AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He smiled his thanks as he pushed his plate towards Jericho.
‘So, that guy. His name was Barry Sharpe and he leaves behind an ex-wife and teenage daughter.’
‘Ah, man,’ Jericho said, wiping a dollop of brown sauce from around his mouth. ‘Poor kid.’
‘You were right about the gambling. His problem was extreme. He gambled the family home on a local football game and he lost, leaving the family homeless. Out of shame, he disappeared and took to the streets.’ Penn shook his head, still unable to believe it himself.
‘Ah, that explains it,’ Jericho said, taking a sandwich from Penn’s plate.
‘Explains what?’
‘He often mumbled something about a goal. Can’t remember exactly but he muttered about it often.’
‘Well, I just thought you’d like to know.’
‘Cheers, buddy,’ he said.
‘So how did you end up here?’ Penn asked.
The woman offered him a warning glance but he couldn’t help being intrigued.
‘It’s where life took me, man.’
‘But you seem. I dunno…’
‘Circumstances aren’t always by force. Sometimes by design.’
‘Sorry, I don’t get you.’
‘Some folks don’t belong in your world, bud. Some folks choose to check out, live differently. They make their bed and then they’ve gotta lie in it. That’s all.’
Penn could see that was the end of the conversation, but he’d liked to have learned more about the note of regret that had crept into his tone.
‘Okay, well thanks for your help and take care,’ he said, moving away from the counter.
‘No probs. Oh, hang on,’ Jericho said, chewing the last bite of sandwich.
Penn waited.
‘The other word that Dan kept saying about that goal.’
‘Oh yeah,’ Penn said.
‘Dodgy. He kept saying dodgy.’
FORTY-SEVEN
Trips to Hollytree never filled Kim with a warm feeling. The estate had been her home for the first six years of her life. It was also the place where her twin had died of starvation in her arms. His killer was now deceased herself, but nothing would ever lessen the overwhelming pain of loss whenever she came near the place. Thankfully they weren’t going into Chaucer House this time.
Bryant followed her gaze and finally let go of the disapproving look he’d been wearing since they’d got in the car. He knew exactly what had happened to her on this estate.
She’d looked over the notes of Bradley’s disappearance ten years earlier and, like Stacey, could see little wrong with the investigation. But sometimes time and distance offered the opportunity to look back on an incident and recall only the facts without the emotion.
They knocked the door on the eighth floor of the tower block.
It was answered by a red-haired freckled male in his mid-twenties. From the notes she’d read the night before, she knew they were looking at Josh Adams.
He nodded when she said his name.
