Chapter Thirty-Five

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

SHELBY IS IN the kitchen after breakfast when the phone rings. She stares warily at the phone on the wall for a moment before she picks it up. ‘Hello?'

It's Detective Stone. She hears his voice and has to fight the urge to slam the phone down again.

‘Good morning,' Detective Stone says.

She doesn't answer. Her throat is dry.

‘We'd like you to bring Cameron back down to the station again later today,' Stone says.

‘What for?' she asks, her voice tense.

‘We have a few more questions.'

‘He's already answered all your questions!' Shelby says.

‘Not the ones about what he was up to last night,' Stone says. ‘Let's say four o'clock? And make sure his lawyer is present.' The detective hangs up.

Shelby stands in the kitchen, her hand still on the receiver, momentarily unable to move. Then she charges up the stairs and flings open Cameron's bedroom door. ‘Where were you last night?' she cries. ‘What did you do?'

When Edward sees the text come in from Shelby, he's in a sales meeting. The detectives want to talk to Cameron again this afternoon. About last night.

He texts her back immediately, trying not to attract notice. What about last night? What the fuck is going on? Why are they asking about last night? Cameron had been gone much longer than he should have been last night, if all he did was grab a burger. Edward gets up, nods apologetically, and exits the meeting. He can feel everyone's eyes following him. They all know his son has been questioned by the police; he doesn't know what they think. He heads straight for his own office, closes the door, and calls Shelby.

‘What's going on?' he asks anxiously as soon as she picks up.

‘They want us to bring him in with his lawyer again today at four o'clock. They have questions about what he was doing last night,' Shelby says, her voice low but filled with tension.

‘Did you ask Cameron?'

‘Of course I did! But he said he didn't do anything, that he just got a burger and then drove around. And now he won't talk to me.'

Edward's stomach is clenching. Why did Cameron leave the house last night? What did he do?

‘Maybe I should talk to him,' he says finally, his heart pounding, that crushing pain back in his chest.

Brad Turner is at home, informed early this morning by Graham Kelly that he has been suspended from his job for the foreseeable future. He expected as much. The call was formal, unfriendly.

Shortly after that, the call comes from the detective. Brad's heart immediately begins to race. He takes a deep breath and tells himself not to panic. He expected this too. They have to interview him again, if another girl has come forward, as Kelly told him. He will reassure them that it was nothing. They seemed to believe him last time. If he can dismiss their concerns now, that will be the end of it. As long as Kelly keeps his mouth shut.

He makes his way to the police station. When he arrives, Brad is taken once again into an interview room. He wants to get this over with. He wants it to end. He must stand his ground, that's all.

‘Mr Turner,' Stone begins. ‘We'd like to ask you a few more questions.' Brad nods. ‘You've already spoken to us about Diana. That she had made certain allegations about you.'

‘Yes. But I explained all that,' he says.

‘Right. But here's the thing. Another girl has come forward. She spoke to us yesterday afternoon.' He stops there and watches for a reaction.

Brad manages to seem surprised, indignant. ‘What? What girl?'

‘I won't say who just now.'

‘What did she say?' Brad asks. His voice is flinty. He must control his anger.

‘She said that you once entered the girls' changing room when she was there, alone. She was the last one there that day, and she was still partially undressed. She tried to cover herself up with her arms. She said that you apologized, saying you thought the locker room was empty – but that you took your time leaving.'

‘That never happened,' Brad says firmly.

‘She's pretty adamant,' the detective responds.

‘Nevertheless, it isn't true,' he says coldly. ‘She's making it up.'

Stone looks back at him, sizing him up, trying to see through him.

Yes, he was in the locker room. Yes, he stood there, staring at her a beat too long. It's Zoe Simpson who's complained about him, it must be. But he didn't touch her. He didn't go near her. All perfectly harmless, in his opinion. These girls show more in their bikinis. But these detectives clearly don't see it that way. He says, ‘You know if this nonsense gets out it will ruin me. And it isn't even true.'

‘Have you ever entered the girls' locker room?'

‘No, never.'

‘You absolutely sure about that?' Detective Stone asks, obviously not believing him. ‘Because we found the girl quite credible.'

Brad stands his ground. No one else was there, and he knows there are no cameras. It's just her word against his. ‘I've never been in the girls' locker room. I never touched this girl, whoever she is.'

‘I didn't ask you if you touched her,' Stone replies.

Brad tries not to show his anger.

‘One more thing,' Stone says. ‘Where were you last night between eleven and eleven thirty?'

Brad hesitates for a moment. ‘I was on my way to see my fiancée.'

‘Who is your fiancée, and where does she live?'

‘Ellen Ressler.' He adds reluctantly, ‘She lives with her parents.'

Stone's eyes sharpen. ‘Her parents wouldn't be Roy and Susan Ressler, would they?' he asks.

‘Yes.'

‘I see,' Detective Stone says, tilting his head. ‘Your fiancée lives on her parents' farm. The farm where Diana's body was found.'

Brad feels his face grow hot, but doesn't answer.

‘That's very interesting,' Stone says. ‘I didn't know you had a connection to the Ressler farm.'

‘Everyone knows she's my fiancée,' Brad says defensively.

‘And she'll confirm that you were with her last night at that time?'

He pauses. ‘No. I got halfway there and changed my mind about seeing her and went home.'

‘Why did you change your mind?'

‘I – I thought maybe she needed some space.'

‘I see. Trouble in paradise? I'm guessing she's not that happy about what you might have been doing to your students.' He leans in closer. ‘What did you do to Diana, Turner?'

‘Nothing. I did nothing.'

But they continue to question him, asking him the same things over and over.