‘IT’S NOT HIM.’ Rachel’s head went down.
Daniels felt guilty. It wasn’t the outcome either of them had hoped for. When she’d asked Rachel McCann to face a suspect she thought might have been Vic, the girl had gathered her courage and jumped at the chance. But the man she was looking at now was not the man who had abducted her. She was standing so close to Kent, she could almost touch him through the glass. There was no hesitation in her answer, no doubt either. Why should there be? She knew Vic personally. They had got drunk together. He’d courted her almost. They had never been intimate, but she knew him well.
‘Is that it then?’ she said.
‘I’m sorry, Rachel.’ Kate swept her arm towards the door. ‘Come on, I’ll walk you to reception.’ She led the disappointed twenty-year-old out of the viewing room and along the corridor. Hank was coming the other way, a question in his eyes. The DCI shook her head – almost imperceptibly – letting him know that Kent was in the clear.
‘Will you organize a lift for Rachel?’ she asked him.
‘I’m fine,’ Rachel said. ‘I can get the bus.’
‘No, you won’t. Your mother would kill me!’ Kate insisted. ‘You were in hospital overnight and it’s a long way back to Jesmond.’
‘Oh, we’re not staying at Jo’s place now,’ Rachel said.
‘Since when?’ Kate was outraged.
Hank hovered close by. He had that look. The one that meant he knew something the DCI didn’t. That wasn’t a good place to be. Particularly in the middle of a level one murder case when your boss hasn’t been to bed and things aren’t exactly going to plan.
Rachel looked puzzled. She’d picked up on the unspoken aggro between them. ‘Is there something wrong?’ she asked.
‘Course not,’ Kate lied. ‘I was under the impression you were staying there for a few days until we get things sorted out, that’s all. I’m always the last to hear of a change of plan, aren’t I, Hank?’
Rachel looked at her accusingly.
Kate lowered her gaze to hide the fact that she was withholding information. Rachel didn’t understand what was going on. Why should she? She hadn’t yet been told about the death of Martin Stamp and therefore had no clue about Fearon or the threat he posed to her and her mother. All the professionals, including the doctor who’d treated her, agreed it was best not to add to her anxiety by telling her there was a second, equally scary, psychopath on the loose.
‘So why are you acting like my mum does when she doesn’t want to worry me?’ Rachel asked. She wasn’t fooled by the attempt to fob her off. ‘I’m a grown-up now, Kate. You guys don’t have to protect me, you know.’
‘It’s not that, Rach . . .’ Gormley flicked his eyes towards his boss. ‘Kate’s a grumpy bugger when she’s been up all night. She’s pissed with me for cocking something up. I can’t tell you what it is, but it’s nowt for you to worry about. Happens to us all from time to time.’ He grinned. ‘What’s the worst that can happen? She’ll either forgive me or sack me.’
It was a complete fabrication, but Rachel appeared to swallow it. Kate moved quickly on, asking her to wait in reception while they found someone to take her home. Then she and Hank walked back through the double doors to the corridor beyond. As soon as they were out of sight, she rounded on him.
‘Mind telling me what the hell is going on?’
‘Fearon was spotted by a social worker in Sheffield earlier. The woman called the police and the idiots rang Emily—’
‘Before ringing us?’
‘Wanker probably wanted to play the hero.’ Gormley made his best mindboggling face. ‘Emily rang Jo saying she no longer required her place. Jo rang me when she couldn’t get hold of you. That’s how come you were the last to find out.’
Kate was appalled. ‘Well . . . did they get him or not?’
Gormley shook his head. ‘He was gone by the time the local plods arrived.’
‘Jesus! So they don’t even know if it was him. What if it’s a false report, Hank? What then? I saw Stamp’s body when that bastard had finished with it. It wasn’t pretty, I can tell you. A vengeful attack is one thing, but that was rage, pure and simple. There’s no telling what he’ll do if he gets hold of Emily. I want the name of the numpty who told her she was safe to go home on my desk in ten.’
Gormley lifted his hands like she was holding a gun.
‘Don’t yell at me. It’s hardly my fault.’
‘Who the hell else would I yell at?’
Kate was pacing now, visibly tired and angry with it. False sightings of offenders had taken many an SIO’s eye off the ball and put lives at risk, occasionally with disastrous consequences. It was unwise to take one woman’s word that Fearon was no longer in the area, no longer a serious threat to Emily McCann. Kate pulled up abruptly, took a deep breath in and then let out a big sigh, trying to calm herself down.
‘Contact the social worker concerned. Check out just how well she knows him. We can’t afford to drop our guard.’
‘You want me to fix up a panic alarm at Emily’s place?’
‘Oh, that’ll work. The Stint is fifteen miles from the nearest nick. It’ll take for ever to get there in an emergency.’ Kate shut her eyes and then opened them again, letting out an almighty sigh. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to have a go at you. And yes, I want an alarm – in fact I insist on it, even if it is utterly useless. If Emily argues, you can tell her I won’t take no for an answer. Now go!’
‘Can’t you talk to her? Explain you’re not happy—’
‘You think she’ll listen?’
‘She might.’
‘No, she won’t. You know how stubborn she is. She certainly won’t be pushed around. She just wants to go home and get her life and her kid back to normal. And who can blame her? She won’t play the victim either, not for him, or anyone. It was all I could do to persuade her to go to a safe-house in the first place!’
The door behind them creaked open.
Rachel looked worried and vulnerable as she stepped into the corridor asking them not to be mad at her mum, telling them she was the one who’d wanted to go home. She’d been listening at the door and completely misread the situation. Her eyes were filling up. She was scared to death.
‘You think Vic is coming back for me, don’t you?’
‘No, honey.’ Kate pulled her close, rolling her eyes at Gormley. Vic was only half the threat. ‘We’ll find him, Rachel. You have my word.’