‘It could’ve been a lot more than a warning,’ Rachel said. ‘The curtains were closed, they could both have been in the line of fire.’
‘Reckless,’ Lee agreed.
‘Someone must be sheltering him, someone must know where he is. Lee, Mitch, dig out family, old connections. We can assume he is still armed,’ Gill said. ‘I’ll discuss it with the chief superintendent. Much of what we have is circumstantial but erring on the side of caution, as far as public safety is concerned, I think we should be plastering his pretty little face all over the shop.’
‘What’s she like, the wife, Gloria?’ Janet said. ‘Reckon she knows any more than she’s saying?’ She examined her teeth in the washroom mirror, checking there were no stray bits of food stuck in them.
Rachel shrugged. ‘Don’t know. I think she’s had enough of him – the way she tells it. Glad to be shot. Ha ha!’
‘Funny,’ Janet said.
‘Well, she probably does better on her own. Tandy comes home and all hell’s let loose. Tossers, the lot of ’em.’ Rachel sounded angry.
‘You all right?’
‘Fine,’ Rachel said crossly, ‘pig in shit.’ She did that, hackles up like a dog at the slightest excuse. Particularly when she thought people were criticizing her or asking about personal stuff.
‘Bite my head off,’ Janet said.
‘I wasn’t. God, you’re so touchy.’
Janet gave her a look.
‘I. Was. Not.’
‘You sound like our Taisie.’
Rachel brushed her hair, didn’t speak.
‘Sean all right then?’ Janet said.
‘Will you leave it? Sean is fine. I am fine. My mad frigging mother is fine. We are all fucking dandy. Why do you have to be so nebby, sticking your nose in all the time?’
Janet was stung, her chest tightened. Normally she’d have tried to defuse the situation, joke about it or back off, but she’d run out of patience.
‘You need to grow up,’ she said coldly, ‘and get a fucking grip. I’ll be upstairs.’
But halfway there her phone went. Mum calling.
‘Hello?’ she said.
‘I know you must be busy,’ Dorothy said, ‘but you did say to ring…’
‘Yes?’
‘Well, Elise is in a right state. Up in her room, crying her eyes out. I asked her if she’d like me to get you.’
‘OK,’ Janet said, ‘tell her I’m on my way.’
She went quickly to the office and signed out. Told Lee she had to get home, personal business, and asked him to let Rachel know she’d have to go and talk to the Tandys on her own. Janet would check in with her later if she could.
Elise was still crying when Janet got home, lying on her bed, face red, nose and lips puffy from it all.
Dorothy made herself scarce and Janet sat down next to Elise. ‘Hey.’ She ran her hand over Elise’s head. ‘What’s to do?’