Coming into the house where she has lived her whole life that evening, Rose stands in the hallway and feels memories sweeping over her in a wave. All those so-called clients, trooping through and going into the incense-stinking living room, with its curtains drawn and its atmosphere of confession and connection.
It was all fake.
All of them cogs in a great big machine that involved huge amounts of money being ‘cleaned’ to line greedy, violent people’s pockets.
Rose remembers one of those ‘cogs’ now: an elderly woman, white head bent and eyes downcast, who wanted to connect with her dead husband. Adele told her he was lonely ‘on the other side’ but wanted her to keep talking to him. She must have come for close to two years, blissfully unaware that not only was she being systematically lied to, but that she was a player in a crime network that involved hundreds of people.
At least hundreds, anyway, according to the intensive googling Rose did for the entire rest of her journey back after her conversation with Mortimer.
She thinks of Bigham and the nights he used to visit. That one night – not when Moony came as a young officer – but the other one that has been in the back of her mind all these years. Shouting and banging. Then the terrible hush.
As for the other thing Mortimer said – about UCIT closing – Rose’s feelings around this are taking some unpicking. She would have been grateful for this a couple of weeks ago, perhaps. But now … she feels part of something. Is it about to end almost as soon as it began?
By the time morning comes, after a restless night filled with snatches of dreams, she is feeling one main emotion: anger. How dare Moony entice Rose away from a job where she was relatively happy to a department that was in such an uncertain position? Especially as it sounds like she had some complex reasons for taking her on. Reasons that had nothing to do with catching a serial killer. Does she still hope to find something out about the man who played a part in her husband’s death? From Rose, who was only a little girl at the time?
Rose doesn’t know if she could even go back to Silverton Street. Would her old boss, DCI Rowland, welcome her back when she never liked her? Rose resolves to call Mack as soon as possible and be honest with him.
Also on her mind is that little boy in a hospital bed.
A kid who was so frightened of his own home that he was prepared to run away in the company of a convicted killer.
She goes in late to the office. Adam is absent, apparently dealing with something at home. This is good news because Rose wants to speak privately to Moony. But Scarlett is there too and she greets her warmly, going in to give her a hug before stopping herself when she sees Rose flinch.
‘Oops, sorry,’ she says. ‘Are you still feeling a bit sore?’
‘Just a bit,’ Rose says, ‘but I’ll be okay.’
The three of them sit down in the briefing area with cups of good coffee and Rose tells them everything that happened after she arrived in Inverness.
‘God,’ says Scarlett once she’s told the whole story from beginning to end, ‘do you think Doyle is going to survive?’
‘No idea,’ says Rose. ‘I haven’t had any further news this morning.’ She takes a welcome sip of coffee. ‘Did you manage to find out anything further about the previous occupants?’
‘Not a thing,’ says Scarlett. ‘I’m really sorry. No teenage boys anywhere that I can find.’
‘I’m going to speak to that artist myself, I think,’ says Rose, frowning. ‘Just in case there’s anything at all rattling around in there that she didn’t think was important.’
‘Wait,’ says Moony, ‘there’s no need to do that. We’re done with this case.’
‘What?’ says Rose incredulously. ‘But what about Gregory?’
‘What about him?’ says Moony.
‘What about him?! What do you mean, “what about him”? The poor kid is going back into that bloody awful house and nothing has changed!’
‘Didn’t his parents say they would move?’ says Moony, her expression hard.
‘Well, they did, but I don’t believe them and neither does he!’ Rose is struggling to keep her voice down. Don’t shout. Be calm.
Moony gets to her feet and brushes shortbread crumbs from her tight black skirt.
‘I told you before, Rose, we’re not here to do exorcisms, we’re here to solve crimes. We were helping Kentish Town police investigate possible malicious damage but that has stopped now and the family aren’t complaining anymore. The way this whole thing exploded, I think it’s much better for everyone concerned if we leave them be and move on.’
Like it’s that easy. Step away, as if none of it ever happened.
‘Oh, and move on to what?’ she says, breath coming hard and fast. ‘New careers maybe?’
Moony stops dead and then turns her head very slowly to look at Rose.
‘I’m sorry?’ she says, her voice much less certain than it was before. And is Rose imagining she has gone a little pink around the cheeks?
‘When were you going to tell us, Sheila?’ says Rose.
‘Tell us what?’ says Scarlett, bobbing up from where she had begun to pick up her cup and plate from the table.
Moony lets out a deep sigh and sits back down, about as willingly as if someone was pulling her from the other direction.
‘I didn’t want to say anything until I knew properly what was going on,’ she says quietly.
‘What’s everyone talking about here?’ says Scarlett. ‘Because you’re starting to scare me a bit.’
Moony takes a deep breath and rubs her face. ‘Look, nothing is definite and Mortimer shouldn’t have opened his mouth. I don’t know how he even heard about this, but … well, there’s a serious question mark over our future funding.’
‘What?’ says Scarlett, looking from Moony to Rose and then back to Moony again.
‘It’s why I’ve been absent a lot,’ Moony continues. ‘I didn’t want to worry anyone when it might be that everything will work out.’
‘We’re not children,’ says Rose tightly. ‘We deserve to know if our jobs are in danger. Transfers take time to organize.’
‘I know, I know,’ says Moony. ‘But I’m working so hard to try and find more funding. I don’t think I could bear for all this to—’ She coughs and blinks hard several times before continuing. ‘What I’m saying is that I’ll let you know for certain very soon, I promise.’
‘What’s the issue with the funding?’ says Scarlett. ‘I thought the bequest covered the shortfall in government money?’
‘It does,’ says Moony, ‘or it did. But it has its limits. It’s not a bottomless well of cash and some investments tied in with the estate haven’t done as well as was hoped this year.’
Everyone is silent for a moment, then Rose gets up.
‘I’m going home. Call me if you need me.’
She walks out of the office without looking back.
She’s in her car when her phone buzzes with a text. It’s from Scarlett.
Celeste Allingham’s details, should you want them … followed by an address.