‘Evie?’
‘He used to touch her … You know?’ she conceded reluctantly.
The allegation matched his gut feeling about Simmons. Together with the autopsy findings and Evie’s evidence, Simmons’ problems had only just begun.
‘I … I promised I would never say anything. Sophie didn’t want anyone to know …’ Evie mumbled, scared.
‘Things have changed, Evie,’ Brady reassured her. ‘Sophie would understand.’
Evie looked at him with eyes filled with distrust.
‘What did she tell you?’ he asked gently.
‘She never talked about it. Only when she was really pissed …’ She suddenly faltered, remembering. ‘Then … then she’d go crazy. Didn’t care what she did. Didn’t worry about getting hurt or even …’
Brady waited for her to continue.
‘He knew about the tattoo …’ she suddenly stated. ‘Went off it when he saw it but he couldn’t do anything about it, you know?’
Brady nodded, realising what she meant. With clothes on no one would ever have known Sophie had the tattoo.
‘He was still …?’ Brady gently asked.
‘What do you think? She was desperate to get away from him. That’s why she would stay out so late, you know? Just to avoid him. And she’d stay behind at school just in case he’d got back from work early. She’d wait until she knew her mum was definitely home.’
Brady nodded.
‘Thanks for telling me that, Evie. I know it must have been really difficult for you.’
Brady mentally prepared himself for asking the question that had been plaguing him.
‘Evie? Why would Sophie have your father’s mobile number?’
She looked at him blankly.
‘Why?’ he repeated.
She shook her head numbly as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.
‘I … I … said that she could ring Dad if she got scared. So … so he could go pick her up. I knew he was at work last night and … and that he could stop, you know …?’ Evie faltered as more tears fell down her cheeks.
Brady breathed a sigh of relief.
He had needed to hear that. He had to admit that he’d been thrown when Conrad had shown him the logged calls and Matthews’ number had shown up as the last number called by the victim. It hadn’t made any sense then. But now it did.
‘You see she was up a height when she rang me. She was really worried about going home without her keys … He used to get angry with her … I mean really angry and then if she didn’t … you know?’
Brady nodded in response.
‘It’s my fault,’ muttered Evie.
‘No, Evie—’ Brady began.
She turned and stared at him.
‘You don’t understand. If it hadn’t been for me it would never have happened. Instead of just letting her come back to mine I … I told her to stand up to him … to tell him …’ She shook her head as tears licked their way down her cheeks.
‘Evie, believe me, what happened to Sophie had nothing to do with you or what you said. It would have happened regardless,’ Brady reassured her.
Brady looked at her, waiting for an acknowledgement. But she had already forgotten him and had her earphones on, listening to music as she wrote a text.
He walked into the kitchen and saw Kate standing by the window, arms folded, blankly staring out into the darkness.
‘She told you then?’ she asked without turning.
‘Yes,’ answered Brady.
‘She’s scared, Jack. She’s still just a little girl …’
‘I know.’
Brady waited, not knowing how to say it.
‘I saw her wrists,’ he finally said.
Kate kept her back to him as she nodded.
‘She didn’t realise I’d come back. I walked in on her …’ Kate said, her voice trembling. ‘That’s when I forced her to talk. To tell me what would frighten her so much that she’d harm herself.’
Brady didn’t answer.
‘I mean, Christ? Can it get any worse?’
‘Do you want me to organise someone to talk to Evie? To help her with … well, you know?’ Brady gently suggested.
Kate spun round and looked him at him with blazing green eyes. She was angry, but he didn’t know if it was with him or the situation.
‘What’s going on, Jack?’
‘What?’
‘All of this?’ She theatrically gestured to the room. ‘For fuck’s sake! What’s really going on here? Why am I hiding out in your house for Christ’s sake?’
‘You know why. Jimmy’s got himself into a bit of troubleand I’m just looking out for you until he sorts it,’ Brady answered.
‘At what price? Or is this just you on another Jack Brady crusade?’
Brady looked at her, thrown.
‘No,’ he muttered, hurt. ‘Jimmy and I go back. You know that.’
‘I know Jimmy’s in it up to his neck, that’s what I do know. And that DCI Gates is desperate to find him. But what I can’t figure out is what part you play in all of this?’
‘I owe Jimmy, that’s all,’ Brady quietly replied.
‘How?’
‘He got rid of someone for me.’
Kate looked at him, surprised.
‘What did Jimmy do?’ she asked after some deliberation.
‘I never asked,’ muttered Brady. ‘He just dealt with it.’
Kate looked at Brady questioningly. They both knew what Matthews was capable of.
‘Problem?’ Conrad asked as Brady climbed into the car.
‘For Paul Simmons,’ Brady answered.
‘Why?’ Conrad asked, realising from Brady’s expression that something was wrong.
‘He needs to be brought into the station for questioning.’
Conrad looked at him.
‘I know. I know, I’m going to look like a real fucking bastard but I don’t give a damn.’
‘Nothing new there then, sir,’ Conrad stated.
Brady leaned across the table and looked Simmons straight in the eye.
‘So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to tell me the truth or are you going to keep feeding me the same bullshit?’
‘I’m not taking this any more!’ Simmons snapped as he stood up.
‘I’m not done with you yet,’ Brady answered as he pushed him back down.
‘I’ll have you done for assault, Detective!’
‘It’s Detective Inspector, sir,’ Brady pointed out.
‘You’ve got nothing on me,’ Simmons stated defiantly.
‘I wouldn’t be so sure, sir,’ replied Brady.
