Broken Silence. Danielle Ramsay

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СКАЧАТЬ had come home. It wasn’t until I went upstairs that I realised she wasn’t back.’

      ‘Is that unusual?’

      ‘Yes,’ answered Simmons quickly.

      Too quickly, thought Brady, noticing that Simmons shot his wife a look to silence her.

      Brady turned to Louise Simmons.

      She looked up at her husband nervously and then stiffly nodded in agreement with him.

      ‘Could she have run off then?’ Brady tentatively asked.

      Simmons shot Brady an exasperated look.

      ‘What I mean is was there any reason for her to stay away? An argument say, or a disagreement about a boyfriend or something?’

      ‘No! Sophie had no reason to run away and … as for boyfriends … Christ! She’s only fifteen! She’s more interested in being with her friends than boys.’

      ‘What about staying the night at a friend’s house?’

      ‘Don’t you think we’d know? We already told your people where she went and that she left there at 10 pm!’

      ‘I am sorry about this, Mr Simmons, but these are standard questions I have to ask,’ apologised Brady.

      ‘Well, just hurry up and get on with it, then. The quicker you finish the sooner you can be out there looking for our daughter.’

      ‘Of course,’ Brady replied sympathetically.

      ‘Can you tell me what Sophie was wearing last night?’ Brady asked as he turned and looked at Louise Simmons.

      ‘A black denim skirt and a T-shirt,’ quietly answered Louise Simmons. ‘Oh yes, and Ugg boots.’

      ‘Anything else?’ quietly questioned Brady.

      She shook her head, forcing back tears.

      ‘Are you sure?’

      ‘Oh … she was wearing a black scarf …’ she whispered, biting her lip.

      Silent tears trailed down her face as she looked at the school photograph lying on the kitchen table.

      Brady acknowledged uncomfortably that Sophie’s clothes matched the clothes found on the victim.

      ‘Does Sophie have any tattoos or body piercings that you know of?’ Brady gently asked.

      ‘Why do you want to know all this?’ exploded Simmons suddenly.

      ‘No particular reason. Like I said, Mr Simmons, these are standard questions,’ Brady calmly replied.

      He looked at Louise Simmons.

      She numbly shook her head.

      ‘No … no, she had nothing like that … she’s just a fifteen-year-old girl, Detective Brady.’

      Simmons turned his face away from his wife uncomfortably.

      ‘Sir?’ prompted Brady, realising that Simmons knew something.

      ‘Sir, does Sophie have a tattoo?’ Brady repeated.

       Simmons avoided Brady’s eyes.

      ‘Like my wife said, she’s just a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl.’

      It didn’t take a psychologist to know that he was lying. Brady was certain that Simmons was hiding the fact that he knew about the jade dragon tattoo and the belly button piercing. But why keep quiet?

      ‘Are you sure, sir?’ persisted Brady.

      ‘Why? What do you know? What is it that you’re not telling us?’ Simmons retaliated, turning the heat back onto Brady.

      ‘Just procedure, sir,’ Brady replied as he stood up to go.'I’ll run some checks back at the station. And as soon as I have any news I’ll be in touch,’ he said as he turned to Louise Simmons.

      Tearful, she nodded as she looked up at Brady, still hopeful that he could bring her daughter home, alive. The mascara from the day before was smeared under her dark blue eyes and her long blonde hair hung dishevelled and uncombed. Brady was uncomfortably aware of the striking similarity between mother and daughter.

      He noted with interest that Simmons who was irritably waiting for him to leave was very together, especially compared to his wife.

      Brady tried his best to give Louise Simmons a reassuring look before turning and leaving the kitchen.

      Simmons followed and cornered Brady once he’d reached the front door.

      ‘You know something, don’t you?’

      ‘No sir,’ Brady replied evenly.

      ‘You’re lying,’ Simmons hissed, not wanting his wife to overhear.

      ‘I’m really sorry. I understand this must be very difficult for you.’

      ‘The hell you do!’

      Brady didn’t answer.

      ‘You want to tell me what’s going on at Potter’s Farm?’

      ‘Sorry?’ Brady questioned, trying his best not to let his unease show.

      ‘Your lot are out there. Have been for the past few hours. The farm’s been sealed off and you’ve got police officers crawling all over the place.’

      ‘I’m afraid that’s confidential, sir.’

      ‘I’m not an idiot, Detective Inspector Brady. If something’s happened to … to Sophie …’ Simmons stopped himself short.

      ‘Like I said, let me get back to the station and see what I can find out,’ Brady offered.

      Brady waited until he heard the door closing behind him before he took out his mobile to ring the station. He needed to arrange for two family liaison officers to come out after uniform had delivered the fatal blow. He was no good when it came to dealing with people’s grief. He was good at causing it, according to his ex-wife, but when it came to dealing with it, he was always the first one out the door. He aggressively kicked a stone and watched as it rolled along the pavement towards the Saab.

      ‘Tom? Yeah, it’s Jack. I’ve got a new development regarding the murdered girl.’ Brady looked back at the house.

      It was a comfortable, four-bedroom semi-detached, in a quiet, respectable neighbourhood. Yet, less than a hundred metres away a horrific murder had been committed.

      Brady gave the details he needed to and then cut the call. He walked over to the Saab and climbed in.

      ‘This is connected to the murder, isn’t it?’ Conrad asked as he took in Brady’s sallow, drawn complexion.

       Brady nodded as he looked СКАЧАТЬ