He didn’t use a snappy comeback and he certainly could have come up with several. ‘I moved my desk,’ he said, unnecessarily. ‘More air around me. Come and grab a couple of chairs.’
Bill took two folding metal chairs from a stack against a wall.
‘I never thought about getting in your way by looking for Annie,’ Tony said.
‘We wouldn’t have,’ Alex chimed in to be sure Tony didn’t get too apologetic for being human. ‘It’s a helpless feeling to just wait. Every horrible scenario crowds your mind. Did Annie run away, or was she taken? If she ran away, where would she go? We don’t even know if we should try to track down her family and find out if she went to them.’
‘Already done,’ Bill said. ‘Coffee?’
Alex already felt vaguely sick from having too much coffee. ‘No, thank you.’
‘Not right now,’ Tony added. ‘Alex’s questions are good ones. They’re basic.’
Bill tipped his chair onto its back legs and rocked slightly. He clasped his hands behind his head and even though his startlingly light-blue eyes were veiled, she knew he was making decisions – about whether there was anything he would share with them.
Despite the noise in the hall, she felt separated from it, closed off with Tony and Bill.
‘Would you have contacted the Bell family if you’d located them?’ Bill said.
So, there was to be a test. ‘No,’ Tony said before Alex could give the wrong answer. ‘It’s not our place but when we don’t know what you’ve thought of, we’re bound to search for answers.’
‘You would have brought their information to us to follow up?’ The chair slapped back down onto all legs. ‘Yes, I suppose you’re telling me you would. But that’s now, after the fact. Your history doesn’t help your case. You’ve both put yourselves in danger before. OK, OK, let me say this much. Unless the Bells are hiding her somewhere and lying to us, Annie didn’t go to them. We don’t know for certain how she left – whether it was under her own steam or not – but we have theories I can’t share with you.’
‘No information, then,’ Tony said flatly.
‘Do you think she’s alive or dead?’ She hadn’t intended to ask that.
Bill didn’t immediately answer. He shifted a pen on the desk and watched the action.
You think she’s been killed. The next breath she took shuddered. Tony didn’t move at all.
‘You must see the position this puts me in.’ They got the blue stare. ‘We assume life until we find out otherwise. Yes, the chances go down with every hour, but it hasn’t been twenty-four yet, and we don’t know – as I’ve already said – how or why she got away.’
A uniformed officer came to put a printout on the desk and Bill picked it up to read. He lowered the paper slowly. ‘I can tell you something since it’ll be on the news before we know it. There is footage of Annie’s car in Bourton the day before yesterday. In several locations. We don’t have a clear image yet, but we believe someone else was driving the Mini, possibly a man.’
‘That can’t be,’ Alex said. ‘She talked to Hugh from the car. She drove it back to Folly.’
Bill didn’t comment. He straightened in his chair and stared past their shoulders. Not turning around was too much to ask. Alex looked and so did Tony.
The Burke sisters were on their way to the front desks.
‘I’ll get them,’ Bill said, getting up and crossing the floor rapidly.
‘Oh, dear,’ Alex said. ‘Since we didn’t give them any extra information, they’re likely to be here to ask for more from Bill.’
‘I wish them luck,’ Tony said, unsmiling. He got up. ‘Could be they’re going to spring us. We won’t be learning anything else here and Bill will want to talk to them on his own.’
Alex stood also.
‘Stay where you are,’ Bill said, getting closer. The ladies were not fast walkers.
Tony and Alex situated two more chairs, automatically placing Harriet and Mary in the center. ‘Easier if we can watch from the wings,’ Alex murmured.
When they were seated, Alex turned to Harriet and Mary and decided not to say anything. They were agitated, fidgety, staring at Bill as he sat down. Instead, she looked at Tony who raised his brows.
‘Nice to see you, ladies,’ Bill said. ‘May we offer you some Black Dog coffee?’
‘No,’ Harriet said, uncharacteristically short. ‘We mustn’t be long. Our boys and Lillie Belle are on their own.’
Bill made an understanding noise, impressing Alex.
‘It’s about yesterday morning,’ Harriet said.
‘It’s about my not being a reliable witness,’ Mary cut in. She pressed her hands flat on her skirt, deliberately making them still. ‘I don’t think I said everything to Lily. Lily did tell you about our phone call, inspector?’
His expression didn’t alter. ‘Why don’t you tell me about it.’
‘It’s my fault,’ Harriet said. ‘I shouldn’t have become so agitated and had Mary make the phone call instead of doing it myself.’
‘Not at all,’ Mary said – the sisters looked at one another now – ‘I’m the one who screwed up.’ She put fingers to her lips.
Harriet broke the strain by giving a short laugh.
Both women became quiet, Mary with a faint blush on her cheeks.
After a moment, Harriet went on, ‘I’m sorry, inspector, but I was anxious about calling you directly. Not like me, I know, but in case – good gracious, listen to me babble. We decided to call Lily to see what she thought, and she said she would report what we’d seen. Lily is always so sensible.’
‘Mum told me,’ Alex said, unable to let them suffer on alone, ‘and I rushed off to Gloucester to do things my way. Since I thought you knew the whole thing, Bill, I didn’t say a word about what Harriet saw.’ Idiot.
‘Well,’ Tony said. ‘I can’t miss this moment for joint confession. Alex and Lily told me, and I didn’t say anything, either, for the same reason.’
‘This is the thing,’ Harriet said, with a reassuring pat to Mary’s arm. ‘We left out the bit about the other car.’
Bill leaned forward.
‘The man you were told about, stopping to speak to Annie and Sergeant Miller was in a car. It probably doesn’t mean a thing and we’re wasting valuable time, but we had to make sure you knew about it.’
‘My fault,’ Mary said. ‘I left it out when I told Lily.’
‘I don’t think I said anything about a car,’ Harriet insisted. ‘It’s my fault.’
‘Ladies, ladies,’ Bill said. ‘This is important, very important. Take a breath and tell me what you saw, Harriet.’
Harriet blew out through pursed lips. ‘I was watching Annie with Sergeant Miller. The car came along behind them, slowly, of course. I actually thought there were two people in it at first, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be, either.’ She gave Mary a quick smile.
‘Go on,’ Bill said.
‘The driver spoke to them and then he drove on. I was mostly watching Annie and the sergeant, but I do think it crossed my mind that I’d been wrong about the two people in the second car – unless the other person was short. That’s all there was. The gray car drove away, too.’
Harriet paused, a hand slightly raised. ‘There were two people, at least when I first saw the car coming. I don’t know why I thought otherwise when it left.’
Bill smiled but he looked as if he wanted the interview completely over. ‘Wonderful,’ he said. ‘That’s extremely helpful.’
‘Yes,’ Mary said. ‘Once we heard about Sergeant Miller being in hospital from a road accident yesterday, we knew we must come. Was Annie with her? Is she all right?’
‘Inspector Lamb! May I speak to you, please? It’s really important. I’m so worried.’ Carrie Peale rushed beside the desk without acknowledging the rest of them.
Alex realized she’d been swallowing air since Mary’s last revelation and closed her mouth. It was Sergeant Miller in the hospital.
‘Sit here,’ Tony said to Carrie Peale, giving up his chair.
Carrie seemed to notice she wasn’t alone with Bill for the first time. ‘Have you seen Harvey?’ she asked all of them. ‘I’ve tried to stay calm, but I can’t any longer. There’s so much whispering going on in Folly. He’s missing. I’m afraid he’s been hurt.’
‘Thank you for coming. Carrie Peale, is it?’ Bill’s voice was gentle. ‘Harvey is your husband?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where did you last see him – was it at your home?’
‘Yes. I was in the pottery behind our cottage. I heard him start the car – it’s difficult sometimes because it’s old – so I ran to ask where he was going.’ She turned rosy at that. ‘I just like to know in case he needs me for something. That was early morning yesterday. I’ve got such a lot of work to do, I had started before dawn.’
‘It’s unusual for him to leave for work early?’ Bill asked.
‘He works at home,’ Carrie said.
Alex made herself concentrate on what was being said.
‘Was there someone with him?’
Alex held her breath.
‘I don’t think so,’ Carrie said. ‘I didn’t get close to the car. Harvey got out when he saw me coming. He was angry, I think. He doesn’t like me to ask questions.’ She squeezed the bridge of her nose.
‘Could you describe your car to me, please?’ Bill said.
‘Yes.’ Carrie nodded. ‘We rarely drive it. That’s another reason I was surprised to hear the engine. It’s a Passat. I’m not sure what year – about 1996, I think, or 97. It was red, but it’s been parked outside for years and it’s rusting, so it’s more orange than red in places.’
Harriet said, ‘Oh, my goodness! That’s the car I saw. That’s it.’
THIRTY-FOUR
‘We’re doing exactly what the police are doing,’ Tony said. ‘Driving around looking for this mythical red turning orange Passat. Old Passat.’
‘It’s not mythical,’ Alex responded. ‘It belongs to the Peales. And the police have technology and manpower on their side.’
‘You know what I mean. I never heard of it before and I’ve certainly never seen it. I thought they walked everywhere.’
‘I know. Harvey hangs out with the motorcycle club a lot, but that’s mostly around here, I think, at the Black Dog. I don’t think he owns a motorcycle.’
They had driven for two hours, almost following the Land Rover’s nose through villages surrounding Folly.
‘Do you want to risk calling Bill?’ asked Tony, who was driving. He leaned to look up the driveway to a stone building on Kingcombe Lane after leaving Chipping Campden behind. ‘I’ll talk to him if you get him. If you’d rather, that is.’
‘You don’t think he’d call if they found Annie?’
‘I don’t know anymore,’ Tony said. ‘Let’s hope Hugh never caught up with him. I understand the police not wanting to publicize what happened to Sergeant Miller, but I don’t know how Bill could stand there in Gloucester and not tell the two of you that Annie never arrived. When Hugh found out he was so angry, he couldn’t speak.’
The day continued to bake everything in sight. They had to stop for a tractor to leave a field. Unfortunately, it turned in front of them and traveled on slowly in the same direction.
Alex got her mobile but held it on her leg. ‘I think I understand Bill not telling us. He must be under horrible pressure about losing Annie. And now it would be best if Harvey, or whoever was driving that car, didn’t find out the vehicle has been identified. If he’s got Annie and does a runner, it could be a total disaster. It may already be a total disaster. And Harvey is involved somehow.’ She thought about it. ‘It is. It’s all horrible. When Bill decided to talk, he said Sergeant Miller was really bruised as well as having a blow to the head. Do you think it’s the same person? With Percy and Wells – and now, Miller?’
‘Because of the way he attacks? Yes, I do. I’m going to drive closer to Folly again. We went through Naunton, but let’s do it again. Hugh said Annie likes Naunton.’
‘That doesn’t mean whoever she’s with likes it,’ Alex said, and picked up her mobile. ‘Let’s go there, though. All we can do is try.’
Bill finally answered. ‘Hello, Alex. No, we don’t have Annie.’
‘Has anyone seen that car?’ She no longer cared if she irritated him.
‘We put out a description. Had to. Several potential sightings – each one in an unlikely place and a long way from one another. Oh, might as well tell you it was definitely a man driving Annie’s Mini on the day of the fire. Forensics did their work on the images. No identification to share.’ He hung up.
Alex started searching again while she thought about what Bill had said.
‘Are you going to share?’ Tony asked.
She told him what had been said and turned toward him. ‘Who could this man driving the Mini be?’
‘No ideas here, unless it was Harvey – which doesn’t make any sense.’
‘Even if the forensic people are right, a man couldn’t be driving Annie’s Mini without her knowing about it? Not when she drove it away and she drove it back?’
‘That brings on the biggest question about this, doesn’t it? If Annie did know, she’s been complicit in a lot of lies – why?’
‘And was he the one who drove it to Green Friday?’
Questions but no answers.
No luck in or around Naunton. They carried on toward Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter, twin villages.
With the River Eye in sight, Tony slowed the Land Rover. ‘You have to go in by foot,’ he said. ‘Can you imagine them leaving the car and walking in? Why would they do that?’
‘I don’t think they would.’ Alex flopped back in her seat and stared out the window. ‘We’re just filling up time pretending we’re doing something that might be useful.’ She sat straight again and peered down a bank toward a track through a stand of trees. Below was a stone barn, in need of attention, with the driveway leading past it to a limestone farmhouse in poor condition. A dark green car arrived and drove behind the barn. Within moments a woman walked from the direction the car had taken, toward the farmhouse.
‘You’ve seen something,’ Tony said. ‘Tell me.’
‘Between that barn down there and the farmhouse behind it, there’s a gap that’s hidden by the barn. Look, Tony, at the woman walking to the door. Quick. Is that who I think it is?’
He watched until the woman let herself into the house and closed the door.
‘You go first,’ he said.
‘Neve Rhys! Tell me I wasn’t seeing things. How could you miss how tall she is and all those black clothes?’ She went for her mobile and Hugh picked up immediately with a barked, ‘Yes.’
‘Do you know if Neve has been, or could be staying at an old farmhouse near Lower Slaughter?’ She could hear him breathing, feel him thinking, so went ahead and told him exactly where it was. ‘They must have somewhere else to stay when they’re not bugging you at the Black Dog. Neve does, I should say. I don’t see Perry.’
‘No,’ Hugh said flatly. ‘I don’t know anything about this farmhouse. I have wondered if Neve had any connection to Annie. It seems vague, but I think they go out of their way not to acknowledge one another. I’m not sure they’ve ever spoken.’
‘I’ve wondered about them running into each other but I haven’t noticed what you’re talking about,’ Alex said. ‘That would be strange.’
‘I thought the same thing,’ Tony said when he had her attention again and she told him what she and Hugh had discussed. ‘I’m going to park and go down to see what I can see. She was very comfortable going to that house so it isn’t the first time. We can’t afford to miss a lead of any kind, even if I can’t figure out the connections.’
‘Neve and Perry sought out Annie at the tea rooms,’ Alex said. ‘She was very upset afterwards, remember. I don’t think the Burke sisters thought those two were there by accident although it was Nev
e, not Perry, who did all the talking.’
He gave a tuneless whistle. ‘Do we drive around and go up to the place? I don’t think so. If it is what it might be and Annie’s there, willingly or unwillingly, we don’t want them to see us coming. If it isn’t, I don’t want to call Bill in, then try to save face if it’s nothing.’
‘Neither do I.’ Suddenly, Alex’s breathing was shallow. ‘So let’s decide how to do this. We need a closer look at the car she was in first. I know the one she was driving the last time I saw her and the one down there looked like it.’
Tony made a U-turn, drove up a footpath that was definitely not meant for vehicles, pulled off to one side beneath some trees, and they got out. ‘You stay here,’ he said. ‘It won’t take two of us to find out what we’re seeing.’
Without arguing, Alex followed him across the road and started looking for a way to get closer.
‘Don’t run ahead or do anything on your own,’ Tony said, without surprise that she had ignored his request. ‘Please.’
‘What’s the worst that can happen? We say something silly about thinking we saw Neve and wanting to look at the farmhouse. Maybe we’re thinking of buying one.’
Tony shook his head. ‘Maybe you should leave this to me.’
At that, she left the conversation.
An overgrown track from the road quickly disappeared between trees. It was easy to veer right, staying under thick branches, and approach the barn. It seemed the trees grew right up to the ramshackle building on one side.
Stepping fast but carefully, Alex followed Tony, who must know she was still there, but made no further comment. She smiled at his broad back.
By unspoken agreement they made no attempt to leave the cover of mostly beech trees and made their way, with as little noise as possible, to where they could eventually see the barn. It was very close, its stones covered with moss where the trees shaded them.
At that wall, Tony edged along toward what was the front. They could see the driveway.
Trap Lane Page 23
