nods. As soon as her sister leaves the room, George snarls.
‘This is exactly what murderers do,’ he says. ‘They hang around pretending to be helpful, leading search parties, making cups of tea. And all the time they’re hiding in plain sight. Don’t you see, this makes it even more likely that she and Lewis are guilty?’
‘No … I don’t believe it. She was telling the truth, I could see.’
‘Get real, Amber,’ he scoffs. ‘People lie all the time and get away with it.’ She feels her blood run cold. ‘That’s the problem with human beings. They want to believe.’
‘But she’s my sister, I know her.’
‘And I know you, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t fool me. For a while, at least.’
‘That’s ridiculous,’ she retorts. ‘Why would I want to fool you?’
His gaze hardens, making her stomach quiver with anxiety. Maybe the police have already told him and he’s waiting for her to confess. Or maybe he’s known for ages and is playing games.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Day Seven without Mabel
Ruby feels strangely exhilarated as she exits the flat. For the last few days she’s been like a fish wrenched out of the water and left flapping on the bank with a hook in her mouth. Now she’s been released and thrown back in. She can breathe again. Even though it’s her fault for leaving the key in the door – and she’ll never, ever forgive herself for that – they finally have an explanation for how the abductor got in. The police can stop hassling her and Lewis and concentrate on finding the real criminal. They’re one step closer to finding Mabel.
‘Well?’ says Lewis, who has been waiting for her outside. ‘How did it go?’
‘Good mostly,’ she replies, hugging him. ‘Amber believed me – she had a weird experience too. It all fits.’
‘How did George react?’
She shakes her head. ‘He still thinks we did it. He’s in a bad way, out of control.’
‘Poor guy.’ He sighs thoughtfully. ‘Can we go? I’ve had enough. They must have taken hundreds of photos of me by now.’ He points to the crowd of photographers jostling behind the police tape. ‘And people have been shouting out, calling me a murderer.’
She winces. ‘They’re despicable. Yeah, come on.’
They go over to their bikes. She picks up her helmet and puts it on.
‘Ruby? Can I have a quick word?’ DI Benedict walks briskly up to her. ‘I gather you want to add something to your witness statement. Something about leaving the key in the door?’
‘Yes. I think it could be really significant, don’t you?’ She looks at him hopefully, but he doesn’t respond.
‘Would you rather do it at the station or shall I send DS Smart round to your flat?’
‘At the flat, please,’ she replies, fastening the chin strap. ‘Every time I go to the station, the media think I’ve been arrested.’
‘Will an hour give you enough time to get home?’
‘Yes, should do.’ She wheels the bike down the path. ‘The family liaison officer seemed to think it was a game changer.’
‘Possibly,’ he replies, but his expression remains inscrutable.
‘You need to concentrate on the previous Saturday. Witnesses may have seen someone hanging around the front door. They came in during the night, so you need to check CCTV – oh, and there’s last Thursday morning. Amber reckons they let themselves in then too.’
He gives her a ‘don’t tell me how to do my job’ look.
‘Make sure you’re in when DS Smart calls,’ he says before pushing open the front door and entering the house. ‘And please don’t say anything to that lot.’ He cocks his head in the direction of the media.
‘As if!’ Ruby glares after him, then turns to Lewis. ‘Why was he so off with me?’
‘Because he thinks you’re wasting his time.’ He wheels his bike onto the pavement.
She huffs in exasperation. The officer lifts the tape for them to pass under and they set off down the street in the opposite direction from the media.
They cycle home the back way, avoiding most of the Saturday traffic, safe in the relative anonymity of their helmets and high-vis waistcoats. But the media manage to get ahead of them, and by the time they arrive, there’s a small welcome party crowding at the entrance gate.
‘How was the reconstruction, Ruby?’
‘Any news on Mabel?’
‘Do the police still think you did it?’
‘What happened to her, Ruby?’
‘Talk to us, Ruby! We can tell your story!’
‘Just leave us alone, okay?’ she shouts, unable to hold on to her temper a second longer.