Chapter 68
Swann had watched Elea as she observed the interview from the monitoring room.
She’d sat, unblinking in her swivel chair, her face illuminated by the computer screen.
Someone had left a notepad and pen on the desk, but Elea hadn’t needed them.
Swann knew she was committing every word of the interview to memory.
He’d stood silently, watching each emotion play out on her face.
Now she was respecting her daughter’s request for privacy, even though she didn’t know what she was being punished for.
Now that Swann understood the bond of parenthood, he admired her even more.
She had stayed so strong, steadfastly believing that her daughter was alive, despite evidence to the contrary.
His team had been elated when the news came in.
As for Swann, he still could barely believe it.
If Liisa didn’t look so much like her mother, he’d be asking for a DNA test first. But there was no doubting her parentage, at least on her mother’s side.
Elea had never disclosed the identity of Liisa’s father.
Swann presumed she’d had her own reasons for that.
He had pushed her for a name after Liisa was first taken, but Elea had refused to budge.
She’d made it clear from the start that Liisa’s father was not in the frame.
Now she was sitting, mesmerised, watching her daughter onscreen, drinking a cup of coffee and staring into space.
Liisa was a traumatised young woman whose view of the world had been skewed.
Swann couldn’t predict her reactions now that she was physically free, because they had barely touched the surface of what she had been through.
Her mental chains would take much longer to escape from.
Such things were best left in the hands of the professionals.
Swann had made calls. Referrals had been set up.
Plans were under way. Both Elea and Liisa needed their help today.
But first they had to update the case. Had Liisa been present when Chelsea Hobbs died?
What if she’d helped with the disposal of Jenny Flynn’s body?
He prayed, for Elea’s sake, that wasn’t the case.
Because Liisa hadn’t come forward or reported herself missing to the police.
Anu had been a victim once, too. Judging from the information they’d gathered, he had turned killer over the years.
Was Liisa really held captive all that time?
Or had she turned a blind eye? Questions would be asked with regard to her involvement in the crimes.
Swann left Elea alone with Mitch as he slipped into the monitoring room.
He met Ness in his office. Their meeting had been prearranged after she’d updated him on her latest findings. Swann had requested full call-logs from Anu’s recovered mobile phones.
She handed him the paperwork. “I’ve highlighted the most interesting passages, boss.
” She kept her voice low. He’d already received the email, but preferred paper copies.
When it came to policing, he was a proud dinosaur.
Now his team’s movements were guarded, as they couldn’t afford for Elea to find out.
Not until they were sure. Because if the texts found on Anu’s phone were correct, Elea’s life was going to change yet again.
“Not a word to anyone. Not until we’ve had a chance to check this out,” Swann instructed Ness as he read each word. It was a matter of urgency. If this was true . . . it was another bombshell about to drop.
Ness nodded gravely, understanding the seriousness of the situation. “How’s Elea going to take this, if it comes to fruition?” Her voice was so low that he could barely make out her words.
“I don’t know,” Swann replied. “But be discreet. You’ve told Control that you’re making local enquiries?” Such an update on the system could relate to anything.
“Already done—we’re on it. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Ness cleaned her glasses with the end of her floral shirt before turning for the door.
Swann watched her go. DC Ollie Evans was waiting in the car park to back her up. He could trust Ness and Ollie. Discretion was key. Because if his hunch was correct, the Ice Angels case was about to take another shocking turn.