Broken Girls: A totally addictive and unputdownable crime thriller (Detective Bernadette Noel Book 2)

by Joy Kluver

  ‘Did you have any idea at all about him and Rosa?’

  Harriet gave a brittle laugh. ‘No, despite some of the mums on the class WhatsApp group making some jokes. Obviously they saw Rosa on the school run from September and they put up the usual clichéd remarks – “Better watch your husband, Harriet.” I ignored them, to my cost.’

  More Rosa’s cost than yours, thought Bernie. You’re still here. She took another sip of her coffee. ‘How much did you pay Rosa?’

  Harriet lifted her head, a little startled at the change of direction. ‘Um, we paid five hundred pounds a month to the agency and then they paid the wage to her. I’m guessing they took a cut. Obviously she had bed and full board here.’

  ‘And did she stay here every night?’

  ‘To begin with, yes. Then she started to make friends and she was often out all night on Friday and Saturday evenings. We didn’t expect her to work weekends. She would go clubbing and stay over with a friend.’

  ‘Male or female?’

  ‘At the time I didn’t know but I now suspect it was a man.’

  Bernie put her mug down and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She opened the photos and found the picture she wanted. ‘Would Rosa get ready here first? Do you recognise these shoes?’ She handed her phone over.

  ‘Oh yes. She got those sometime in September, I think. No idea how she managed to walk in them, let alone dance.’

  ‘Not your kind of thing then.’

  ‘God, no. I’ve never worn heels.’

  ‘Do you know where she bought them?’

  Harriet shook her head. ‘No. They looked expensive. I did wonder at the time how she managed to afford them. It’s not like she was saving her money. She was spending most of it, mainly on clothes, make-up and toiletries.’ She picked up her mug but then put it down again. ‘Oh God, do you think Rupert gave her the money? I mean, they were… doing it by then. Is that what you think?’

  Bernie picked her mug up again. ‘We don’t know. The dress she was found in was very cheap in comparison to the shoes. It may be nothing at all but we have to look at the possibility that someone else paid for them.’ She spotted Kerry jotting down ‘financial check on Fox’.

  Harriet was still rubbing her thumbs and fingers together.

  ‘Something else I’d like to ask about is Rosa’s mobile phone. I’m assuming she had one.’

  Harriet nodded, her eyes slightly glazed.

  ‘Do you have her number? We’ve not managed to locate her phone yet.’

  Harriet looked at Bernie. ‘Her number? Yes, it’s on my phone. I’ll just get it.’

  She got up and left the room.

  Bernie looked at Kerry and whispered, ‘What do you think?’

  ‘Very nervous. And she’s had time to think.’

  ‘Exactly. Can you send a text to Alice to say the shoes were definitely bought locally?’

  ‘Sure.’ Kerry pulled out her mobile as Harriet came back in the room.

  ‘Here you go. Just so you know, I texted her last night. In case it’s not her who’s… I said I was sorry and asked her to reply. There’s been no response.’

  Bernie took the phone from Harriet and jotted the number down on Kerry’s notepad. ‘Thank you. That’s very helpful. Don’t suppose you know which phone company she was with?’

  ‘No, but I do know she changed to a SIM-only contract when she arrived here. She wanted a UK number and was on a three-month trial with us so it made more sense to do that.’

  ‘And you’ve no idea where she went after leaving you?’

  Harriet shook her head again. ‘No. No idea.’

  ‘What about the man you said you caught her with? The reason you told her to leave.’

  Harriet’s cheeks coloured. ‘Oh, yes. I suppose she may have gone to him.’

  ‘Can you give us a description?’

  Harriet’s blush deepened. ‘No, not really. I didn’t exactly see his face. I’d rather not describe what I saw. But he was white, tall and had dark hair. I told her to pack her bags and leave. I took the girls out and by the time we got back, she’d left. As I told you before, I hadn’t realised about the rings until the next day. Of course, I now understand why Rupe wanted to keep her name out of it.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m so sorry. If I’d known I was putting her in danger by sending her away, I would never have told her to go. Do her grandparents know yet?’

  ‘DCI Worth and another of our officers are in touch with the Italian police now. They’ll be told today. Do you mind if we have another look at Rosa’s bedroom? I know the CSIs have finished with it.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  Bernie and Kerry followed Harriet back to the hallway and up the stairs. She indicated to the bedroom at the front.

  The room was large with a double bed. Opposite it was a wardrobe and shelving unit combined.

  ‘Did Rosa bring much with her?’

  ‘No, very little. She bought most of her things here.’ Harriet sighed. ‘I feel so awful. She was only nineteen. Still a child in so many ways. She even had a teddy bear that she kept on the shelf over there.’ She pointed to the middle shelf on the unit.

  Kerry stood by it and then turned to look at the bed. ‘Right here? Did she bring that from Florence?’

  ‘No. She got it here. The girls wanted to play with it but she said no. Said it was a special bear given to her by a special friend.’ Harriet covered her face with her hand and gave a sob.

  Bernie glanced at Kerry. It was time to go.

  ‘Thank you for your time, Mrs Fox,’ she said. ‘We may have to ask you some more questions at some point. In the meantime we’re going to ask your neighbours if they saw who Rosa left with.’

  ‘Oh God. Do you have to?’

  ‘Well, yes. This is a murder investigation. Someone brutally killed Rosa.’

  Harriet looked at the floor. ‘Of course. Go ahead and ask.’

  Bernie was tempted to say she didn’t need permission but she needed to keep on the good side of Harriet Fox. She was sure this conversation would be relayed back to Worth at some point. ‘We’ll just get our things and leave you in peace. I’m sure you’d appreciate a bit of space before Mr Fox and the girls get back.’

  They trooped back downstairs and downed the rest of their coffees.

  ‘Oh, before we go, do you have a photo of Rosa?’

  ‘No, I don’t. She didn’t like having her photo taken which is odd because she is… was such a pretty girl. And she definitely didn’t want me to mention her on social media.’

  Interesting. Bernie held out her hand. ‘We’ll be in touch.’

  Harriet shook Bernie’s hand. ‘Let me know if there’s anything I can do for her grandparents. We were supposed to be looking out for her. We failed.’

  Bernie raised her hand as Harriet Fox shut the door.

  As they reached the pavement, Kerry said, ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking about that teddy bear?’

  ‘Oh yes. It definitely had a camera in it.’

  19

  Bernie had hoped for some nosy neighbours but most were out. She was about to signal to Kerry it was time to leave when her DS waved her over from the other side of the road. Bernie joined her.

  ‘Ma’am, this is Olivia. She remembers Rosa leaving.’

  Bernie looked at the teenage girl before her, probably about seventeen, still in her PJs and dressing gown, even though it was almost eleven thirty. Bernie smiled. ‘What do you remember?’

  ‘I don’t know what day it was. It was two or three weeks ago. But I saw her come out of the door with a large suitcase and some bags. Then this black car turned up and she put her stuff in and left. I thought it was a cab but it might not have been.’ Olivia pushed her dark, unbrushed hair out of her face. Kerry had obviously woken her up.

  ‘Did you see the driver at all?’

  Olivia thought for a moment. ‘No, not really. He was on the side closest to the pavement and stayed in the car which I thought was a bit weird. Cab driv
ers normally help you with your stuff, don’t they?’

  ‘They normally do. What about before this? Had you seen much of Rosa from when she arrived in the summer?’

  Olivia pulled a face. ‘I’d seen her around but I didn’t go out of my way to make friends. I used to babysit for the girls but Harriet told me she didn’t need me now she had Rosa. She cost me money.’

  Someone else who thinks Rosa cost them something. ‘I see. Is there anything else you remember from that day? Maybe the make and model of the car? Or any part of the registration?’

  Olivia shook her head. ‘No idea about cars. But thinking about it, there was some shouting maybe an hour or so before she left. It was Harriet and then she got in her car with the girls and drove off.’

  Kerry pulled out her notebook and pen. ‘Did you see anyone else leave the house?’ she asked. ‘A man, perhaps?’

  ‘No, I wasn’t looking all the time. I was doing my homework.’ She pointed to the upstairs front window. ‘That’s my room.’

  Bernie looked up. It was opposite Rosa’s. The road was quite wide and the driveways fairly long but it might still be possible to see across. ‘Can you see into Rosa’s room from yours?’

  ‘I wasn’t spying on her, if that’s what you mean.’

  ‘No, not at all. I was just wondering.’

  The girl sighed. ‘Yeah, to begin with, especially if she had her curtains open and light on. But she must have spotted me looking cos she then started pulling her curtains quite early, before it got dark. Can I go now? I’ve not had breakfast yet and Mum told me I had to be dressed before she got back from the supermarket.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ Bernie pulled a business card out of her pocket. ‘Give me a call if you remember anything else.’

  ‘OK. Is Rosa in trouble or something?’

  Bernie was surprised Olivia was only asking now. But she wasn’t about to say without confirmation. ‘We’re not sure yet. Thanks for your help.’

  They headed back to the car and got in. It was almost time to check in with the others. Bernie looked at her phone to see if anyone had been in touch. There was an email from Anderson.

  ‘Right, what have we got here then? Great, a photo of Rosa.’ She showed it to Kerry. Staring back at them was a smiling, pretty young woman with long dark hair, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

  ‘Harriet was right – she was pretty. I’m guessing she doesn’t look like that any more,’ said Kerry.

  Bernie sighed. ‘No, she doesn’t. But at least we have something to show now. I wonder if Matt got a photo from the agency. This would be a much better one to use.’ She was about to ring him when Alice’s name came up on the screen. Bernie answered the call.

  ‘Hi, Alice. What have you got for me?’ She put it on speakerphone.

  ‘I found the shoes. You were right about the outlet village. Even better, one of the shop assistants remembers Rosa. As soon as I showed her a photo of the shoes she knew straight away who I was referring to. Was able to describe her. Apparently Rosa was really excited about the shoes. Unfortunately there’s no CCTV footage as it was over a month ago and they only keep it for a month. She told me Rosa had said her boyfriend had given her the money for them. They were two hundred and sixty-five pounds, down from five hundred and sixty. She paid cash, and there was a man waiting outside for her. White, tall, dark hair, she thinks, but had a baseball cap on.’

  ‘That’s great work. Have you asked security at the centre if they have CCTV footage?’

  ‘Yes. Same thing. Keep it for a month then get rid of it unless there’s an incident and it’s needed for us.’

  ‘Damn. That’s not helpful, but great you found the shoes. Confirms what Mick said earlier. It was a man who paid for them. Can you go back to headquarters and write that up, please? I’m going to catch up with Mick and Matt and see where they’re at. Good work, Alice.’

  ‘Thanks, ma’am. I’ll see you later.’

  Bernie looked at Kerry. ‘That’s good news. And one less thing we have to do here.’

  ‘Shame. I was looking forward to trying on some heels.’

  ‘You still wouldn’t be taller than me.’

  They both laughed.

  ‘Seriously though,’ said Bernie, ‘this guy that’s been mentioned might be our motorcyclist. And likely Rosa was with him after she left the Foxes. Let’s see if Matt and Mick have got anywhere.’

  Bernie called Matt.

  ‘Hi, ma’am. Haven’t got much, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Tell me what you do have.’

  ‘Rosa didn’t get much pay. Four hundred pounds a month that the agency paid directly to her.’

  ‘Whoa. Harriet said she paid the agency five hundred. How many au pairs do they have on their books?’

  ‘Not sure exactly but quite a lot. At least fifty. Do you want us to check out the legality?’

  ‘Leave it for now. Not really our department but we can pass it on if need be. What about friends?’

  ‘She did connect with a couple of the other au pairs over the summer but from September onwards she didn’t see them. The owner rang them up and we spoke to them. They both said the same thing – a man came on the scene and Rosa just dumped them.’

  ‘Interesting. What about her passport?’

  ‘The owner did have a copy of it but it’s a few years old so she looks quite young. Don’t know if it’ll be much use.’

  ‘Don’t worry. Anderson has sent a photo from the grandparents. I’ll forward it on to you.’ Bernie glanced at her watch. It was getting close to twelve. ‘You and Mick can take lunch now if you want. I’ll call the DCI and let him know where we’re all up to. Then Kerry and I can come and help you and Mick with the pubs and bars. I’ll text you in a bit. Oh, and you can tell Mick he was right – it was a man who paid for the shoes. Alice found the shop. Catch you later.’

  ‘OK. Bye, ma’am.’

  Bernie looked at Kerry. ‘I suppose I ought to call the boss next.’

  ‘That’s the politest you’ve ever been about Worth.’

  ‘Probably because I’ve had some time out from him.’

  Worth answered after two rings and Bernie relayed what the team had found out.

  ‘So Kerry and I are going to join Matt and Mick in the city centre and see what we can dig up.’

  ‘Good. Sounds like some progress has been made, albeit small. I’ll make use of Alice once she’s back. I’d like you all back here for five o’clock for a briefing.’

  ‘Yes, sir. I’ll pass that on to the others. See you then. Oh, how’s it going with the Contis? How did they take it?’

  ‘I’ll inform you all at the briefing.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ Bernie ended the call. Shutting me out again. She reached for her seat belt. ‘Huh! Small progress indeed. Let’s see if we can find anywhere to park and then grab some lunch,’ she said. ‘And then you can beat me on steps, little one.’

  ‘Oi! You do know I can throw you over my shoulder, don’t you?’

  Bernie laughed. ‘I know.’

  20

  Saturday lunchtime was not the best time to be asking questions. The pubs and cafés were full and staff rushed off their feet. Quick glances were followed by shaking heads. By three o’clock, they’d all had enough.

  They sat on a bench opposite the cathedral. The sun was shining and the green was full of people – tourists taking photos of the spire, children running around and others sitting quietly, taking in the full majesty of the cathedral.

  ‘How tall is the spire?’ Mick asked.

  ‘One hundred and twenty-three metres,’ Matt replied.

  ‘Blimey, that was fast.’

  Bernie laughed. ‘Matt is our quiz expert. If you’re doing one make sure you have him on your team.’ Bernie looked at the expansive building in front of them. ‘Do you think Rosa ever came here?’

  ‘Maybe. Not sure the staff here would remember though,’ said Kerry. ‘Plus, she was probably Catholic.’

  ‘Actually, I found a
Catholic church on Exeter Street and went in,’ said Matt. ‘The priest didn’t recognise her.’

  ‘Considering what she’d been up to, you’d have thought she’d pop in for confession,’ said Mick.

  Bernie looked at him. ‘Seriously? From what we’re finding out, we have a young woman who’s been manipulated by men. Even you said it was probably a man who’d paid for the shoes.’

  There was silence.

  ‘Sorry, ma’am.’

  ‘Apology accepted. You might have said it the wrong way, Mick, but it’s possible she may have gone to another Catholic church. There must be more than one round here.’

  Bernie pulled out her phone and did a quick search. ‘Oh wow, there’s one two streets away from the Foxes. Far more likely she went there. Right, we have an hour before we ought to leave to get back for the briefing. Kerry and I will check out the church and you two can go and see if any of the nightclubs have opened yet to get ready for tonight.’

  The church was on a quiet suburban street. Bernie and Kerry got out of the car and headed up the path.

  ‘Can I help you?’

  They turned to see a short man, with greying hair, in a black suit with a dog collar.

  Bernie smiled. ‘Hello, Father.’ She held up her warrant card. ‘I’m DI Noel and this is DS Allen. We were wondering if you could help us with something.’

  He bowed his head slightly in greeting. ‘I’m Father Adrian – I’ll help if I can. I don’t have long. I have a mass to do at another church in a couple of hours and I need to set up.’

  ‘It won’t take long. We were wondering if you’ve ever seen this woman in your congregation.’ Bernie held out her phone.

  The priest studied the photo far closer than the staff in the pubs and cafés. ‘No. I don’t think I have seen her at mass. She may have come in for confession but obviously I wouldn’t know that for certain.’

  ‘She’s Italian.’

  ‘Oh! Rosa?’

  ‘So you do know her?’

  ‘Not exactly. I know of her. She was with the Foxes. Harriet comes here for mass on a Sunday.’