drove away, leaving the garden looking like nothing had happened. Well, it would once the police vans had left. The only thing out of place now was the stepladder. When Saul and his daughters returned home, there would be nothing to show it had been a scene of such heartbreak that their lives would never be the same again. Morgan felt drained. She walked over to the van where everyone was congregated around Harrison. Ben looked at her, his steely gaze softened, and she felt a little better.
‘Still want me to book her in at the mortuary?’
‘Yes, please. Dan is going to follow Harrison home to make sure he gets there safely. Another patrol is on the way to wait here and see if the family turn up, to break the news to them.’
He stood up and got out of the van, followed by Harrison. Dan was already on his way back to his own van. Climbing into the driver’s seat, Morgan turned on the engine, then whacked the dial on the heater up to full blast. Her hands had turned into blocks of ice and she was shivering. She waited for Harrison to leave, with Dan in convoy, before setting off.
About to drive away, there was a knock on the window. Jumping, she looked to see Ben standing there.
‘I just wanted to say thank you, you did a good job.’
Before she could answer he turned and walked back to the white Ford Focus he’d arrived in. She smiled. Maybe he wasn’t the ogre everyone had told her he was.
Three
All the way to Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Morgan listened intently to her radio, waiting for someone to report that they’d located a relative for Olivia Potter. It was really starting to bother her that they hadn’t. Three hours had passed now since she’d first arrived on scene and not one family member had turned up or been successfully contacted by the police. It happened, but unless Saul worked shifts, he should have been home by now. There was no obvious reason for the girls to be missing either. There had been no indicators inside the house that they’d gone away for a few days. Whenever she went anywhere her flat always looked as if a tornado had gone through it while she decided what to pack. Maybe she should have checked the storage cupboards to see if there were any suitcases around. She pressed Dan’s four-digit collar number into her radio and waited for it to ring.
‘Yeah?’
She rolled her eyes; he was so rude.
‘Don’t you think it’s odd?’
‘What?’
‘That they haven’t located anyone for Olivia yet.’
‘Who?’
She paused. Was he serious? She was about to admonish him, when he answered.
‘Sorry, wasn’t thinking. I don’t know, not really. They could be at an afterschool club or dance class; they might even be at the cinema for all we know.’
‘Suppose so, but it’s nearly eight.’
‘Are you fretting, Morgan? Don’t let it worry you. They’ll turn up; they can’t be far, can they? Maybe they all had a big row and the dad took the kids away. Wouldn’t be the first time some couple have had a big argument then one of them goes and tops themselves. It happens all the time.’
She ended the call. He was so matter-of-fact about everything, so unfeeling. Then again, she was the opposite; she took everything to heart and spent hours worrying. The shrill sound of her handset blasting broke the silence.
‘Hello?’
‘Why did you hang up? Look, what I meant was don’t go seeing things that aren’t there before we know the facts, okay. We’re response officers; we’re the first port of call for an emergency. We get there, take control, and make everyone feel safe, blah, blah, blah. Anything too complicated, it gets passed to CID and it’s out of our hands. They get to be the ones to fret over it. If you get too involved, you’ll end up wasting your time. You’re not a detective; let them worry about the rest of it. You’ve done your part, time to move on to the next job. It’s harsh, but that’s the way it is, Morgan.’
‘I know that, I get it. I just can’t switch off like you can.’
‘Well, you’d better learn to, or you’ll end up batshit crazy.’
‘What if there’s something wrong though? What if something has happened to them?’
‘Like what? The house was immaculate, no signs of a disturbance and it was all secure. Remember we had to get a spare key to get inside? Don’t go