Innocent Monsters Read Online Free PDF Page A

is dead before the injury, the heart stops, so the pumping stops and the blood doesn’t run out with the same speed. Do you see what I am saying?”
    Brown waited to catch in her eyes the same inappropriate excitement he had felt a few days earlier, reading the coroner’s report. He waited while Jessica searched his face, tried to understand, and then he saw it, that same elation, her eyes lighting up with realisation.
    “You’re telling me someone else was there? Someone else cut her wrists?”
    “Correct.”
    Jessica gulped down the rest of the water, pulled at her hair again. “Christ. Fuck. Jesus Christ... Who? Who did this?”
    “This is what we are trying to find out. It is very important you think about anyone who seemed remotely suspicious in your sister’s life. There was no forced entry, so the intruder was someone she knew, she must have opened the door.”
    Jessica started shaking her head, started wishing she had never agreed to come. “This is all my fault... If I never went for that stupid meeting she wouldn’t have been alone in the house. It’s all my fault.”
    “Please, Miss Lynch... Jessica, if I may. This is not the right attitude. Believe me, whoever did this would have found the time to do it another day, when you were out. You could not have prevented it any more than Kaitlyn herself could. But you can help us make sure he doesn’t go unpunished. Go back home, look through your sister’s things, any name, phone numbers, photographs of people you don’t recognise, the smallest detail could be vital.”
    Jessica nodded, a grim expression on her face. “I understand.”
    “I should be the first person you call. Call me directly. Anything at all.”
    “Of course.”
    She looked as if she could do with a hug, but it would have been inappropriate, so Brown remained seated, looked in the folder for the leaflet he usually gave out when physical contact was not an option.
    “Take this, there’s some phone numbers on there you might find useful. It’s our Victim Support centers. You might need someone to talk to.”
    Jessica took the leaflet knowing perfectly well that talking to someone was not what she wanted to do. All she wanted was to wake up from this evolving nightmare, she wanted to rewind time, wipe away the last two weeks completely, wipe away this feeling of guilt swelling up in her stomach.
    “Would you like a few minutes on your own?”
    “No, thank you.” Not in here.
    “In that case...” Brown stood up, offered her his hand to shake. “I will speak to you very soon, I hope. Take care of yourself.”
    Jessica shook his hand and smiled weakly as she stood up from her chair. She was nodding but secretly, she wished she would never hear from him again.

5 November 2000
    IT WAS ten to eight, Sunday morning. The bedroom was still dark. Lisa slowly opened her eyes and looked at the red digits beaming at her from the alarm clock. She had barely slept five hours and someone was knocking at the front door.
    She turned to check on her husband lying undisturbed next to her and tried to move off the bed as quietly as possible, dragging herself along the armchair next to the chest of drawers. Waking up Bobby now would turn this into a very difficult day.
    She picked up her flannel dressing gown and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly.
    Outside, the knocks were getting more impatient.
    “Yeah, yeah, I’m comin’!”
    Lisa pulled the door open to find herself face to face with Jessica, tired, unkempt and completely dressed in black, looking as if she hadn’t changed or washed since the day of the funeral. Her hand was still raised, ready for another couple of knocks.
    “Jessica? It’s kinda early.”
    “Is it? I’m sorry. Can I come in?”
    She was shivering, shifting from one foot to the other. Behind her, the November sky was grey, the road deserted.
    “Sure.” Jessica stepped in, closed the door and kept shivering staring at the floor, looking cold and fragile.