Shit, Lottie thought. Even if she proved a link to him, Kevin O’Keeffe had an excuse for his DNA being at 2 Church View. One step forward, ten steps backwards. Welcome to my world, she thought as she shook hands with Jeff and watched Kirby lead him out.
Lottie tasked Garda Brennan to trace Aaron’s father, Richard Frost. They had already tried to find out what they could about Jeff’s relatives, the Cole family, and come up blank. If Polly had been murdered in that house, why had no one reported it? It was looking likely that either the mother or the father had killed the child in some drug-fuelled scenario. After Faye’s murder, the neighbours in Church View had been canvassed, but no one could throw any light on why a skull had been hidden there.
She had another email. Jane Dore, with the time of death for Aaron Frost.
McKeown arrived. ‘Boss, I’ve good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?’
‘Just tell me.’
‘We can’t locate Kevin O’Keeffe. His wife said he took their daughter to school in her car and was then to go to work. He’s not at his office. We checked. But his car was sitting outside the family home and SOCOs examined it. Guess what?’
‘McKeown! Now isn’t the time for riddles.’
‘They opened the boot and the smell of bleach hit them like a tsunami. It was cleaned out recently. I think that gives us grounds to arrest him.’
‘No, it doesn’t. Marianne said he’s very particular. Her word. Their house is shining. The presence of bleach doesn’t mean a thing.’
‘But with the CCTV and Carthy’s statement, we can make a case that he at least dumped Gavin’s body.’
‘Tentative at best; it’s just his car.’
‘Maybe it was Marianne,’ McKeown offered eagerly.
‘No, she was with Tamara. But even though we don’t have proof it was Kevin at the recycling centre, I think we have enough to bring him in for questioning as a person of interest. Find him.’
‘I’ll put out an alert.’
McKeown headed out and Lottie went to the incident room and stood in front of the photo board. She studied Harry Doyle in the family photo. His hand pressing hard on his wife’s shoulder, the white cuff of his shirt visible below the sleeve of his jacket. She glanced over at the photos of the body parts. The hand. The end of a tattoo on the wrist. Tearing the photo from the board, she held it up to the family picture.
There. She could just about make it out. The ink of a tattoo on Harry Doyle’s hand. If they could match the tattoo, it would prove beyond doubt that Harry Doyle had been dead almost as long as his wife and daughters. But who had killed him? And why pick now to dispose of his frozen, dismembered body? And where was the rest of it?
Questions beget questions, as Kirby had said.
Aaron’s DNA was in the car where Faye’s body had been found, so it was possible he had killed her. But there was no way he’d murdered Gavin Robinson. According to Jane Dore, Aaron was already dead before Gavin was killed.
Who else was involved? She stared at the photos. They’d kept tabs on Jeff since Faye’s murder, so she knew it wasn’t him. It had to be Kevin O’Keeffe. His wife, Marianne, had thought Kevin had killed Aaron because he suspected she was having an affair with him. But why kill the others? What the hell was she missing?
Seventy
Her father had been rambling on and on, and Ruby tuned out. She was desperate to get out of the car.
‘You see, Ruby, I haven’t always been faithful to your mother. It’s got me in trouble more times than I can count.’
She heard that bit. ‘You’ve been with more women than you can count?’
‘That’s not what I mean. But Marianne takes every opportunity to regurgitate my affairs when it suits her.’
‘I don’t blame her.’ Ruby wondered why her mother had never kicked Kevin out.
‘She’s always chasing someone younger than herself. I suspect she’s bisexual. Do you know what that means?’
‘I’m not stupid.’
‘No, I don’t suppose you are. I was sure she was having it off with that Tamara one.’
‘That Tamara one, as you call her, has just had her son murdered. You are pathetic.’
‘Maybe I am.’ Kevin’s gaze never left the fogged-up windscreen.
‘Where is all this leading?’ Ruby thought her father was imagining things. Her mother was just good friends with Tamara. He was jealous. She’d never seen him with a friend. Pathetic old man.
‘Let me tell this my own way,’ he said, ‘then I won’t get mad and do something stupid.’
‘Go on.’
‘Your mother holds it over my head all the time that the money for our house came from her family. I know the law says I’d be entitled to half if we ever divorced, but it gets to me. No property. No savings. I needed my own money to have some sway over her. Then, two years ago, I was presented with an opportunity. It was traumatic but I thought I’d make money.’ He paused, and Ruby rolled her eyes. He’d already told her this shite. But she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle when he added, ‘That was what I was promised. But you see, Ruby, there wasn’t any money. Now people have been killed and I am involved.’
‘What?’ Ruby said.
‘I got dragged into something dark. Very dark.’ He lapsed into silence.
She squashed herself against the locked door. Her father was terrifying her. She had her hand on her phone in her pocket. Blindly she drafted a text. She couldn’t see what she was typing, but she was proficient enough to know it might make some sense to Sean.
Sean’s phone vibrated against his leg and he took it from his pocket. A text from Ruby. The teacher was rambling on about questions for exams and how they were to read over old papers. Right.
Ruby’s message consisted of four words.
Da mad help lake
He squinted at the screen again. She hadn’t turned up for school, and her father had been acting weird the last few times Sean had been in their house. Holding his phone under the desk, he reread the text for the third time. Ruby was in trouble.
‘Sean Parker, if that’s your phone you’re holding in your hand, you’d better put it away or it will be in the principal’s office, along with you, in five seconds flat.’
Sean groaned and stopped himself saying that it took three minutes, not five seconds, to walk there.
‘Sorry, miss, I’m not holding my phone. I just need to use the toilet.’
The young teacher curled up her nose and pointed to the door. ‘Don’t be all day.’
Sean slid out of his chair and escaped.
In the bathroom, he stared at the screen again. Should he text back? That could make things worse for Ruby. And what lake was she on about?
Maybe he should tell his mother. But she was stressed over the investigations she was running. She wouldn’t have time for nonsensical texts. Maybe Ruby had skipped school and wanted Sean to join her. No, she’d have been more specific. He texted back.
Where are you?
Waited.
No reply.
What was he to do? Then he remembered the conversation he’d had with his mother last night. There was no way around it. He’d have to tell her about Ruby’s text.
The guard on the front desk was young and uninterested.
‘Look, I’ve had to tell a pack of lies to get out of school and I need to see my mother.’
The guard laughed. ‘What lies?’
‘I told the principal that my mam was dying.’
‘You did not.’
‘Did so. And I need to speak with her. It’s urgent.’
‘Detective Inspector Parker is busy. Leave a message and I’ll get it to her.’
‘You don’t understand.’
‘Try me.’
‘Piss off,’ Sean muttered under his breath.
‘Your mother wouldn’t like to hear you’ve been abusing me with bad language.’
‘When she hears what I’ve to tell her, I don’t think she will give a
flying fu— flute what you say.’
The door with the code opened and two guards walked out. Sean took his chance and scooted in behind them, catching it before it shut.
‘Hey, you can’t go in there.’
He scampered up the stairs and skidded along the corridor, trying to remember which was his mother’s office.
A woman marched towards him. ‘Young man, are you lost?’
‘I want to speak to my mother.’
‘Who would that be?’
‘Lottie Parker.’
The woman’s face crunched into itself. ‘Have you been kicked out of school?’
‘No.’
‘Well you shouldn’t be up here. Come with me. You can wait in reception. Someone will tell your mother.’
‘Fuck this,’ Sean said, and darted out of the way. He careened through the door of the nearest office and stopped short in front of the board of photographs. Graphic, twisted images of death. On the other board, undead people. Slap bang in the middle of those photos was Ruby’s dad, Kevin O’Keeffe.
Ruby didn’t want to hear any more, but her father kept talking.
‘The boy. He was so young. So fragile. So light to lift and carry. It was awful. I’m terrified now.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘The boy that died. Tamara’s son. Gavin.’
‘You … I don’t believe it. You killed a little boy?’
‘No, Ruby, don’t go accusing me, I’m just trying to tell you what happened. You see, someone threatened to kill my own child. I had to do what they asked.’
‘Are you for real? Who asked you?’
‘That doesn’t matter now.’
‘You killed a child!’ Ruby trembled and felt the tears trickling down her face, but her fear quickly turned to rage. ‘You’re a murderer! I don’t want to hear any more. I want to go home. Let me out.’ She pulled at the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge.
‘I’m sorry,’ Kevin said.
‘Fuck you and your excuses. You’re evil. I want to go home!’
‘Where is home? Where is anything of value? I abandoned all that I love when I got caught up in the darkness.’
Ruby had heard enough. She shoved her rucksack hard into his side, grabbed the key fob from the dash, pressed the door-unlock button and leapt out of the car.
As she ran, like she’d never run before, she felt her belly fat flap and her feet thump against the pebbles on the ground.
She didn’t dare look behind her to see if her father was following.
She just ran and ran.
And she cried and cried, her face a mask of horror.
Lottie looked up to find Superintendent Farrell standing in the doorway with Sean skulking behind her.
‘Superintendent? Sean? What’s going on?’
‘This young man is as impertinent as you. I would advise you to put some manners on him, and then I want to talk to you in my office.’
‘Of course.’
Farrell stomped out with irritated steps. Sean wrinkled his nose and instinctively Lottie wanted to shake him.
‘What are you doing here? Did something happen to you at school?’
‘Nothing happened.’
‘Tell me then.’ She knew it had to be important. Sean was conscientious and law-abiding. Most of the time.
He handed her his phone. ‘After seeing all those photos, I think this is serious.’
‘What photos?’
‘On the boards. In the other office.’
‘You shouldn’t have been in there.’
‘Look, Mam, that text is from Ruby. I think she’s in trouble.’
The words on the screen made no sense, but with all that had gone on, they actually did.
‘Did you text back?’ She scrolled down.
‘Yes, but there’s been no reply. I didn’t try again, because if she’s in danger I thought I might make it worse. What should I do?’
What indeed? Lottie stared at the words.
Da mad help lake
‘Which lake do you think she means?’
‘I’ve no idea. Can’t you trace it?’
‘It’d take time. I’ll contact Marianne. Leave your phone with me in case Ruby sends another message. Go back to school. I’ll sort it.’
‘Ruby’s my friend.’
‘I know, Sean. I’ll find her. I promise.’
Seventy-One
A scowl flashed across Marianne’s face when she opened the door.
‘I didn’t expect my house to be turned into a crime scene, Lottie. I shouldn’t have made that complaint. I was only—’
‘Shut up, Marianne.’ Lottie bundled the woman back into the house and grabbed her elbows, whirling her around to look at her. ‘Do you know which is Kevin’s favourite lake?’
‘Lake? What are you on about?’
‘Kevin has Ruby. I think your daughter is in danger. They’re at a lake. I’ve no idea which one. Think, Marianne.’
‘Ruby. Oh God. Jesus.’ Marianne swayed against the wall. ‘I … I don’t know.’
Behind her, Lottie could see SOCOs working their way through the kitchen.
‘This is urgent. Phone me if you think of anything.’ She moved back outside.
‘I’ll get my coat,’ Marianne said. ‘I’m coming with you.’
‘Where?’
‘Lough Cullion. It’s where we used to go for picnics when Ruby was younger.’
‘You’re staying here.’
‘No. If anyone can talk sense into Kevin, I can.’
Lottie wasn’t so sure, but time was against her. She relented and headed to the car.
Marianne slid in beside her. ‘What has Kevin done?’
‘I don’t think you really want to know the answer to that question.’
She stuck the blue flashing strobe light on, and as the car screamed out of the driveway, she radioed for backup to meet them at Lough Cullion.
Kirby stood looking over Gary’s shoulder. The technical guru still had Aaron’s laptop on his desk.
‘I thought you were sending it to the Dublin experts.’
‘I don’t like things getting the better of me.’
‘What have you found?’
‘Tell me I’m a genius first.’ Gary squinted over his spectacles.
‘You’re a genius,’ Kirby said. ‘Now what the fuck have you found?’
‘The site most visited was TraceMyGenes.’
‘What’s that when it’s at home?’
‘An ancestry DNA site. You take your DNA and post it in, and then they match it up with other people who’ve submitted theirs.’
‘And who did Aaron find?’
‘It’s more like who found Aaron.’
‘Come on, Gary. I’m knee-deep in corpses. Tell me.’
‘The site itself won’t tell us anything, but I’ve successfully restored his deleted emails and printed them out for you. It seems Aaron first registered on the site trying to find a Richard Frost. But then someone else made contact with him. The name is there.’
Kirby scanned the page. ‘Holy shit. Thanks, Gary. You truly are a genius.’
He raced down the stairs and flew into Lottie’s office. Empty. A phone was sliding around on the desk with an incoming call. Boyd’s name. He answered it.
‘Hi, bud,’ Kirby said. ‘Could do with your help here.’
‘Where’s Lottie?’
‘I haven’t the foggiest.’
‘Get her to call me. I need to talk to her. It’s urgent.’
‘Will do.’
Kirby hung up, scratching his head. His belly rumbled, and he didn’t know which way to turn.
The level-crossing barrier was down. A train was due.
Marianne said, ‘Drive through it!’
‘Calm down.’ Lottie glanced in her rear-view mirror. The backup crews were sitting helplessly in their cars behind her. She had an awful sense of déjà vu. Of sitting here helplessly on a chase with Boyd, frantic that their suspect was getting
away. She shook off the memory and thought of the unread texts from Boyd earlier. She felt for the phone in her back pocket and eased it out.
‘Damn.’
‘What?’
‘I took Sean’s phone in case Ruby contacted him again, but I never brought mine.’
As she slid the phone onto the dashboard, she noticed a figure streaking up the lane on the far side of the tracks. A teenager, slightly overweight, with short hair, her face white, mouth stretched with the exertion of her run.
She jumped out of the car and ran to the barrier.
‘Ruby!’ Marianne screeched as she followed.
The rumble of the train echoed up the tracks and Lottie shot out a hand, holding back the frantic mother. The train screamed past them like a fast-forwarded movie, silver-grey images merging and stretching. Lottie’s imagination conjured up horrific images of Ruby being caught by her pursuer and thrust under the speeding train, her body ending up like the torso Jack and Gavin had found.
Then the train was gone. A void of stillness in its wake. She was deaf in the silence and she still couldn’t see the girl. Without waiting for the barrier to rise, she ducked under it and ran across the tracks sunken in the road.
‘Ruby? Ruby!’ Marianne shouted.
Lottie saw the teenager then, lying on her side in the long grass, holding her chest, trying to catch her breath. She looked so young in her school uniform, and Lottie was grateful Sean hadn’t tried to find her on his own.
‘She’s going to be okay,’ she said.
Marianne cradled her daughter in her arms, crying relentlessly.
Lottie hunkered down beside them as uniforms swarmed around like flies. ‘Ruby, are you hurt?’
The girl shook her head.
‘Where’s your dad? Where’s Kevin?’
‘Lake. Car.’ Ruby was breathless but did not appear to be harmed. ‘Said … horrible things. I think he murdered Gavin Robinson. Oh, God!’
Lottie instructed two uniforms to bring the girl to the hospital to have her checked over, then told the crew of the other squad car to follow her.
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