Evanly Bodies - By Rhys Bowen Page 0,77

noticed that Bronwen was too.

"We've been so worried about you," Bronwen said. "We've thought terrible things. We thought Rashid might have killed you."

"I was afraid too. That's why I went to Miss Prendergast," Jamila said. "When Mummy and Daddy went out, he said some things to me that really scared me. I knew I had to escape while I had the chance." She looked up at Evan. "You haven't come to take me back, have you?"

"We want whatever is best for you, Jamila," Bronwen said, before Evan could answer.

"I don't see how I can go home," Jamila said. "but I don't know where else I could go either. And I can't stay here forever."

"We'll figure something out, don't worry," Bronwen said. "Things have a way of sorting themselves out."

"I hope so. I really didn't want to frighten Mummy and Daddy, but I had no choice, did I?"

"Of course you didn't. You did the only thing you could have done."

Evan watched them, feeling out of place and sensing the uneasy glances from the other women.

"Isn't it time for coffee yet?" the large woman who had been peel ing potatoes asked suddenly. "My throat's that parched. Who's on coffee duty?"

She went over to a roster on a notice board. "It says Sally. Which one is Sally?"

"That new girl who came in the day before yesterday," the woman preparing the chicken said. "You know, the one who had her cheekbone broken?"

"Oh yes, poor thing. We won't bother her then. I can make it."

"No, I'll get her," Miss Prendergast said. "It's an important part of the healing process to make everyone feel that they are needed here and pulling their weight. Sally, you say her name is? Which bedroom is she assigned to?"

"The roster's on the wall over there," one of the women said.

Miss Prendergast went over to a large notice board and started leafing through sheets of paper. "Ah, there she is. Sally. She's in Primrose bedroom. I'll go and find her for you." She looked back at Evan and Bronwen. "You two stay put in the kitchen with Jamila, please."

Evan continued to stare at the roster sheets. He hadn't been close enough to see clearly, as she had flipped through the sheets of paper, but he thought he had read a familiar name. He tried to sound relaxed and casual as he strolled across to the notice board.

"So the rooms are all named after flowers, are they?" he asked, idly flicking through the papers. "That's nice."

He let the sheets fall again and moved away from the bulletin board. His eyes hadn't deceived him. Behind the current month's was still the sheet from the month before. And on that sheet he had seen something that set his heart racing. Surely it couldn't be a coincidence.

Chapter 25

"Bronwen-" He found it hard to speak. "Look something's come up. I've just realized something important, "and I have to get back to headquarters right away."

"What is it?" Bronwen asked.

"I can't tell you. But it's nothing to do with Jamila." The words came spilling out "It's the other case I'm working on. The three murders. And now I see that I got it wrong before. I've got to call Inspector Bragg right away before he arrests the wrong people."

"What wrong people?" Bronwen's words floated after him, but he was already running down the dark hallway, making for the front door. He stood in the quiet suburban street outside and punched in the numbers, drumming his fingers on the mobile phone while he waited for the inspector to pick up. It seemed like an eternity and all sorts of horrible possibilities flashed through his mind-race riots, home office investigations, himself put on suspension . . .

"Bragg here." As usual he spat out the words

"It's Evans, sir."

"Where the devil are you?"

"I had something I had to check out, and I've got it at last. Look, I can't tell you the details, but I'd like you to bring in Missy Rogers again, right away."

"Missy Rogers? What's this now? I've just sent Wingate and a couple of uniforms to bring in your pal Rashid."

"Call Wingate immediately and tell him to come back," Evan said.

"Did I just hear you give me an order?" Bragg's voice was icily calm.

"I'm sorry, sir. It wasn't meant to sound like that, but it's very urgent. Let's just say that certain facts have just come to light that throw a whole new complexion on things. We've located that missing Pakistani girl, and she's safe and being taken care