‘Too much of a risk. She could have got out. Someone could have found her.’
‘Without light, Myrtle wouldn’t have had a clue which way was up. The chances of her crawling in the right direction were practically non-existent. She’d have drowned, if she were lucky.’
‘Stumbling around in the dark, getting bruised and sore won’t kill someone,’ she says. ‘And nobody ever died of fear.’
‘But even if she got out, all she could do was describe him. I doubt he was simple enough to give her his name.’
‘That probably rules Pete Weston off the list of suspects. Any victim who survived would be bound to come into contact with the lead detective on the case.’
‘Ah well, I’m just tossing ideas around. Having a bit of fun.’
And that was the problem. Men in his position weren’t supposed to have fun. ‘Hamish, I brought the papers that will officially appoint me as your lawyer. But what you’re doing is making me question the wisdom of that.’
He isn’t fazed. ‘Oh, Maggie, you’re not that easily spooked. All I’m doing is what every officer on the case will have done a dozen times over. I’m trying to work out how our man did it.’
‘But you seem to take such pleasure in it.’
He looks, unblinking, into her eyes. ‘No, the pleasure is in your company, I promise you. You are such a refreshing change from my mother.’
‘You don’t see anyone else?’ she asks him.
He frowns. ‘My dad, sometimes, but his health isn’t great. And visits are restricted, as you know, for anyone other than my legal team and the police still working on the unresolved part of the case. Detective Pete is coming on Monday.’
She hadn’t known that. The thought of the two of them talking makes her uncomfortable. ‘Do you know what about?’
‘Other than the whereabouts of Zoe Sykes, I haven’t a clue. Actually, I’m quite looking forward to talking about you.’
‘OK, we’re running out of time and there are some other areas I need to cover.’ She looks at her notes. ‘One of the women I met at your mother’s little support group, a homeless woman called Odi, claims to have seen someone entering Rill Cavern one night in April 2014. While you were on remand.’
The news hasn’t surprised him. ‘Mum told me. She was practically spitting feathers. I can’t get too excited though. This Odi woman sounds like a pretty unreliable witness. Plus it was dark and she was some distance away.’
‘I’m going to talk to her again. Away from the group.’
He looks troubled. ‘From what Mum’s told me, Odi’s away with the fairies.’
‘Ten minutes, everyone.’ The guard’s voice cuts above the general conversation. ‘Ten minutes more.’
Maggie pulls on her gloves and puts her coat around her shoulders, conscious of his eyes on her. He’s broken into a sweat in the last few seconds. In spite of his glib words and easy smile, she can feel his anxiety. His heart will be beating fast and hard.
‘Time’s up, Maggie,’ he says. ‘So, million-dollar question – do you believe me?’
It is the hardest thing to look him directly in the eyes. ‘No,’ she tells him. ‘But I think I can get you out of here.’
He is silent. His shoulders are rising and falling with an accelerated breathing that he is no longer able to control.
‘Isn’t that what you want?’ she asks.
‘Of course. But I’d rather it be on the basis of my innocence than your cleverness.’
‘Only one of those is in my control.’ She waits.
He pulls himself together. ‘OK. Let’s find out exactly how clever you are. Here’s what I want you to do. Feel free to take notes.’
For a second she can only stare. ‘What you want me to do?’
‘Of course. You’re my lawyer now, or you will be when I sign the papers. That means I instruct you.’
Well, technically he is right, but—
‘Time please, ladies and gentlemen. Can all visitors start making their way to the door.’
‘OK, in the interest of speed, tell me what you want me to do.’
‘Shouldn’t I sign those papers first?’
Around them, people are getting up. Couples are embracing. Some are already making their way to the door. She fishes in her bag and finds the contract copies.
‘I hope you brought a pen,’ he says.
She rummages some more. ‘Just a cheap one. I didn’t want to risk anything decent.’
He scribbles his name at the bottom of two of the documents and hands back the black ink biro.
‘My first job is to talk to Odi, the homeless woman, again,’ she says, in an attempt to establish that she is the one in control here.
He gives a quick, sharp shake of the head. ‘You’re barking up the wrong tree with her. I think you should find out what happened to Zoe. Find her body, link her conclusively to the other three women and I’m in the clear, because Mum gives me an alibi for the night she went missing.’
‘The police don’t accept that alibi. They can’t just take the word of your mother.’