Ben didn’t react to the mention of Abdul’s name. Either he was already over the shock of hearing it first from Hazelton, or he’d been expecting this news for some time. Whichever it was, he was now giving Alice a confused look.
‘You thought Dave killed her?’ Ben said incredulously. ‘He’s been our greatest ally for so many years; how could you …?’
She wanted to list a dozen reasons why she didn’t trust Dave, particularly given this evening’s events, but she bit her tongue with Hazelton in the room.
‘I don’t know,’ she lied, before making eye contact with Hazelton. ‘How come it’s taken so long to connect the murder to Abdul?’
Hazelton rolled her eyes. ‘Unfortunately it’s the nature of these things. Real police work isn’t quite as slick as they make it seem in TV dramas and books. The pathologist discovered the scratch and extracted a possible DNA profile, but it didn’t match anyone in the system. Then on Sunday we took samples of everyone’s DNA from the stag party, but with other competing priorities, it took until today for Mr Farrar’s sample to be processed and compared. As soon as we saw it was a match, we put word out to local uniform, and he was brought in for questioning less than an hour ago.’
‘Has he admitted to anything yet?’ Alice asked, eager to see closure for Kerry and her son Finn.
Hazelton shrugged. ‘I don’t have any more information at this time.’
The room was stifling. What should have sounded like good news was making Alice feel claustrophobic again. Even though she barely knew Abdul, it still angered her that the real culprit had been there because of Ben and his friends. It would have been slightly more palatable had an unrelated stranger been responsible.
Hazelton moved closer to Ben. ‘So I ask you again, Mr Goodman, is there anything you can recall from that night that would lead you to suspect Mr Farrar of wrongdoing?’
He looked up at her and shook his head. ‘Nothing.’
Alice had seen him twitch. It was barely noticeable to the naked eye, but it was something he did when he was trying his hardest to convince someone he wasn’t lying. If Hazelton had spotted it, she certainly wasn’t letting on.
‘I should warn you, Mr Goodman, if we find evidence that you have misled this inquiry, there will be repercussions.’
Ben stood suddenly, towering several inches above Hazelton, trying to project a dominant force. ‘I understand that.’
Hazelton took an instinctive step backwards, not retreating but regaining her control of the situation. She reached into her inside jacket pocket before removing her hand and offering it out to Ben. ‘I thought I should drop this by too. I meant to bring it over last night, but with what happened with Faye and her husband, it slipped my mind. I know you were keen to book a trip away.’
Ben accepted the passport, turning it over in his hands before dropping it into his back pocket. ‘What about my clothes from that night? When do I get those back?’
‘You’ll be contacted about those in due course, but as I warned you before, there’s a chance they’ll hold on to them, at least until the case goes to trial.’
‘You said nothing was found.’
‘There are procedures for these kinds of situations. I’ll ask the forensics team for an update and let you know in due course. Now, I should leave the two of you alone. Enjoy the rest of your night.’
Alice showed her to the door, but the detective didn’t say anything else as she exited and headed to her car.
‘Why did you lie to her?’ Alice barked, bursting into the living room where Ben was now pouring himself a large glass of whiskey from the liquor cabinet. He didn’t answer, instead necking the entire drink and refilling the glass.
‘I didn’t lie.’
‘Bullshit, Ben! You were holding something back.’
He sneered at her. ‘You’re out of your mind.’
‘I overheard you and Dave arguing earlier on today. I was behind this very door when you said: is everything still in place with Abdul. You remember that?’
Ben narrowed his eyes and took another large gulp of his drink. ‘That was nothing to do with this! What do you take me for? You think if I knew Abdul was guilty of murder I would cover for him?’
He sounded hurt, and she didn’t want him to think she didn’t trust him. ‘It’s not that, it’s—’
‘And why were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Dave? What have you got against him?’
‘Nothing, but you must admit he brings out the worst in you. I know he’s your best friend, but trouble follows him around like a shadow. If it wasn’t for me picking you up tonight, you’d probably be in a cell yourself right now; that’s because of him.’
Ben looked like he wanted to shout something back, but he reached for the bottle of whiskey instead and stomped out of the room, heading into the kitchen and placing the glass and bottle on the side while he opened the freezer for ice cubes.
He sighed loudly. ‘I don’t want to fight with you, Alice. I swear to you I didn’t know about Abdul, and I know you’re right about Dave being dangerous, but he’s like my brother and I can’t turn my back on family; my dad raised me to leave no man behind. Let’s not fall out because of other people’s fucked-up ways.’
He was right and it pained her to admit as much.
‘I’m going to go and check on Faye and Isabella,’ Alice said, turning on her heel, needing to get away from the toxic atmosphere. She hoped to find Isabella asleep and Faye available to chat, but as she reached the landing and looked into the guestroom, she found Isabella fast asleep, tucked up in bed, and Faye lying next to her, gently snoring. Alice didn’t want to disturb the two of them. Instead, she found a blanket and rested it over Faye, then switched off the light and closed the door.
Slumping onto the top step, she couldn’t help imagining what she’d be doing now had they made their flight on Sunday night. None of this nightmare would have unfolded and it would just be the two of them alone, enjoying the well-deserved break. Still, at least they had their lives, and each other. What did Finn Valentine have left? No father, no mother and a life full of uncertainty. It was time to start counting blessings, not cursing them.
Taking a deep breath, Alice was determined to put the mess behind her and to be the bigger person – she would apologize for shouting at Ben. He needed her support as much as she needed his.
As she neared the bottom of the staircase, there was an awful banging at the front door. The guards hadn’t radioed to announce a guest, at least not that she knew of. Opening the door, she immediately wished she hadn’t, as Dave’s muddy and scratched face swung into view. Before she could close the door and stop him entering, Ben appeared and pulled the door open, supporting Dave’s body weight as he slumped inside.
‘Jesus, man, what happened?’ Ben asked.
Dave could barely put weight on his left foot, his left wrist looked twice its normal size, and deep crimson scratch marks raked both arms.
‘I managed to get away, but I tumbled down a ravine. It stung like a bitch, but it probably saved my bacon. You got any painkillers? My foot and arm are in agony.’
They’d already made it into the kitchen before Alice’s voice of reason engaged.
‘He can’t stay here, Ben. He’s a fugitive now. Even if they didn’t identify him at the bust at the services, they’ll have his car and they’ll find out it’s registered to him. Then they’ll find the two of you are friends, and it won’t be long before the police come knocking at our door again. I’m sorry, Dave, but you need to go.’
‘I know, I know,’ he grimaced, reaching for Ben’s bottle of whiskey and putting it to his lips. ‘Just help me get sorted and I’ll be on my way. I swear.’
Ben glared at Alice. ‘It’s fine, mate, whatever you need. I’m here for you. How the hell did you get back here anyway?’
‘I hitched a lift with a truck driver who was headed this way. I think my wrist is broken. Have you got anything I can use to strap it? Maybe a sling too?’
Alice could contain her frustration no more. ‘Goddamn it, Ben! Either he goes, or I do. I’m not prepared to watch you get dragged in by the police again. You hear me?’