Honeytrap: Part 2 Read Free

Arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere. Let’s sit down and go through everything properly.’
    Harry pulled up a chair, but Jess went to the window and gazed down at the street. He could sense the anxiety rising from her like steam. She wrapped her arms around her chest and took a few deep breaths.
    ‘It’s been almost an hour,’ she said. ‘If she was going to get in touch, she’d have done it by now.’
    Lorna sat down opposite Harry. ‘It does seem odd. She’s usually so reliable. I’ve never known her miss a text in all the time she’s been working here. She sticks to the rules; she never needs reminding.’
    ‘So maybe she’s got a problem with her phone.’
    ‘What’s the matter with you?’ Jess asked, her voice tight and angry. She scowled at him, left the window and sat beside Lorna. ‘You’ve been dragging your heels all night. We should have talked to those people at Wilder’s. We should be doing something now.’
    Harry raised his eyebrows. ‘Just because I don’t act like a bull in a china shop doesn’t mean I’m dragging my heels. You can’t go around accusing people before you’ve got any evidence.’
    Jess pursed her lips. ‘And we’re not going to get it sitting here. That Keynes is a creep; he was all over Sylvie like a rash.’
    ‘Which doesn’t make him guilty of anything other than being a sleazeball. Did you actually see him do anything? Did you see him follow her?’
    ‘I saw him look at her like she was a piece of meat.’
    ‘And if that was a crime, the prisons would be overflowing by now.’
    Lorna interrupted the stroppy exchange. ‘This isn’t getting us anywhere. Tell me what happened, Jess, from the moment you arrived.’
    Harry listened as Jess repeated what she’d already told him earlier. There was nothing new, nothing different. Sylvie had used the name Christelle when she’d introduced herself to Joshua Keynes. He’d shown an interest – more than an interest – and had taken her number, promising to ring.
    When Jess had finished, Lorna opened one of the files and ran her finger down the sheet of paper. ‘Sarah Thorne. She’s the girlfriend of Keynes. I never met her, though. She made the arrangements over the phone.’
    ‘But you’ve got an address,’ Jess said.
    ‘Yes, of course. She lives in … let me see, yes, Leonard Close in Hampstead.’
    ‘We could go over there, see if Keynes is around.’
    ‘That’s a job for the police,’ Harry said, ‘if we’re going to report Sylvie as missing. Are we?’
    Lorna checked her watch. ‘I’m not sure how much longer we can wait.’
    There was a short silence while the three of them looked at each other.
    ‘I vote yes,’ Jess said. ‘Let’s do it now.’
    Lorna frowned. ‘Maybe we should wait for Mac.’
    ‘Why don’t you ring him, see what he thinks?’
    Lorna glanced at Harry, who gave a nod. She was reaching for the phone as it burst into life. She snatched it up. ‘Hello? Mackenzie, Lind.’ Instantly her eyes lit up. ‘Sylvie! We were starting to get worried. Where are you? What happened?’
    Harry leaned forward, trying to hear the other side of the conversation, but Lorna had the phone pressed against her ear. A wave of relief flowed over him. With every minute that passed, he’d been getting increasingly worried. But Sylvie was fine. The panic, thank God, was over.
    ‘Okay, I see. No, you did the right thing … Are you sure you’re all right? … Yes, yes, that’s not a problem. I’ll get someone to go round and ask. I’m sure it will turn up … Of course I will. She’ll be glad to hear you’re safe. We’re all glad. You gave us a bit of a fright, to be honest … And you’ll keep in touch, won’t you? Give me a ring during the week.’
    Harry gestured with his hand that he wanted Lorna to pass the phone over.
    ‘Harry’s here, Sylvie. He just wants to have a quick word … Oh, I see. No, I’ll tell him. Okay. Take care. Bye, then. Bye.’
    Lorna hung up, sat back