Hard Evidence by Mark Pearson Page A

Is there something you forgot to
tell us?'
    'No.' He looked puzzled as Delaney leaned
angrily in.
    'You told us earlier that Jenny didn't have any
other relatives?'
    'That's right, just Jake and me.'
    Delaney leaned in even closer and held a photo
in front of Morgan's face.
    'So who's this then, the sugar plum fucking
fairy?'
    Morgan blinked, confused, and took the photo
off him, his face filling with blood as he looked at
it, his scar pulsing and his eyes darting like cold
water on hot coals.
    'Do you know this woman?'
    'No.'
    Delaney turned to Sally. 'Liars, you see, Sally.
Every damn fucking one of them.'
    Sally looked at Morgan; you didn't need a detector
to tell he was lying. 'She's your sister, isn't she?'
    Morgan shook his head, fear in his eyes.
    'Why the hell didn't you tell us you had a
sister?'
    Morgan backed away from Delaney. 'Where did
you get this? Why are you asking about her?'
    'You admit you do have a sister then?'
    'Not any more! I haven't seen her in fourteen
years.'
    Sally stepped forward. 'What happened between
you?'
    Morgan pulled his shirt open to reveal the
extent of his scarring, across his chest, up his
shoulder, up to his pain-filled eyes and forehead.
'This is what happened. She did this to me with a
steam hose. She's not right in the head.'
    'What are you saying?'
    Morgan looked at her for a moment. 'Where did
you get this photo? What's it got to do with my
Jenny?'
    Delaney held up another photo of the pair of
them together. 'We think she's with her.'
    'She can't be.' His eyes were wild now.
    'We think she made contact over the internet.'
    Morgan grabbed Sally by the arm. 'You've got
to find her.'
    Delaney would have stepped in but Sally held
her hand up. 'Try and stay calm, Mr Morgan. We
know Jenny's all right now. She's safe. She's with
a relative.'
    'What are you talking about . . . safe? She's not
safe. You have to find her.'
    Delaney barely kept his temper in check. 'Then
maybe it's about time you started telling us the
truth.'
    'I don't know any more. I told you, I haven't
seen her in fourteen years.'
    Delaney shared a look with Sally. The trouble
was, he believed Morgan. He jerked his head for
them to go outside, and Sally followed him out as
he put a fag in his mouth and fumbled angrily for
his matches.
    Outside in the yard, Delaney blew a short burst of
smoke as he watched Jake Morgan operate a jack
to lift a minivan off the ground. His back and
shoulders were burned by the glaring heat of the
sun but if he felt any discomfort he wasn't showing
it. His muscles were bunched and straining
and Delaney sensed that he could probably have
lifted the van up with his bare hands.
    Sally looked back at Delaney. 'Jenny's with a
relative. I guess that changes everything.'
    Delaney nodded thoughtfully. 'Maybe.'
    'We can stand down the media circus.'
    'This is a relative she hasn't ever met before,
who hasn't been involved with her family for
fourteen years if Morgan is telling the truth.'
    'And you think he is?'
    'Yeah. I do. He hasn't got the brains to lie to
us.'
    'He lied about his sister.'
    'Not really. As far as he was concerned, she
doesn't exist any more.'
    'Can't say I blame him, seeing what she did to
him.'
    'If she is as unstable as he claims she is, then it's
just as urgent we find Jenny quickly. She's still
been abducted, that's what we need to focus on.'
    'She wasn't abducted. She went voluntarily.'
    'She's twelve years old, Sally. She was taken
without her father's consent; he didn't even know
she was missing till the next day.'
    'Exactly. Maybe she's better off with her aunt.'
    Sally looked across at Delaney, biting her lips
but the words were out.
    'Sorry.'
    'Don't apologise. My daughter's definitely
better off with her aunt.'
    Delaney pulled out his mobile and punched in a
quick sequence of numbers, listening impatiently
as the phone rang. 'Bonner, where have you been?'
    'Doing what I was told. Looking into Howard
Morgan's sister, Candy Morgan.'
    'You've found her?'
    'No. Just found