Gone Astray (21 page)

A strange look crossed Kathryn’s face, like she knew what he was talking about but was also scared. Had Umpire seen it too? Maggie glanced over at him but his expression gave nothing
away.

‘I never stay behind after school – I always go to the stables to ride my horse. The staff there can vouch for me. I don’t know anything about Rosie being attacked.’

‘And you’ve never assaulted her yourself?’

Kathryn looked horrified. ‘No way. God, how many more times do I have to tell you? Rosie’s my best friend.’

‘You’ve only known her a year,’ said Maggie.

‘So? We see each other every day. She’s the person I’m closest to in the whole world.’ Kathryn turned to her mum, her long ponytail swinging across her back. ‘I
don’t understand how this is helping find her, Mum.’

‘My daughter’s right. She’s told you she hasn’t bullied Rosie. Are we done?’

‘Not quite. Tell me about the row you and Rosie had yesterday morning.’

Kathryn glowered at Maggie, which this time didn’t go unnoticed by Umpire.

‘I know you went through it with DC Neville, but I would be grateful if you could tell me again.’

The teenager repeated the same account she’d given Maggie but this time there were no tears, no wailing, no hand-wringing. Her voice was a monotone as she listed the names she’d
called Rosie for refusing to go with her to the stables. If Maggie hadn’t heard her tell the same story the day before she’d have thought it was rehearsed.

‘What about Rosie self-harming?’ he asked.

Sarah looked appalled. ‘Whatever do you mean?’

‘Kathryn told DC Neville that Rosie cuts herself.’

‘It’s the truth,’ said Kathryn indignantly. She shot Maggie a dirty look.

‘If she says it’s true then it is,’ said her mum.

‘Where does Rosie cut herself?’ Maggie interjected.

Kathryn hesitated. She pulled her hand out of Sarah’s grip and folded her arms across her body. ‘I’m not sure.’

‘You’re certain she does, though?’ said Umpire.

‘Lily told me she does.’

‘You mean you’ve never spoken to Rosie about it yourself, or actually seen her do it yourself or seen any cuts on her person?’

‘I never said that I had.’

Maggie tried to interrupt again but Umpire held his hand up to silence her. Annoyed, she sank into her seat. She could’ve sworn Kathryn had said she’d seen Rosie cut herself. Why was
she backtracking now?

‘How was Rosie when you left her?’ said Umpire.

‘Upset because we’d rowed and stressed about our exam tomorrow because she hates science. That’s why I thought she should come riding, to take her mind off it.’

Umpire changed tack again.

‘Does Rosie ever confide in you about boys she likes?’

‘I guess,’ said Kathryn, glancing at Sarah again, who nodded at her daughter to continue. ‘But she talks about pop stars she likes, like Liam from 1D, not real boys. Rosie
doesn’t really know any boys who live round here, as her dad is really weird about her going out.’ The teenager suddenly turned on Maggie. ‘I told you all this yesterday. Why do I
have to say it again?’

‘Because DCI Umpire wants you to,’ said Maggie simply.

‘Does Rosie ever talk about boys she knew when she lived in Mansell?’ he asked.

‘No.’

‘So,’ he began carefully, ‘as far as you know, Rosie isn’t sexually experienced.’ When Kathryn and Sarah both reacted with shock, he held up his hands. ‘I
know, it’s a very personal question, but it’s an important one. Is she?’

‘No way. Rosie hasn’t even kissed anyone properly yet,’ said Kathryn.

‘Properly?’ queried Umpire.

She stared at him. ‘With tongues.’

The DCI was lost for words and Maggie would have found his embarrassment amusing were it not for the feeling of unease creeping over her as she watched Kathryn bat his questions away. Where was
the girl she met yesterday, the one who cried so hard trails of phlegm ran from her nose and she never noticed to wipe them away? Even allowing for people’s emotions seesawing in cases like
this, she couldn’t recall seeing anyone so effectively turn theirs off.

‘Can I ask
you
something?’ said Kathryn.

Umpire nodded. ‘By all means.’

‘All these questions you’re asking me about being a bully – do you think I’ve got something to do with Rosie going missing?’

Umpire didn’t miss a beat before answering.

‘We have to explore every avenue that presents itself while we search for her,’ he said. ‘It looks like you were the last person to see her yesterday, you’ve since
admitted to rowing with her and then this email turns up. My job is to ask difficult questions.’

Clever, thought Maggie. He’d made it sound like he’d answered the question when in fact he hadn’t at all. Sarah seemed to buy it, but Kathryn stared at him blank-faced for a
moment then burst into tears.

‘I do understand why you’re asking. I want her home too. I can’t bear the idea that someone’s hurt her.’

Maggie couldn’t hold back any longer.

‘You think someone’s hurt her now?’ she blurted out. ‘Yesterday you thought the blood was caused by Rosie cutting herself. Have you changed your mind?’

‘That’s not what I said. You’re twisting my words.’

Maggie knew she hadn’t twisted anything and wanted to make sure Umpire knew it too. She didn’t want him thinking she’d got Kathryn’s statement confused. But when she
tried to speak again, he shot her a warning look.

‘That’s enough, DC Neville.’

Across the table, Kathryn smirked.

Umpire had parked his car on the drive at Angel’s Reach and he and Maggie walked back there in silence. She was desperate to discuss the interview with him but reluctant
to speak first. It wasn’t a fear of leaping in and saying the wrong thing that made her hesitate, more that he might not actually care what she thought. But by the time they arrived at the
gates of Angel’s Reach, her desire to know what he was thinking got the better of her.

‘What was your impression of Kathryn, sir?’

Umpire looked at her with something approaching surprise, as though her question was unexpected. Maggie realized his mind was elsewhere and not on the interview at all.

‘I don’t think Rosie accusing Kathryn of bullying has anything to do with her going missing,’ he said distractedly.

They came to a halt by his car.

‘Kathryn was behaving oddly though,’ said Maggie. ‘Yesterday she was in pieces, but today she’s calmer than pond water.’

‘So because she pulled herself together before being questioned we should be suspicious?’

‘Sir, she didn’t know you were coming until ten minutes before you turned up. And did you see her face when you read the email out?’

Umpire scratched his scalp roughly with his fingertips. The folds of skin beneath his eyes were dark and puffy, a sure sign of fatigue. Maggie knew from working with him previously that he
wouldn’t rest until Rosie was found, even if that meant not going home and sleeping in the office.

‘What if she was lying? I still don’t think it’s relevant. You heard Matheson: the amount of blood found on Rosie’s skirt suggests a serious injury and there’s the
condom lubricant trace to consider too. You really think Kathryn had anything to do with that?’ His voice grew firmer as he warmed to his theme. ‘You think she somehow spirited an
injured Rosie away, leaving barely a trace of her behind? Has she got magical powers we can’t see?’

He was mocking her, but Maggie wouldn’t rise to it.

‘I’m not saying she’s responsible, sir. I just think she might know more than she’s letting on.’

‘I disagree. I think the key to this lies with what’s left of the fifteen million in Mack and Lesley’s bank account. The crayon writer’s already made that clear enough.
That’s what we need to stay focused on.’ He fumbled in his trouser pocket for his car keys, unlocked the vehicle and folded his lanky frame into the driver’s seat, but left the
door open for a moment.

‘So that’s it with Kathryn?’ asked Maggie.

‘Until something more concrete turns up, yes.’

But Maggie couldn’t let it drop.

‘Can we at least check she did go to the stables after leaving Rosie yesterday? You said yourself that we had to rule everything out.’

‘I’d put fifteen million on her alibi panning out.’ He gave her a weary look. ‘Okay, I’ll have someone verify it.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘Now, tell me again about your interview with Lesley. You said she was surprised Suzy Breed’s name came up?’

Apart from a snatched conversation when she’d arrived at the station for the press conference with Mack and Lesley, this was the first opportunity she’d had to brief him because the
reward had distracted them all. He listened intently as she repeated her conversation with Lesley about Suzy Breed and mentioned Belmar overhearing the Kinnocks rowing about money.

‘Well, Lesley’s wrong about Suzy Breed being in New Zealand. She arrived back in Britain mid-April and is staying at her mother’s address in Falkirk.’

‘Shit. So Mack could’ve been with her instead of staying at the hotel.’

‘Officers from Forth Valley have been round there but there was no sign of her. They’re going back later.’

‘Are you going to interview him about it now?’

‘And ask him what exactly?’ Umpire snapped.

‘About him and Suzy.’

‘Frankly, I don’t care if he’s having an affair with half of bloody Scotland. All I care about is what’s relevant to the investigation and I don’t think him
sneaking off to meet an ex-girlfriend is. We’ve had a threatening letter from someone who’s made it very clear they know about the blood on Rosie’s skirt and phone records put
both Mack and Suzy four hundred miles from Haxton at the time Rosie went missing. Suzy Breed isn’t going to help us find Rosie, but the crayon writer will. So let’s worry about that,
shall we?’

Maggie recoiled from his outburst and, as she floundered for something to say, a black Mercedes-Benz minivan slowed to a halt outside the gate. Driving was a young man with streaked blond hair
and an overbite that diluted his good looks. He waved at them before pulling away.

‘I wonder who that was,’ said Maggie.

‘Security patrol,’ said Umpire. ‘He’s been helping to man the main gate with our officers. The firm’s called Umbra, which is Latin for “shadow” and
it’s a good fit. It doesn’t like to advertise itself, hence the unmarked vehicle.’

‘Everyone working for the firm has been questioned, haven’t they?’

He shot her a disparaging look and she quailed again.

‘Your friend DC Berry took the statements. None of them reported anything out of the ordinary.’ He stuck his key in the ignition then paused. ‘Should the Kinnocks stay
somewhere else tonight with everything that’s going on? I want the back garden and Rosie’s room to stay sealed off for the time being.’

‘I’ll suggest it, sir, but I think Lesley will want to stay put just in case Rosie turns up.’

‘Much as I’d love that to happen, DC Neville, I don’t think she’s going to stroll back in asking what’s for tea,’ he said grimly. ‘But we will find her,
wherever she is and whatever state she’s in.’

His eyes locked on hers and she hated that she knew what he meant. Cases involving children were always the worst.

‘But seriously, let’s think about moving the parents. They must have friends they can stay with.’

‘I don’t think anyone around here other than the Stocktons would take them in and I’m guessing that’s not a good idea now.’

‘No, it’s not.’

‘Lesley’s got one close friend back in Mansell but she’s away until the weekend. But I’m not sure that’s a good idea anyway – the friend lives on the Corley
estate and the press could get to them too easily there.’

‘A hotel then. There’s that place the other side of Mansell, what’s it called? Reuben House. Very expensive, very popular with pop stars and footballers, so I’m told.
EuroMillions winners should fit right in.’

‘Is it really necessary to move them, sir? Lesley’s pretty fragile right now and I think it would unsettle her even more.’

Umpire started the engine.

‘If that’s what you think as their FLO, then fine, they can stay put for now. But make sure you log I suggested it, Neville. I wouldn’t want another conversation to be
forgotten.’

She smarted. ‘Of course, sir.’

‘In the meantime, tell Lesley about Rosie’s email to Cassie. I want to know if it changes her view about her and Kathryn’s friendship.’

He was about to pull the driver’s door shut when his phone rang. Maggie stepped back while he took the call, so it didn’t seem like she was eavesdropping. His side of the
conversation was brief –
yes, no, yes, no
– and when he ended the call she was surprised to see him grip the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles went white.

‘That was the High Tech Crime Unit. They’ve recovered an explicit picture downloaded to Rosie’s iPad a month ago. It had been deleted but was still on the hard
drive.’

‘Of what?’

‘Of her.’ He turned off the engine and got out of the car. ‘They’re sending it to me now.’

The picture arrived almost instantly by email and it was as explicit as Maggie feared. It showed Rosie lying topless on a bed. She wore a pair of lime-green strappy sandals with vertiginous
heels and even though she had knickers on, her legs were splayed open, leaving nothing to the imagination.

‘It’s definitely her,’ said Maggie despondently. Then she took a closer look at Rosie’s face, which was plastered in thick make-up. Her eyes were shut. ‘Sir, she
looks out of it to me.’

Looking at the photograph more closely, the lines around his eyes becoming more pronounced as he squinted, Umpire agreed.

‘I think you’re right. If she was drunk or even drugged, she might not have been aware the picture was taken until she got hold of it. HTCU are trying to see where it originated
from, but they’re saying she hasn’t mentioned its existence in any email or text she’s received in the past six months, or on any of her social media accounts. They’re
having to start from scratch to find the source.’ He looked at the picture again and glowered. ‘My daughter’s ten and has just got her first mobile and already she’s had
other kids texting her asking her to send them pictures of herself like this. Technology and the Internet are turning our kids into amateur porn stars.’