Paige nodded, still not seeming convinced. She tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, a sure sign she wasn’t comfortable, and climbed out of the car. He’d noted her discomfort in the restaurant earlier. It had been rotten luck it had turned out to be a romantic Italian place. He’d almost walked back out, but time and his stomach decided otherwise. He’d been worried she’d get the wrong idea about them, but thankfully she’d been all business. The last thing Kieran needed was any complicated romantic dilemmas. His bruised heart wasn’t ready to jump back into the ring. Not that he saw Paige that way, he insisted to himself.
Kieran wasted no time in making his way to the front door and holding his finger on the bell rather longer than was actually necessary. The sound of barking erupted from inside, along with a raised voice. Several minutes later the door opened and Holdbrook’s face peeked out from a small crack in the door. It seemed as if he were holding back the animal Kieran could still hear barking behind him.
His eyes widened when he recognised them. “Detective Steele? What are you doing here?” he squeaked out, sounding like he’d almost swallowed his tongue.
Kieran gave him a grim smile. “I have a few follow up questions for you, Mr Holdbrook. May we come in?”
“At this time of night? My wife and I were just about to get ready for bed.” He glanced back nervously. “Besides, I can’t imagine what else I can tell you. We covered everything I know at the station.” He squinted at them, his voice breaking with barely leashed panic.
“Who is it, Peter?” a voice called out from inside.
“Don’t worry, dear. I’m taking care of it,” Holdbrook called over his shoulder. “Please, can’t I come back to the station during the day? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you’re taking my sister’s case so seriously, but calling at this hour seems a little excessive.”
Kieran shifted on his feet. He’d have to reveal some information if he hoped to push this interview. “My questions can’t wait that long. We have reason to believe that the man that killed your sister is also responsible for other deaths. Another life may be lost if we don’t act on information we’ve gathered since our last little chat.” He pinned Holdbrook down with a deadly glare. “Besides, I think you’ve been withholding information from me. If someone else dies, I will arrest you for perverting the course of justice.”
The little weasel of a man gulped. “Erm. Just a moment. I’ll have to put Brutus somewhere. He doesn’t like strangers.” He shut the front door. The sounds of a small scuffle penetrated from behind the door. A female voice joined the fray. Kieran wondered what Peter was telling his wife. Anything but the truth, no doubt.
Finally, the door reopened and Peter indicated for them to enter. A small woman with greying red hair stood just behind him, her eyes huge behind her glasses. Her mouth was pinched in a thin line. She looked as if she sucked lemons for hours.
“What kind of time do you call this?” she snapped at them, her hands flying to her hips. “Couldn’t you have called at a descent hour?”
“A killer is on the loose, Mrs Holdbrook,” Kieran pointed out smoothly. “I hate to interrupt your evening, but I need your husbands help to catch him.”
“I don’t see what my Peter can tell you. He’s already been to the station. What more do you think he can say?” She pulled herself up to her full height, which wasn’t very tall at all, looking as if she was about to go into battle. “That sister of his was always no good. Hung around with all kinds. It has nothing to do with him.”
“It’s okay, honey. Why don’t you go on upstairs and let me handle this?” Holdbrook cajoled his wife, holding one arm out toward the staircase and the other towards her as if he could herd her up them like cattle.
She glared at him. “I won’t have them thinking they can drop in at all times and harass you. We’ve done nothing wrong. You haven’t even spoken to your sister for months. Why are they still questioning you?”
“I don’t know, dear. I’ll just answer their questions and get rid of them,” Holdbrook told her. “Go on up. It’s nothing to worry about.”
She stared at them all for several moments before she nodded her head and swept up the stairs. “If you’re not up in half an hour, I’m coming back down!” she yelled over her shoulder.
Kieran was beginning to understand why Holdbrook was so worried about his wife finding out about his indiscretions. The woman clearly had a temper. He glanced around him as they made their way through the hallway.
The house was neatly kept, if not a little cold. It seemed the Holdbrook’s liked to keep their home to a modern style. The walls held abstract pieces of artwork, most of which seemed rather bleak and lonely to Kieran, his eyes scanning a picture of a lone tree in silhouette against a stark sky that hung on the hall wall. He was sure the pieces were bought more for value than actual pleasure. Small wall sconces shed light along the way as Holdbrook led them down the hallway.
Finally, they were led into a large sitting room. Holdbrook indicated for them to take a seat. Kieran settled himself into a plush cream coloured sofa. He pulled out his notebook and pen. Paige sank down beside him. He tried to ignore her perfume as it tickled his nose.
Holdbrook sat in one of the easy chairs opposite them and flipped one leg over the other. “Now, what is this all about Jean’s killer being responsible for other deaths? Are you serious or were you just saying that to push your way in here? You’ll have to talk fast. I don’t want my wife getting more upset. She has a delicate disposition.”
Kieran smirked. Delicate? More like volcanic. He leaned forward and pinned the man with a hard stare. “I was deadly serious, Mr Holdbrook. I have actually been investigating the killings in Hindleford. You may have heard about them on the news?”
Holdbrook gulped, his eyes growing huge in his head. “Of course but they seem completely different to what happened to Jean. What makes you think they are linked? There was nothing on the news to that effect.”
“I am not at liberty to say and I have kept that information from the media for the time being, so don’t spread it around,” Kieran replied abruptly. “All you need to know is the information is sound. The killer knew your sister found out about him and he silenced her.”
Holdbrook shook his head. “I can’t believe this. It makes no sense. Jean never had anyone in her life that this scenario of yours would fit.”
“How about her son?” Kieran threw out.
Holdbrook’s eyes widened. He gripped his hands together and swallowed hard. “I already told you. She gave him up when he was born. She never saw him again after that. She had a closed adoption. No information could be shared with her, ever.”
“But you found a way around that, didn’t you?” Kieran pressed. “She came to you after she found out the father died. She asked you to help her find him. You agreed, using illegal channels to accomplish it.”
“No! That is mere speculation on your part!” Holdbrook blustered. “I have no idea what has given you this crazy notion. I am a law abiding citizen. My job requires that I am above reproach. I wouldn’t risk my reputation, not even for my sister.”
“I’m sure that’s true, Mr Holdbrook,” Paige smiled sweetly at him. “But I think if Jean threatened to tell your wife about her friend, it may have persuaded you otherwise.”
“What are you talking about?” Holdbrook stuttered, beginning to sweat.
“We found Sara Kennedy,” Kieran revealed. Holdbrook looked as if he was going to faint. “She told us all about your little affair. It does seem to make sense that you would have broken the law, faced with blackmail.” He tapped his lip, his eyes growing thoughtful. “Of course, maybe you silenced her yourself? Perhaps you killed your sister?”
“I can’t believe you’d accuse me of that,” Holdbrook gasped, clutching the arms of his chair in his fright. “Besides, I have an airtight alibi at the time my sister was killed. I was in bed and I wasn’t alone.”
“Oh?” Kieran injected a healthy dose of scepticism
in his voice. “Your wife can corroborate this, can she?”
Holdbrook glanced at the door, towards the stairs. He leaned forward. “No. I wasn’t with my wife, but another young lady. She would be able to tell you I was with her all night. Just don’t tell my wife, please.”
Kieran curled his lip, disgust flowing over him. Once a cheat, always a cheat it would seem. He knew that one from bitter experience. If he wasn’t an officer, he’d have half a mind to inform Mrs Holdbrook what her husband was up to behind her back. Still, it wasn’t his business and it wouldn’t solve these murders.
“Relax, Mr Holdbrook. I have no interest in your affairs beyond their baring on this case.” He leaned forward. “All I am interested in is whether you helped your sister find her son. I need whatever you have on him.”
Holdbrook tugged at his collar. “Even if Jean had found her son, what makes you think he’s a homicidal maniac?”
“Because his father was,” Kieran revealed. “Sara knew who he was. It turns out he was a dangerous serial killer. Like father, like son, I’m thinking.”
Holdbrook’s mouth hung open. He didn’t seem to know what to say. He sat for several moments, digesting the information. “I can’t believe she’d be involved with a killer,” he whispered at last.
“She didn’t know about him until it was too late,” Paige said softly. “We think her son shares his father’s illness. We need your help to find him.”
“If you give me all you have, I won’t press any charges against you,” Kieran assured. It grated on him to do this little weasel any favours, but what choice did he have?
Holdbrook didn’t look convinced. “If I did help my sister by bending the law, and I’m not saying that I did, why would you help me?”
“Because you’d be helping us to get a killer off our streets. It’s far more important than any laws you broke to keep your sister quiet,” Kieran said earnestly.
Holdbrook sat silently for several moments. “You really think her own son killed her?”
Kieran nodded. “I do,” he stated simply.
Holdbrook sighed, a long drawn out pain filled sound. “Okay. I’ll tell you what I can. Jean came to me a few months ago, begging me to find her son. I didn’t know what had changed, but suddenly she was excited and determined to get to know him. She wanted to explain why she’d given him away, although she still refused to tell me. I didn’t want to get involved, but as you guessed, she threatened to tell my wife about my affairs. She still had photos of me with Sara, would you believe?”
He stared into space, as if seeing a window to the past. “It took a lot of favour calling and string pulling, but eventually I found him. I gave her the details and left the rest to her.” He shrugged. “She didn’t really tell me what happened after that and I didn’t care enough to ask.”
“So you never met him?” Paige asked curiously. “Did you ever even sneak a peek?”
Holdbrook shook his head. “No. Like I said, I didn’t care.”
Kieran wasn’t surprised. Holdbrook was a man who only thought of himself. What did he care about a nephew he’d never met? All he cared about was saving his marriage. Kieran was sure that was more to do with the divorce settlement he’d have to bestow upon his wife than it did with loving her.
He opened his notebook to a clean page. “You must have had a name and contact details. What were they?”
Holdbrook sighed and rose to his feet. “Wait here.” He left the room, the sound of his feet on the stairs echoed back to them. Raised voices soon drifted down from above their heads. It sounded like Mrs Holdbrook was in a full temper.
“What do you suppose he’s going to say to his wife?” Paige contemplated.
“Certainly not the truth,” Kieran mused.
After a few minutes Holdbrook finally returned. He appeared extremely strained as he handed a piece of paper to Steele. “His name is Ryan Henderson. I doubt he still resides at this address. He was living in Cornwall. If he came down here to meet with Jean, who knows where he is now. I just hope someone can help you fill in the rest and find him. I have nothing else to give you. Please don’t come back here again.” He glanced up at the ceiling. “You’ve caused me more than enough trouble.”
Kieran couldn’t help but smirk at that. The man obviously couldn’t attribute the real blame for all his problems to himself. He tucked the paper, along with his notebook and pen, into the pocket inside his jacket and rose to his feet. “I doubt we’ll need to be in touch again.”
Holdbrook looked relieved. Paige climbed to her feet and they headed to the front door. Mrs Holdbrook stood on the stairs, glaring daggers at them all. Her arms were crossed over her chest. It didn’t take any psychic powers for Kieran to know that once they’d gone, Holdbrook was in for a grilling.
They left the house and climbed back into the car. Weariness crept over Kieran. He suppressed a yawn. If he’d been on his own or with Pip, he would have booked into a motel and driven back in the morning. He glanced over at Paige. She was checking her watch for the millionth time. He doubted she’d be happy with that solution. She was wound up tighter than a spring.
“It’s getting really late. How’d you feel about booking into somewhere overnight?” he asked cautiously.
As expected, her eyes widened in horror. “What? No! I have to get home. I have no idea how I’m going to explain all this time to my housemates as it is!”
“Why not tell them the truth?” he wondered, curiosity getting the better of him.
She shook her head, little puffs of anxiety blowing out from between her lips. “You don’t understand. It’s not something you can just spill out to someone. People don’t treat you the same when they find out. I don’t want to lose my friends over this.”
Kieran shrugged. “If they are really your friends, would your gifts make such a big difference?” He didn’t understand her deep need to keep her gifts a secret. She acted like her whole world would collapse if someone else found out.
She stared at him, her eyes shining in the light from the street lamp. “Experience has taught me that you can never know how someone will react. Even with my gift, there are no guarantees.”
There was a world of hurt in her voice and behind her eyes. Something bad had happened to her to make her so wary. He could understand her reluctance. He felt the same way about love.
“Alright, we’ll head back,” he agreed reluctantly. “I guess it’s best I’m back in Hindleford to start the search first thing in the morning anyway.”
“Thank you,” she sighed with relief. “Surely now we have his name and know who he is, you’ll have him in custody in to time.”
Kieran sighed as he pulled out onto the road. “It’s not always that simple, but it should make catching him much quicker now. Someone, somewhere must know this guy and where he is. I’m betting it’s somewhere in Hindleford.”
Kieran’s mind rattled over the events of the day as he headed towards the motorway. He finally had all the pieces in place. Hopefully the end of the Hindleford killer was close at hand.
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning was Sunday and Paige’s day off. The café would be opened by Carla, one of her other part time staff members who was also a baker. The woman had just come back from holiday, so she’d yet to hear the news of all that had happened since she’d been away. Paige was sure Mandy would fill her in on all the details during their six hour shift. Failing that, Mrs Buckley would be more than happy to oblige. Paige was happy to be away from all the prying busybodies for one day.
It was eleven o’clock before Paige made her way downstairs, yawning widely. Her stomach rumbled loudly as she padded into the kitchen, the floor slightly chilled on her bare feet. She stopped short as her tired gaze landed on her housemates where they sat grimly at the table, both nursing mugs and staring at her sternly.
“Is everything okay?” she asked hesitantly. She’d never seen the two looking so serious.
“You tell us?” Beth snapped, her e
yes flashing. She waved her phone in the air. “What kind of rubbish did you expect me to swallow here?” She tapped on the screen and scrolled through her messages. “Will be late. Working at café to perfect recipes for the afternoon tea event. See you tomorrow.”
Paige shrugged, her heart pounding in her chest. “I did. It was nice and quiet and I could concentrate.”
“Rubbish! You always work on your new recipes here,” Beth snapped. “Not to mention I heard you coming in at the early hours of the morning. No way would you work that late! Why are you lying to us?”
“I’m not,” Paige insisted. “I simply needed a quiet space this time. With everything that’s been going on lately…………I needed alone time.”
Jeremy folded his arms across his broad chest. “I called Mandy at the café this morning while you were still in bed. She said you left early yesterday with that detective guy.” Paige’s heart sank. She was totally busted. Jeremy stared at her, hurt reflected in his eyes. “How can you stand there and lie to your two best friends? Do we mean so little to you?”
“Don’t you trust us?” Beth chipped in, her voice breaking. “If you are in some kind of trouble, we’d stand by you. We’d help.”
Tears sprang into Paige’s eyes. She glanced from one to the other, seeing the exact same hurt in Beth’s eyes as she could see in Jeremy’s. She could feel they were both stunned by her deception. Doubt clouded their emotions and she knew they were questioning if they really knew her. She was losing them, just as she’d feared.
Slowly she crossed the room and sat down at the table. Tucking a long dark strand behind her ear, she knew she had no choice but to come clean. She would lose them for sure if she didn’t. Tucker and Sergeant Drake had accepted her gifts in a way she could never have dreamed. She had to give her friends a chance too. She had nothing to lose.
“Okay, I’ll tell you the truth, but it’s not what you think. I am not in trouble with the police. I am helping them to solve the case.” She glanced between them. Both stared at her with disbelief.
The Hindleford Killer (The Psychic Eye Mysteries Book 1) Page 10