Read Online Rough Cut: Rosie Gilmour 6 by Anna Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Anna Smith
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McGuire. You see what you can dig up from police, or any address. They’ll have to put a bit more out in their next press release if they’re making an appeal. I’m still working on the Pakistani bride death, so you’ll have to take care of the day-to-day story on the girl. I’ll feed you anything I get.’
Declan nodded, and Rosie walked briskly upstairs and across the floor to the editor’s office. She knocked on the open door, but didn’t wait for an answer before she went in.
‘Come in,’ McGuire said, glancing up from his screen. He motioned her towards the chair opposite his desk and she sat down. ‘What the hell’s going on, Gilmour? I mean, who chops a woman’s arm off?’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘I hope you’re going to tell me something I can put on my front page tomorrow.’
‘Well, it’s early doors yet, Mick. The cops are keeping everything tight and hoping to speak to the girl when she comes round.’
‘Any chance of us getting in?’
Rosie gave him a look.
‘No way.’ She sat forward. ‘A press interview will be the last thing on the police agenda.’
‘So, what’s the score?’
‘Well, my cop pal tells me the thinking is she’s a hooker, but no drugs have shown up positive, so if she is, then either she works on her own or with an escort agency. Police are all over that. But these escort agencies and girls working from flats are all so difficult to pin down. It’s not as though they clock in.’
‘So what else?’
‘CCTV. Cops are going through the cameras on the M8 to see if they can get a sighting of the car that took her there.’
McGuire sat back and sighed.
‘This is not good. We need to get into the hospital, or the cops have to give us something more. This is one of the most brutal attacks we’ve ever seen in this country, so they need to get their arses in gear and give us something good to latch on to. We already want to get a piece together on hookers and the dangers out there. I’ll get Features to do that – speak to all these do-gooders and welfare workers who deal with them. Maybe we can get a couple of women on the game who’ll talk anonymously? But the main thing is to build up a picture of who this girl is.’
‘My police contact said the couple who found her have told them she kept calling out for Julie. They found her number on her mobile, but can’t get through. No answer. So we have to find Julie, hopefully before the cops do.’
‘Well, let me know if you need a hand.’
Rosie looked at him.
‘Is that supposed to be funny?’
‘What?’ McGuire looked bemused, then half smiled. ‘Oh, the hand!’ He chuckled. ‘Actually, no. I didn’t even think of it – but you know what I mean.’
‘Yeah.’ Rosie stood up, ready to leave. ‘By the way, I got hold of the girl I was staking out on the Pakistani bride story.’
McGuire perked up.
‘Really? Did she talk?’
‘Not really. She was terrified. Her name’s Sabiha, and she’s the bride’s sister. She’s been here for four years and has two kids. I took it as far as I could with her, following her up the road as she was trying to get away from me. I finally put it to her that I didn’t think Rabia committed suicide. She stopped at that point, turned and I could see she was on the verge of tears. She said no way would Rabia kill herself. But she wouldn’t speak to me.’ Rosie sighed. ‘So I’m not sure where I go with that. I tried to give her my card, but she wouldn’t take it. But all I can do is hope for the best that she’ll find my number and get in touch. I’m not really expecting her to contact me. Living in that house with all the family members, she’s scared out of her wits. So I have to find another way. I’m working on it.’
McGuire pursed his lips.
‘You haven’t told me anything good yet, Gilmour.’
‘I know, Mick. You’ll be the first to know if I’ve got anything good to tell.’ She stood up. ‘But look on the bright side . . . At least you
Declan nodded, and Rosie walked briskly upstairs and across the floor to the editor’s office. She knocked on the open door, but didn’t wait for an answer before she went in.
‘Come in,’ McGuire said, glancing up from his screen. He motioned her towards the chair opposite his desk and she sat down. ‘What the hell’s going on, Gilmour? I mean, who chops a woman’s arm off?’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘I hope you’re going to tell me something I can put on my front page tomorrow.’
‘Well, it’s early doors yet, Mick. The cops are keeping everything tight and hoping to speak to the girl when she comes round.’
‘Any chance of us getting in?’
Rosie gave him a look.
‘No way.’ She sat forward. ‘A press interview will be the last thing on the police agenda.’
‘So, what’s the score?’
‘Well, my cop pal tells me the thinking is she’s a hooker, but no drugs have shown up positive, so if she is, then either she works on her own or with an escort agency. Police are all over that. But these escort agencies and girls working from flats are all so difficult to pin down. It’s not as though they clock in.’
‘So what else?’
‘CCTV. Cops are going through the cameras on the M8 to see if they can get a sighting of the car that took her there.’
McGuire sat back and sighed.
‘This is not good. We need to get into the hospital, or the cops have to give us something more. This is one of the most brutal attacks we’ve ever seen in this country, so they need to get their arses in gear and give us something good to latch on to. We already want to get a piece together on hookers and the dangers out there. I’ll get Features to do that – speak to all these do-gooders and welfare workers who deal with them. Maybe we can get a couple of women on the game who’ll talk anonymously? But the main thing is to build up a picture of who this girl is.’
‘My police contact said the couple who found her have told them she kept calling out for Julie. They found her number on her mobile, but can’t get through. No answer. So we have to find Julie, hopefully before the cops do.’
‘Well, let me know if you need a hand.’
Rosie looked at him.
‘Is that supposed to be funny?’
‘What?’ McGuire looked bemused, then half smiled. ‘Oh, the hand!’ He chuckled. ‘Actually, no. I didn’t even think of it – but you know what I mean.’
‘Yeah.’ Rosie stood up, ready to leave. ‘By the way, I got hold of the girl I was staking out on the Pakistani bride story.’
McGuire perked up.
‘Really? Did she talk?’
‘Not really. She was terrified. Her name’s Sabiha, and she’s the bride’s sister. She’s been here for four years and has two kids. I took it as far as I could with her, following her up the road as she was trying to get away from me. I finally put it to her that I didn’t think Rabia committed suicide. She stopped at that point, turned and I could see she was on the verge of tears. She said no way would Rabia kill herself. But she wouldn’t speak to me.’ Rosie sighed. ‘So I’m not sure where I go with that. I tried to give her my card, but she wouldn’t take it. But all I can do is hope for the best that she’ll find my number and get in touch. I’m not really expecting her to contact me. Living in that house with all the family members, she’s scared out of her wits. So I have to find another way. I’m working on it.’
McGuire pursed his lips.
‘You haven’t told me anything good yet, Gilmour.’
‘I know, Mick. You’ll be the first to know if I’ve got anything good to tell.’ She stood up. ‘But look on the bright side . . . At least you
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