Page 24 of Gone in the Night
‘What do you want?’
‘I’ve been drinking too much, got into playing online poker and I’m going to lose the flat if I don’t sort myself out, but that’s not what I’m here about. The woman I’ve been seeing.’
‘I knew you were seeing someone, Jack, nothing is ever a secret in the station and you should know that. What about the girl you were seeing? She’s realised you’re a complete loser and gave you the brush-off?’
‘She’s dead.’
Amy sat up as straight as she could. ‘What do you mean she’s dead?’
‘I heard the log come in as I was finishing work, and I didn’t think anything of it, but there’s a picture of a purple Land Rover with one of those roof tents on it posted all over Facebook, saying they found a body inside of it. I was seeing her, I mean we weren’t serious or anything, but if it’s true and Sharon is dead, then my prints will be all over the place. I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t do something like that.’
Amy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘You were going out with the woman who was found murdered this morning?’
Jack’s eyes filled with tears as he nodded.
‘Holy crap, did you kill her, Jack?’ She had to ask, needed to know.
‘No,’ he shouted across the breakfast bar at her, making Amy shrink back a little.
She looked around the room at the knife block, it was within reach, and at the same time thinkingthis isn’t happening, please God this can’t happen again.
‘No, I didn’t, I would never.’ His voice was much softer this time. The tears in his eyes and the pain as his voice cracked made her believe him. He was a dick, an idiot and selfish, but he wasn’t a killer.
‘You have to speak to Ben, tell him what you just told me because when they go to her house and search it, then print the car and the tent, your fingerprints will flag up on the database in seconds.’
Jack buried his head in his hands. ‘I can’t.’
‘Well, if you don’t, they’re going to come and arrest you, and I’m telling you now it will look much better if you go speak to Ben first and tell him what you just told me, instead of letting them discover it themselves. You can’t worm your way out of this, Jack.’
‘I didn’t kill her, Amy. I wouldn’t kill anyone.’
Amy sighed. ‘Do you want me to ring Ben and tell him?’
Jack shrugged. ‘I don’t know what to do.’
‘Yes, you do. You tell the truth; you’re a police officer, you’re one of the good guys not a killer. You speak with Ben, get interviewed, and make sure you have a brief with you. You be open and honest, no lying, no withholding anything that you think makes you look guilty because in the long run it never works, and we both know that. If you didn’t do anything it will all be okay, but you’re going to have to face up to speaking with Ben whether you want to or not.’
‘But you know what the gossips are like in the station, it will be all around that I did it. I’ll get suspended whilst I’m investigated, and PSD will get involved. My career will be over. If I’m lucky, I’ll get put in an office working the crappiest crimes on the system if or when they ever let me go back.’
‘And if you don’t, you’re going to look as guilty as sin anyway. Either way you’re going to have to come clean because you’ve already told me and I’m not withholding any evidence for you. So either you phone Ben or I will. For once in your life do the right thing, Jack.’
She brought Ben’s phone number up and passed him her phone. He took it from her and called it.
SEVENTEEN
Cain couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing coming from Stefan’s mouth and was listening with his jaw slack and eyes wide, despite trying his best not to look or sound judgemental.
‘So, let me recap. You slept with Sharon’s best friend; she caught the pair of you, and you had a massive argument where you told her to get out of your house, and you didn’t want anything to do with her and at this point your wife walked in mid-argument?’
‘Yeah, not my best moment.’
Cain shook his head. ‘Okay, then what happened?’
‘Sharon said she hated me, had always hated me, which was a bit of a shock because you know I’ve treated her like my own kid since she came into my life. She’s never wanted for anything, her mortgage, bills, clothes, car, insurance, I pay for it all so a little gratitude would have been nice.’
‘How did Beth take this?’
‘Like Beth always does, keeps out of it. Doesn’t get involved because she knows which side her bread is buttered on. Beth likes the lifestyle I give her, so she turns a blind eye to my extra-marital flings.’
