Free Broken Silence by Danielle Ramsay Page B

as soon as I have any news I’ll be in touch,’ he said as he turned to Louise Simmons.
    Tearful, she nodded as she looked up at Brady, still hopeful that he could bring her daughter home, alive. The mascara from the day before was smeared under her dark blue eyes and her long blonde hair hung dishevelled and uncombed. Brady was uncomfortably aware of the striking similarity between mother and daughter.
    He noted with interest that Simmons who was irritably waiting for him to leave was very together, especially compared to his wife.
    Brady tried his best to give Louise Simmons a reassuring look before turning and leaving the kitchen.
    Simmons followed and cornered Brady once he’d reached the front door.
    ‘You know something, don’t you?’
    ‘No sir,’ Brady replied evenly.
    ‘You’re lying,’ Simmons hissed, not wanting his wife to overhear.
    ‘I’m really sorry. I understand this must be very difficult for you.’
    ‘The hell you do!’
    Brady didn’t answer.
    ‘You want to tell me what’s going on at Potter’s Farm?’
    ‘Sorry?’ Brady questioned, trying his best not to let his unease show.
    ‘Your lot are out there. Have been for the past few hours. The farm’s been sealed off and you’ve got police officers crawling all over the place.’
    ‘I’m afraid that’s confidential, sir.’
    ‘I’m not an idiot, Detective Inspector Brady. If something’s happened to … to Sophie …’ Simmons stopped himself short.
    ‘Like I said, let me get back to the station and see what I can find out,’ Brady offered.
    Brady waited until he heard the door closing behind him before he took out his mobile to ring the station. He needed to arrange for two family liaison officers to come out after uniform had delivered the fatal blow. He was no good when it came to dealing with people’s grief. He was good at causing it, according to his ex-wife, but when it came to dealing with it, he was always the first one out the door. He aggressively kicked a stone and watched as it rolled along the pavement towards the Saab.
    ‘Tom? Yeah, it’s Jack. I’ve got a new development regarding the murdered girl.’ Brady looked back at the house.
    It was a comfortable, four-bedroom semi-detached, in a quiet, respectable neighbourhood. Yet, less than a hundred metres away a horrific murder had been committed.
    Brady gave the details he needed to and then cut the call. He walked over to the Saab and climbed in.
    ‘This is connected to the murder, isn’t it?’ Conrad asked as he took in Brady’s sallow, drawn complexion.
    Brady nodded as he looked for a cigarette.
    ‘I had a hunch that we weren’t looking in the right place,’ Brady said after lighting a cigarette.
    Conrad shot him a questioning look.
    ‘The victim,’ answered Brady. ‘I decided to drop the minimum age from eighteen down to fifteen.’
    Conrad still looked puzzled.
    ‘You know kids today, especially girls. They seem to grow up so damned fast that I decided to widen the search. And,’ Brady paused as he inhaled, ‘it seems my hunch was right.’
    ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘As sure as I can be. The parents have to identify the body first—’ Brady faltered, realising what an ordeal that would be.
    ‘How old was she?’
    ‘Fifteen, Conrad. Fifteen years old. She was just a kid,’ Brady replied quietly as he looked back at the house.
    ‘Conrad, do me a favour and get me as far away from this bloody place as possible.’
    He closed his eyes in a futile attempt to shut everything out. But there was one name he couldn’t get out of his head, and that was Matthews.

Chapter Fifteen
     
    ‘I just need five minutes to clear my head,’ Brady said before slamming the car door shut.
    In fact, he needed to make a call. One he didn’t want Conrad overhearing. He walked over to the steep steps that led down to Tynemouth beach. It was deserted; the bleak, black sky and grey, solitary sea were enough to dissuade the usual dog walkers and lonely joggers.