Buried (DC Jack Warr #1) - Lynda La Plante Page 0,88

breakfast.’

‘They’ll love me even more when they’re eating banger butties on a sunbed by a pool in 80 degree heat! We’re nearly there, aren’t we, Ange? We’re honest-to-God nearly there!’

Angela couldn’t control the grin that crept across her face.

*

Jack was beginning to worry about Audrey. She hadn’t moved in at least ten minutes. Just as he decided to go and see if she was OK, she finally snapped out of it and lit herself another cigarette. Now Jack had stepped out of his hiding spot, he had no option but to continue towards her.

‘Are you all right, Mrs Withey?’ he asked.

For a good few seconds, she said nothing. She just smoked. When she was ready, she clipped her cigarette and put the unsmoked half back into the packet.

‘I got summat to say.’

Jack took Audrey into the Soft Interview Room. Decorated like a sparse living room complete with sofas, lamps, coffee tables and children’s toys, on the back wall was a large, plain mirror. This room was normally reserved for abuse victims and children who were giving evidence, but Jack wanted Audrey to feel like this interview was completely different from the earlier one ‒ she could be the key to their investigation. He sat her down and then left under the pretence of making hot drinks for them both. Once outside, he asked a passing PC to put the kettle on and get Laura to come down from the squad room. He went into the observation room where, through the two-way mirror, he could see Audrey sitting on the sofa, wringing her hands, glancing around and looking generally very nervous.

When Laura came in with one tea and one coffee, Jack got her up to speed.

‘Audrey never left. Something’s on her mind. Can you stay here and watch?’

Moments later, he appeared in the Soft Interview Room and sat on the sofa opposite Audrey. He put the drinks down on a coffee table, and gave her time to compose herself before beginning.

*

In Raeburn’s office, Ridley was listening politely to her rant.

‘It’s a can of worms!’ she said furiously. ‘And it’s impossible to shut it down now. We’ll have to identify a pile of bones no one has even been looking for, and we’ll have to fend off the ensuing court case that’s inevitably going to come once the relatives are finally notified.’

Ridley could only agree. There was little point in doing anything else.

*

Audrey wasn’t here to do the right thing. She was broken. She was a woman with absolutely nothing to live for, so she was here for redemption before she finally curled up into a ball to die. Susan’s words rang in her ears as she sipped her coffee: Mike’s dead because of you. They’re all dead because of you.

‘It started with the diamonds.’ Audrey looked down into her mug as she spoke.

Up in the observation room, Laura breathed out an excited ‘Ooohhh!’ Down in the interview room, Jack remained a picture of calm professionalism.

‘I was pregnant. I was allowed to enjoy that for a whole six weeks before being told that my Shirl was dead and me old man was banged up for his part in the diamond robbery. Then I was just numb. Greg was a worry – he was already off his head from all the drugs, so I couldn’t tell how he was feeling. He went out to score and, within minutes, the doorbell rang. It was her ‒ Dolly Rawlins. First thing she said was how sorry she was to hear about Shirl ‒ then she asked for a favour ’cos she had no one else to turn to. All in the one breath, that was.’

Without taking his eyes off Audrey, Jack took out his notebook and jotted down all the questions he needed to ask. He barely knew where to begin.

‘She had the diamonds with her. She actually brought those fucking diamonds into my house. She said that if I did what she wanted, I’d be taken care of for the rest of my life. She said . . .’ Audrey paused as if recalling exactly what Dolly had instructed. ‘She said I was to take the diamonds to Jimmy Donaldson, who was already lined up to take them off her.’

Jack wrote down Jimmy’s name.

‘Go on,’ he encouraged her.

‘Jimmy was a trusted small-time crim who could fence anything,’ said Audrey. ‘Well – I was in shock! I’m grieving and she’s waving death diamonds in my face and promising me more cash than I can spend. Like I’m