have a lot of time. We wanted to ask a couple more questions about the girl from the crash. DS Jake?’
‘We have a CCTV sighting.’ Noah held his phone where Joe could watch the clip. ‘We think this might be the girl you saw?’
Joe leaned close, frowning at the phone. ‘She’s wearing different clothes, but the build’s the same. Has she got bare feet? Yes, it could be her. The other girl – it’s May Beswick? I heard on the news that you’d found a body at Battersea Power Station.’
Marnie nodded at Noah, who moved his thumb across the screen, holding the phone up again.
‘The scratches you saw on the girl who caused the crash. Could they have been this?’
Joe leaned in again. ‘This is … writing? You think what I saw was writing?’
‘We wondered,’ Marnie said. ‘You’ll understand that we’re investigating May’s death and what we’re showing you is confidential, and sensitive.’
‘Of course. Her poor parents. Christ … Gina’s coping better than I would, but maybe it hasn’t hit them yet. May was younger than Logan, wasn’t she? Still at school.’
‘She was sixteen.’
‘It could’ve been this.’ Joe peered at the phone, blinking shut his left eye. ‘Writing. On that girl. It could’ve been. But what does that mean? Was she involved in May’s death?’
‘We don’t have any reason to suspect that.’
‘But that’s May with her, isn’t it? That’s May Beswick.’
‘You’ve had some good news?’ Marnie said. ‘About Ruth?’
‘The surgery went well. She’s responding, that’s what they’ve said. I can see her later, before I collect the kids.’ He looked wary, rubbing the palms of his hands on his pyjamas. ‘You’ll want to question her about the crash, about this girl. I don’t know when she’ll be ready for that.’
Marnie glanced at Noah. ‘We’ll be in touch, Mr Eaton. Thanks again.’
In the street, she asked, ‘How bad is it?’
Noah put the flat of his hand on the car. He didn’t answer right away.
‘Migraine?’
He thinned his mouth. ‘Sorry.’
‘I’ll take you home.’
‘I can get a cab.’
‘It’s not far. I’ll take you. Get in.’
Noah didn’t argue. He climbed into the car vigilantly, as if every bit of him hurt. Fastened his seat belt and shut his eyes. His face was pinched with pain. Marnie started the engine and pulled into traffic as smoothly as she could. She’d known that Noah suffered from migraines, but she hadn’t witnessed an attack up close before. He looked like someone had hit him on the back of the head with a blunt weapon. They were headed the right way for the traffic; it took less than twenty minutes to reach Noah’s flat. She double-parked and cut the engine, switching on the hazard lights before getting out and opening the passenger door for Noah. She waited while he climbed out, standing back to give him space but staying close enough to catch him if he fell.
‘Thanks.’ He leaned against the car for a second before straightening. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t be.’ She glanced across at the house, remembering how many stairs had to be climbed to reach his flat. ‘Is there someone home to give you a hand?’
‘Sol … But I’ll be okay.’
The blare of a car horn made him wince. A white Kia Sportage was waiting for Marnie to move out of its way. She ignored it, concentrating on Noah. ‘Come on.’
They crossed to his flat, waiting while he searched his pockets for his keys. The Kia Sportage hit its horn again. Noah found the keys and handed them to Marnie. It was an effort for him to stay upright. She unlocked the door and got him as far as the stairs, sitting him down.
Outside, the Sportage was blaring incessantly. Marnie said, ‘Hold on.’
She walked out into the road, to where the Kia was waiting. The driver had a shirt as loud as his horn, suit jacket slung from the hook behind his seat. She motioned for him to wind down his window.
‘You can’t just stop in the middle of the
‘We have a CCTV sighting.’ Noah held his phone where Joe could watch the clip. ‘We think this might be the girl you saw?’
Joe leaned close, frowning at the phone. ‘She’s wearing different clothes, but the build’s the same. Has she got bare feet? Yes, it could be her. The other girl – it’s May Beswick? I heard on the news that you’d found a body at Battersea Power Station.’
Marnie nodded at Noah, who moved his thumb across the screen, holding the phone up again.
‘The scratches you saw on the girl who caused the crash. Could they have been this?’
Joe leaned in again. ‘This is … writing? You think what I saw was writing?’
‘We wondered,’ Marnie said. ‘You’ll understand that we’re investigating May’s death and what we’re showing you is confidential, and sensitive.’
‘Of course. Her poor parents. Christ … Gina’s coping better than I would, but maybe it hasn’t hit them yet. May was younger than Logan, wasn’t she? Still at school.’
‘She was sixteen.’
‘It could’ve been this.’ Joe peered at the phone, blinking shut his left eye. ‘Writing. On that girl. It could’ve been. But what does that mean? Was she involved in May’s death?’
‘We don’t have any reason to suspect that.’
‘But that’s May with her, isn’t it? That’s May Beswick.’
‘You’ve had some good news?’ Marnie said. ‘About Ruth?’
‘The surgery went well. She’s responding, that’s what they’ve said. I can see her later, before I collect the kids.’ He looked wary, rubbing the palms of his hands on his pyjamas. ‘You’ll want to question her about the crash, about this girl. I don’t know when she’ll be ready for that.’
Marnie glanced at Noah. ‘We’ll be in touch, Mr Eaton. Thanks again.’
In the street, she asked, ‘How bad is it?’
Noah put the flat of his hand on the car. He didn’t answer right away.
‘Migraine?’
He thinned his mouth. ‘Sorry.’
‘I’ll take you home.’
‘I can get a cab.’
‘It’s not far. I’ll take you. Get in.’
Noah didn’t argue. He climbed into the car vigilantly, as if every bit of him hurt. Fastened his seat belt and shut his eyes. His face was pinched with pain. Marnie started the engine and pulled into traffic as smoothly as she could. She’d known that Noah suffered from migraines, but she hadn’t witnessed an attack up close before. He looked like someone had hit him on the back of the head with a blunt weapon. They were headed the right way for the traffic; it took less than twenty minutes to reach Noah’s flat. She double-parked and cut the engine, switching on the hazard lights before getting out and opening the passenger door for Noah. She waited while he climbed out, standing back to give him space but staying close enough to catch him if he fell.
‘Thanks.’ He leaned against the car for a second before straightening. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t be.’ She glanced across at the house, remembering how many stairs had to be climbed to reach his flat. ‘Is there someone home to give you a hand?’
‘Sol … But I’ll be okay.’
The blare of a car horn made him wince. A white Kia Sportage was waiting for Marnie to move out of its way. She ignored it, concentrating on Noah. ‘Come on.’
They crossed to his flat, waiting while he searched his pockets for his keys. The Kia Sportage hit its horn again. Noah found the keys and handed them to Marnie. It was an effort for him to stay upright. She unlocked the door and got him as far as the stairs, sitting him down.
Outside, the Sportage was blaring incessantly. Marnie said, ‘Hold on.’
She walked out into the road, to where the Kia was waiting. The driver had a shirt as loud as his horn, suit jacket slung from the hook behind his seat. She motioned for him to wind down his window.
‘You can’t just stop in the middle of the
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