’ Sophie said, placing her mug down and looking up suddenly, as if she’d had a light-bulb moment.
The last thing Ruby needed was a visit from Hitesh right now. She fought to remain calm and took another sip of her drink, but it was like swallowing a mouthful of sand. ‘Why Hitesh?’ she croaked. ‘He’s a liaison officer. I don’t see how he could help.’
‘He’s police, isn’t he? I bet he’ll have some idea of what’s happening. Or he’ll be able to find out.’ Sophie surveyed her sister, and frowned. ‘What? Can you think of anything better…’
‘No, of course. If you think it’s the right thing to do.’
Ruby’s throat constricted as Sophie pulled out her phone. She listened to the dial tone ring out, one, two, three, four… Would Hitesh mention his conversation with Ruby last night? Should she tell Sophie first? Or would he ask about her well-being? He might even say there had been a report of bruising, or that a member of her family has raised concerns about her safety. Her heart was in her mouth. If he said any of those things, Sophie would instantly know she’d gone behind her back.
The voicemail kicked in. Her shoulders relaxed. She listened to her sister leave a message, asking him to see what he could find out, pleading with him to call her back.
‘Why don’t we go and sit in the front room?’ Ruby said when she called off. ‘You look like you need some rest.’ She needed to calm Sophie down and find a way to tell her sister what she’d been up to before she found out from elsewhere. Although she had no idea how to even start broaching the subject, especially at a time like this.
Chapter 53
Sophie placed the receiver down. ‘They’re interviewing him again this afternoon. Henry said they can keep him in for thirty-six hours before seeking a magistrate’s authorisation for an extension. He could be there overnight.’ A tear trickled down Sophie’s cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.
Ruby stretched her arm around her sister’s shoulder. It was almost 1 p.m. and despite crying herself into an exhausted slumber in Ruby’s arms, and sleeping for almost three hours, dark shadows still lingered beneath Sophie’s eyes. It was awful to see her so distressed. Nothing Ruby could tell her, nothing she could say, would alleviate the pain. And when she’d finally woken and resolved to phone the solicitors again, yet more bad news was piled onto an already brimming pile.
The meeting with Isla had been plaguing her all day. Manipulative, she’d said of Ewan. Dangerous. Why wouldn’t she go into detail? Perhaps it was because she had no direct evidence. If Ewan hurt his partners and persuaded them not to make a complaint, there would be nothing on police record.
She looked across at her sister now, her snow-white skin, green teardrop eyes, the vibrant ginger curls tucked behind her ears. Bridget was right, she did share their mother’s worrisome streak. She could be stubborn, hard-nosed when she wanted to be, but beneath that brittle shell, she was soft and malleable, like putty. Which left her open to manipulation.
Sophie collected the used mugs from earlier and carried them through to the kitchen.
