Page 29 of The Truth Will Out
“Not to worry. I’ll have a word with him after I’ve finished talking to you.”
“I thought you might. I would, too. You can’t be too careful these days. He might pull up his anchor and set sail if you delay speaking to him.”
“It’s fine. I’ll sort it. And you said you didn’t see anyone else in the vicinity?”
“That’s right. I didn’t even see the little bugger who left the graffiti on the shop window over there.” He pointed to the shop on the corner.
Sam withdrew her phone, took a picture and zoomed in on it due to her eyesight deteriorating lately. The message was written in red; it might have been blood, but without getting closer, Sam wasn’t sure. It read, ‘Traitor’.
What the heck? Was that directed at Claire? It must have been. It’s too much of a coincidence otherwise.
“Forgive me for interrupting. You seem distracted. Do you know the victim?” he asked. “The reason I ask is because you seem upset. Or am I reading things into it?”
“You’re very astute, Mr Torrence. She’s a member of my team.”
“A policewoman? Oh, no, I had no idea. Was she working a case?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I can’t go into detail.”
“Of course. My wife Edna was always telling me that I’m a nosey git. God rest her soul. Despite our differences, I still miss her. She’s been gone over ten years now. Rex is a comfort but not really the same. Forgive me, I’m waffling again. The police officer—was she married?”
“Yes. She also had two children. Around ten and twelve, I believe.”
“How awful. Your lot really do put your lives on the line, don’t you? I’m sure I speak for most of the community when I say this: we’re grateful for the sacrifices you make to keep the public safe in the line of duty.”
“Thank you. We really don’t hear that enough from the public.”
“Well, let’s be honest, all the bad press the Met has received over the years probably puts all coppers in a bad light, I suppose.”
“Yes, we’ve had to take the flack for that. Right, I’m going to need to get on now. If I can take your address, I’ll get a uniformed officer to visit you at your convenience over the next few days to take a statement from you.”
He gave her the relevant information and smiled. “It’s just awful the young lady was killed. I sincerely hope you find the person who robbed her of her life. This type of thing shouldn’t happen, not when all you’re guilty of is doing your job.”
“I agree. Unfortunately, it happens more than the public realises. Thank you for making the call this morning.”
“Only doing my duty. I wish the outcome had been better for her and for you.”
“Me too. Take care, Mr Torrence.”
He smiled and jerked his dog’s lead to get it to walk on. “Come on, Rex. Let’s get home for some breakfast now, if we can stomach it.”
Bob joined her as she watched the man and his dog walk back along the pier.
“There’s something we’ve missed,” Sam whispered.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Come with me.”
They walked towards the row of shops.
“Shit. I can see it. What the fuck? Was that aimed at Claire?”
“I can only assume that it was. I hadn’t noticed it when I drew up. The old man pointed it out to me.”
Bob slammed his clenched fist against his thigh. “Why call her a traitor, and what secrets was she hiding?”
“I’m at a loss to know what this is about and if there’s a connection to Morgan’s murder. I’m trying to think back over the last couple of days as to how Claire had reacted to the news. Thinking about it, I suppose she’s been quieter than normal. What do you think?”
