Free Broken Silence by Danielle Ramsay Page A

this straight. Sophie left here at 5.30 pm to go to Evie Matthews’ house—’ Brady began.
    ‘Didn’t I already say that?’ Simmons snapped as he turned and caught Brady’s eye. ‘For God’s sake! We’ve already been over this, Evie is her best friend. She’s always going over to the Matthews’ house. Those two are inseparable.’
    Brady nodded, surprised by this revelation. Matthews had failed to tell him that Sophie Washington was hisdaughter’s best friend. What was troubling Brady was why Matthews had withheld such vital information.
    He looked back at the photograph. He couldn’t dispute it; the long, blonde hair exactly matched the victim’s.
    ‘What time did you try calling her mobile?’
    ‘About 2.40 am,’ Simmons answered irritably as he ran his hand through his short hair.
    ‘That late?’
    ‘I must have fallen asleep in front of the TV. When I woke up it was 2.30. Louise had already gone to bed and so I naturally presumed Sophie had come home. It wasn’t until I went upstairs that I realised she wasn’t back.’
    ‘Is that unusual?’
    ‘Yes,’ answered Simmons quickly.
    Too quickly, thought Brady, noticing that Simmons shot his wife a look to silence her.
    Brady turned to Louise Simmons.
    She looked up at her husband nervously and then stiffly nodded in agreement with him.
    ‘Could she have run off then?’ Brady tentatively asked.
    Simmons shot Brady an exasperated look.
    ‘What I mean is was there any reason for her to stay away? An argument say, or a disagreement about a boyfriend or something?’
    ‘No! Sophie had no reason to run away and … as for boyfriends … Christ! She’s only fifteen! She’s more interested in being with her friends than boys.’
    ‘What about staying the night at a friend’s house?’
    ‘Don’t you think we’d know? We already told your people where she went and that she left there at 10 pm!’
    ‘I am sorry about this, Mr Simmons, but these are standard questions I have to ask,’ apologised Brady.
    ‘Well, just hurry up and get on with it, then. The quicker you finish the sooner you can be out there looking for our daughter.’
    ‘Of course,’ Brady replied sympathetically.
    ‘Can you tell me what Sophie was wearing last night?’ Brady asked as he turned and looked at Louise Simmons.
    ‘A black denim skirt and a T-shirt,’ quietly answered Louise Simmons. ‘Oh yes, and Ugg boots.’
    ‘Anything else?’ quietly questioned Brady.
    She shook her head, forcing back tears.
    ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Oh … she was wearing a black scarf …’ she whispered, biting her lip.
    Silent tears trailed down her face as she looked at the school photograph lying on the kitchen table.
    Brady acknowledged uncomfortably that Sophie’s clothes matched the clothes found on the victim.
    ‘Does Sophie have any tattoos or body piercings that you know of?’ Brady gently asked.
    ‘Why do you want to know all this?’ exploded Simmons suddenly.
    ‘No particular reason. Like I said, Mr Simmons, these are standard questions,’ Brady calmly replied.
    He looked at Louise Simmons.
    She numbly shook her head.
    ‘No … no, she had nothing like that … she’s just a fifteen-year-old girl, Detective Brady.’
    Simmons turned his face away from his wife uncomfortably.
    ‘Sir?’ prompted Brady, realising that Simmons knew something.
    ‘Sir, does Sophie have a tattoo?’ Brady repeated.
    Simmons avoided Brady’s eyes.
    ‘Like my wife said, she’s just a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl.’
    It didn’t take a psychologist to know that he was lying. Brady was certain that Simmons was hiding the fact that he knew about the jade dragon tattoo and the belly button piercing. But why keep quiet?
    ‘Are you sure, sir?’ persisted Brady.
    ‘Why? What do you know? What is it that you’re not telling us?’ Simmons retaliated, turning the heat back onto Brady.
    ‘Just procedure, sir,’ Brady replied as he stood up to go.'I’ll run some checks back at the station. And