Finders Keepers Edie Baylis (phonics readers .TXT) 📖

to that bloody club! ‘Is that all sorted then? You didn’t even tell me what this was all about in the first place!’

‘Your son was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murder, Mr Pointer. Now, thanks to what you have just confirmed, we will be able to charge him.’

‘W-What?’ Mike screeched. Murder? ‘There must be some kind of mistake! Murder of who?’

The detectives stood up. ‘I cannot say any more, but thank you for your time, Mr Pointer and of course for confirming your son’s whereabouts and times. Someone will be in contact with you should we need any further assistance.’

Mike found himself unable to get up from the chair and his mouth flapped open and shut. ‘B-But...’

‘We’ll see ourselves out,’ DI Morgan said, as they both left Mike’s office.

Mike blankly watched the two men walk through his showroom, stopping momentarily to admire a Jaguar on the way, before putting his head in his hands. What in hell’s name had Heath done? Oh Jesus Christ!

Nausea flooded over him and he was so distracted that he didn’t even notice the man walk into his showroom and approach his office.

‘Mike Pointer? The name’s Ron O’Hara. We spoke the other day about the Audi?’

Mike slowly looked up, too tired to want to sell cars, but felt he might perhaps change his mind noticing the barrel of a gun pointing straight at him.

Sixty

JONAH HATED ADMITTING he was wrong, especially when it concerned something he’d previously been warned of, but it had to be done. He also owed these people an apology.

Closing the folder on his desk, he looked at Nero and Gwen, both staring at him with uncertainty. ‘First of all I need to apologise,’ he said. ‘I should not have taken things out on either of you yesterday.’

‘It’s not a problem,’ Nero smiled. ‘It’s understandable what with everything that’s happened. You’ve had a lot to deal with.’

‘As has everyone,’ Jonah remarked, his mouth twisting into a wry smile.

‘But not in the same way as you,’ Nero countered. ‘Lena and then Saul... It’s a lot to d...’

‘Yes, well,’ Jonah interrupted, not wishing Saul or Lena to be brought into the conversation. ‘There was still no excuse to rally. You’ve both been invaluable, so I’m sorry.’ He clasped his hands, pleased to see that at least one of the things he needed to say had been said.

‘It was a double blow losing the trace on O’Hara,’ Nero added. ‘There’s definitely been nothing since. Not one signal, so we have to accept that he got wind and ditched the phone.’ He sighed deeply. ‘Back to square one...’

‘I think that was down to me...’ Gwen said, wringing her hands. ‘It’s me who should be apologising.’

She’d been dreading this, but after analysing it all night, there really was no other explanation. ‘You may remember that call I got during our meeting yesterday? It was from an unknown number who hung up the minute I answered? I thought it was my phone... but it wasn’t... It was Lena’s...’

Jonah bristled. ‘You answered Lena’s phone?’

Gwen nodded sadly. ‘Less than five minutes after that, the trace on O’Hara dropped. It must have been him calling from a different number in a bid to allay his suspicions. I’m so sorry. It was stupid. I should have checked. He’d have known immediately I wasn’t Lena...’

Jonah raised his hand. ‘What’s done is done. We were cutting it fine to intercept him as it was. He knew something was up.’

‘But we almost had him,’ Gwen cried, angry for her stupidity. ‘We have no idea where he is now.’

‘I agree it’s unfortunate, but we can’t change that now,’ Nero said. ‘Talking of which, where is Robert? I asked him to put some checks out to make sure the trace hasn’t been blocked. Although I doubt whether O’Hara has the nous to do that, I told him it was worth a try.’

Jonah frowned. ‘That brings me to the next thing. I’m not happy about Robert. You were right to be concerned over him. I was rash to involve him.’

Nero sat forward. ‘Has something happened? You think Robert’s playing us? In it with O’Hara?’

Jonah shook his head. ‘No, not like that, but I don’t trust him. Something’s not quite right with the man.’ He tapped his temple. ‘He’s not quite the ticket.’

Gwen looked from Jonah to Nero. ‘I’ll admit he’s a bit of an odd-ball, but that doesn’t mean he’s...’

‘He went to see Dulcie,’ Jonah cut in. ‘He went there despite strict instructions of no contact.’

‘What? What’s he said to her?’ Irritation seeped from Nero. He’d never liked Adams from the off. Knowing he had Pointer blood made it worse.

‘He didn’t see her. There was no answer,’ Jonah explained. ‘But the point is, he shouldn’t have done it. Neither did he tell me. I overheard a conversation with Teagan. Robert lied about his whereabouts and then didn’t level when he had the chance.’

‘What’s his excuse for this?’ Nero spat.

Jonah shrugged. ‘He doesn’t know that I know. I figured it was better to keep schtum for now.’

‘Maybe he was embarrassed?’ Gwen suggested. ‘Dulcie is his mother after all.’

‘Instructions are instructions!’ Jonah barked, his brows furrowing. ‘But that’s not all. You should have heard the shit he was coming out with to the girl. I wanted to give him a fucking kicking there and then!’

Gwen sat forward. ‘He’s a cold one, he is. If he’s upset her...’

‘Oh, he upset her alright,’ Jonah spat. ‘More than that – he upset me. Saying stuff like she wanted to be with Saul etc. etc. and that everything was her fault.’

‘What sort of thing is that to say?’ Nero choked.

‘Like I said, I wanted to give him a slap, but I’m ashamed to say that we needed him for this O’Hara thing, so I didn’t.’ Jonah continued. ‘But now that’s gone pear-shaped, I’m going to suggest he takes one of the satellite houses and works from there.’

Nero clenched his fists. ‘Why help him at all. If we’ve