Chapter 82
‘As far as we know, Liam Scanlan did not own a car.’ Lottie rubbed her brow, a headache brewing.
The incident room was freezing cold, but she had broken out in a sweat.
‘Nothing has shown up for a rental in his name either, which means diddly-squat, nor has any vehicle been stolen. We now have an alert on Alice’s car.
We have an eyewitness, Clarice Shaw, who places Alice at his apartment three weeks ago.
We can assume either of two scenarios. One is that Liam Scanlan has abducted her.
The other is that she is colluding with him. ’
‘You can’t mean she’s behind the murder of her own family, can you?’ Kirby asked.
‘Everything is possible until we prove otherwise. However, the most likely scenario is that Scanlan took Alice and her car. He went on a stabbing spree when he figured we were on to him.’ Lottie paused, gathering her strength.
‘On another note, and I hate to say this, I don’t see any reason for him to attack and stab my daughter. ’
‘He’s on the run,’ McKeown said. ‘He may have been staking you out and followed her from your house.’
‘But he has no car,’ Boyd said.
‘He may have had Alice Quigley’s.’ McKeown looked at Lottie. ‘Like you already said. And the bouncer at the Court pub ID’d Scanlan.’ When Lottie stared at him, he added, ‘Not a positive ID, but he said he might have seen him last night.’
‘Okay, that’s something, but there’s still no motive to attack Chloe.’
‘To get at you?’ Kirby offered.
‘Perhaps.’ Lottie was still doubtful. Could Scanlan have learned that Chloe had dug into the Tormey case? If so, how? And why would it even warrant an attack on her daughter?
Boyd said, ‘There’s often no rhyme or reason to the actions of a cornered animal.’
‘He’s not bloody well cornered,’ she said, the tone of her cadence shrill. ‘We don’t even know where he is. How is that possible in this day and age? Everyone leaves a footprint. I want him found!’
‘Can I say something?’ Boyd asked, and it was clear he wanted to say it without his head being snapped off.
‘Go ahead.’
‘You mentioned this earlier, and I tend to agree. This case has been about misdirection. We only see what we’re being led to see.’
Her headache was now in full thumping mode as she caught his drift. ‘Smoke and mirrors?’
‘We’ve cleared away some of the smoke, but it’s hiding something deeper. Freya’s birthday party links back to the old Tormey case and another birthday party.’
‘But that’s connected to Sadie, not Caroline’s family,’ Lottie countered. ‘It was Sadie’s younger sister’s birthday party. The girls only met in Oak House a year before the Tormey murders.’
‘I think we should talk to Eugene Tormey again. He has to know more.’
‘Okay, I agree.’ She peered pointedly at Kirby and McKeown. ‘When we get back, I want Liam Scanlan and Alice Quigley freezing their arses off in the cells. And organise a warrant to search her property.’
‘What about Christy Kearney and Dermot Macken?’ Kirby asked. ‘Are they in the clear?’
‘Not by a long shot. See if a judge will approve a search warrant for their properties too, though I doubt it.’
‘What reason can I give?’
‘It’s weak, but Macken intimated that he knew Sadie when she was in Oak House. Kearney must have some connection to her too. McKeown, where the hell are those background checks?’
‘Working on them. But accessing Oak House records is like breaking into Fort Knox.’
‘Get on with it. We need to tick all the boxes on this. Sadie and her daughter are still missing, in case you lot forgot.’
‘Do you think they’re dead?’ Kirby asked.
She thought about it. ‘As Boyd said, smoke and mirrors. I believe they’re alive.’