pressed the bell before he could change his mind. It was the woman who came to the door. Early thirties. Short, brown hair. Glasses. Slightly dumpy but a nice smile.
“Yes?” she asked.
Will’s hand was in his pocket, fingering his police ID. Shit, just do it. He pulled it out and flipped it open.
“Detective Inspector Thorne,” Will said. “Metropolitan Police.” He watched the woman’s face drain of blood. Shit. Please don’t faint. It had happened once before and he’d just managed to catch the mother. Will had come to tell her that her son had died in a motorcycle accident. This evening Will had waited until they were both home so neither thought he was bringing tragic news about the other but still, they had family. Now he tried to smile in a reassuring way. She still looked petrified. Fuck. Fuck.
“Routine enquiry,” Will blurted before things got out of hand. That was a joke. It wasn’t a routine enquiry and things were already way out of hand. He was out of his jurisdiction, up shit creek without a canoe let alone a paddle.
“You better come in,” the woman said and Will stepped into the house.
59
Barbara Elsborg
His heart pounded. He was more scared than if he’d been on a raid. This went against every bloody rule in the book. If he was caught, he could get fired. Will followed the woman into the living room.
“Simon, it’s the police,” she said.
“Detective Inspector Thorne,” Will repeated. “Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy?” Will had looked for their names on the electoral register. When he saw the lines smooth out on the guy’s face, Will knew he’d blundered.
“No, not McCarthy. They’re the previous owners. We’ve only recently moved in.
Our name’s Smith. I have the McCarthy’s new address somewhere if—”
“Er, no, it’s the current occupiers that I need to speak to.” The pair exchanged glances, the worried lines back on their faces.
“There was a crime committed in this area on Saturday night or possibly early Sunday morning and I’m trying to locate witnesses.” Will hoped that was vague enough to satisfy them.
“What sort of crime? Where exactly?” asked the guy.
Shit. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to give details but I need to know if you saw anyone acting suspiciously in the neighborhood.” They looked at each other.
“No, but we had a housewarming party on Saturday night that lasted into the early hours. We were busy with that,” said the wife.
“Were your neighbors invited? I can’t get an answer next door.”
“The ones on the left are in the States but the brother-in-law comes round to check the place every so often. I don’t know if he was here on Saturday. What sort of thing are we likely to have seen?” asked the husband.
“Men lurking around.” Will mentally crossed his fingers. “Could you give me a list of the people who were at your party and contact details.”
“We can do that. Would you like a cup of tea while you’re waiting?” she asked.
Will smiled his thanks, thinking he’d rather have had something stronger.
Ten minutes later, he was on his way back to his car. There was only one Anna but two with her surname—Shelton. Probably a sister. Will dutifully wrote down all the other useless telephone numbers and addresses the Smiths had. They didn’t have Anna’s or her sister’s, only that of their parents. But the Smiths did volunteer after a little push that Anna lived in Surrey Quays. Will grinned. Mission part accomplished.
Less than a hundred yards later, his pleasure had turned sour as he wallowed in an agony of indecision. Should he tell Jax what he’d found? Or try to find Anna himself first? Maybe he should keep quiet, do nothing and hope Jax forgot about her. After all, as far as Will knew, Jax hadn’t tried to find her. He sighed. There was no choice. If he wanted to keep Jax, he had to risk losing him. He’d find out exactly where Anna lived and then he’d tell him.
60
Anna in the Middle
*
“Yes?” she asked.
Will’s hand was in his pocket, fingering his police ID. Shit, just do it. He pulled it out and flipped it open.
“Detective Inspector Thorne,” Will said. “Metropolitan Police.” He watched the woman’s face drain of blood. Shit. Please don’t faint. It had happened once before and he’d just managed to catch the mother. Will had come to tell her that her son had died in a motorcycle accident. This evening Will had waited until they were both home so neither thought he was bringing tragic news about the other but still, they had family. Now he tried to smile in a reassuring way. She still looked petrified. Fuck. Fuck.
“Routine enquiry,” Will blurted before things got out of hand. That was a joke. It wasn’t a routine enquiry and things were already way out of hand. He was out of his jurisdiction, up shit creek without a canoe let alone a paddle.
“You better come in,” the woman said and Will stepped into the house.
59
Barbara Elsborg
His heart pounded. He was more scared than if he’d been on a raid. This went against every bloody rule in the book. If he was caught, he could get fired. Will followed the woman into the living room.
“Simon, it’s the police,” she said.
“Detective Inspector Thorne,” Will repeated. “Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy?” Will had looked for their names on the electoral register. When he saw the lines smooth out on the guy’s face, Will knew he’d blundered.
“No, not McCarthy. They’re the previous owners. We’ve only recently moved in.
Our name’s Smith. I have the McCarthy’s new address somewhere if—”
“Er, no, it’s the current occupiers that I need to speak to.” The pair exchanged glances, the worried lines back on their faces.
“There was a crime committed in this area on Saturday night or possibly early Sunday morning and I’m trying to locate witnesses.” Will hoped that was vague enough to satisfy them.
“What sort of crime? Where exactly?” asked the guy.
Shit. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to give details but I need to know if you saw anyone acting suspiciously in the neighborhood.” They looked at each other.
“No, but we had a housewarming party on Saturday night that lasted into the early hours. We were busy with that,” said the wife.
“Were your neighbors invited? I can’t get an answer next door.”
“The ones on the left are in the States but the brother-in-law comes round to check the place every so often. I don’t know if he was here on Saturday. What sort of thing are we likely to have seen?” asked the husband.
“Men lurking around.” Will mentally crossed his fingers. “Could you give me a list of the people who were at your party and contact details.”
“We can do that. Would you like a cup of tea while you’re waiting?” she asked.
Will smiled his thanks, thinking he’d rather have had something stronger.
Ten minutes later, he was on his way back to his car. There was only one Anna but two with her surname—Shelton. Probably a sister. Will dutifully wrote down all the other useless telephone numbers and addresses the Smiths had. They didn’t have Anna’s or her sister’s, only that of their parents. But the Smiths did volunteer after a little push that Anna lived in Surrey Quays. Will grinned. Mission part accomplished.
Less than a hundred yards later, his pleasure had turned sour as he wallowed in an agony of indecision. Should he tell Jax what he’d found? Or try to find Anna himself first? Maybe he should keep quiet, do nothing and hope Jax forgot about her. After all, as far as Will knew, Jax hadn’t tried to find her. He sighed. There was no choice. If he wanted to keep Jax, he had to risk losing him. He’d find out exactly where Anna lived and then he’d tell him.
60
Anna in the Middle
*
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