and Lewis have been arrested,’ he says.
Her stomach flips. ‘What?!’
‘It’s all over social media.’
‘It’s not true. It can’t be true.’ They rush into the kitchen, where Sally is in the middle of a phone call.
‘What’s going on? Have they found Mabel?’ demands George.
Sally rings off as soon as she sees their anguished faces. ‘No. Why? Have you been on social media?’
‘So what if I have? They’re saying Ruby and Lewis have been arrested.’
‘Not so,’ she replies. ‘They’ve agreed to a voluntary interview under caution, which is quite different.’
George tuts. ‘Different how?’
‘They’re helping us with our enquiries, but they’re free to leave at any time.’
‘But the police suspect them, right?’ He gesticulates with his phone. ‘A witness has come forward, is that it? That’s why divers are searching the reservoir.’
Amber clutches her tummy. ‘I think I’m going to be sick.’
‘Please listen to me,’ says Sally. ‘I really want you to stay away from social media; it’s full of wild speculation and misleading information. We are searching the area and we are talking to Ruby, and also to Lewis Chambers, but you mustn’t jump to conclusions.’
‘I don’t understand. I thought you were looking for Sonya,’ says Amber, weakly. Please, she thinks, please let it be Sonya.
‘We’ve been working around the clock to locate her and I’m hoping to be able to update you on that very soon.’ Sally clasps her hands together pleadingly. ‘Please trust us. Sonya is a strong suspect, but that doesn’t mean we stop exploring other avenues. This is a complex case and we’re following a huge number of lines of enquiry all at the same time.’
‘There’s still got to be a reason why you’re so interested in Ruby and Lewis,’ grumbles George. ‘We have a right to know, don’t we, Amber?’
‘Yes, George,’ she says quietly, feeling the ground beneath her rapidly falling away. ‘You have a right to know.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
Day Three without Mabel
Ruby listens to Detective Inspector Benedict reciting the statement she’s previously only heard on TV crime dramas: ‘You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’
She nods in acknowledgement. ‘Yes, I understand.’ Her calm voice belies the storm of emotions raging beneath the surface – fury, indignation, fear. It doesn’t help that she knows she and Lewis are innocent. She imagines evidence being twisted around her like barbed wire, digging into her flesh.
There must be a reason for this sudden change from witness to suspect. Is it simply because she was the last person to see Mabel alive? No, a specific accusation has been made, and it can only have come from Amber and George. She feels intensely angry with them – not only because it’s a personal betrayal, but because they’re diverting the police from finding their daughter’s real abductor.
Benedict waits to regain her attention, then says, ‘As we explained earlier, you are here voluntarily and have the right to leave the interview at any time.’
It’s small comfort. Judging by the frenzy of excitement when she arrived at the police station this morning, the media will no doubt have already told the world she’s been arrested for murder. Benedict assured her that they’ll release a press statement clarifying the situation, but as far as Ruby can see, the damage has been done. God only knows what is circulating on social media now. People will be jumping to all kinds of wicked conclusions. Even if she’s proved innocent, she’ll still receive death threats. Maybe she should have refused to be interviewed, but that would have made her look as if she had something to hide. They probably would have arrested her anyway.
‘You have refused the right to free legal representation. If you change your mind at any stage, please say and we will suspend the interview immediately.’
‘Okay.’
As Benedict finishes off the tick-list of things he is obliged to say, Ruby’s mind zones in to Lewis, who is sitting in another room right now, being interviewed by other members of Benedict’s team. She’s worried about how he’ll react to being questioned. When he feels cornered, he can be quite aggressive – he’s like Amber in that respect. If there’s one thing neither of them can bear, it’s being treated unjustly. However, the police may take it as a sign of guilt. When DS Ali Smart asked him to come down to the station, Ruby could almost see the hairs