me for the whole week she was supposed to be away. It wasn’t until Sophie got back that she started to calm down …’ Kate faltered.
‘Thanks,’ muttered Brady as he took the photo back. He knew there was no point in mentioning the other photographs on the victim’s notice board. Not now. He had to let Kate absorb what he’d told her and then later, when they were both feeling calmer, he’d come back and take another statement from Evie.
‘Do you know the dates of the German trip?’ Brady asked.
‘Not off the top of my head but I can look them up for you,’ answered Kate.
‘That would be good. The sooner the better.’
Kate distractedly nodded.
‘Jack?’ Kate asked as he started to leave.
He turned back.
‘I don’t know what you think you’re trying to prove,’ she said.
‘I’m just trying to get to the truth, that’s all,’ Brady answered in a heavy voice before heading towards the front door.
Brady walked back to Conrad’s car. He couldn’t help but notice that a dark silver BMW saloon was parked opposite the house. It didn’t take much to recognise the passenger; he was easily discernible in daylight. He was six feet four and as wide as he was tall. Unfortunately it was all flexed muscle; glistening, powerful. Gibbs was one of Madley’s henchmen. He covered as a bouncer at Madley’s nightclub in Whitley Bay, but that was for pocket money; his day job paid the rent. Brady hadn’t seen the driver before, a scrawny, dark-haired guy with a sneer for a face.
Brady got in and sighed wearily. His leg was playing up. He rummaged through his inside jacket pocket for some painkillers. His hand nudged against the set of house keys he’d discreetly lifted from Matthews’ kitchen worktop. Matthews had left him no choice. Brady had to come back later to see if he had left any trace of where he’d gone.
He found the bottle and threw two tablets into his mouth and swallowed.
‘Matthews’ kid reckons that Sophie left here at ten last night and walked home. So, we need to widen our door to door enquiries to include the surrounding areas of Wellfield as well as Earsdon. And, we definitely need to find out who was in The Beacon pub last night. For all we know, someone either leaving or entering the pub saw her as she walked past.’
‘Right, sir,’ Conrad answered as he concentrated on pulling out onto the main street.
Brady thought about organising a filmed reconstruction of the victim walking home from Earsdon village to jolt the public’s memory. But what really worried him was Matthews’ part in this. If someone had witnessed Matthews picking the victim up then it wasn’t only Matthews who would be finished, it would be Brady too.
‘Talked to Jenkins,’ Conrad stated.
‘Did she find out from her classmates whether Sophie had a boyfriend?’ Brady asked, hoping for anything to take the heat off Matthews.
‘Seemingly, Sophie had a reputation for being a party girl. There were some rumours about an older boyfriend, but no one could substantiate it. And as for ex-boyfriends, they only knew about her last boyfriend who was some kid named Shane McGuire. But, aside from that, she was exactly as her parents described, a straight-A student who was well-liked by everyone,’ answered Conrad.
‘Not everyone,’ Brady replied in a low voice.
He looked at Gibbs and his companion as Conrad pulled past the idling Beamer.
‘We’ve got company,’ Brady stated.
Conrad looked in the rearview mirror. His jaw tightened.
Brady was aware that this was all the evidence Conrad needed to know that Matthews was in deep shit. Presumably, he mused, Madley’s men were dumb enough to think that they would lead them straight to Matthews.
‘Bloody idiots,’ Brady muttered. But then again, that was why they had the day job they had with Madley.
Brady sighed as he rested his head back and closed his eyes. Worried didn’t even come close; not any more. If Gibbs had been sent to find Matthews, then Brady knew that Madley was past talking. Gibbs had once been a heavyweight boxer; successful in his time. Brady remembered when he used to do the boxing circuits throughout the North East. Since retiring from the ring, Madley had decided to keep him as a pet; a fierce, snarling, slathering Rottweiler at that, all bite and no bark.
Brady needed to find Matthews first. It was Matthews’ only hope of coming out of this in one piece. Gibbs didn’t talk and he certainly didn’t let his opponent.
Brady pulled out his mobile and rang the station.
‘Charlie? I want you to pass some information on to Rutherford for me. Yeah … yeah … I know he hates my guts. I know… yeah. Tell me something I don’t know!’
Brady laughed as he listened to Turner’s response. Rutherford was a traffic cop who had it in for Brady and would wait at certain junctions to catch Brady out. He knew Brady liked a drink and was adamant that one day he’d get him. There was no loyalty between Traffic and CID; at least not where Rutherford was concerned.
‘Well, this will get him going … Tell the tight-arsed bugger that there’s a dark silver BMW saloon, registration …’
‘Y469 FGP,’ put in Conrad.
He repeated the registration details to Turner and added a few embellishments for good measure.
Brady rested his head back against the headrest and smiled. ‘That’ll keep Gibbs busy for an hour or so. You know Rutherford’s a tight-arsed git when he wants to be. Let’s see how Gibbs and his mate explain speeding in a stolen car.’
‘Shall I put my foot down, sir?’ Conrad asked.
‘Does the Pope shit in the woods?’ Brady answered.
He started dialling.
‘Kate? It’s me.’
‘Now’s not a good time, Jack,’ she answered coolly.
‘Look, throw whatever you need in a bag and leave.’
‘You can’t be serious?’ answered Kate, incredulously.
‘Kate, I wouldn’t be telling you if I wasn’t serious.’
‘Tell me Jimmy’s not behind this?’
Brady sighed wearily.
‘He is, isn’t he? What the hell has he got himself involved in now?’
‘I don’t know the details. Just trust me. Leave. Go to your mother’s in Morpeth and wait there until everything’s calmed down here.’
Kate sighed.
‘I can’t go there,’ she quietly replied. ‘Whatever trouble Jimmy’s in I’ll deal with it here.’
‘Why can’t you go to Evelyn’s?’ Brady asked.
‘I just can’t. She’s sick of hearing me complain about Jimmy. This would be the last straw if she knew he’d just disappeared and left us to deal with whatever crap he’s got himself involved in. Believe me, Jack, I don’t want my family hearing about this. I … I don’t know what I’m going to do yet about Jimmy but I do know I don’t want Evelyn having another tirade at me about marrying him.’
Brady didn’t say anything. He knew things were bad for Kate, but he just hadn’t realised how bad.
Brady realised from her breathing that she was silently crying.
‘What about friends? Surely there’s someone you know who would put you up for a few days?’ Brady quietly asked.
‘No,’ she mumbled. ‘What Jimmy’s done to me is embarrassing enough without the humiliation of having to share it. He’s had too many affairs. Too many for my friends to have any sympathy left, not now. For years everybody I know, especially Evelyn, has been telling me to leave him. God, Jack, why did I get involved with him? Why?’ she asked.
