‘Phil the Pill?’
‘He’s got a pill for everything. I shouldn’t say any more.’
Gina took the photo back. ‘We found drugs and money on him on the night of your reception. He was at the venue and he didn’t have an invite. We know why he was there.’
‘Okay. Everyone knows he dabbles and passes on a few light drugs, mostly pills and weed. Someone must have called him for some stuff or maybe he was chancing it by turning up.’
‘How about Holly? Did she know him?’ Gina already had reports of him being at her apartment block. If she could prove that Phillip Brighton knew her, then she’d have reasonable grounds for further questioning.
‘Definitely. We bought some weed off him once. He lives in Cleevesford. He drinks in the Angel Arms. Everyone knows him.’
‘He was seen outside her block of flats a few weeks ago. Do you know why he’d be there?’
Kerry leaned back and wiped her nose once again. ‘Maybe this man in her life fancied a smoke. Holly didn’t smoke or do drugs. I don’t think it would be her putting in an order or maybe she was buying it for him.’
Gina popped the photo back in her notebook.
Kerry placed her palm on her forehead and began pressing. ‘My head isn’t good.’
‘You’re doing really well. Just one more thing—’
The main door burst open bringing with it a light breeze through the large building. ‘Kerry, love. What’s happening? Oh my goodness, look at you.’ Alison Reed, the mother of the bride walked in. From the statements, Gina knew she was a little older than herself at forty-nine, but she looked much younger. Her sun-streaked straight hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back as she moved with elegance in her skinny jeans and calf length boots. Her svelte figure could have had her mistaken for a teenager from behind. Her light swing coat fell over her shoulders. On another day, Gina could have been convinced the two women were sisters. ‘What are you doing here?’ The woman stepped back, staring at Gina and Jacob.
‘I’m afraid we’ve had more bad news. Francesca Carter has been murdered this evening and we needed to speak to Kerry.’
‘What for? Kerry wouldn’t have had anything to do with that.’
‘I’m not suggesting that she did but both Holly Long and Francesca Carter were bridesmaids at your daughter’s wedding.’ Witness statements had clearly placed Kerry in the main reception room at the time of Holly’s murder.
A pale Kerry nestled into her mother’s arms and began to weep quietly.
‘I think she’s had enough of a shock tonight. Is my daughter safe when there’s some crazed murderer on the loose?’
Gina didn’t know. She hoped that Kerry was safe. ‘As she’s alone, it might be best if someone stays with her.’
‘Where’s Ed?’
Gina wanted the answer to that question too but Kerry simply shrugged.
‘Come on, baby girl. I’m taking you home with me tonight. I think she’s had enough for now.’ With that, Alison Reed helped her daughter up. Taking her coat off, she placed it around Kerry’s shoulders. ‘It might be best if you call her tomorrow.’ The woman picked up the Sambuca bottle. ‘Looks like she’s had a few too many. Yes, tomorrow would be best. Come on. Follow me out, I’m locking up.’
‘Can you set the alarm, Mummy?’
‘Of course. Come on. Dad’s making you some food. Looks like you need something to soak up the alcohol.’
Gina rolled her eyes at Jacob as the woman led her exhausted drunken daughter towards the door. Within minutes, they were standing on the winding drive, listening to Alison’s performance car whizzing off down the road.
As the breeze picked up, the trees in the garden rustled.
‘Did you hear that?’
‘What?’ Jacob looked across the lamplit lawn.
‘I thought I heard a twig cracking.’ She walked over to the dense clump of trees and listened carefully. Not a sound came from them. She pulled her torch out of her bag and shone it through the gap. ‘I think I’m cracking up. Lack of food probably.’
Jacob smirked as he walked towards the car. ‘I know how you feel. I’m hallucinating pizza.’
Jacob’s phone beeped at the same time as Gina’s. She read the message from O’Connor.
We found a receipt in Francesca Carter’s bag, dated the 11th April. One for the cash purchase of a meal at Piccolo’s, an Italian restaurant on the edge of town. Her husband has no idea who she had this meal with. He didn’t even know she’d had a meal there without him. It is apparently their special place. It’s where he proposed to her.
‘Not another spanner in this investigation. Who on earth was Francesca out having dinner with? This gets more confusing by the minute.’ Gina opened the car door and slumped in the seat. ‘Right, back to the station.’
‘I’ve just read the email that has followed. No one has managed to locate Samuel Avery or Phillip Brighton. Both of them weren’t where we’d expect them to be when Francesca was murdered.’ Jacob scrolled down to the end of the email, his phone lighting up the car’s dark interior.
Gina pressed send on a quick message to Hannah. She needed to know if Avery was with her.
‘We can add our groom to that list, Edward Powell. I want to know where he’s been.’
Chapter Forty
Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Gina threw her keys on the kitchen table and glanced at the kitchen clock. Two in the morning. After the initial briefing and updating the boards, uniform had been tasked with door to doors and the team were on the lookout for Samuel Avery and Phillip Brighton. There had been no word from Edward Powell, their missing groom.
She glanced at her phone. There was still no word from Hannah either. After driving by the bed and breakfast on the way home she had made a mental note that Hannah’s car hadn’t been parked around the front. Gina felt her stomach sink and her body weaken a little as she imagined her daughter being away somewhere with one of the very men in the town she despised. Avery couldn’t be her future too. In her mind, they’d already had the wedding and Gracie was calling him Daddy Sam. No, that couldn’t happen. Her heart thumped as she tried Hannah’s number again and it rang. Within seconds the call was cut off. Not good enough. She called again, then again.
‘Mum, do you know what time it is?’
‘Why didn’t you answer my message earlier, Hannah?’
There was a pause. Gina heard a crashing of objects hitting the ground.
‘Bloody hell! I’ve knocked a glass of water over now.’
‘Where are you? You weren’t at the Cleaver when I passed it an hour ago.’
‘Last time I looked, I’m a grown adult who can do as she pleases. If you really must know, I’m not staying there tonight.’
Gina took a deep breath and furrowed her brow. ‘Is he with you?’
‘Who?’
‘Samuel Avery. Is he with you now?’
‘Of course he isn’t.’
Steadying herself against the worktop, Gina gazed down at her feet. He wasn’t with her; that meant he was out there somewhere but not at his pub, where he also lived. The images of Hannah and Avery’s wedding were vanishing. Maybe she’d jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Hannah was having a little bad patch in her relationship and maybe she had been seeking a little comfort in Avery, the expert manipulator, but he wasn’t with her now.