Ellen Devonport was waiting for Matilda outside her office. She paced the floor and had a look of worry on her face.
‘DCI Darke, can I have a private word before I have to go around to the Armitages’s please?’
Matilda could sense the urgency and stress in her voice. So much for today being a good day. It seemed to be going downhill already.
‘Sure. Come on in.’
Matilda switched on her laptop and asked Ellen to begin while she rifled through the colourful Post-it Note messages that had been left on her desk overnight.
Ellen cleared her throat and filled her in on what the neighbour had said about a mystery surrounding the origins of Riley’s illness.
‘What did she mean?’ Matilda asked, leaning forward, a heavy frown on her face.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Didn’t you ask her to elaborate?’
‘She didn’t give me chance. She said her speech then ran off back to her house.’
‘What did you interpret it to mean?’ Matilda asked. Ellen knew the Armitage family better than anyone else. She was keen to test her judgement.
‘Well, I thought she was raising doubt as to Riley’s condition in the first place. But, I mean, you’ve seen him, there’s no getting away from the fact that he’s suffered severe brain damage.’
‘Do you think the neighbour was saying that perhaps his condition hadn’t been caused by epilepsy?’
‘But how else … oh,’ the penny dropped for Ellen. ‘You mean Linda injured him in some way?’
‘I suppose it’s possible. We need to look at Riley’s medical records and talk to his GP as well. I’ll get one of the team to look into it. Meanwhile, you go to the house as normal. I’ll be coming along later this morning, anyway.’
Ellen scratched her forehead and rubbed at the worry lines. ‘I’ve been thinking about this all night; I’ve hardly slept. From where I’m sitting, there are only two possibilities: either Riley’s condition was caused by negligence or he was deliberately injured. If it was deliberate, then maybe whoever did it could be responsible for Keeley’s death too.’
Matilda nodded. ‘Look, Ellen, do you want to take today off? I can send someone else to the Armitages’s for the day.’
‘No. I’m fine, honestly. I’m just … Riley’s really sweet,’ she said with a hint of a smile. ‘And Jodie is too. They really put on her. I want to be there for them.’
‘Ok. But you can’t take any of this personally. We’re working on a case here; keep your eyes open at all times. And if you feel uncomfortable, or like you’re in any kind of trouble, call me straight away. Understood?’
Ellen nodded. She stood up and left the office, quickly walking out of the HMET suite with her head down.
Matilda’s feeling had changed. Today was not going to be a good day.
***
‘Sebastian Page has gone missing,’ Rory said, bounding into the open-plan office.
All eyes turned to him, then to Matilda who was about to start the morning briefing.
‘What?’ she said.
‘I’ve had a call from the team observing his flat at Pitsmoor. He hasn’t been there for two days and, according to the head at Mary Croft, he hasn’t been back there since he fled on Tuesday. His bank account hasn’t been touched and his mobile is switched off.’
‘What about his car?’
‘Still outside his flat.’
Matilda took a deep breath. ‘Right, we need to do a door-to-door. Find out who saw him last, where and when. Sian go back to Mary Croft. I want all the teachers interviewed; what do they know about Sebastian, any places he’s mentioned, friends, family, partners, the usual.’
‘Will do.’
‘Why would he kill his own brother?’ Ranjeet asked.
‘We don’t know that’s what’s happened yet.’
‘So then why run off? You only run if you’re guilty. If he hadn’t killed his brother he’d be in his flat, going about life as normal, because he wouldn’t know about it yet.’
‘Maybe he killed him because he’s trying to live a normal life while Calvin’s past is destroying that,’ Scott said, thinking out loud.
‘Is that a reason to kill someone? If you didn’t want any contact with a family member you just move away, maybe even change your name. You don’t smash their skull to smithereens,’ DC Deshwal said.
‘Ranjeet’s right,’ Matilda said.
‘First time for everything,’ Rory grinned.
‘We need to approach this with caution,’ Matilda continued. ‘We don’t know who killed Calvin Page, but a missing brother is certainly suspicious. Either he’s succumbed to the same fate as Calvin and we haven’t found him yet, or he’s the one who killed him. Christian, put out an alert for him, distribute his description, but tell everyone to approach with caution. He could be dangerous.’
Christian nodded, scribbling on his notepad.
‘Rory, Scott, I want you two to come to the Armitages’s with me. Aaron … where is Aaron?’ she asked, looking around the room.
‘He’s not in yet,’ Sian said.
‘Why not? Any particular reason?’
‘Not that I’ve been made aware of.’
‘Ok. Finn, set up interview rooms one and two and the observation room. I want you in there with me.’
‘What are we doing?’ Rory asked.
‘We’re bringing Linda and Craig in for formal questioning. I think we’ve left them long enough to grieve. It’s time they answered some questions.’
Chapter 38
Jodie Armitage was at the sink in the kitchen. Tears were streaming down her face. She would never forget the look on her mother’s face as police led her out of the house to the waiting cars.
‘Are you all right?’ Ellen asked.
Jodie wiped her tears on a tea towel. ‘They looked like they were being arrested,’ she cried.
Ellen stepped forward, put her arm around the teenager, and led her to the table.
‘I know it didn’t look good, but we need to ask your parents important questions that can only be done under formal conditions. Do you know when you see on the news about a dog walker or a jogger finding a body? Well, that person has to go to the police station. They have to give all their clothes to be analysed and they’re seriously questioned. They’re treated like a suspect, basically. From the outside, it looks bad, but it’s just procedure. Your mum and dad will be home very soon.’
‘Mum’s not well. She’s sick.’
‘In what way?’
‘She keeps throwing up. She’s been like it for months. Dad says she should go to the doctor, but she says it’s just stress.’
‘Maybe she’s right. It can’t be easy looking after Riley all the time.’
‘I help out as much as I can, but I’ve got school.’ Jodie choked on her tears. Her face was reddening.
Ellen reached out and took Jodie’s hands in hers. ‘Jodie, you can’t be responsible for your parents. I know you like to think of yourself as a grown-up, but you’re still a child. You should be out there with your friends, not looking after your brother.’