Silent Scream by Lynda La Plante Read Free Book Online Page B

way.’
    Barbara returned to her desk and picked up more copies of newspaper cuttings.
    ‘Fiona Myers is quoted in the News of the World last year as saying that Amanda was like an over-sexed bitch on heat and that she needed a bucket of water chucked over her to cool her down. She said if she ever saw her, she’d be the one to chuck it.’
    Suddenly Mathews returned and signalled to Anna to join him.
    ‘I was in the car park,’ he said. ‘They’ve brought her parents here. Can you talk to them, because I’ve got to go. They’re downstairs.’
    It was never easy to confront parents in these circumstances. Anna wished she had someone with her, but she braced herself and walked into the reception.

 
Chapter Three
     
    M r and Mrs Delany were waiting patiently. Carmen Delany was a very attractive woman, well-groomed and smartly dressed like her husband. They didn’t appear to be the emotionally distraught couple that Anna had expected; rather they were calm and poised as they sat beside each other in one of the incident rooms.
    ‘First let me give you my sincere condolences,’ Anna said, and offered them tea or coffee. They declined both.
    There was an awkward pause as Anna prepared herself for what she should say next, and neither spoke.
    ‘We are waiting for the post-mortem report to assist in our enquiry, but I want to assure you we’re endeavouring to get a result as soon as possible. If I could just ask you some questions, that might help us get to know more about Amanda.’
    Still neither said a word. Anna found it unnerving as they sat so calmly, their eyes on her, waiting.
    ‘Firstly, could you give me any reason why someone might have a grudge against your daughter?’
    ‘Grudge?’ Mrs Delany repeated quietly.
    ‘Anyone who might have had a reason to harm your daughter?’
    ‘Harm her?’ This was Mark Delany, his voice soft but chilling.
    ‘Yes. We need to question everyone Amanda knew and find out if there was someone who had been frightening her, or maybe stalking her. Is there anyone you can think of who would have been . . . jealous, angry?’
    ‘My daughter, we have been told, was brutally murdered. I don’t see how describing anyone’s jealousy or anger would be a motive for them to kill her.’
    ‘It’s possible, Mr Delany, that you may not have been aware of how intensely someone felt about her. If there is anyone you recall meeting or hearing Amanda talk about, I would really appreciate knowing about them.’
    Anna felt her words tumbling over each other, she was so nervous. The Delanys’ reaction to whatever she said was just not normal, unless they were both in shock – but they didn’t appear to be nor were they showing the usual signs of that.
    Anna waited. They looked at each other and then returned their almost expressionless eyes to her.
    ‘I can think of no one we met who would want to harm Amanda.’ Mr Delany had a thin mouth; his words were clipped and said without any emotion.
    ‘What about you, Mrs Delany?’ Anna asked.
    ‘No one, but you have to understand that we saw very little of her over the past five years.’
    ‘Was this lack of contact due to Amanda’s filming commitments?’
    They made no reply.
    ‘Or was there a problem between you as a family?’
    Again no response.
    ‘Did you have some kind of argument, Mr Delany?’
    ‘Argument?’ The thin mouth shut tightly.
    ‘Yes, perhaps a falling-out. Your daughter was very famous and I’m surprised that you didn’t see her often.’
    ‘We travel and don’t reside in London any more.’ Mr Delany crossed his legs, and with bony fingers plucked at the immaculate crease in his trousers.
    Anna stood up and asked if they would excuse her for a moment. She hurried into the incident room, where Simon was finishing up the briefing, and asked for his help.
    ‘He’s a frosty, tight-lipped man and she seems almost afraid to speak, so what I suggest is, as a ploy to separate them, I’ll tell them we need to take