Chapter 107
Boyd strolled into Lottie’s office and sat on the chair in front of her desk. ‘Have we enough to charge Alice?’
‘Yes.’ Lottie kept her head down, tapping her keyboard. ‘Her confession along with the items we found in her house and garden.’
‘Her confession is fine if it sticks. Despite Cameron’s blood on her clothing, I think a good defence solicitor could argue—’
‘Okay, Boyd. She confessed, and an insanity plea won’t work either because she planned the whole thing.’
‘Then why aren’t you writing up your report instead of studying… What are you studying?’
She raised her head from the screen. ‘Crime-scene photos. I want to see what I missed.’
‘Lottie. Stop. We have the nasty bitch and she’ll be locked up for ever.’
‘Go home, Boyd.’ She gave him a weak smile.
‘I would if I had one to go to.’
‘You know what I mean. Maybe you could get Sergio or Louis to entertain my mother. I’ve to wait around to visit Chloe later.’
‘Katie sent me a snap. Look.’ He took out his phone. ‘Rose is in her element ordering the kids around.’
She took the phone and grinned at the scene. ‘That’s cute. They’re spellbound by her.’
Rose’s dressing gown hung loose over a pair of Katie’s PJs.
She had a bowl under her left arm and was whisking some sort of mixture.
It looked like most of it had sprayed onto Sergio and Louis.
They all looked so happy. But something in the image itched at the outer reaches of her brain.
She quickly scrolled through the Healy crime-scene photos on her screen.
‘Not there.’
‘What’s not there?’ Boyd took back his phone, which she’d thrown down.
‘Something.’
‘Huh?’
‘I’ll know what it is when I see it.’
‘Suit yourself. I’m going home, to your home. See you later on.’
When he left the office, Lottie felt his energy depart with him.
She checked the sparse twenty-year-old case file.
The photos were grainy. Not in any order.
Then she noticed what she’d pulled from the recess of her brain.
She clicked around the other photos from the current files.
Found the one she’d remembered. Split the screen to view them side by side.
‘Got you.’