The Eyes of the Accused: A dark disturbing mystery thriller (The Ben Whittle Investigation Series Book 2) by Mark Tilbury Read Free Book Online

for an adult.’
    ‘But it’s freezing outside,’ Ben protested. ‘We’ll end up with hypothermia walking all that way.’
    Geoff looked out the office window at the light dusting of snow on the ground. ‘Order a taxi after you meet up.’
    ‘And who’s paying for that?’ Ben asked. ‘I’m skint.’
    ‘It’s on the company. But make sure you don’t use Faretrip; they’d charge a blind man for his stick.’
    ‘Your generosity knows no bounds,’ Ben said.
    ‘Every penny counts. Especially now we have an extra body on the payroll. Right, anyone got any other suggestions regarding Hannah Heath?’
    ‘I reckon she’s dead,’ Ben said. ‘Pregnant women don’t just vanish and turn up alive months later.’
    Anne Whittle walked into the office. ‘Pregnant women do all sorts of funny things.’
    Geoff studied his wife. ‘Women don’t need pregnancy to do funny things.’
    ‘Men don’t understand,’ Anne continued. ‘They think being pregnant is a walk in the park. But it’s not. It can be a really difficult time, what with prenatal depression and hormone imbalances.’
    ‘Did you want something?’ Geoff asked. ‘Or are you training to be a midwife?’
    ‘I wondered if you wanted a pot of tea?’
    Ben jumped in before his father had a chance to say anything sarcastic. ‘Tea would be lovely, mum.’
    ‘Aunt Mary slapped Uncle John once when she was pregnant,’ Anne said. ‘I don’t blame her. He can be such a—’
    ‘Will you stop prattling on about your sister?’ Geoff said. ‘We’re trying to have a serious discussion about a missing girl here.’
    Anne walked out of the office. ‘Pardon me for breathing.’
    ‘You’re pardoned.’ Geoff turned his attention back to the case. ‘Don’t forget to use a dictaphone when you speak to the boyfriend. You can learn a lot from listening back to an interview. Andy said the guy seemed genuine enough, but from my experience, criminals are all worthy of Oscars.’
    Maddie asked Geoff who actually reported Hannah missing.
    ‘Andy said the mother called it in at half nine. The boyfriend phoned her when Hannah failed to show up from work.’
    ‘Why didn’t Hannah just call her boyfriend and ask for a lift home?’ Maddie wondered.
    ‘He was working late. Andy said everything checked out. But it wouldn’t hurt to go over it again and establish an exact timeline of events for that day.’
    ‘I know one thing,’ Ben said. ‘A pregnant girl suffering severe stomach pain wouldn’t try to walk all the way home to Feelham.’
    Geoff agreed. ‘Andy said the bus through Tadmarsh stops running at six, so that rules that one out if she left work at seven.’
    ‘Maybe she called a cab?’ Maddie suggested.
    ‘They checked the local cab companies. Nothing. No one picked up any fares from Sunnyside Nursing Home that day.’
    Ben took a deep breath. Without Hannah, dead or alive, no one would ever know what had happened to her. If assumption was the best friend of error, then speculation was the best friend of the bookmaker. And right now, the odds were well and truly stacked against them.

Chapter Seven
     
    Ben parked at the Paddocks – a large empty field on the edge of Feelham that used to stable horses and offer riding lessons before the business went bust – and switched off the engine. ‘What did you make of Robert?’
    Maddie thought for a few moments. ‘I think he loves Hannah very much.’
    ‘Seems to.’
    ‘Anyway, your dad says he checked out with the cops. And he was working late the night Hannah went missing.’
    ‘People can cover for you.’
    Maddie opened the door and invited an icy blast of wind into the car. ‘I think we need to focus on Crowley for now.’
    ‘Just because a few women say he’s a creep?’
    ‘And he flashed to a schoolgirl.’
    ‘Twenty years ago. There hasn’t been anything since.’
    ‘Still shows what he’s capable of.’
    ‘All the more reason to stay away from him.’
    ‘I’ll be careful.’
    ‘I