Rough Cut: Rosie Gilmour 6 Read Online Free PDF Page A

also marks that looked like she’d been restrained. But the family say that was self-inflicted, that she self-harmed. The cops have no way of proving any different.’
    ‘But you saw the younger girl in the house with marks on her wrist?’
    ‘Yeah. And that’s where I want to start. If I could get Sabiha on her own, maybe I could get through to her. Ifelt like she looked yesterday as though she wanted to speak. But she’ll be terrified. I might be wrong, but it’s worth a try.’
    McGuire’s phone rang on his desk and he looked at his watch.
    ‘I’ve got a conference call in five minutes. Get yourself out to that house in the morning early doors and see what you can see. But you have to be careful, or they’ll start throwing accusations of racism at us.’
    *
    Rosie watched as one of the men from the house, whom she’d seen leave the shop a few minutes after the girl, returned. Then shortly afterwards, the door opened and the girl came out. Rosie leapt to her feet, left three pound coins on the counter and went out of the cafe. She got into her car and drove past the girl, then pulled in to the kerb a few yards up the road. Sabiha seemed to be going back to the house, so she would only have one quick shot at this. She watched from her rear-view mirror as the girl got closer to the car. Then, as she was almost there, Rosie got out and stood leaning on the passenger side of the car. The girl had her head down as she walked along the pavement, and looked up, startled, when she saw her.
    ‘Excuse me, Sabiha?’ Rosie took a step towards her.
    The girl stopped in her tracks, her eyes darting around and over her shoulder. She took a step as though trying to pass Rosie.
    ‘Wait! Please!’ Rosie said. ‘Sorry. But can I have one moment to talk to you?’
    Sabiha stopped and shook her head quickly, her eyes full of fear.
    ‘No. Please. No.’ She sidestepped Rosie and went beyond her, walking briskly.
    ‘Okay, I’m sorry.’ Rosie quickened her step behind her. ‘Sabiha, I wanted to talk to you about your sister Rabia . . . I think someone is not telling the truth. I . . . I saw the lock on the bedroom door. I think someone harmed your sister.’
    It worked. Sabiha stopped rigid, and half turned, but then immediately turned away and kept walking.
    ‘Listen, Sabiha. I have a feeling something very bad is going on. Don’t be afraid. Just . . . please, take my card.’
    Sabiha stopped again and this time turned fully around to face Rosie, and she could see the dark smudges under her eyes.
    ‘Go away!’ Her trembling fingers went to her lips. ‘You’ll get me into trouble talking to me. Go away! Don’t you see? You can’t help! Go away!’
    Rosie resisted the urge to reach out and touch her arm.
    ‘But maybe I
can
help,’ she looked her in the eye. ‘I can only help if someone talks to me. Sabiha. You have been here for four years. You must know what goes on. What was troubling your sister so much that she took her own life?’
    The girl’s lip quivered. She shook her head.
    ‘No! Rabia did not kill herself.’
    Rosie was nearly in. She opened her mouth to speak, but the girl put her hand up.
    ‘Please. I must go home. I have my children. That is all that matters now.’
    As Sabiha turned to walk away, Rosie stepped forward and thrust her card towards her.
    ‘Here. Please take it. If you get a chance and feel you want to talk, then call me. Any time. No one will know. I promise.’
    Sabiha shook her head, then she was gone, moving swiftly up the road, her steps quickening.
    *
    Rosie stepped on to the editorial floor of the
Post
as the various executives spilled out of the morning conference, each carrying their schedule for features, news and sport for tomorrow’s paper. As she approached her desk, Declan, one of the paper’s rising young stars, was putting on his jacket and stuffing his notebook and tape recorder into his pocket.
    ‘I was going to phone you in a minute, Rosie.’
    ‘What’s up?