‘What do you want from us, exactly?’ asks Doggett.
‘I want to know where you all were on 6 July 2013, 11 September 2013, and 4 November of that year. Those were the dates the three women disappeared. Oh, and better let me know where you were on 8 June 2012, when Zoe Sykes vanished. Just until we rule her out.’
All three stare at her. Pearson voices their thoughts. ‘Are you insane?’
It is possible she might actually enjoy this. ‘When I’ve found evidence of the business you set up all those years ago, James Laurence’s testimony about you will suddenly become much more credible. Then we have five potentially dangerous, predatory men, not just one. It seems a little far-fetched to imagine you worked together to kill Zoe, Jessie, Chloe and Myrtle, so your alibis, or lack of them, should point me in the right direction.’
Simon Doggett stands up and practically spits his last mouthful of coffee at Oliver. ‘She’s an absolute fruitcake. I can’t believe you dragged me from Newport for this.’
‘Which of you killed Daisy?’ Maggie looks from one to the next, seeing the sweat break out on Easton’s temples, the red veins in Pearson’s cheeks glow a little brighter. ‘Because I don’t believe it was Hamish. He was fond of her. And he was with her that night, wasn’t he? She was there when you came to his house in the middle of the night. You probably didn’t know, Hamish thought she was asleep, but she heard what you were saying. She knew what happened to the girl in Warwick’s room. I think she threatened to go to the police and you had to shut her up.’
They are staring at her the way they might watch a dog tear apart a rabbit, the way they might look after slowing down to pass a road traffic accident, repulsed but fascinated at the same time. She has become the human equivalent of roadkill.
‘But you knew you’d never get away with two dead women in one night, so Daisy had to disappear. The only thing I’m not sure about is whether you were all involved, or just some of you. I’m certain Hamish wasn’t, though, because he thinks she’s still alive. He wants me to find her.’
While she’s been talking, they’ve risen, one by one. They want to hurt her. They won’t, though, not here. The veneer of civilization clings to them like burnt jam to the side of a saucepan.
‘Seeing as how you’re a lawyer, Miss Rose, you’ll understand about restraining orders,’ says Easton.
Maggie smiles.
‘I shall be applying for one and I advise the others to do the same. And I’ll be lodging a complaint against you at the bar.’
‘I wouldn’t have the reputation I have without a few complaints and restraining orders, Mr Easton. Have a good trip back to Gloucester. I’ll be seeing you.’
Maggie doesn’t watch the three men leave. She just hears the swish of the door and feels the rush of cold air as the front door of the hotel closes behind them.
All things considered, that went rather well.
Chapter 83
FOR ONCE HAMISH hasn’t shaved. Dark stubble, almost a beard, covers his jaw and neck and lines his upper lip. He hasn’t showered either. He smells like the Lycra-clad men who run past her in the street, and of clothes that need washing. This is the first time he hasn’t made an effort for her and Maggie isn’t sure how she feels about it. But if he’s starting to take her for granted then maybe it’s time to remind him how much he needs her. She starts speaking almost before his cuffs have been removed, before the guard has closed the door, shutting them in together.
‘No more lies, no more evasions. I want to know what happened the night Ellie Holmes died and Daisy Baron disappeared. I will know if you’re not telling me the truth.’
He rubs one wrist, flexes and bends his fingers. ‘Did the guys lie to you?’
She thinks back to the three men who tried to bully her in the Bristol hotel. ‘Not as such. They rather cleverly avoided telling me anything too much. They blustered. Poured outrage over each other and themselves. They’re hiding something, though. They’re frightened.’
He scratches the side of his neck and inserts his little finger into his ear. ‘Even so, I really can’t believe any of them framed me for three murders. I know these guys. They don’t have it in them.’
She glares. ‘That’s interesting. Because they all think you’re more than capable.’
He looks surprised, then a little hurt. His hands fall back on to the table. ‘Really?’
‘They all think you’re guilty. Oliver Pearson especially, and his wife. There was awe in their voices when they spoke of you.’
He thinks about this for a moment. ‘If they believe me guilty, they can’t be.’
‘No, you’re right. I don’t think any of them are guilty of killing Jessie, et al. I never did.’