You Had It Coming by B.M. Carroll (snow like ashes series .txt) 📗

Katrina’s instruction was to close off loose ends. The Maloufs are not a loose end: they’re a new line of inquiry. A long history with police, lawyers and courts.

Did something not quite go to plan this time?

‘Bridget, a minute please,’ Katrina calls from her office door.

It’s early afternoon. Bridget has resumed preparing for Monday’s court appearance. She needs to refresh her memory … this particular case has taken a long time to get to this stage. Katrina’s urgent tone suggests that her attention will be diverted for more than a few minutes. She pushes her seat back from her desk.

‘What’s up?’ she asks, closing the door behind her.

‘I’ve just received a call from a case officer who’s taken a missing person’s report.’ Katrina’s colour is higher than usual. ‘I think you’ll be extremely interested, but not surprised, to find out who it is.’

Bridget is caught between dread and anticipation. ‘Who?’

‘Dylan O’Shea … The report was made by his parents.’

Bridget’s mouth opens and closes without any words coming out. Dylan O’Shea. Of course. She knew he was at risk, and yet somehow lost sight of the fact over the last few days. Oh, Jesus! She should have insisted on Dylan being more careful. Case not closed. Case not remotely closed.

Katrina is still speaking. ‘As you probably know, Dylan still lives at home with his parents. He ate breakfast and chatted with his father before leaving for work yesterday – he catches a bus to the closest train station. But he never made it to work, and neither did he return home in the evening. His phone appears to be switched off and he’s not been returning concerned calls and texts. His parents and colleagues have said this is very unlike him. Foul play is suspected.’

Foul play is not just suspected, it’s almost a given. Newson, Malouf and now O’Shea: a trifecta. Have they another dead body on their hands? Will it turn up in the vicinity of Megan or Jessica, like the other two? Is there time to intervene, to save Dylan?

Bridget finds her voice. ‘I feel responsible. I should have done more. I allowed myself to get sidetracked.’

‘If you’re responsible, then I am too,’ Katrina says, looking rattled. ‘This swings the pendulum back to the Lowe and Foster families.’

The list is still on the whiteboard, with that small gap before Megan and Jessica’s names. A twelve-year-old case. What happened to make it relevant enough to cause two, possibly three, deaths?

The fact is that Megan and Jessica have alibis, which means the answer must lie with those closest to them. Bridget mentally compiles her to-do list.

Roslyn Lowe, the angry mum: get access to her house before all those boxes and potential evidence disappear.

Alex Leary, the boyfriend: contact Hunter police to drop into the family farm and verify that the motorcycles and guns on the property match what’s registered to the address.

The Maloufs: what does Dylan mean to them, if anything? Maybe it’s time to ask Leo to come in for a ‘voluntary’ chat? Although, Leo didn’t give the impression of being very chatty at the funeral: You’re not welcome here.

‘I need warrants,’ Bridget says to her boss. ‘For the homes of Megan Lowe and Jessica Foster, for a start.’

‘We already have the weapon and the vehicle,’ Katrina protests. ‘We need reasonable grounds to believe that further evidence will be found before we can apply for a warrant. You know that.’

‘Everything points back to these two women and their families,’ Bridget argues. ‘Plus, I know for a fact that Jessica had plans to meet up with Dylan.’

Katrina folds her arms. ‘I’ll support the one for Jessica but you need to get more on Megan.’

More on Megan. Bridget gives the task to Sasha – clever, dogged Sasha – who works off the assumption that if Dylan phoned Jess to arrange a meeting, it’s likely he phoned Megan, too. Sasha immediately logs an urgent request with the telecommunications provider and a response comes through within a couple of hours. More on Megan. Her number is listed in Dylan’s phone records; in fact, he contacted Megan first.

‘A phone call is hardly a valid basis for a search warrant,’ Katrina says cuttingly, when Bridget returns to her office.

‘True. But as far as I know, Megan and Dylan haven’t had contact for years, so it is suspicious. It’s crucial we get into that house for a look around, Katrina. They’re putting it up for sale soon.’

The detective inspector – begrudgingly – signs her name and then the rush is on to find an approving magistrate late on a Friday afternoon.

48

JESS

Still no word from Dylan. Jess texts him, suggesting Sunday, same place and time. Now all she has to do is convince Alex; she is not prepared to go behind his back a second time. As expected, he doesn’t take it very well.

‘You’ve been in contact with him? You want to fucking see him? Are you mental?’

‘I just want some blanks filled in, that’s all … Is that such a bad thing?’

They’re in the kitchen, not the best location. Too confined; Alex seems even larger when he’s angry.

‘He raped your friend and got away with it,’ he yells, his face a dangerous shade of purple. ‘That’s what fucking happened, the small details don’t matter.’

‘They do matter!’ she shouts back. ‘Everything about that night is blurry. I don’t know if it was because of the alcohol or whether I was drugged. I don’t know if I had a valid excuse for letting Megan down, or whether I was just a bad friend. It torments me. I. Need. To. Know.’

‘So you’re going to ask him? He lied in court. You really expect him to tell you what happened?’

‘I think he’s sorry. Maybe sorry enough to admit the truth.’

‘You’re fucking deluded!’ he roars in her face. ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this.’

‘I’m not asking you, Alex. I’m telling you. As a courtesy.’

‘I’m your partner, not a courtesy. You should value my opinion. You should listen to me.’

‘You don’t understand.