‘Such as?’ He raked at his hair.
‘I’ll think of something.’
‘I’m coming with you.’ Hugh grabbed jackets for both of them from the back of the door. ‘Let’s just go. No warning phone calls.’
‘Mum, call in extra staff, please,’ Alex said, smiling this time. ‘I don’t know how long we’ll be gone and you’ll probably need help. Carrie Peale is always glad of work and Liz is coming anyway. Have her come earlier. It could get busy. Do what you have to do to cover for us until we get back. I know you’ll try to put Harriet and Mary’s minds at peace. Or do the best you can.’
Dan O’Reilly joined Bill in the observation area outside an interview room where Annie Bell would be sitting as soon as she arrived with Officer Miller.
‘I don’t believe this one,’ Dan said.
‘Neither do I.’ Bill didn’t need the comment explained. ‘Annie’s involved. There’s no way around that. Could be she’s protecting someone – who, I have no idea at this point. If we can get her to open up and give us everything she knows we might be very close to solving the case. I don’t think she will, though, and there’s going to be an emotional line we can’t risk crossing, not unless she accepts representation.’
‘What makes you think she won’t?’ Dan tipped his head to one side. ‘What’s going on?’
‘She told Miller she’s going to need time alone to think everything through and she won’t want a solicitor. Speaking of Miller, she pulled an asinine stunt last night. I lost my legendary good temper with her once we were alone and she didn’t take it well.’ He glanced up at the clock. ‘She’s taking her sweet time to get here this morning. I hope for her sake that she doesn’t follow one of her cracked urges and try to get information out of Annie before they come in. Detective Miller likes to try for attention-getting flashy moves. She knows better, but she pushes the limits too often.’
‘What did she do last night?’
‘Walked into the Black Dog and announced that Wells Giglio’s body had been hauled out of that damnable water chute – and she did it in front of Tony and Alex … and Hugh.’
‘Holy …’ Dan put his fists on his hips and shook his head slowly. ‘Is she going to make it in her job?’
‘If she doesn’t, I’m not going to be the one left holding the bag for causing her to fail. I’m not going there. But neither am I taking any more crap from her. She argued that news about Giglio’s body was already out in the media, but it was obvious no one else there knew about it until she opened her mouth. Then she tried it on by reminding me how the Folly people always find everything out anyway.
‘What she has going for her is a good mind and generally good instincts. If she can get it that following those instincts without running them by me could cause one hell of a mess, she might make a damn good detective.’
‘Good luck dealing with her,’ Dan said. ‘Has Annie tried to make any calls yet? To let the Black Dog people know where she is?’
‘No. And she doesn’t have a mobile on her. Says she didn’t take it with her when she went for her walk.’ He raised his brows. ‘Could be convenient. She’s been told she can have a phone if she wants one. And the usual on counsel.’
‘Are we sure she was making some sort of getaway from the pub, Bill?’
‘Sherlock Miller is. I had her watching for signs that Annie was up and about before going in to bring her to Gloucester. After she saw Annie leave the pub, she informed me of what our next steps should be. She talks as if she’s the one in charge.’
Dan smiled thinly.
‘So what’s the plan? That’s what she asked with Annie already in the car, so I told Miller to be quiet and listen. To say nothing else aloud.’
That brought a more sympathetic grin from Dan. ‘And you said?’
‘Be businesslike but sympathetic. And don’t make up your own rules. She hung up on me!’
Dan laughed aloud. ‘You’ve got your hands full.’ His smile dissolved. ‘But so do I, or I think I do. Friend Wolf may be making his hand more obvious. Remember how he was there at Quillam’s second post-mortem?’
‘Of course.’ Bill frowned. ‘So what?’
‘Molly Lewis called me. She’s been asked to submit reports on the two Quillam post-mortems. It’s been suggested Molly was negligent with the first examination. Know what I’m beginning to think?’
‘I think you’ll tell me.’
‘If you insist,’ Dan said, the smile back in his dark eyes. ‘I think friend Wolf has a grudge against the police and anyone attached to us – in any way. We may have to defend our honor.’
Before Bill could respond, a raised voice, likely at the booking desk, carried all the way to the observation room.
Dan held up a hand. ‘Do I know who that is?’
‘Yeah.’ Bill drew a long breath. ‘Hugh Rhys if I’m not imagining things. I wish I was.’ He checked his mobile to make sure he hadn’t missed any calls. ‘I’m thinking I should call Miller again. She should be here. Come on.’ He led the way from the room, closing the door behind them.
‘Rhys doesn’t raise his voice,’ Dan muttered. ‘He must be really ticked.’
‘There’s a special friendship there with Annie. Supposedly she looks on him as some sort of replacement family. She broke with her own. I don’t know what to think about that. I’ll let you know what goes down with all of this.’
Sure enough, Hugh Rhys stood in the booking hall with Alex Duggins. They both turned to face Bill as he arrived.
‘Where is she?’ Hugh said, out of character with his Mr Cool reputation. ‘Are you questioning her again? She’s not a strong person and she’s been through too much already.’
‘Hugh,’ Bill said, ‘You know I can’t answer questions from the public. Not about an ongoing case. When Annie gets here, we’ll take good care of her. That’ll have to be enough for now.’
‘Why is she being brought here?’ Alex said. ‘Last night you talked with her and then you were happy to let her go to bed while you sat with Hugh, Tony and me. This morning you pick her up on Pond Street while she’s out for a walk. What changed?’
‘Again, you know I can’t answer your questions, but Annie will not get anything other than appropriate treatment.’
‘Is there a solicitor ready for her?’ Hugh asked.
Bill recalled clearly how Hugh had been so certain he didn’t need, or want, counsel when he was brought in for questioning. ‘Just know she’s safe and in good hands.’
Alex settled into a chair. ‘We’ll be here when she comes out. Would you please let her know we’re here?’
TWENTY-EIGHT
LeJuan Harding almost collided with Bill outside the observation room door.
‘Where’s the fire?’ Bill grinned and after the tension with Alex and Hugh it felt good.
LeJuan wasn’t grinning. ‘Miller’s been taken to emergency, sir. They say she’ll be OK but she’s taken a bad blow to the head and was out of it at first. They intend to admit her for observation.’
‘I … damn … I knew it was taking far too long for her to get here. Where was the crash? Annie Bell, is she all right? Did she have to be hospitalized, too?’
‘No.’ LeJuan looked pained. ‘There wasn’t a crash. It looks as if Miller was ambushed. Knocked out by someone. She was found a few feet from her car. We don’t know where Annie is.’
When Bill arrived at the hospital, Miller was settled in a room on the second floor. He walked quietly to the side of the bed. With her hair down and in two braids, she looked like a teenager, even with the start of two black eyes and a cut lip.
‘Guv?’ she whispered. ‘Sorry. I messed up.’
‘It looks as if you had help,’ Bill said and sat by the bed. ‘I don’t have a full rundown from a doctor yet. How are you feeling?’
‘Thumping in here.’ She touched her head. ‘Sore, but I don’t know if I was meant to be alive at all by now. Is Miss Bell OK? I haven’t been allowed to talk to anyone but staff and they don’t know any
thing. Or they say they don’t.’
Instructions would have been given not to offer any information until the police spoke to her.
‘We’ll get to Annie. Let’s talk about you, first.’
‘I’m really sorry, guv.’ She sniffed.
‘You didn’t hit yourself over the head,’ he told her. He did know she’d taken a nasty blow to the base of the skull and some body blows – probably from kicks, he’d been informed.
Her eyes lost focus and he was afraid she would pass out again. Bill waited, not prompting, and she looked directly at him again. ‘I thought he’d broken down,’ she said. ‘His car was slewed across the lane and the bonnet was up.’
‘So you did what any of us would have done. You stopped to help.’
She nodded, yes, then squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
‘Take it slowly,’ Bill said. ‘Do you need something for the pain?’
‘No,’ she said clearly. ‘I think I called out and a man stood up from behind the bonnet. I flipped out my warrant card. I had turned off Pond Street in Folly to use that little feeder that takes you up to the High Street.’
Bill could see the scene in his mind. ‘Got it.’
‘The pain was blinding. I don’t think that man moved from where he was so someone must have come up behind me.’ She gave a weak smile. ‘The first thing I remember afterwards is someone telling me I was lucky to have a thick skull.’
What Jillian remembered was everything to the case now. He wanted her to initiate her own comments. If he led her, he could muddy the waters.
‘I saw the car before,’ she said, as if a veil were lifting. ‘When I stopped Annie. The car pulled up beside us and the driver asked if we needed help. I told him everything was fine and he drove on. An old Passat, I think. Probably red to begin with but rusty and orange in splotches.’
‘You’re doing really well,’ Bill said, starting to jot in his notebook.
Again her expression became faraway. A nurse tapped on the door and came in with a large arrangement of flowers. ‘From your mates,’ she said, putting it near the window. ‘Tall man brought them in. Leggy, I’d call him.’
Bill laughed aloud, joined by Jillian until she closed her mouth and her eyes.
‘You keep her quiet, sir,’ the nurse said, smiling at her own success as a comedian.
A smile remained on Jillian’s face when she opened her eyes. ‘I don’t think they’ve ever called me their mate before,’ she said, and Bill felt a sliver of guilt. ‘Guv, is Annie all right?’
He crossed his arms and let out a long breath. ‘We haven’t found her, yet. But we will.’
‘She was in the car.’ The panic on her face approached horror and disbelief. ‘She couldn’t have hit me like that, could she?’
‘We don’t know. You and I both know about small people who inflict a lot of damage when there’s anger, or fear, behind it.’
TWENTY-NINE
Hours had passed since they talked to Bill. Alex contemplated going to the desk sergeant again but didn’t want to annoy the man – more than she already had.
‘At last,’ Hugh said when Bill came from a corridor behind the front desk. ‘Let’s try to stay calm.’
Bill stopped to speak to the sergeant, spoke in a low voice and glanced over at them. Alex clasped her hands in her lap.
Hugh got up and went forward, said quietly, ‘Annie’s had a bad couple of years, Bill. She’s been in there for hours. What she needs is some peace and for all this uncertainty to be over.’
‘I’m sure,’ Bill said. He looked away as if deciding what to say next. ‘But you do recognize that we’ve got two suspicious deaths and a missing woman and Annie has been in the area and closely involved with all these events?’
‘No,’ Hugh said flatly. ‘She hasn’t been involved with any of it. Just because Annie was in Folly when both Percy and Wells died, doesn’t mean she’s involved in any way. Or with Sonia’s disappearance.’
Bill waited, then said, ‘Just tell me anything you think would help.’
Without further hesitation, Hugh said, ‘Annie just opened up about seeing Sonia that night. But so what, she went up to talk to her about visiting Elyan? That was it. Annie loves Elyan – deeply – and tries to ease what’s happened to him. Sonia hasn’t been to see him but she has sent him messages. She told Annie she would try to go to visit him. Apparently she’s very disturbed at the thought of seeing him incarcerated.’
‘Right,’ Bill said. He didn’t seem surprised or very interested.
‘That was all she said,’ Hugh added.
‘Thank you,’ Bill said.
Alex went to join Hugh. Their anxiety had to be obvious but she couldn’t just sit there anymore.
‘There’s nothing to worry you too much. This is all routine. I suggest you go home and get some rest. We’ll let you know when there’s something to report. I’ll drive Annie back when that’s appropriate.’
‘I don’t want to go until I see her,’ Alex said.
Bill’s smile looked forced. ‘Of course you don’t. But we can’t know how long we need Annie here with us.’
Alex snapped, ‘You said she wouldn’t be here too long. That was hours ago.’
‘You will help her the most by being supportive of the important part she’s playing in our investigation,’ Bill said. ‘If you choose to stay, that’s your prerogative, but I don’t think it will help her to find out you’re making scenes out here. But that’s up to you.’
Hugh took Alex’s arm. ‘Let’s go home. You’ll let us know when we can do something for Annie?’ He glanced at Bill who nodded, yes.
‘We’ll come back when they’re ready to release her. Come on, Alex, please.’
She looked to Bill who nodded agreement.
‘Inspector,’ the desk sergeant said. ‘Just an update. Still no sightings. She hasn’t been seen on CCTV footage from Folly-on-Weir. They don’t have much there—’
Bill swung around and the man stopped talking.
Hugh said, ‘Bill?’
‘Are you talking about Annie?’ Alex asked. She caught at Hugh’s arm. ‘Are they?’
Bill faced them again and he wasn’t hiding his anger as well as usual. ‘We have everything under control.’
‘That isn’t the way it sounds,’ Hugh said in level tones. ‘Why not be honest with us? Lying doesn’t help.’
‘Hugh and Alex,’ Bill said. ‘Please go home and let us do our work. Check back in the morning.’
‘And ask what?’ Alex said. ‘If you know where Annie is yet? Bill, we’re her close friends and we feel responsible. How can we just go away and sleep?’
He sighed. ‘If you think I feel any better than you do, you’re wrong. I suppose, despite going against official protocol, I’ve got to say we’re all very worried.’
‘She’s left this building?’ Alex said. ‘She ran away from you and you don’t know where she is?’
‘We’re wasting time,’ Bill said.
‘Can’t we start searching?’ Hugh asked. ‘The more eyes, the better, and we know who we’re looking for.’
Bill sighed. ‘We have ways of conducting this kind of search – we’re pretty good at it and I don’t think she’ll have got very far. We’re already on it.
‘No one will get any sleep here, but please, go home and get some sleep yourselves tonight so you can be at your best for Annie. Will you do that?’
Hugh and Alex looked at each other and nodded faintly. ‘Yes,’ Alex said.
‘We’ll do our best,’ Hugh responded. ‘We’re in this for as long as it takes.’
‘Good,’ Bill said. ‘That’s great. We’re pulling out all the stops. Probably best not to raise alarm in Folly. Our people there already know and they’re on the lookout. If Annie is heading there, we don’t want to put her off with an agitated welcoming committee.’
THIRTY
Tony and Alex sat staring into the glowing fireplace at what Tony regarded as their home. He thought Alex pro
bably did, too.
She only seemed lovelier to him. Simple in the way she presented herself, her hair dark and curly, her eyes greenish and curved upward at the outer corners, like Lily’s, her mouth soft in repose, everything about her natural, compact and perfect for him. How plain would she have to be not to be perfect for him? He almost grinned but controlled the urge. He loved this woman.
‘You doing OK?’ he asked, knowing she couldn’t be but that she would not give in to fear.
She sat beside him on the couch in the breakfast room and shifted closer beneath his arm. ‘I am for now. Horribly worried about Annie, yes, but doing OK.’ She turned her face up to his. ‘Look at us. How could I not be?’
‘That’s how I always feel with you, but I have to be careful not to get soppy or you’re likely to slap me down.’
She rewarded him with a sharp elbow to the ribs. ‘We should probably get some sleep. It’s late and tomorrow isn’t going to be easier than today. Nasty thought.’
‘We’ll both be OK. I believe in Annie.’
‘So do I,’ she said. ‘But I’m also a realist, Tony. I could never have expected her to decide to escape from the police. It’s unbelievable. Sometimes the people we trust the most shock us.’
‘Just keep on trusting,’ he told her, although he was more than nervous about what they would confront. ‘Wells Giglio was something I never expected, but it sounds as if he was murdered.’
‘I feel guilty for being happy like this, but not letting myself take the moment won’t solve anything.’ Alex just kept her face tipped up to him. He smiled and rested his mouth against her forehead.
She pulled his hand down, opened his palm, his fingers, and placed a piece of paper there.
Tony frowned slightly. ‘What’s this?’
She pressed a finger to his mouth and he started unfolding the sheet.
‘You can keep that for later,’ she said, her lashes lowered. ‘Just pop it away for now. I don’t want to keep it to myself anymore, that’s all. I’ll be relieved when we get Annie back. She’s too tense already. Hugh was obviously strung pretty tightly, too.’
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