by M A Comley
The car started on the first try once George had completed the procedure.
“You’re amazing, George.”
“It’s nothing, an itsy-bitsy wire causing all the bother again. Make sure you clean the car out over the weekend. That smell is only going to get worse.”
“I’ll be sure to do it today. Maybe I spilt some milk in the backseat or something.”
“That would do it. Horrible stuff to spill and clean up. I’m going to sit by the fire now, if that’s all right?”
“Thank you again, George, for taking such good care of me. You’re a real gem.”
Nelda spent the next hour washing the exterior of the car and scrubbing all the interior seats and carpet with hot soapy water until she was exhausted and her hands were red raw. The rest of the weekend consisted of mundane household cleaning chores and vegging out in front of the TV, giving the car time to dry out thoroughly before she used it again on Monday. Not that she had any spare cash to do anything else, thanks to someone stealing all her money.
CHAPTER NINE
Hero felt relaxed after his chilled-out weekend with Fay and the children. They had taken a family trip to Legoland, a place he would never have visited if his family hadn’t come along.
As Hero walked into the station, the desk sergeant acknowledged him and raised his eyes. The distraught woman he was dealing with was obviously making his life a misery. Hero reached for the security door leading into the staff-only section of the station—then the woman said a name he recognised. He turned and marched back to the reception desk. “Sorry to interrupt. Did you just say Paul Fox?”
The woman nodded, and in between sniffles, she said, “Yes, he’s my son. I’m trying to report him missing, but this buffoon won’t listen to me.”
“It’s not that, Mrs. Fox. There’s a procedure to follow when adults are reported missing,” the sergeant stated with a sigh.
Hero raised a pointed finger, asking the sergeant to bear with him. “When was the last time you had any contact with your son, Mrs. Fox?”
“About a week ago, I think. He always comes round to me for Sunday lunch, without fail. But he didn’t turn up. I tried calling him a few times last week and haven’t been able to contact him for several days. I’m very concerned about him now.”
“I’m Inspector Nelson, by the way. We’ve tried contacting him in that time, too, and got nowhere. Is it possible he could’ve taken off on holiday?”
“Are you mad? Paul wouldn’t take off somewhere without letting me know. Why did you want to speak to him?”
“Would you feel better talking about this in private?”
Mrs. Fox looked around the waiting room at the sea of faces staring back at her. “Yes, I think that would be a good idea.”
The desk sergeant chimed in, “Interview Room One is free, sir.”
“Great. Come this way, Mrs. Fox.”
Once he and Mrs. Fox were seated on either side of the table, Hero withdrew his notebook, ready to jot down notes.
“Why were you trying to speak to my son, Inspector?” she asked, taking a tissue from her bag and dabbing at her moist eyes.
“It’s concerning an issue with his former girlfriend.”
She frowned. “Nelda? Can I ask what the problem is?”
“Several strange things have happened around Miss Brook and her home. We’ve questioned your son about the car accident she was involved in, but he swore he had nothing to do with it.”
“Paul wouldn’t hurt Nelda. He’s still crazy about her.”
“I got the impression he was still keen on her when I questioned him. Do you think he could be obsessed with Nelda?”
“That’s a pretty damning word, Inspector. Not sure I would go that far. Where do you draw the line between love and obsession?”
“Hmm…where, indeed? The thing is Miss Brook has contacted us to tell me that someone has stripped her bank account clean.”
“What? My Paul wouldn’t do that. How could he? Has she pointed the finger at him?”
“Not in so many words. We’re just trying to piece all the information together right now. You have to admit, it does sound strange that he has just taken off without telling you where he was going and that Miss Brook’s money has been withdrawn from her account.”
“I suppose so. However, is it wise to throw accusations around like that, Inspector, without having the evidence to back up your claims? My son is a good man, not some villain on the run from the police.”
“I have to say that being realistic about things, Mrs. Fox. That’s exactly what it looks like from where I’m standing.”
“Then that’s all the more reason for you to help me to try and find him. Can you put out some kind of bulletin for me? In the press, I mean.”
“Before we do that, I’d like to check the airports and ferry ports to see if Paul has left the country.” Mrs. Fox remained silent for a little while, and Hero could tell by the pained expression on her face that she was thinking hard about something. “What is it?”
“I’ll need to go home and check something before I say anything further. I’m not trying to be evasive, Inspector. I promise.”
“Fine. Will you ring me later with your findings?” Hero asked, not wishing to push the woman too hard and make her clam up completely.
“The minute I get back, I swear. Thank you for taking the trouble to explain the situation. Do you have a direct number I can contact you on?”
Hero handed the woman one of his business cards and showed her back to the reception area before he made his way up the stairs to the incident room.
He clapped to gain the team’s attention as he entered the room. “Something interesting just happened regarding the Nelda Brook case. Fox’s mother just reported him missing. Coincidence? Or does it imply that he’s done a runner with Miss Brook’s money? Either way, halfway through our conversation, she thought of something and left. Hopefully, whatever struck her will help lead us to Fox’s whereabouts. She’s promised to ring me ASAP. We’ll see if that happens. Jason, while we’re waiting, can you do me a favour and check all the ports and airports to see if Fox has left the country?”
“Yes, boss. If we come up blank, do you think we should take a close look at Nelda’s past?”
Hero lowered his backside onto the desk behind him and crossed his arms. “Why? Are you thinking she’s turned the tables on Fox and got her own back on him somehow?”
“Plenty of it going on, sir. ‘Revenge is sweet,’ as the saying goes.”
“Don’t forget we’re talking about one of my wife’s best friends here, Jason.”
“Oops, sorry. Forgot that part, sir. Okay, just ignore me then.”
Hero nodded and walked into his office with Jason’s words rumbling around in his head. He sat behind his desk just as the phone rang. “Hello, DI Nelson. How can I help?”
“It’s here!”
“Sorry? Who is this?”
“I apologise, Inspector. This is Yvonne Fox. I came home to check if my son’s passport was still in the box where we keep all our important paperwork, and I have to report that it’s still here.”
“Oh, I see. Well, that certainly sheds a different light on things. Although it doesn’t really answer our main question about why your son is missing, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t. Please, can you run some sort of bulletin in the media?”
Hero sucked in a large breath. “It’s not the kind of task we carry out lightly, Mrs. Fox. Not unless we suspect a major crime has been committed. We can’t really say that in your son’s case, can we?”
“So, you’re telling me that I just have to wait and hope he comes home? I’m sorry, Inspector, I know my son well enough to know when all is not well.”
“In that case, have you rung all the hospitals in the area? Maybe they can help.”
“I’ve rung the local one but not tried the others. What if he’s not carrying ID? How will they know it’s Paul they’re treating? Please, Inspector
, you have to give me some help. I’m at the end of my tether.”
“All right. I’ll get one of my team to call the hospitals, see if anyone without ID has been admitted. I’ll call you later with the results.”
“Thank you. You’re very kind.”
Hero hung up, left his office, and clicked his fingers at Jason just before he made another call. “Jason, don’t bother with the airports, et cetera. Mrs. Fox has been in touch to say Paul’s passport is still at her house.”
“Unless he’s travelling on a fake one,” Jason suggested.
“I don’t really have any proof that he’s done anything underhand, apart from taking the money from Miss Brook’s account, and at this point, that’s purely conjecture. Would he need a fake passport?”
“So what are you suggesting then, sir?”
“That you start ringing around the hospitals. See if anyone without ID was admitted in the last week.”
“Shall I ring the mortuary, too? See if any John Does are filling their fridges?”
“Good idea. We’ll give this until lunchtime and then rethink after you’ve made those enquiries, all right?”
“Yes, boss.”
Hero left the constable to get on with his work and returned to the office. Avoiding his post for another five minutes, he picked up the phone and rang home. “Fay, I have some news.”
“Sounds ominous. What’s wrong?”
He told his wife about Mrs. Fox. Fay listened without interruption.
“How bizarre. Well, according to Nelda, she hasn’t had any strange occurrences lately, not since the back door was broken about a week ago. I rang her this morning, actually, to see if everything was okay.”
“All right, now don’t bite my head off. I need to run something past you.”
“Go on.”
“With Fox missing, is there any way Nelda would take some form of revenge on him, bearing in mind that her bank account has been tampered with on top of everything else?”
“Are you crazy? You’ve met Nelda. She wouldn’t harm a fly, Hero. I can’t believe you would suggest such a thing.”
“I’m sorry, love. I had to ask.”
“No, Hero, you didn’t have to ask that, not about one of my best friends.”
Hero was left holding the phone away from his ear when she slammed it down on him. Crap, now I’m in trouble!
He shook his head as he continued to take his anger out on the mail piled high in front of him. Ripping open the envelopes and discarding them in the bin felt empowering.
When Jason had completed his task, he knocked on the door lightly and poked his head into the room. “Nothing, boss. Not sure what to do now.”
“That makes two of us, Jason. Give me five minutes to clear this lot, and I’ll come and see you.”
His mind wandered in circles. He owed it to Mrs. Fox to chase up her complaint, and he felt the next step was for him to see Nelda in person that afternoon. He knew paying his wife’s friend a visit would put him deeper in trouble with Fay, but he saw very few options on the table.
Hero and Jason stopped at the baker’s in the high street and wolfed down a ham and cheese baguette then got on the road to Nelda’s workplace. The girl on reception asked for their IDs before she placed the call to her boss.
Nelda appeared in reception, looking puzzled to see them.
“Can we talk in private, Miss Brook?”
“Sure. Mind if we take a walk outside? I’ve been stuck behind a desk all morning.”
“Not at all.” Hero pushed open the door to the exit and invited Nelda to go first. They walked a few steps then Nelda leaned against the door of a car.
“It’s mine, and it’s clean. I have dry, sore hands back up that claim, too.” She turned her hands over to prove her point. “Have you got any news for me, Inspector?”
Hero shuffled his feet, keen to ask probing questions but also conscious of the fact that Nelda was one of Fay’s closest friends. Jason paced nearby, seemingly aware of Hero’s unenviable position.
“Okay, first I have to ask if you’ve seen or heard from Paul Fox lately. By that, I mean since the last time we spoke.”
Nelda shook her head, and her mouth turned up at the sides. “No, not at all. I thought he’d finally got the message to leave me alone. By the look on your face, I take it my assumption is wrong. What’s going on?”
“Yes and no.” Hero glanced up at his colleague, who had started to circle the car, giving him space to talk in private with Nelda.
“I’m not with you.”
“Well, as of this morning, Paul Fox has officially been reported as a missing person.”
Nelda pushed away from the car and blinked furiously. “What? You mean he’s left the country with my money? Is that what you’re telling me, Inspector?”
“No. His mother, Yvonne Fox, was at the station this morning, reporting him missing. I asked if he might have left the country, but she has his passport.”
“Oh, my God! So are you telling me that you suspect something has happened to him?”
“That’s what we need to find out.” Hero paused when he noticed Jason looking at the car with a raised eyebrow. Then the constable ducked down on the other side. Hero excused himself and went to investigate. “Jason?”
Jason pointed at the car and said quietly, “Can you smell that?”
Hero crouched down beside his colleague and cautiously sniffed the car. “What is that?”
Nelda joined them. “Is there something wrong with my car?”
Hero stood up and smiled at Nelda. “There’s an odd smell coming from your vehicle.”
“Tell me about it! I thought it was because I hadn’t used it for a few days. My neighbour found a wire loose, and that’s when we both discovered the odd smell. We thought I had spilt some milk. I cleaned it inside and out over the weekend without success. If anything, I think the smell has intensified.”
Jason drifted along the edge of the car and ended up at the rear. “Did you clean out the boot?”
“No. I hardly use the boot, not sure why. I tend to put all my shopping on the backseat.” Nelda took the keys from her jacket pocket and inserted them in the lock. The lid bounced open to reveal something none of them had anticipated.
“Shit! Is he alive?” Jason asked.
Nelda’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at her ex-boyfriend’s glazed-over eyes staring right back at her. He was holding a knife in his hand. Her legs gave way beneath her, and she dropped to the ground. Hero grasped her arm to help lessen the impact of her fall.
He looked up at a shocked Jason and ordered, “Jason, call the pathologist immediately.”
Jason jolted into action and stepped away from the vehicle to make the call on his mobile.
Hero found himself in a quandary whether to comfort the woman or to slap her hands in cuffs. Judging by her reaction, he had to admit she didn’t seem to know that he was in the car. She appeared just as shocked as he and Jason were. But then, over the years, many murderers had tried to deceive him.
“How could this happen? How did he get in my car?”
“Are you telling me you knew nothing about this, Nelda?”
On the verge of tears, she glared at him, her lip quivering. “You think I killed him?” Tears streamed from her eyes, and she shook her head. “I didn’t, I swear.”
Hero helped her off the cold ground and to her feet. “I’ll need you to accompany me to the station to give me a statement. Are you up to that?”
“Of course. Hero, you have to believe me—I didn’t do this. Would I have willingly opened the boot for you to check inside if I’d known he was in there?”
Hero nodded. “I believe you. However, I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t take you in for questioning and to make a statement regarding your innocence. Do you have any idea how he got in the car?”
“No. I asked you the same question. This is all mind-blowing to me. You have to believe that I’m innocent, though.”
&n
bsp; “We’ll see what the pathologist has to say. You can wait in my car until he arrives.”
“Thank you. Can I get a strong cup of tea from my office first?”
“I’ll get that for you,” Hero replied, just in case Nelda decided to leave via the rear exit of the building. He settled her in the back of the car, motioned for Jason to keep an eye on Nelda then went inside to get a cup of tea. He told the receptionist that Miss Brook would be accompanying him to the station for the rest of the day to help with their enquiries.
The receptionist looked shocked but made the drink swiftly and without voicing the question Hero could tell was teetering on the tip of her tongue. He returned to the car with the tea and handed it to Nelda.
He leaned against the bonnet of his own car alongside Jason. “Any idea how long?”
“The pathologist said he was in between autopsies and would be here within the next twenty minutes. What’s your take on this, sir?”
Hero shook his head. “I want to believe her when she says she has nothing to do with this, but the evidence is stacked against her. But then, like she told me a few minutes ago, if she knew the body was in there, why did she voluntarily open the boot? Also, if you’d shoved a body in the back of your car, wouldn’t you set out to dump it ASAP, mainly because of the smell?”
“I guess. What if she had the strength to put him in there but found it impossible to get the body out again at the dump site?”
Hero shook his head. “There’s certainly a lot to consider. Let’s hope the pathologist can enlighten us with more details once he gets here.”
“Why do you think he had the knife in his hand? Was he trying to free himself?”
“He might have been. Who knows?”
They bounced a few ideas around between them. Nothing sounded very convincing.
When the pathologist turned up, Hero walked forward and shook the man’s hand. “Good of you to come quickly, Gerrard. The body is over here.”
“Strange place to find a body, Inspector. Whose car is it? Can you give me any background on the case?”
