by Jane Isaac
Alicia’s body was found less than two miles from her parents’ home in Kingsthorpe, an area on the northern tip of Northampton. Kingsthorpe was also where most of the extended family lived.
A key was inserted into a lock, the front door pushed open. ‘Hello!’ Nick called. He dropped a holdall in the hallway and crossed to the kitchen, planting a kiss on Beth’s cheek.
‘You’re working late,’ Beth said.
‘Not really. I’ve been in the gym. Got to look after these.’ He raised his arm, folded his fist to his shoulder and patted the bicep with his other hand.
Beth snorted at his sarcasm. Although Nick was sleek, he could never be described as a muscle man.
‘What’s up with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?’
She stared at him, about to ask him about the open side gate then stopped herself at the last minute. She didn’t want him to know she’d been out there, checking the garden, or that someone might have entered unannounced. It would only make him jumpy and risk him becoming unduly protective, just when she’d persuaded him to give her space.
‘I had a phone call from Pip Edwards,’ she said flicking the switch on the kettle.
Nick’s forehead creased. ‘He called you direct. Why?’
‘I’m not sure. He’s heard I’m the family liaison officer on the case. Wants to meet me tomorrow, near Kingsthorpe Cemetery.’ Beth turned to make them tea.
‘Hm.’
‘That’s what I thought.’
‘What did you say to him?’
‘I agreed to meet him. Didn’t have a reason not to. There’s a chance he could add something.’
‘Or he’s fishing. We’ll speak with Freeman in the morning, see how he wants to play it.’
She finished making the tea, passed him a steaming mug across and they leaned up against the kitchen side, supping their drinks, comfortable in their silence. Beth gave him a sideways glance, taking in his dark lashes, the lock of dark hair that flopped down to his brow. Suddenly a wave of desire hit her. It had been good to get out on her own these past couple of days, spread her wings and carry out her enquiries alone. But they’d spent practically every minute of the past six weeks together, breathing the same air, and she couldn’t deny a very small part of her was glad to have him back, all to herself.
At work they made a concerted effort not to discuss home, not to speak too personally in company. Did their best to avoid those looks, winks and nudges that might betray their true feelings. Even when they were out on a job together, she did her best to avoid talking about home life. Here, it was different. Here, she could let down her guard, and enjoy him.
He caught her eye, placed down his mug, reached out an arm and pulled her to him. The familiar smell of his sporty shower gel tickled her senses.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he said. So close she could taste his breath.
Her mug hit the side. His lips touched hers, parting them with his tongue. Gentle. Warm. He grew hungrier, slipping his tongue in. Moved his hands up her spine, caressing her neck, weaving his fingers through her hair. Every fibre in her body ached for him. Beth arched her back, all thoughts of the case floating away.
Slowly, tenderly, he released her, cupping her chin with both hands, his eyes soft. ‘I’ve waited all day to do that,’ he said. The intensity of his gaze was overwhelming.
Beth smiled as he took her hand, threaded his fingers through hers, and they walked, side by side, towards the stairs.
22
The number of reporters outside the Russells’ house on Redland Drive had multiplied the following morning. They filled the pavement in their overcoats, their breaths making puffballs in the cool December air. Some clasped coffees, others spilled out onto the road, waving their arms about to keep warm. Beth was forced to drive almost fifty yards up from the house to find a parking space. She spotted two vehicles emblazoned with national media emblems as she exited her car and her stomach clenched for Marie Russell. She’d be feeling bad enough without the weight of the press breathing down her neck.
Beth made her way through the throng, ignoring the microphones shoved in her face, passing ‘no comment’ to the questions fired at her from all directions. Freeman had made it quite clear he wanted to control the flow of information from headquarters and she wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardise that, especially with the leak they’d already faced.
Pleased to see the driveway of number 146 empty, Beth trudged up the pathway to the door. She’d deliberately timed her visit to coincide with Zac’s school run. No sense in disrupting the family’s morning routine. Plus, she rather hoped it meant she would catch Marie at home alone again. Marie’s references to her late mother-in-law and her relationship with Daniel’s once best friend intrigued Beth. If Marie wasn’t responsible for Alicia’s death, she was beginning to wonder if the key to unravelling Alicia’s mysterious disappearance lay close by. It would be easier to probe her about the family and their interrelationships without her overprotective husband present. Plus, she wanted to dig deeper into the root of her anxiety yesterday.
She fisted her hand, tapped the hardwood door. Within seconds a chain rattled and the door opened to a narrow crack. A thin line of Marie appeared.
‘Morning,’ Beth said.
Marie gazed past her at the huddle at the end of the drive, released the chain and ushered Beth inside.
‘How are you doing today?’ Beth asked. Dark rings hung beneath the woman’s eyes; she looked as though she hadn’t slept in a week.
‘As well as can be expected.’ She motioned for Beth to follow her into the kitchen and switched on the kettle.
‘Where’s Vic?’ Beth asked.
‘He’s taken Zac to school, then he’s off to the garage. He noticed a slow puncture on the car when they left earlier. Needs to get it checked.’
Good, that means we’ll have more time.
The kettle coughed and sputtered as it heated. ‘Do you have some news?’ Marie looked desperate.
‘We’re still waiting for the DNA test results, if that’s what you mean. I’m sorry. It can take a few days.’
Marie’s face fell, her shoulders slumping under the strain.
‘I know this is hard,’ Beth said. ‘It shouldn’t be too much longer.’
‘What does she look like?’ Her voice was low, barely a whisper and as she spoke her face contorted, as if she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know the answer. ‘All we’ve been told is that remains were found.’
Beth needed to be careful here. The finer details of how Alicia was buried hadn’t been released to the press. Even the builder that had found the body and spoken to the papers wasn’t aware about her being entombed in concrete. ‘She was laid on her back, a shawl wrapped around her.’
‘Are you saying she was killed quite soon after she was taken?’
‘Tests are ongoing, but it certainly looks that way from what she was wearing, yes.’ She passed on the details about the injury to the back of the child’s head, the possible cause of death. ‘I’m so sorry.’
Marie slid into a seat, her eyes filling.
‘Let me get the drinks,’ Beth said. She crossed to the side, opened the cupboard above the kettle and busied herself with making tea; piling sugar in Marie’s tea to calm the shock. It wasn’t long before she carried the steaming mugs over to the table.
‘I feel like I’m in limbo,’ Marie said. ‘I can’t work, can’t sleep. Vic’s barely working because he’s worried about me. We’re only keeping going for Zac.’
‘I’m sorry. I know this is hard. We’ve asked the labs to prioritise the DNA tests.’
Marie pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. ‘My boss has given me the week off, special leave. I don’t think he wants the adverse publicity.’ She let her hand fall. ‘Did you see Daniel again yesterday?’
Beth nodded. ‘I passed along the same information I gave to you.’
‘Is he okay?’
Beth recalled Daniel’s t
ight voice, the way he sat beside his dog, petting her as if it was a normal evening. Denying the possibilities that lay ahead. ‘I think so. He’s trying to be strong.’
‘I’m worried about him.’
‘That’s understandable. You were together a long time.’
‘I’m really worried about him.’ There was a tremor in her voice.
Beth sat forward. Perhaps this explained some of her uneasiness. ‘What do you mean?’
Marie placed her hands around her mug and looked away. ‘Losing Liam then Alicia tore us apart, but I still care for him, even after all these years. I was fourteen when we got together. He was a big part of my life for a long time.’
‘It must have been tough when you separated.’
‘It was.’
Beth took a sip of tea and placed the mug down in front of her. ‘How did you get along with his family?’ she asked.
‘The Owens? They’re an interesting bunch.’
‘In what way?’
‘Like I said yesterday, they lived in the shadow of their mother. Had their own rules.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Silly things. Like Daniel. Everyone called him by his full name, even me. He hated it when anyone shortened it to Dan. But Cara and his mother, it was alright for them to call him Dan. It was almost a control thing.’
The secrecy about the Owens and their missing brother was becoming an irritating itch she couldn’t scratch. ‘What about Cara?’ Beth said carefully.
Marie gave a wistful smile. ‘Cara was Cara. She barely spoke to me the first couple of years we were together. Left the room when I was there, ignored me if I stayed to dinner. I think she thought I was taking her precious brother away from her.’ She snorted. ‘The way she used to look at me.’ A headshake. ‘I was never good enough for Daniel. I don’t think anyone ever would be in her eyes. She did relax a bit after she met John though, seemed to accept me being around.’
‘John was her partner,’ Beth checked.
‘Yes. Twenty years older than her. They met when she was seventeen and he was thirty-seven. She kept it quiet for weeks, didn’t even tell her mum. I don’t know why, because her mother took to him straight away. I couldn’t understand why they never married; I know Cara wanted to. John was good for her though, a calming influence. For a while she seemed genuinely happy.’
‘For a while?’
‘Well, there were always arguments in the Owen family, most of them instigated by Cara. She was scratchy. She argued with her mother, with Scottie, and then Daniel would be dragged in.’
‘What about?’
‘Family stuff. I stayed out of it mostly.’
‘What about after Alicia was born?’
‘Cara helped a bit. I don’t think she understood my depression though. Not fully. She popped in, offered to babysit, occasionally got us shopping. After we lost Alicia, she seemed to change. Regress. She seemed to blame me for what happened, wouldn’t look me in the face. When Daniel and I separated, everyone tried to talk me out of it. Daniel. His mum. Everyone but Cara really. I got the impression she was relieved to be rid of me.’ She stared out of the window, down the lawn. It had started to snow, soft feathers falling from the sky.
‘It was John who really upset me. We weren’t close, but we’d always got along. Being the outsiders gave us something in common, I guess. We joked about the family when they were out of earshot. Called Daniel’s mother “Livia” after the mother in the TV show, The Sopranos. Rolled our eyes at their intensity and their arguments. I barely saw him after Alicia disappeared.’ Her face fell. ‘I was really upset when I heard he died. So young too.’
Beth had read he’d died suddenly, six years after Alicia’s disappearance: he’d got drunk one night and choked on his own vomit. It seemed the family had been struck by tragedy, with Scott disappearing, their mother dying and Cara’s partner passing away, all in the spate of six years. She swirled the last of the tea in her mug. ‘How well did you know Scott, Daniel’s brother?’
Marie’s eyes softened. ‘Scottie? As well as anyone. We all grew up together. Scottie was the baby of the family, a few years below us at school. He was born with a harelip, had to have an operation as a baby. And he was a sickly child growing up. A fussy eater, a skinny scrap of a boy when he was young. It was obvious their mother worried about him. He always got the breast when they had chicken for dinner. It wasn’t unusual for the twins to have burgers and Scottie to have steak. He struggled with school, had to move class, found it hard to make friends and when he did find someone, his mother would make a fuss and invite them back for tea and sleepovers. A bit unfair really, the twins were rarely allowed friends to the house. Cara and Daniel clearly resented her treatment of him, especially when he fell in with the wrong crowd.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He was caught shoplifting before he left school, arrested for stealing cars shortly afterwards. Daniel suspected he was into drugs at one stage but could never prove it. Once when I was there, the next-door neighbour came to the door, claiming he’d seen Scott trying to break the lock on his shed. The poor man was being neighbourly, he could have gone straight to the police. Judy, their mother, slammed the door in his face. She seemed to fight relentlessly for Scott, whereas if the others got into trouble, she punished them hard.’
‘Did you spend much time with Scott?’
‘Not really. By the time Daniel and I were married, he was at the age when he went out on the town with his mates. Invariably came back battered and bruised from some fight he’d been in.’ A faraway look filled her face. ‘He came over sometimes, usually when Daniel was out. Never much one for conversation. He genuinely adored Alicia though. Was a natural with her. He’d change her nappies, rock her to sleep. She settled so much better with him than she did with me. It wasn’t Scottie’s fault he was the apple of his mother’s eye. It’s not like he asked for it and I think it made him feisty. It was like he constantly had to prove himself, hence all the fights.’
‘We need to trace everyone that was in contact with Alicia before she disappeared. Do you have any idea where we can reach him?’
‘No. I heard he left home not long after Alicia disappeared. Ran off to London. We didn’t keep in contact.’ Her face pained. ‘Sad, really. I often wonder what he’s up to.’
23
The snow was starting to settle, veiling the garden in a thin sprinkle of white.
‘Yesterday, you talked me through the day Alicia disappeared,’ Beth said. ‘Do you feel up to talking about what happened afterwards?’
A shiver ran through Marie. They’d retreated into the cinema room and the large area felt cold this morning, despite the central heating. She leaned across and placed her empty mug on a small coffee table beside her. ‘I don’t see how it will help.’
‘I’ve been reading the case file,’ Beth said. ‘Sometimes it’s better to hear things first-hand.’
Marie glanced back out of the window. A robin was hopping around the edge of the birdbath; she really ought to put some food out for him, poor soul.
‘Marie?’
She turned back to the detective, her stomach clenching. The prospect of going through the event and the aftermath again was draining. She wanted to push it away, to erase the days and months surrounding Alicia’s disappearance, to pretend they’d never happened. Though, now she was facing the reality of it, there were other parts of her life she wanted to erase too. Dark, scary areas she wanted to strike a line through and start afresh. ‘I don’t remember much about afterwards. The first few days were a blur. I spent most of it in my bedroom. When I did venture downstairs, I jumped at every phone call, expecting news.’
Marie could feel the detective’s eyes on her. She’d been here before, so many times. Sitting in rooms with detectives, silence screaming at her until she could bear it no longer.
‘Look, Daniel dealt with everything. Answered every phone call, spoke with every caller that came to the door. Switched off the
television when the news was on in case it upset me. The only people I spoke to were the police. He was trying to protect me.’ She swallowed back the acid taste in her mouth. ‘Alicia was everywhere I looked. Her bouncy chair, her changing mat, her soft padded toys. Her steriliser on the kitchen side; her bottles in the fridge. Reminders of her little life waving at me from every room in the house. In our bedroom her cot sat at my side of the bed with the same bedclothes she had woken in, the day she disappeared.’
‘That must have been difficult to cope with.’
‘I don’t think I was totally with it, to be honest.’ She clamped her eyes together, trying to block out the images rising within. ‘I became aware of other people in the house. Daniel’s sister doing the cooking. His mother’s voice in the front room. With hindsight, I suppose his strength was waning; he needed help, time to work through the emotions too.’
Her eyes watered as she opened them. ‘The guilt was the worst part. I lost count of the number of times I went over the account of Alicia’s disappearance with the police. Nobody said a word, no one apportioned blame, but they didn’t need to. As far as everyone was concerned, I was unstable, depressed. If I hadn’t left her outside alone, she wouldn’t have been taken.’ She recalled the knowing looks on faces around her, the whispers from friends and family, barely out of earshot, and clasped her hands together in her lap.
‘The days tumbled into weeks. My mother came over and went home. I rarely left the bedroom. I was aware of Daniel going back to work, more from his absence. His mother started popping in and out with cups of tea, plates of food during the day.’
She was transported back to the emptiness of her bedroom, the stillness in the house. Lying on her bed with the curtains drawn, desperately trying to shut everything out; the wrenching heartache. They’d gone through so much losing Liam but, as cruel as it was, they were given information: reasoning, medical explanation. With Alicia, they had nothing. No idea where she was, who had her or even whether she was still alive.
