Page 125 of Dying Truth
‘She was indeed,’ Shelly said, reaching for a photograph from the windowsill. ‘Competed in the Commonwealth Games, you know. Came fourth,’ she said, proudly.
But Maggie Peters wasn’t listening. Her eyes were on Bryant. Her body might be failing her, but her mind was wide awake.
‘You said “too”, officer,’ she breathed. ‘Are you here about Lorraine?’
Kim could hear both fear and hope in her voice. Maybe it was the fear to hope. She nodded at Bryant for him to continue.
‘Mrs Peters, we’re—’
‘Maggie, please,’ she said, quietly.
Bryant nodded. ‘We’re here because of certain incidents at Heathcrest. The name of your daughter came up,’ he explained. ‘We understand she was on a full scholarship at Heathcrest,’ he said, guiding her gently back into the past.
Shelly sat on the arm of Maggie’s chair and took her hand.
‘Yes, she was approached at a regional championship gala. She was so excited and so was I. Her father, God rest his soul, was not as keen. And neither was Lorraine after we visited.
‘We were shown around Heathcrest, and the more excited I got the quieter she became. Visiting the place had highlighted the possibilities for me but had brought home the reality of leaving all her friends and everything that was familiar for Lorraine.
‘Her father told her to make the right choice for herself and that we would be fine with whatever she wanted to do.’
‘And you?’ Bryant probed for the words she wanted to say.
Maggie shook her head. ‘It’s what I wanted to say. It’s what I should have said but I honestly thought that Heathcrest would be a fantastic opportunity for her. She would have access to better facilities, one-on-one coaching, focused training and a top-notch education to boot. I knew that with her talent and their expertise my girl would be swimming in the Olympics. And she would have been…’
‘Was she happy there?’ Bryant asked.
Maggie smiled. ‘I tried to convince myself that she was. She’d lost some of her sparkle, but I told myself that she’d be fine once she made some new friends. Her training was going well. She’d shaved almost three seconds off her personal best. Her coach was entering her into higher pressure meets to acclimatise her to the world of competitive swimming.’
‘So, what happened?’ Bryant asked.
‘She met a boy,’ Maggie said, simply. ‘Her attention moved from her training and also from her studies. She started missing sessions and questioning her coach.
‘I got a call asking if I’d speak to her. Attempt to refocus her attention. And I did so, earlier that day.’
‘The day she died?’ Bryant asked.
Maggie nodded. ‘That’s when she told me she was pregnant.’
‘And did she tell you who the father was?’ Bryant asked.
Kim held her breath. One name. All they needed was one name.
Maggie shook her head.
‘She said it was a secret but that he was as happy about the baby as she was and that they were meeting later that night to discuss their future.’
‘So, you’re saying that the father of the child definitely knew about the pregnancy?’ Kim asked.
‘Oh yes, officer. He definitely knew.’
Eighty-Seven
‘You do know you’re wasting your time?’ Dawson said across the desk. ‘Those numbers aren’t going to tell you anything.’
‘Found your smoking gun in the witness statements yet?’ Stacey retorted.
He grumbled something incomprehensible as he reached for the next.
