Chapter 7
SEVEN
An hour later, the decaying twenty-three-bedroom building had been searched from dusty attic to damp cellars and given the all-clear.
Nobody was hiding inside and no forensics connected to the crime were found in any of the other rooms. Everything had happened in the entrance, on the main staircase which filled the middle of the reception area and those two rooms upstairs.
Ben found Morgan sitting on the chair next to Lauren, her elbows resting on her ripped jeans and her head in her hands.
She saw the sadness in his eyes as he looked at her, then Lauren, where his gaze lingered.
He paused as if trying to find the right words.
‘We’re good to go. Wendy is going to finish off now, the crime scene manager is on his way to assist her.
Declan should also be here soon; he and Theo were out walking so he’s had to go back to get his car.
By the way, how did you get rid of Marc so efficiently?
He mumbled something about Stefan Montgomery and dragged Amber to go visit him. ’
‘I told him the knife in the chest was too similar to how we found Sharon’s and Lydia’s bodies, that maybe Beth Montgomery had an accomplice. I am one hundred per cent sure we never released cause of death to the media.’
‘You’re right, we didn’t. I just checked all the press releases whilst the search team were doing their thing. We certainly never said the knife was left inside the body. So, I’m afraid to say we have a major problem. Is the killer still free?’
Morgan wanted to say no, they hadn’t missed the killer, but that all-too-familiar feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t let her say it just to make her feel better.
Not when she knew they had gone with the easy option and accepted Beth’s psychosis or whatever the professionals would call it.
The woman was clearly having some kind of mental health problems, but there had been too many coincidences that they had willingly swept under the carpet to say the job was done, the suspect was dead, and the cases were closed.
‘Yes, it looks like we did, boss, and now I don’t know if I’m going to be able to live with myself for fucking up.’
Ben’s eyes widened. ‘You didn’t. If anything, it’s my fault, I should have picked up on it.
I guess it was just too convenient to have a confession from a killer seconds before they killed themselves.
Christ, why is everything so bloody complicated?
I’m tired of this, tired of people wanting to hurt innocent victims for their own sick pleasure. When is this ever going to stop?’
She couldn’t answer because it was far too complicated, and she felt the same way. ‘Should I go back to the office and get out the files for Lydia, Sharon and Beth?’
Ben flicked his wrist to look at his watch and nodded. ‘You’re okay with that?’
‘I don’t see we have a choice; I want to go over everything, and I need the files to do that. I can’t believe we missed it, missed that there could be another person involved.’
He nodded. ‘If you’re happy then that’s good. Whilst you’re there can you investigate the security guard who turned up, see what his background is? I’m assuming he has no criminal record, or he wouldn’t be the supervisor, but who knows what’s going on.’
Morgan stood up, took one last look at Lauren for now and walked towards where Ben was hovering in the doorway. He caught hold of her elbow, pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. ‘None of this is your fault, Morgan.’
‘No? Then why do I feel as if it is? If we’d paid more attention, then Lauren wouldn’t be lying there, she wouldn’t have bled out all over the dusty carpet in this place all alone.’
Ben shook his head. ‘You didn’t kill her; you didn’t chase her and stab her in the neck and chest.’
‘No, but I may as well have.’
She knew she was going to cry – hot tears of anger and frustration that would smudge her eyeliner.
She had to get out of here and clear her head because crying wasn’t going to make a difference to the dead woman behind her.
She needed to focus on finding the missed connections that they hadn’t picked up on, find the killer and this time make sure they were locked away for the rest of their evil, miserable lives.
Declan’s white Audi waited at the entrance gates until Morgan drove through them. He put his window down.
‘Hey, you, where are you escaping to? Have you got permission to leave? I need you here to give me my entertainment fix.’
She smiled sadly. ‘You’re going to have to find someone else to fall on their arse or do something wrong, I need to go to the station.’
He pouted at her. ‘You look sad, is everything okay? Is that brute Ben being mean to you?’
‘I am sad, I’m also really angry about this crime scene.’
‘Why?’
‘It should never have happened. I think we screwed up big time and now an innocent woman is dead.’
‘Oh, that’s not good. Ben?’
‘Ben isn’t being mean to me; in fact, he’s the opposite, he’s far too nice, I don’t deserve him.’
‘Ah, I see. This is one of those complicated female things. I won’t beat him to a pulp then on your behalf, that could be a big mistake on my part.’
This made Morgan laugh out loud. ‘Declan, if he ever needs beating to a pulp, I am quite capable of doing that.’
‘Oh, I bet you are, dear. You could beat the lot of us and not even break a sweat.’ He did his best Mrs Doubtfire impression.
‘You missed your way, you know that, don’t you? I could see you as an actor.’
He snorted. ‘God forbid. Do not tell Theo that, he’s always looking to recruit innocent souls to the Thursday amateur dramatics club.’
‘Your secret is safe with me.’ Morgan winked at him, and he blew her a kiss.
She drove away feeling slightly less unhinged after speaking to Declan. He always knew how to cheer her up and she was forever grateful he was her friend and the best forensic pathologist there was.