Lily sat at her desk, her hands buried aggressively into her long blonde hair as she looked down at the metal table. Lydia Oakley had been there taking photographs. She remembered Stillman mentioning how it had annoyed the crap out of the two sisters. How Lydia had commented this was her only chance at having a big wedding because her oldest daughter had an irregular dating pattern.
So could it be that Lorenzo was lying?
If he was, why would he blame it on his mother-in-law? Why would he want to destroy Hattie even more than that had already happened? She'd already lost her two siblings. Her father was on death row. Her mother was all she had left of a family she grew up with but her husband claimed that he'd seen her enter the vestry later with her partner of the time.
"Lily, what's wrong?" Lily looked up at her boss, her arms crossing over her chest as she propped her chin against where they joined up together.
"It doesn't add up, boss."
"How d'ya mean?"
"Think about it? Lydia Oakley had been in the vestry taking photos. How can she magically walking back into the vestry with her partner."
"Her partner was going to be late. He'd been working late."
"That doesn't mean she butchered them."
"Lily, why are you determined it's not Lydia?"
"Because that's not how a mother is to her children! How can she be laughing and joking with them one minute and then butchering them the next minute?" She looked at him. "It's not humanly possible. It's always one or the other, boss."
"Not everyone was like your mom, Lily."
"Look at how well Hattie came out. You can't say her mother didn't love and care for her."
"Hattie and her mother hated each other." Stillman pointed out before standing up. "I'm afraid you're going to have to put your beliefs aside, Rush, because Jeffries and Valens have gone to the airport to pick them up."
"What?"
"They're our last stop, Rush."
***
The man and woman laughed as they moved through the checkout, they looked around for their daughter and stopped dead when they saw her stood with two men. She pointed them out to them and the two men moved towards them.
"Mr and Mrs Collins?"
"Yes." Graham said looking at them, his hand holding out in a friendly gesture.
"We need you to come with us."
"You're still trying to clean my ex husband's name."
"We do have evidence to believe that he might not be the culprit."
"Your evidence is talking rubbish! Jake killed my step-children in cold blood!" Graham Collins spat before turning to look at Hattie. He should have known she was the meddler. He'd always disliked his oldest step-daughter.
"How could you do this, Hattie?"
"Someone wrote to me!" She begged as Jeffries led them away. Hattie watched them go, tears falling down her cheeks.
***
At the police station, Jake Oakley had already arrived and was sat down at Lily's desk. "You're going to be a free man in a few hours."
"I don't think anyone would like that, Miss Rush."
"I don't think so. Hattie really wanted your name cleared."
"So why did she never visit me?"
"Shame eats us in many ways. I'm sure she'd love you to be a grandad to her child when she gets out."
"She has a child?"
"Yes." Lily said seeing the happiness in his eyes and squeezing his hand before watching the door open.
Lorenzo nodded his head as he passed his father-in-law as he was directed into Stillman's office by Vera.
Lily met Vera outside. "Where are we going with this?"
"We hope to scare the actual perp into talking."
***
Graham and Lydia were led into the precinct. Lydia's eyes clashed with her ex-husbands and she found herself smiling at him. He still looked as handsome as ever. He looked even better due to him no longer being on the booze. She looked away and knew that she was going to be interrogated.
Her husband squeezed her hand. "Be strong."
