Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
Something wasn’t right and Morgan knew she was close to figuring it out but not close enough.
She couldn’t stop staring at the photo of Angela.
She looked so young, just a child herself.
The Polaroid must have been taken over thirty years ago; it was faded and the edges were frayed.
If she didn’t know better, she would have struggled to place her, as the Angela she knew was confident, kind, self-assured, amazing at her job.
The woman in the photograph looked way out of her league, terrified of the child in her arms. As far as Morgan was aware, Angela had no children, but would she look so unhappy if she was only holding a niece, nephew or a friend’s baby for a quick snap before being able to hand it back to its parents?
Morgan didn’t think so and she would stake her life on it that the baby was Angela’s.
How did she ask Cain though? It had never been mentioned and what if Angela didn’t want him to know she had a child?
Morgan hadn’t even considered Angela old enough to have a grown-up child, though she was retired; but she knew Cain was in his forties, and she supposed it did make sense.
It was too much of a coincidence. Was Angela related to the Williams sisters somehow?
And if she was, did that mean that their killer was…
She studied the Polaroid. Could she have given up her baby for adoption?
It might have been her searching for her lost baby and not a friend at all.
For whatever reason her baby got placed with the Williams family.
Did something happen to make him want to kill them?
And was he seeking revenge on Angela for placing him there?
Morgan hadn’t realised she was crying until a tear splotched onto the notebook and the black ink on the page began to spread out like a tiny flower.
Pushing it away from her so as not to ruin any more of Angela’s beautiful, cursive script she stood up and tore a piece of kitchen towel off the roll to dab her eyes with.
Of course, this was all her opinion, and she could be wrong, so wrong that it was impossible.
But deep down, in the depths of her heart though, call it her instinct or whatever, she knew she was right.
Angela was connected to this killer, and she didn’t think she would ever see her again.
Was she about to break Cain’s heart? How the hell did she convey this to Cain and Ben?
Her radio crackled to life, but she had it turned low and couldn’t make out what was being said over it. Diving for it she turned it up.
‘Control, we have found the mispers car. Near to The Coffee Pot on Rydal Road. Can I get a full forensic lift, please, and a PCSO to wait with it until recovery can get here.’
Morgan pressed the button in. ‘Ben, check inside the café for CCTV. It’s possible she was meeting her friend there.’
‘Thanks, Morgan, I’m on it.’
‘Should I come help?’
‘That would be appreciated.’
‘Control, are there any patrols near my location that can pick me up?’
‘I can, Morgan.’
Scotty’s voice startled her. She hadn’t been expecting him to be in the area and once again those tiny alarm bells began to ring inside of her mind.
Was it another coincidence that he just happened to be near to a crime scene?
Was she being paranoid or did she have good reason to believe that he was involved in everything?
If so, he could be Angela’s estranged son and her initial instincts about him might just be right.
He was probably in the right age bracket.
‘Cheers, Scotty, I’m at Cain’s house. Do you need the address?’
‘No, I know where it is.’
That sliver of ice inside of her heart made every single nerve tingle with a combination of dread and fear.
She had nothing to be worried about, even if he was the killer he had no reason to hurt her unless he thought she had figured it all out.
If he was, the fact that he was one of them stung; they were supposed to protect the public not kill them viciously and take away their lives because of his crappy childhood.
Stop it, Morgan, you don’t know if any of that is true.
She picked up Angela’s journal, but she had nothing to put it in to keep it safe.
‘Outside, Morgan.’
Scotty’s voice boomed down the radio. She took one last look around the beautiful pink kitchen and whispered, ‘I hope I’m wrong about all of this, Angela, and you’re safe.’ Then she left the house, taking the keys from the lock and depositing them into her pocket.
Scotty waved at her, and she found her mouth had gone dry. She looked at the young man and then thought of the bundled baby. Scotty couldn’t be Angela’s son, could he? Her mind was going a mile a minute. God, she hoped not and that her imagination was on crack and getting carried away with itself.
She opened the door and smiled at him. ‘Thanks, lucky you were nearby.’
He shrugged. ‘I was hanging around in the area in case Cain needed me. Is he okay? He must be frantic with worry.’
‘Not really, he’s scared something terrible has happened to her.’ She stared him straight in the eyes waiting for his response.
‘I bet he is. Is he sure she’s not with another guy? You know it’s happened to the best of us. He wouldn’t be the first copper with a partner who got fed up of them working long hours.’
‘He’s adamant everything was fine between them, and I have no reason to disbelieve him. They are so good together. It doesn’t make any sense.’
Scotty glanced at the journal. ‘What’s that?’
Morgan paused. ‘Angela’s diary. Have you got an evidence bag I can pop it in?’
‘Should be some in a box in the back of the van, between the seats.’
Morgan turned and saw the box; there were an assortment of plastic and paper bags stuffed into it. She leaned across to grab one, snatched the first one her fingers brushed and turned back around.
Scotty touched her arm, and Morgan screeched.
He physically jumped so much he left the seat for a second.
‘Jesus, what the hell? You gave me a fucking heart attack, Morgan. You’ve got a white feather stuck to your jacket.
’ He was holding a small, fluffy feather in the air. ‘Your guardian angel is nearby.’
She took it from him then looked at him. ‘Sorry, I’m a little jumpy.’
‘You don’t say.’
‘My guardian angel?’
His cheeks turned bright red. ‘Lisa is into all that stuff. She’s a born-again witch or so she keeps telling me.
I’m not sure if it’s a threat or a statement to be fair.
She loves all the witchy stuff and is obsessed with your aunt Ettie.
She’s met her a couple of times at the farmers market and talks about her a lot. ’
Morgan felt bad, as she hadn’t been in touch with Ettie for too long and she needed to remedy that as soon as she got a moment.
‘She is? I’d never have known that. How cool, do you not mind?’
‘What’s to mind? It makes her happy and if she’s happy, so am I.
I guess her little sayings are rubbing off on me.
She even makes me blow cinnamon through our front door on the first of every month to bring in abundance.
I’m not sure how that works but like I said she believes it, so who am I to argue with her, and I have no idea why I’m telling you this because you’re going to think I’m a lunatic, but that’s why a white feather indicates your guardian angel is nearby or something similar.
Lisa would kill me if I got that totally wrong by the way, so don’t tell her I told you.
I think she’s still in the closet about her witch stuff. ’
Morgan’s shoulders dropped as she laughed. ‘I don’t think that at all, and I make Ben do the cinnamon too, but don’t tell him I told you. He finds it a lot more painful than you seem to.’
‘I won’t say a word. Maybe we should start a witchy woman’s partner support group to help us cope with all the weird stuff. Do you moon bathe under the full moon? Last time, because it was a supermoon, we had a little bonfire and made moon water. Christ, why am I blurting all of this out to you?’
Morgan smiled. ‘Because I have that kind of face, it makes everyone want to tell me their darkest secrets. Have you met Angela at all?’ She was trying not to stare too intently at him, but it was hard.
She was trying to see if there were any giveaway specs of anger in his eyes, any emotion that could indicate he knew what had happened to her.
‘A couple of times, she seems nice. Only to say hi to, that kind of thing on the odd time I’ve given Cain a lift home or driven him into work. She’s older than him, and I sometimes wonder if having an older partner is harder or easier.’
Morgan smiled, that sounded like Cain grabbing free rides from patrol vehicles so he didn’t have to walk or use his own car.
‘Well, from my experience it’s easier. Ben is far more mature than guys my age.’
‘I hope Angela turns up soon; I’ve never known Cain to lose his cool before.
Well, not over a woman. I mean, he’s punched a fair few criminals in his time but only when they deserved it.
I’ll never forget the time he punched some creep who had assaulted his daughter, it was an awful call out.
Cain helped him into the back of the van, and he fell on the way in, ended up with a black eye and broken nose.
Don’t tell Cain I told you that either, but you know, you work with him a lot. ’
‘Are you saying he’s violent, Scotty? That he could be violent towards Angela?’
He shook his head. ‘God, no. He’s not a wife beater; I’m not saying that at all.
I mean his ex-wife was a complete bitch to him, took all his money, left him for some guy and tried to get the house off him and his pension.
’ He stopped talking. ‘I’m not trying to get him in trouble, Morgan, it’s just I’ve known him a lot longer than you, that’s all, and I’m genuinely worried for Angela, as must he be. ’
Morgan wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
Was he trying to draw attention away from himself by divulging all this personal stuff about Cain, or was he just gossiping because he could?
She tucked the journal inside of an evidence bag and kept tight hold of it.
She was going to read through it the moment she got a chance and see what Angela’s thoughts and secrets were, and if there was any mention of the baby that would lead her to his identity.