‘Yeah, but to be honest I don’t know any of my neighbours. Do you know yours?’
‘Not really. In fact, come to think of it, I wouldn’t know them if I fell over them.’
‘There you go.’
They rang Mr and Mrs Maisell’s bell and waited, and were about to turn away when the door was flung open. Mrs Maisell was about four foot five and as wide as she was tall.
‘I was just going to bring them up. Oh sorry, I thought you were Hester from upstairs.’
Anna did the introductions and Mrs Maisell ushered them inside. There were the same beige carpets, but theirs were covered by bright rugs of every shape and size, and the flat was crammed with furniture, paintings and bric-à-brac.
‘Morris? Morris! Can you come out, love?’
Mrs Maisell ushered them into the lounge and it was like an antique shop it was so crammed with furniture.
‘Sit down, dears. MORRIS?’
They heard him before he walked in.
‘Don’t tell me it was that ruddy woman upstairs, we’ve only just got back inside.’
‘It’s the police,’ Mrs Maisell said, wafting her hand as an equally short squat man appeared with a grocery bag. He put it down and looked from Anna to Paul.
‘Has there been an accident?’
‘No, they’re asking about that nice young man from flat two. He’s gone missing.’
‘I wouldn’t mind going missing. We can’t put a foot out of the door without that Miss Jewell coming down to ask us to pick up this or pick up that. She hardly goes out.’
‘Don’t be nasty, dear.’
‘It’s the truth though. And she shouldn’t have that rat of a dog. No pets is part of the lease agreement. In fact, I don’t think the landlord even knows she’s got it.’ Morris squatted down in a large comfortable-looking armchair as his wife scurried to stand beside him.
‘Do you know Mr Rawlins?’ Anna began.
‘Yes, lovely chap. He helped start my car once and gave me a good deal when I took it into his garage. Something was draining the battery.’
‘When did you last see him?’
The Maisells looked at each other and then both gave almost identical frowns.
‘A while back, it must be.’
It was extraordinary as they talked to each other; it was as if Anna and Paul weren’t present. They discussed somebody or other’s wedding and decided that wasn’t the right date. Mrs Maisell eventually said that it had to be a couple of months ago.
‘I was putting rubbish out by the bins and he was coming out to go to work – well, I think he was going to work.’
‘So you never really knew either Tina Brooks or Mr Rawlins?’
‘No, not really.’
‘Can you just try and recall if that last time you saw him he gave any indication that anything was wrong?’
Again the couple conferred with each other and then Mrs Maisell got up and went in a zigzag route across the cluttered room to open a drawer in a small carved mahogany desk. She rifled through it and brought out some flyers from Tina’s salon.
‘She put these through our letterbox, pensioners’ special prices, but I’ve used Audrey for fifteen years.’
‘That’s no use to them, Bea, they don’t want to know about hairdressing. It’s where Alan’s gone – that’s right, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, Mr Maisell.’
‘Well, we can’t help you. I’ve never even set foot in their place, but like I said, he seemed a friendly sort of chap. Wait a moment, I’ve remembered now . . .’
They all looked at Morris expectantly.
‘He used to jog in the morning – you know, run round the block – and I was going to . . .’ He sucked in his breath.
‘I can’t remember where I was going, but I know it was early.’
‘The only time you’ve been out really early was when you went to collect Eileen from the station.’
‘Oh yes, that’s right . . . so when was that, Bea?’
Mrs Maisell got up and did another zigzag around the furniture to the desk and opened another drawer, taking out a diary. She flicked through it and then nodded her head.
‘It was exactly ten weeks ago. She’s his cousin and comes from Israel. She got the train from Heathrow to Paddington, that’s right, isn’t it, Morris?’
‘Correct.’
Anna’s patience was wearing thin.
‘So on this morning you saw Alan, Mr Maisell?’
‘He was doing those stretch exercises – you know, standing facing the wall and bending over to ease up the tendons. It was really early because it was quite dark still and I said to him . . .’
Again everyone hung on his words.
‘I said, “You’re an early bird.’”
‘And?’ Anna wanted to grip him by his throat.
‘He said it takes one to catch one.’
‘Is that it?’ Paul asked, becoming as exasperated as Anna.
‘No. There’s something else. I went to the garage, got my car and, as I was driving out, I saw him and he was kicking the wall, like a karate kick, and next minute he was punching it as if he was really angry about something.’
Mrs Maisell had been thumbing through the diary and she now had something to add.
‘I met Miss Brooks a few weeks back – that’s the last time I’ve actually spoken to her. She was in Asda. The reason I remember is I go there once a month to buy those big bags of all-in-one dog meals. They’re cheaper there than anywhere else – not for us, for her upstairs.’
‘I wait in the car park,’ Morris said, looking disgruntled.
‘I was in the checkout queue and Tina, Miss Brooks, was in the next one, and you know it’s always the same, you get in one line and see the other one moving up faster. I saw her and said to her I should have joined her because she started off behind me and then she was ahead of me and then at the till while I was still waiting. Something was wrong with the woman in front of me; her credit card wasn’t going through.’
Anna felt like screaming. Paul stood up and asked Mrs Maisell why she recalled the incident.
‘She had some big containers of bleach – four of them that were this big.’ She indicated with her hands. ‘I said to her, “I hope you’re not doing tint jobs with those”, like a joke you know, because she’s a hairdresser, and she gave me such a look and then said she needed them for the salon as sometimes hair-dye won’t come out of their overalls.’
‘Did you see any other cleaning liquids in her trolley?’
‘I think she had some carpet cleaner.’
‘Can you give us the exact date this incident occurred?’
‘Yes, it was the sixteenth . . . or was it the seventeenth. Well, it was March and it was one of those days. I do the dog-food run every month. You’d be surprised how much that little dog can eat.’
Anna sat with Paul in her car. Neither had said much, but ideas were forming as they swapped information back and forth.
‘Day or so after Alan goes missing, there’s bleach, carpet cleaner?’
‘Could be for her salon?’ Anna suggested.
‘No, she’d have one of those special cards for business bulk buys.’
‘Then there’s Alan’s early morning run, punching out at the brick wall,’ Anna mused. ‘Doesn’t sound like the same person we’ve been told about.’
‘The new carpet order – why?’ Paul looked at Anna. ‘Kind of spoils the possibility that she bought the bleach to clean up evidence.’
‘Unless she couldn’t get rid of it? Blood and bleach stains are hard to get out of a carpet so she’s now ordered a new one.’
‘Shit, you going down that route, Anna?’
‘Yes, and don’t tell me you’re not thinking the same thing.’
‘Yeah, I am, I am – but we were there at her flat. Did you see any signs of there being a fight or cleaning up? There wasn’t anything that looked out of place.’
‘I could definitely smell bleach.’
Anna st
arted the engine and said they should find out – visit the salon again and check for the bleach. If there was no sign of it they’d return to Tina’s flat. She also wanted to interview Tina’s next-door neighbour, the city slicker with the Lotus.
Feeling a hit of adrenalin kick them into action, they arrived at Tina’s Beauty Salon just after twelve. From the outside it didn’t look too busy and Anna suggested that Paul keep Tina occupied whilst she had a nose around.
Felicity recognised them and told them that Tina was not there, but was expected back early that afternoon.
‘Thank you, Felicity. We just wanted to have a look around, if that’s all right with you?’ In case she didn’t give permission, Anna flashed her ID badge. They both headed past the hairdressing section that had only one client under a dryer and another having a cut and blowdry. Donna was at the sink washing around the bowl with a water jet. She smiled at Anna.
‘Donna, can you show me the kitchen area? I’d like to ask a few questions, and maybe you’d make us a coffee?’
Donna turned off the spray and checked her client under the dryer. Then she led them to the same area behind the screens, and went to the coffee percolator. ‘There’s still some fresh as I just brewed some for myself. As you can see, we’re not busy today.’
‘Tell me, how do you clean up the floor here?’ Anna asked, looking at the black and white lino tiles.
‘We wash it all down, either after work or first thing in the morning.’
‘What do you use? It looks good.’
Donna pointed to a corner cupboard and said that all the equipment was stored in there. She added that she didn’t actually do the sweeping up or mopping – that was down to the juniors. Anna opened the cupboard. There were two large plastic containers of domestic bleach and some polish called Kool Floors, a couple of ragged mops, two brooms, a bucket, and that was about all that fitted into the small corner space. She examined one of the containers of bleach and shook it. It was almost empty and the other one was full.
‘When do you use the bleach?’ she asked, closing the cupboard.
‘Quite often. Sometimes there’re drops of dye, and with wet hair these tiles are difficult to keep spotless. With all the cut hair and the traffic going back and forth it’s often a mess with footprints, and she’s very particular.’
‘Tina?’
‘Yeah. She doesn’t use much bleach because of the smell so that’s done at night after we close.’
‘Where do you get the cleaning equipment from?’
‘Dunno, Tina buys it. Do you want milk and sugar?’
‘Thanks, just black for me with sugar.’
Felicity popped her head around the screens. ‘Can you fit in a blowdry, Donna, no appointment?’
Donna nodded and Felicity disappeared.
‘Where is Tina this morning?’
‘No idea, but I don’t think she has any appointments until this afternoon. We’re always quiet midweek unless it’s specials, half-price, like yesterday. That was pandemonium and we were short-staffed. A junior was off with flu and Kiara wasn’t in.’ Donna fidgeted and then said she should go and check on her client.
Left alone, Paul helped himself to coffee as Anna sipped the rather tepid cup she’d been given.
‘This isn’t fresh,’ she complained.
‘So what?’ Paul snapped, as he had the start of a headache.
‘This bleach is not from Asda,’ Anna said.
He was about to check in the corner cupboard when a striking-looking black girl with a head full of cornrows walked in.
‘Is that coffee fresh?’ she asked.
‘No – Kiara.’ Anna looked at the name on her salon smock.
Kiara gave her a rather haughty look.
‘Who are you? This area is for staff only, you know.’
Anna did the introductions and Kiara started to make up a fresh pot of coffee.
‘Is this to do with Alan?’
‘Yes.’
‘All this is a bit strange, isn’t it? Him taking off like that.’
‘You knew him?’
‘We all knew him, not that we had much to do with him. He’d wait for Tina in the car park sometimes, but he hardly ever came into the salon. He probably felt a bit self-conscious – I think he was shy.’ She laughed.
‘When was the last time you saw him?’
She sat down on one of the pink chairs and crossed her legs.
‘It has to be at least three months ago. He and Tina were having a row, I remember that.’
‘Where?’
‘Out in the car park. I park my car out there and it was after closing so I was on my way home.’
‘Did you hear what they were arguing about?’
‘No.’
‘You didn’t hear anything that was being said between them?’
‘Not really, no. They were sitting in his car, or it’s her car – the VW – and she was shouting, but I was not going to get involved. I just got into my car and drove out.’
‘What was Alan doing?’
‘Sitting there. To be honest I always found them an odd couple – she’s very volatile and she can really have a go at you, know what I mean? But he seemed a bit downcast. It was obvious who the boss was.’
‘They were engaged to be married, weren’t they?’
‘Yeah. Well, she flashed a diamond ring around, and I know she was looking at property to buy.’
Anna placed her half-empty coffee mug down on the table.
‘Do you think that Alan was the type to just walk out on Tina?’
Kiara pulled a face. ‘I dunno.’
‘Did you ever hear anything about there having been someone else he was seeing?’
‘I wouldn’t have liked to be in his shoes if she found out.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Anna asked.
‘Well, like I said before, the lady has a short fuse and I wouldn’t like to be caught on the end of it.’
‘Give me a scenario when you have seen Tina angry.’
Kiara suddenly didn’t want to answer any more questions, shaking her head and backing out.
‘Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of anything here. I know she’s got a temper and we’ve all had to bear the brunt of it sometimes, but she’s good to work for if you treat her right. Ask someone else, okay?’
Kiara left them and Anna helped herself to some of the fresh coffee Kiara had brewed, but not drunk. The next moment they got their own experience of Tina Brooks’s temper. She almost kicked the screen down as she faced them.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ she demanded, hands on hips. ‘Why are you asking my staff about my relationship with Alan? It’s none of their fucking business.’
‘We are just interviewing everyone who might give us some indication as to where he could be.’
‘Anybody working for me would know we kept our life private. I told you this – in fact, I’ve been fucking accommodating to you two whenever you turn up, and from now on if you want to see me again, you ask to do so through my lawyer. Now get out of my salon.’
Anna put her coffee down and Paul drained his mug.
‘Now – I want you out of here now.’
‘You know, Tina, this isn’t the best way—’
The young woman pushed Anna in the chest, interrupting her.
‘It’s my way. I’ve got enough pressure trying to deal with the fact he’s walked out on me. I don’t need this aggravation, I DON’T NEED IT.’
Anna walked out first and Paul followed quickly as they heard a crash of breaking china in the staff room. They both hurried through the salon, passing Donna blowdrying a customer’s hair. She gave them a smile, but wiped it off her face fast as Tina strode after them.
‘You want to talk to any of my staff, you ask me first.’
Anna opened the salon’s door. Felicity at reception looked terrified as Tina told her, ‘You hear me, Felicity? You don’t let anybody in here without my permission – and that includes t
he police.’
She slammed the door after them so hard, Paul was worried it would shatter the glass.
Anna whistled and then smiled. ‘Mmm, that was nice.’
‘You look as if you are starting to enjoy yourself,’ Paul said.
She laughed. ‘I wouldn’t exactly describe it as enjoyment, more like interesting.’ Paul didn’t say anything, but it was the first time he had heard her laugh properly. It perplexed him, because he had not found the interaction with Tina in any way amusing. On the contrary, it disturbed him.
‘Next port of call?’ Anna said as she started the engine. They were using her Mini rather than a patrol car.
‘City banking company over by Liverpool Street,’ Paul replied promptly.
‘What’s his name?’ Anna asked.
Paul pulled out his notebook and flipped over a page to a name he’d taken down; the occupant of flat one.
‘Michael Phillips.’
The journey took some time from Hounslow and Anna put the radio on. They sat listening to classical music on Radio 3. Paul’s hangover was still resting like a low dull thud so he closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn’t get any worse.
They parked and headed towards an impressive building close to the station. It had taken a while for Anna to get the doorman to allow them to park in the small private parking area. She showed her ID and said she was there on business and he gave her a sticker to place on the windscreen.
By this time Paul had asked a receptionist seated behind a large curved desk to contact Mr Phillips. She placed a call to the company of Aston & Clark Merchant Bankers and at the same time wrote down on two visitor’s cards his name and Anna’s. She slipped them into plastic covers with the phone hooked under her chin, repeating that she had DCI Travis and DS Paul Simms waiting.
‘Mr Phillips is in conference room three. If you go to the fourth floor, his secretary will meet you outside the lift.’
Together Anna and Paul pinned their visitor cards to their lapels and waited by a small gate for it to open and allow them to pass through to the lifts. The security of the company was very obviously a priority and it wasn’t until the receptionist had clicked open the automatic lock that they could pass through.
The glass lift had mirrored panels and thick carpet.
‘This all smells of money to me,’ Paul said, brushing a hand through his hair, looking at himself in the mirror.
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