What You Left Behind by Samantha Hayes Read Free Book Online Page B

said. “She’s been telling me about your visit for ages.”
    “She might not be saying that by the end of the week,” Lorraine responded with a laugh.
    “Freddie took his younger cousin up to your place to see the horses yesterday,” Jo said.
    “Yes, Lana told me she’d bumped into them.” At the mention of her daughter, Sonia smiled and her shoulders dropped an inch.
    “Stella’s no rider, that’s for sure, but she enjoyed seeing them. She told me she thought your home was beautiful.” Lorraine wanted to mention Stella’s “nasty man” incident, but wasn’t sure it was appropriate to bring it up without asking Jo first.
    “They’re welcome anytime,” Sonia said. “Lana would be happyto see them.” It seemed as if she’d been going to say more, but she didn’t.
    “Well, we won’t keep you any longer,” Jo said, breaking a slightly awkward silence. “I’m sure you’re busy.” She cleared her throat. “I just came to pick up the leaflets.”
    “It’s nice to have a break, actually.” Sonia walked over to a shelving rack next to the television and took down a stack of flyers. “I was going over the shelter’s accounts. Here.” She handed the pile over. “It would be fantastic if you could spread them about. The event’s not until the end of August.”
    “Of course,” Jo said, quickly scanning one. She nodded her approval, then slipped a hand onto Lorraine’s shoulder. “Right, let’s make a move.”
    Lorraine nodded and opened her mouth to say goodbye but was interrupted by a deafening crash. It came from the kitchen. Sonia screamed and Jo jumped while Lorraine, immediately switching into work mode, dashed past them both to see what had happened. It sounded like breaking glass—a window perhaps? Might it be an intruder?
    “Wait there,” she called back to them, slamming the door open as far as it would go with a swipe of her arm and scanning the room.
    The kitchen work counter and floor were showered with shards and chunks of sparkling broken glass, and a still plugged-in power cable was trailing out of the smashed window. She peered out through the hole but all she saw was a small courtyard housing a couple of trash cans. The wooden gate was flapping open. Even after only a few seconds an intruder could be gone. Nevertheless, Lorraine ran toward the back-door exit of the kitchen, cursing her sandals, which were no good for fast movement.
    The door was locked. No chance now.
    Sonia was crunching her way through the glass. “They’ve taken all the chicken we were going to give them for dinner!”
    “Please, stay back,” Lorraine said, not meaning to sound rude.It was a natural instinct to keep a crime scene as clean as possible. “Are you sure it’s just the chicken?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Was there a laptop in here?” Lorraine pointed at the cable and watched Sonia’s expression change.
    “Oh shit ,” she said. It sounded wrong coming from her. “It was Tony’s computer, not mine. This can’t be happening. What am I going to do?” Looking white and even more shaken, she advanced toward the window.
    Lorraine raised her arm and asked her again to keep out of the mess. Local uniforms would want a look.
    Jo was hovering in the doorway. “Why was Tony’s computer here?” she asked quietly.
    “I borrowed it for the morning because mine’s being repaired. I couldn’t find him to ask his permission before I left.” Sonia looked imploringly at Jo, then covered her face with her hands. “He’s going to be so angry.”
    Jo stepped away, turned, then walked back again, as if she didn’t quite know what to do.
    “I should call the … the police,” Sonia said, and then looked at Lorraine. Jo must have mentioned her job.
    “I won’t be helping with this one, I’m afraid,” Lorraine said. “It’s not my patch. But I’ll make the call if you like.”

    F IFTEEN MINUTES LATER , two uniformed officers from Warwickshire Police were on the scene. Another