Read Online Blood Symmetry by Kate Rhodes - Free Book Online Page B

travelling.’
    â€˜Do you still hope to see your nephew?’
    â€˜Of course, but I’d prefer my sister’s blessing.’ She crumpled forwards in her seat. ‘I’m not stupid, I realise she may not be found. But I won’t accept it till there’s concrete proof.’
    â€˜That makes sense,’ I said, nodding. ‘Is your boyfriend in sales too?’
    â€˜God, no, he’d be hopeless. He’s a novelist.’
    â€˜Would I know him?’
    â€˜His name’s Luke Mann. He hasn’t had the success he deserves.’ Eleanor’s tone gentled when she spoke of her partner, some of her tension slipping away.
    â€˜Can you give me any more details about Mikey, to help me support him?’
    â€˜He never forgets anything you say, and he’s got a mind of his own. Ever since he was small he’s wanted to do things for himself.’
    â€˜You’ve been very helpful. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss the case. I’m afraid we may need to talk again.’ I handed her my card.
    â€˜I don’t mind.’ Her eyes glistened as she fastened her coat. ‘I want her found as much as anyone.’
    â€˜Thanks again for coming in.’
    When I pressed a button on the wall, a fresh-faced uniform arrived to escort Riordan to the exit.
    Burns’s hands folded across the back of his neck once we were alone. ‘She’s more uptight each time I see her.’
    â€˜She knows her sister might not come home.’
    â€˜Why would she care? They hate each other’s guts.’
    â€˜Blood’s thicker than water, like she said, and unfinished business is hard to bear. Are you sure her alibi’s sound?’
    He looked sceptical. ‘You think she’d abduct her own sister?’
    â€˜Family members are always top of my list, but I’d like to know more about Sam Travers and the Thorpes. Even if her lover and close friends turn out to be innocent, they can give us insights into her life. But right now Eleanor’s our best fit; she seems to be at cracking point. Anxiety about the court case and all that wasted money could have sent her over the edge, or maybe losing access to Mikey made her lash out.’
    â€˜She’d have struggled to hide her sister somewhere, dump the car, then get back to Blackheath for ten a.m. Her neighbours saw her on the forecourt then, briefcase in hand.’
    I shook my head. ‘If it’s a couple that abducted Clare, her accomplice could have done the dirty work. Does she live with the boyfriend?’
    â€˜He’s got a place in Camberwell. But we can’t be one hundred per cent sure a couple took her, just because a man and woman were seen nearby. So far we’ve got no concrete proof.’
    â€˜Eleanor seems obsessive enough to plan a campaign, if she had someone helping. Whoever took Clare knew her routine well enough to forecast exactly when she’d leave the house, and her running route.’
    â€˜You think she hates her sister enough to hurt her?’
    â€˜She’s got a high sense of childhood grievance.’ I scanned the notes I’d scribbled on my EF1 form. ‘She sees her sister as the aggressor, but she’s volatile and caught up in family power issues. Clare’s neighbour says Eleanor couldn’t control her temper. Maybe something finally snapped her control.’
    â€˜We’ll keep tabs on her. She doesn’t strike me as strong enough to harm anyone, but with the press crawling everywhere, I can’t miss a trick.’
    â€˜Clare seems like a complex character. She didn’t socialise at work; her colleagues think she put ambition above personal loyalty.’
    His gaze settled on my face. ‘Not like you.’
    The abrupt shift of topic pulled me up short. ‘How do you mean?’
    â€˜You work hard, but you make time for Lola, your brother, friends.’
    â€˜But not for you?’
    â€˜You read my