‘You said you had some news,’ Barbara said, as Dan reached her table, none of the faux politeness of their earlier meetings. Barbara had been waiting for Dan in the bar of her hotel and she didn’t suggest that he should stay for a drink.
‘It’s a development, but don’t read too much into it.’
Barbara turned to look out of the window, as if she was putting off the moment when Dan would tell her whatever it was he knew. Eventually, she turned back to him and asked, ‘What is it?’
‘Is that all you’ve got to say?’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘My office has been burnt down and you don’t look surprised that I appear like this, battered and bruised. I saw you watching the office, but it looked as if you were trying to stay hidden.’
Barbara put her cup down with a loud clink. ‘Mr Grant, my son was murdered when he came to this grubby little place. Do you really think I’m surprised by anything? What news have you got?’
Dan sat down opposite. He wondered whether to say anything, but as he considered Barbara, he saw what Jayne saw: a woman coated in grief. ‘Your son had quite a story and we might be able to tell it for him.’
She let out a short breath. ‘What have you found, Mr Grant?’
Dan told her all he’d found out about Rodney Walker, and then said, ‘We’re wondering whether Rodney Walker is innocent, just like Mark thought. Your son kept on digging and discovered that Rodney didn’t kill those two children. Rodney is guilty of covering up a murder, yes, but he’s no murderer.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Who was it, then?’
‘His daughter, Leoni.’
‘His daughter? How? I mean, why?’
‘Our theory is that she was a young psychopath and Rodney took the blame for her. Leoni moved here, to Highford, but she left a trail of death behind her. There was at least one suicide instigated by her. Mark must have got close. That has to be the reason.’
‘Yes, too close though. And for what noble end? No children will come back to life. Rodney will stay in prison. This Leoni woman will remain free. Really, what did he achieve? None of this was worth dying for.’
‘I thought you wanted justice for Nick Connor too, because that’s how we make amends. I’m going to visit Rodney again today. As soon as I leave here, I’m going to call the prison, stress how urgent it is.’
‘And what are you hoping to get out of the meeting?’
‘I want Rodney to give evidence, to give the full story of what happened.’
Barbara laughed out loud. ‘Implicate his daughter? Why would he do that? If you’re right, he’d stayed in prison to protect her.’
‘But he must have done that to give her a second chance. He sacrificed his life for hers, perhaps even blamed himself. He needs to know that she didn’t change.’
‘And if he refuses?’
Dan clenched his jaw. ‘We’ll say it anyway.’