and laid his head against her chest. He could hear the soft beating of her heart. He closed his eyes, knowing he could stay here forever, just like this, pressed up against her skin. He buried his face in her soft hair.
‘I love you, Hannah. I love you so much.’ Walter kissed Hannah’s cheek and, unable to contain his joy any longer, started to cry.
14
Darby stood inside Emma Hale’s closet, holding the photograph ID had taken of the second jewellery box. An antique locket with a platinum chain lay on the red felt between the two diamond necklaces. She handed the photo to Bryson.
‘I checked everything against the photographs and the inventory list. Everything’s here except the antique locket. There’s no question Emma’s killer came back for it.’
Bryson stared at the photograph for a long moment, his expression clearly pained.
‘Marsh pulled tonight’s security tapes,’ Darby said. ‘I’ve already got them bagged. They only keep a month’s worth of tapes here. The rest are stored in Hale’s security office in Newton. Hale’s supposed to be home sometime over the weekend, but I don’t want to wait that long. Hale’s personal assistant is a woman named Abigail. I want to talk to her and see if we can get inside the office first thing tomorrow morning.’
Bryson placed the photograph back inside the small evidence box sitting on top of a leather ottoman. ‘Patrol’s still sweeping the area for the intruder, but I’m sure he’s long gone,’ he said. ‘Darby, this man you met, you said his eyes were entirely black.’
‘It was like I was looking at a Halloween mask.’ Thinking about it again, even in the light, made her shiver.
‘The power was out,’ Bryson said. ‘It was dark, so maybe you saw –’
‘The man’s eyes were black, Tim. No colour whatsoever – no pupil, no iris, nothing, just black. Everything he wore was black – his coat and shoes, his pants, shirt and gloves. He’s between six one and six three. His face was very pale and his black hair was cut short. I could pick him out of a lineup.’
‘Do you know him?’
‘No. Why?’
‘He knew your name, he saw you at your parents’ gravesite,’ Bryson said. ‘I got the feeling he knew you.’
‘I have no idea who he is or what he was doing here.’
‘Did he seem familiar in any way?’
‘I definitely would have remembered meeting someone like that.’
Darby felt cold all over. Her palms were damp. She shoved them in her jean pockets.
‘I talked to Marsh,’ she said. ‘He swears he doesn’t know anyone matching that description.’
‘You think he’s telling the truth?’
‘My gut instinct says yes. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to hold his feet to the fire.’
‘I agree. For the moment, let’s assume Mr Marsh is telling the truth. If that’s the case, then the intruder didn’t walk through the front door, he found another way in. You said he left by the fire escape.’
‘I already checked the window,’ Darby said. ‘There’s no sign of forced entry. He found another way in – maybe the same way Emma’s killer found. I doubt either of them walked through the front door.’
Bryson turned his attention to the electrical box. ‘You must have surprised him coming up the stairs. He probably shut off the power hoping the darkness would make you leave – at the very least it would give him enough cover to slip away. Then he moved behind the door and waited in the bathroom. Problem was you had already spotted him. He heard you call the police and realized he was trapped.’
‘That’s the way I see it,’ Darby said. ‘Has Jonathan Hale hired anyone to look into his daughter’s death?’
‘Not to my knowledge. You don’t think this man you met is working for Hale, do you?’
‘I’m trying to find a reason as to what he was doing here.’
‘If this man is, in fact, working for Hale, why didn’t he tell you? Why go through all this drama and subterfuge?’
‘That’s a good
‘I love you, Hannah. I love you so much.’ Walter kissed Hannah’s cheek and, unable to contain his joy any longer, started to cry.
14
Darby stood inside Emma Hale’s closet, holding the photograph ID had taken of the second jewellery box. An antique locket with a platinum chain lay on the red felt between the two diamond necklaces. She handed the photo to Bryson.
‘I checked everything against the photographs and the inventory list. Everything’s here except the antique locket. There’s no question Emma’s killer came back for it.’
Bryson stared at the photograph for a long moment, his expression clearly pained.
‘Marsh pulled tonight’s security tapes,’ Darby said. ‘I’ve already got them bagged. They only keep a month’s worth of tapes here. The rest are stored in Hale’s security office in Newton. Hale’s supposed to be home sometime over the weekend, but I don’t want to wait that long. Hale’s personal assistant is a woman named Abigail. I want to talk to her and see if we can get inside the office first thing tomorrow morning.’
Bryson placed the photograph back inside the small evidence box sitting on top of a leather ottoman. ‘Patrol’s still sweeping the area for the intruder, but I’m sure he’s long gone,’ he said. ‘Darby, this man you met, you said his eyes were entirely black.’
‘It was like I was looking at a Halloween mask.’ Thinking about it again, even in the light, made her shiver.
‘The power was out,’ Bryson said. ‘It was dark, so maybe you saw –’
‘The man’s eyes were black, Tim. No colour whatsoever – no pupil, no iris, nothing, just black. Everything he wore was black – his coat and shoes, his pants, shirt and gloves. He’s between six one and six three. His face was very pale and his black hair was cut short. I could pick him out of a lineup.’
‘Do you know him?’
‘No. Why?’
‘He knew your name, he saw you at your parents’ gravesite,’ Bryson said. ‘I got the feeling he knew you.’
‘I have no idea who he is or what he was doing here.’
‘Did he seem familiar in any way?’
‘I definitely would have remembered meeting someone like that.’
Darby felt cold all over. Her palms were damp. She shoved them in her jean pockets.
‘I talked to Marsh,’ she said. ‘He swears he doesn’t know anyone matching that description.’
‘You think he’s telling the truth?’
‘My gut instinct says yes. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to hold his feet to the fire.’
‘I agree. For the moment, let’s assume Mr Marsh is telling the truth. If that’s the case, then the intruder didn’t walk through the front door, he found another way in. You said he left by the fire escape.’
‘I already checked the window,’ Darby said. ‘There’s no sign of forced entry. He found another way in – maybe the same way Emma’s killer found. I doubt either of them walked through the front door.’
Bryson turned his attention to the electrical box. ‘You must have surprised him coming up the stairs. He probably shut off the power hoping the darkness would make you leave – at the very least it would give him enough cover to slip away. Then he moved behind the door and waited in the bathroom. Problem was you had already spotted him. He heard you call the police and realized he was trapped.’
‘That’s the way I see it,’ Darby said. ‘Has Jonathan Hale hired anyone to look into his daughter’s death?’
‘Not to my knowledge. You don’t think this man you met is working for Hale, do you?’
‘I’m trying to find a reason as to what he was doing here.’
‘If this man is, in fact, working for Hale, why didn’t he tell you? Why go through all this drama and subterfuge?’
‘That’s a good
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