Page 82 of Glasshouses

“So why did you tell him?” I could see Vinny typing something on his phone, probably to get Lachy and the team to start looking into where Stefan Smith was now.

Andrew Smith shrugged slightly. “So he’d stay away and not be found. Just in case Amanda did find anything that pointed the finger at him. Stefan had liked setting fires when he was younger. He was fascinated with the patterns it left and how it travelled.”

“Do you think he was responsible for the murder of Amanda Goodhew and Micky Mulligan, Mr Smith?” I said, quietly, trying not to pay attention to how much my heart was racing.

He left the window again, a car engine in the distance. “I don’t know, but I suspect he might have been involved. He and Lily thought they were Romeo and Juliet, especially the secrecy part. I knew more than he thought but I didn’t say anything. She was the reason he wanted to come back at weekends or whenever he could, but that meant I got to see him more and I’d do anything for that.”

I thought he wanted me to say that I understood, but I didn’t, not from experience, not from my parents. “When did you last see him?”

“He phoned me from an unknown number a few nights ago to ask where the paperwork was that Amanda had about the accounts for The Holding. I told him she kept it at Roselea, and he cursed and hung up. It didn’t make me believe anymore in his innocence.” He sat back down on the chair. “He was worried you were on to him.”

“You think he hurt the boy at Roselea.” It wasn’t a question.

“I don’t know, Detective. I just don’t know.”

Vinny had put his phone away. “I think you just don’t want to admit it to yourself.”

“Maybe. That’ll be my cross to bear.” His gaze was on the cabinet in the corner, glass doors protecting a line of liquor that looked as if it hadn’t been touched in years. I suspected it would be after we’d gone.

“Do you know where your son is?” I stood up, seeing we’d get no more from him. He wanted us to leave, to be alone with his thoughts and the guilt that had been realised too late.

“No, I don’t. I would imagine Lily Goodhew knows, wherever she is. There is no way Stefan would’ve ever left her alone.”

“Carly saw Lily entering and leaving Afflecks,” Vinny said as soon as we got in his car. “She was definitely there.”

“But no one remembered seeing her.” I double checked my seatbelt was secure.

“We don’t know where she went once she was in. She used the side entrance both times, the stairs that led to the toilets where you were locked in.” He did a loud U-turn on Andrew Smith’s road.

“Did you have to do that?”

“I wanted you to witness my skills.” His grin was lethal, or it would’ve been if I didn’t know him as well as I did.

“Save them for someone who cares. I’m worried about him.” I gripped the handle.

“Who?”

“Andrew Smith. Who we’ve just spent the last half an hour talking to. Have you taken your meds today?”

“Perfection doesn’t need medication.”

“No, but the longer I spend with you, the more I do. Seriously, I think we should send a car out to check on him later. If his son thinks his dad’s spoken to us, we might have another fire on our hands.” It was making me feel guilty.

“Call it through. Have a unit check on him later if it makes you feel any better. And on Lily too. It could’ve been Stefan Smith who was following her today, if it wasn’t a figment of her imagination.” He managed to get through a set of lights before they turned red. I imagined he was cheering inside.

“She said she was staying at Damien’s, one of her clients. That place is secure enough and I’m not calling her to check.” I was done with Lily for the day, possibly longer. “She has my number and will use it as today has proved.”

“Get a car to drive by both and check. If Stefan’s snooping around, we might catch him.” He joined the motorway and put his foot down. I gripped a little tighter.

“Andrew said he’d gone into the services. It’s obvious, but if he was obsessed with fire, the fire service isn’t a bad shout.”

“The fire service is full of arseholes so he wouldn’t stand out.” Vinny gripped the steering wheel tighter. “But like you said, that’s too obvious. He could’ve been in the army.”

“Lachlan was looking into finding him and Verity was chasing up the school, but that’s going to take ages.” Unless I knew someone who could do a bit of illicit digging.

That someone had been at my house, as I found when I got home. My kitchen looked tidier than when I’d been there and there was a note on the table.

Food in fridge from Mama Taz. Needed to sort something out in Birmingham, so will be back Thurs. Bathroom should be finished Sat.