Death in Dark Waters Read Online Free PDF Page B

broke in again, her voice harsh. “That part of town. That sort of club.”

    â€œMrs. James, I’d like to hear what Louise has to say for herself,” Thackeray broke in sharply. “If you don’t mind.”
    The girl shot him a glance which appeared almost grateful while her mother turned away, affronted.
    â€œWe like the music,” Louise said. “And the DJs. Wednesday was Dizzy B. He’s cool.”
    â€œSo you went down there at what time?” Val asked.
    â€œAbout ten, I suppose.”
    â€œHad you been anywhere else first?”
    â€œWe had a couple of drinks in the Parrot and Banana.”
    â€œNo difficulty getting served, I suppose,” Val said dryly. “And was it just the two of you went on to the club, or were you part of a larger group?”
    â€œWe’ve tried to bring her up to drink sensibly,” the girl’s mother said quickly.
    Louise ignored her but hesitated, gazing down at her clasped hands on the table in front of her.
    â€œThere was a whole gang going on from the pub,” she said eventually. “No one I knew very well.”
    â€œNames?”
    â€œJust first names. No one from our school. Not close friends.”
    Thackeray knew the girl was lying and guessed that the two women did too.
    â€œWe’ll give you a pencil and paper later,” he said. “You can have a think about the names of anyone you can remember who was around that evening. Will you do that, Louise?”
    The girl nodded, not looking up, and Thackeray knew that the list would be short and the names unidentifiable, but he did not think it worth pressurising the girl at this stage.
    â€œWe know from the hospital that Jeremy took at least one Ecstasy tablet during the evening,” Val Ridley went on, her voice calm. “Did you know that?”
    Louise nodded, a single tear drop splashing down onto the table in front of her. Irritably, she rubbed it away with a finger
    â€œDid you take any illegal substances, Louise?”

    Louise nodded again.
    â€œJust one tab,” she said, and there was a sharply indrawn breath from her mother. Thackeray shot her a warning glance.
    â€œYou think Jeremy took more?” Val persisted.
    â€œI think he had two. He was wild …At the club later he was dancing like a mad-man. I couldn’t keep up with him. But we knew what to do. We drank plenty of water …”
    â€œSo you know we have to ask, Louise. Where did you get the pills from?”
    â€œThey were just passing them round in the pub,” the girl said, glancing at her mother. “I’d never had one before but Jez said it would be cool.”
    â€œWho was passing them round?”
    â€œEveryone,” Louise said, sulky now.
    â€œBut someone must have been taking the money for them. These things don’t come free.”
    â€œI didn’t see anyone,” she said.
    â€œDid you pay for them, Louise?”
    â€œI never.” The girl flushed and more tears came.
    â€œSo did Jeremy buy them?”
    â€œNo, no, I never saw him pay anyone. I don’t know who bought them, where they came from, it was nothing to do with me.”
    â€œRight, we’ll leave that for the minute, Louise,” Val Ridley said, still calm, her voice still low as the girl scrubbed at her eyes with a tissue that her mother handed to her.
    â€œWhen you got to the Carib, there was someone on the door, right?”
    â€œTwo black guys,” Louise said.
    â€œAnd did they check you for drugs?”
    â€œYeah, yeah, they asked, and looked in my bag. I had a little black bag with me, but we’d taken them by then, so there wasn’t anything to find, was there? They were wasting their time.”
    â€œMaybe,” Val Ridley said. “But inside the club. Did you see anyone offering drugs in there? Pills, cannabis, anything at all?”

    Louise shook her head.
    â€œIt was dark, and crowded and we were dancing, I