Page 58 of The Girls in the Lake
‘She was found deceased just after lunch; we believe it might be as a direct result of her falling off your boat into the water.’
Millen watched his client keenly. James glanced at him.
‘No comment.’
Josh sighed, not missing the look of relief which passed over Oliver Millen’s face. He continued to ask his questions, every single answer the same.
‘No comment.’
After twenty minutes Oliver held up his hand. ‘Look, DS Walker, I think you’ve got everything you’re going to get. My client has nothing to say. He has no knowledge of the unfortunate events surrounding the girl going into the water. Until you have some evidence to say otherwise this interview is over.’
He stood up. ‘Do you have any evidence to support my client’s involvement?’
‘No, like I said we are just trying to get to the bottom of how Tamara Smythson ended up in the lake.’
‘Well he can’t help you. Good evening.’
Before Josh could reply, James had been ushered out of the interview room. The custody sergeant buzzed the heavy metal door, and Josh tugged it open. He led them along the cold, white corridor to the exit where he then let them out.
Watching them walk across the car park to Oliver Millen’s expensive Porsche – which was probably paid for by the Marshall family – Josh’s shoulders drooped. He had wanted a better outcome than this, had hoped that Marshall would confess to pushing Tamara into the lake, as well as Leah and Julia. They still had Johnson though; hopefully Paton and Sykes would get a better result.
Sixty-Five
After Oliver had dropped James off at his apartment, James had gone straight in to shower, and then dressed in a pair of faded Levi’s and a black roll-neck jumper. It was cold and dark outside, but he needed a break. Then he smiled to himself. No, he needed a woman.
Oliver had had the audacity to ask him if he knew what was going on and why the police were so keen to pin something on him. He’d shrugged; wasn’t that what they paid him extortionate amounts of money to find out? If his father got wind that he’d been formally interviewed by the police he would probably have a stroke. Best to keep a safe distance from his parents for the time being. Luckily, he had that longing in his groin that could only be satisfied by hot, lustful sex. Was it really less than a week since he’d brought Chloe back here? It felt like months. Smiling at his reflection, he sprayed a generous amount of Bleu de Chanel on his neck and went in search of her.
The Hydro was deserted, so he crossed the reception area and headed towards the bar. Sitting down, he ordered a glass of wine to be safe; he knew he could drink a couple of bottles and still perform to a satisfactory level in the bedroom.
‘Have one yourself,’ he said to the pretty waitress who delivered his drink.
She smiled at him. ‘Thank you, I’m not allowed on duty though.’
He looked at her blonde hair which was slicked back in a neat bun. She was pretty, not as pretty as Chloe, but if he couldn’t locate her this one would make a pretty good replacement. ‘I’m looking for Chloe; I don’t know her second name but I know she works here. She’s French. Do you know her?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, poor Chloe. She’s been very upset since one of our colleagues passed away. They were close. Probably more so because they’re both the same age and Chloe was staying with Leah in Devon on her exchange visit before they came here.’
‘Yes, I suppose it is.’
Another customer appeared at the bar and the waitress went to serve them. He wondered how Ethan had fared at the police station. It wouldn’t have surprised him if he hadn’t sat there bawling like a baby because he was scared. He doubted he’d have been able to afford a decent solicitor either. Maybe he should check in on him, he thought, and then he caught a whiff of a soft, delicate fragrance behind him. Turning slightly, he felt a soft pair of lips brush against his cheek.
‘I hear you were looking for me?’
He smiled at her; she was beautiful. The first few buttons on the top of her shirt were open revealing the soft swell of those magnificent breasts, and he wanted to drag her out of here and to the nearest bedroom now.
‘I was, but you’ve found me first. How lucky am I? Would you like a drink?’
He remembered his manners; although he had nothing but sex on his mind he still knew that he’d get a lot more from her if he treated her right. After all, she’d been the first woman in a long time to give him the brush-off. It was time to make her pay for that mistake, but he wasn’t in a rush. The girl from behind the bar smiled at him and he realised she’d probably messaged Chloe to tell her he was looking for her. He smiled back, ordered a bottle of champagne and slipped her a fifty pound tip.
Sixty-Six
Beth made it home before the storm broke. It was so gloomy inside the house she went through it switching on lamps both up and downstairs to make it cosy. Dressed in a pair of fluffy pyjamas, she opened the fridge to find something to eat and decided on cheese on toast. Quick and simple. She always kept the wine rack stocked up and for a fleeting moment she almost took a bottle out to pour herself a glass, but she resisted. It was a bad habit: work, home, wine, repeat. Instead, she took a carton of fruit juice and poured a glass of that. Things needed to change; she had to start getting out of the house for something other than work. She’d like to do more running, but it was dangerous this time of year when the roads were dark and not well lit. Swimming was out of the question after recent events. She walked over to the huge glass window that gave her views of the lake. She hadn’t even walked down to the bottom of her garden since that day. Pushing her feet into the pair of boots she kept near the back door, she unlocked it and stepped outside. There was that definite chill in the air which October always brought, coupled with the heavy rain clouds that filled the sky. As a rule, Beth loved this time of year; she loved being able to wear warm jumpers, boots, covering her sometimes-wayward hair with a hat. The darker nights made it much easier to sleep longer, and she enjoyed watching the leaves on the trees turn firecracker red, orange and yellow before they fell to the ground. She hadn’t really thought about all this for so long.
She pushed herself to walk away from the safety of the house. The entire garden was flooded with brilliant white light as the security lights blazed into life, banishing all of the dark corners and shadows until she was nearer to the lake. She looked around; there was no one here. The lights hadn’t triggered; she was safe and secure in her own little slice of lakeside heaven. Reassured by this comforting thought, she walked down towards the water’s edge. She’d forgotten how peaceful she found the sound of water lapping against the shingle. It had been the big pull of this house when she’d first looked at it. The seclusion, the security, the close proximity to the lake; just being able to sit by it and contemplate life had drawn her in hook, line and sinker.
As she stood at the water’s edge, everything went black as the timer ran out on the security lights and, even though her pulse was racing more than usual, she felt as if she could cope. The urge to run back towards the safety of her fortress was there, but it wasn’t as strong as it used to be. She had faced the monster in her life twice; fought it and won. It was time to begin to really enjoy what she had.
A wave of sadness washed over her as she thought about Josh. All relationships had their blips, and now she knew about Jodie’s illness it was different. She understood his loyalty to her despite her betrayal; good old Josh, who wouldn’t let anyone down.
