Page 55 of Hidden Daughters

‘I can do that from here.’ She was adamant.

‘Do I have to arrest you?’ He leaned his head to one side and scratched his beard.

She figured he’d love to do just that. She scrubbed her shoe on the ground, dislodging the grit beneath it. Maybe she deserved his scorn, but she couldn’t rid her mind of the abject terror she’d seen in the woman’s eyes earlier. She had promised her safety, then she’d lost her. The only thing she was guilty of was irresponsibility.

‘I don’t think she killed anyone,’ she said quietly. ‘She was terrified.’

‘Terrified she’d be arrested for murder,’ Mooney scoffed.

‘No, it wasn’t that.’ She shook her head distractedly. ‘Something or someone made her unbelievably scared. It’s possible she might have seen who killed Mickey Fox.’

‘Or she killed the old man herself.’ Mooney voiced her worst fear. He continued, ‘Are you coming with me, or do I have to read you your rights?’

She put out her hand to Boyd. For reassurance rather than comfort. He hesitated, and she thought she might cry. But then he relented and gave her a quick hug.

‘Just cooperate, Lottie,’ he whispered in her ear.

‘I will,’ she muttered. ‘As soon as I figure out what Mooney knows that he’s not telling me.’

‘Not your investigation.’ Boyd shook his head, warning her.

‘I know, I know. But I’m involved on the other side now. You and Bryan carry out a decent search of the area. She’s out there somewhere. I’m worried for her safety.’

‘And I worry for yours. Be careful.’

‘I will.’

She followed Mooney to his car.

Mooney drove in silence. Lottie hated silence. Hated his silence anyhow.

‘She can’t have gone far,’ she said, needing to hear a sound other than the roar of the car engine. ‘She’s on foot. We should have searched more carefully. That’s if she’s just fled and hasn’t been abducted.’

He said nothing.

‘Come on. Matt?’

‘Detective Sergeant Mooney to you. And for your information, I’ve asked my people to search the locale. Where’s your brother-in-law? Bryan whatshisname’

‘O’Shaughnessy.’

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. ‘Where do you think he is?’

‘How would I know? I’ve hardly been in the house since I arrived.’ She thought about it for a moment. ‘He’s probably out tending his sheep.’

‘You make him sound like a fucking shepherd.’

‘Isn’t that what you call a person who tends sheep?’ She was well aware that he wasn’t amused.

‘I’ve done a bit of digging on your Mr O’Shaughnessy.’

‘He’s not my anything.’

‘It was you who came to me with his cock-and-bull story.’

‘Why do you call it that?’

He shook his head. No way was he telling her anything more, which made her wonder what exactly he had found out about Bryan.

---