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‘Fine I’ll see you at work’

‘Yes, boss,’ he said giving her a salute He cli the door She went to the living roo his t-shirt neatly folded, she let herself out of his flat

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Erika went to the drive through Mc Donald’s in Sydenha mc muffin and a cup of coffee and ate it in her car When she came to pay, she saw that she didn’t have her phone or wallet, and had used solove co, cold and blue, as she pulled up at Manor Mount just after seven Her heart began to hammer when she sao police cars outside She parked beside theravel, and let herself in at theher heart face even faster when she saw her front door was open and a police officer was stationed outside A tall figure in a blue forensics suit e the pipe fro and smeared over the plastic In his other hand was one of her blood stained guest towels

‘Sorry, who are you?’ asked the police officer Putting out his hand to block her path He was very young with a thin face and had a terrible razor rash

‘This isfrantic and trying toher back

‘I’ot my ID…’ Moss appeared in the hallway dressed in blur scrubs ‘Moss, what’s happening? Where is my sister and the three kids?’

Moss caave her a clear plastic bag and she pulled off her mask and placed it inside

‘Your sister and the kids are all fine They’re upstairs with a neighbour We o They are all shaken but perfectly fine’

‘Oh, thank God,’ said Erika wiping tears aith the back of her hand

‘Where have you been, boss?’ asked Moss re They ency call logged at three thirty thisfrom your landline… The operator didn’t know at first as being said, but by a miracle one of the operators spoke Slovak’

Moss went on to say that an intruder had broken in through the patioand Lenka had attacked the person with the metal pipe froht she had killed him She locked herself and the kids in the bathrooencies They stayed in the bathroo badly They tried to get into the bathroom, left a lot of blood on the door They must have fled the scene, because e arrived there was no one’

Erika slu taken?’ she asked

‘Not as far as we can see’

‘Moss , my laptop’

‘Shit Sorry Boss, you know the score It’s a cris fast tracked Where are they?’

‘In h to ask the officers inside to track the bag down

‘Sorry, Boss I have to ask this Why did you leave without any of your stuff? And where did you go?’

‘I had a huge roiththem to stay And I went to Peterson’s flat I left here around seven thirty-ish I drove around for a couple of hours and then I ot to his around nine, nine thirty’

‘Did you stay?’

Erika paused and looked at the floor, ’I did’