Chapter 21
Twenty-One
Gina
‘Guv, there’s also someone called Brian on Abel Holloway’s alibi list. I remember the name,’ O’Connor said as he took a right and turned the windscreen wipers on.
‘Well remembered.’ Gina knew that what they saw on Curtis Dunton’s iPad would be inadmissible as evidence as they had zero permission to use it.
Curtis wasn’t under arrest for taking Mindy or, in fact, any crime.
‘We have an address so let’s head to Brian’s house and with any luck, Curtis will be there, too. ’
‘The road he lives on isn’t too far from the Ferndale shops.’
She checked a map using her phone and saw that it would only be about a ten-minute walk for Brian to reach the shops.
The words in that message sat at the front of her mind.
‘“I’m taking the dark path, mate. There’s no going back.
I’m doing it!” What do you think Brian means by that and why is he telling Curtis? ’
O’Connor indicated left. ‘I think it’s a metaphorical path. He’s into something and it doesn’t sound good.’
‘I don’t know how we’re going to find out more about this dark path, but I’m worried that these lads are into something bad, something we’re not getting right now.
It has a dark web feel about it and given the video we saw from OpenMeSmiler that was sent to Mindy just before she disappeared… it’s all giving me the ick.’
‘Same.’ He turned into a treelined avenue, every one of them pollarded and looking slightly post-apocalyptic in front of the dismal sky. At least the rain had stopped.
‘Here it is,’ she said as O’Connor drove past the number they were looking for. He pulled up against the kerb before they stepped out.
A wide Victorian semi stood proud at the end of a longish drive.
Evergreens led the way to the door. Gina caught a glimpse of the interior through the sparkly clean bay window.
Open plan, and everything looked shiny with wooden floors and the large glass doors out the back.
O’Connor knocked while she stayed back, surveying for any sign of life inside but she couldn’t see anyone.
Her gaze was drawn to the back garden and it was an impressive size.
OpenMeSmiler – she tried to conjure up an image of who might be using that name and she knew it could be anyone. All they had was the ghost of a person or persons, no description and no personal details. They also still had to find Ursula’s husband, Spencer Grey.
‘I don’t think anyone is in, guv.’
‘We might have to drop a note through the door, asking Brian to contact us. If we don’t hear anything by this evening, we’ll get someone to pop back.
It was a long shot following the alibi list but then that message…
I can’t get it out of my mind. We can’t drop the ball on it.
’ She stared through the window one more time, standing in silence as O’Connor prepared a note.
That’s when her eyes met an intruder staring through the glass at the other end of the house.
A chill ran through her as he ducked to the left.
Someone had been watching the house, just like the men that had been lurking around the back of Mindy’s house.
She darted towards the back gate. She couldn’t let them escape.
‘There’s someone in the garden and he’s running.
We can’t let him get away. Call for backup – now. ’