by BL Pearce
It didn’t take longer than half an hour to get through the entire left side of the street. He saved the Maplin’s house until last, so they could have a chat.
This time it was Mrs Maplin who answered the door.
“Please, call me Julia,” she said, as she showed him into the living room, an eye-watering, floral extravaganza that proved money couldn’t buy good taste. “Is this about poor Katie?”
‘Yes.” Rob sat down on a daffodil-yellow loveseat that hurt to look at. “We’re re-canvassing the area in case anyone remembers seeing anything unusual the morning of her disappearance.”
“Would you like some tea or a cold refreshment?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
She nodded and sat down.
Rob could have done with a cold drink, but he didn’t want to impose, and he was in a hurry. They’d wasted enough time. This was fast turning into a useless endeavour.
He needed to get back to the station to collaborate any evidence that had come in this morning. They were still waiting on the DNA samples from Katie’s backpack.
“Well, I’m not sure how I can help you, DCI Miller.”
“Could you take me through your movements yesterday morning?”
Her eyes widened. “Yes, of course. As soon as we heard that Katie had gone missing, we rallied everyone together. The idea was to form a search party and look for her.”
“How did you hear?”
“It was hard not to. Lisa was running up and down the road screaming her name.” She shook her head. “My heart broke for her. I went to see if I could help. Then you lot arrived, and the street was cordoned off…”
He knew the rest.
“And your husband didn’t go to work yesterday?”
She chucked. “No, he works from home most days now, although he still goes in for the odd meeting.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s a Financial Consultant.” Like it was a revered position.
It must be nice to work from home. It wasn’t a luxury he’d never be afforded in the police service. You couldn’t catch criminals from your home office.
Julia uncrossed her legs, smoothing down her skirt. He noticed the sizable diamond on her ring finger, flanked by a thick gold band.
“Do you work?” He asked her.
“Only part-time.” She smiled. “I volunteer for the local charity shop three days a week.”
“What did you do before that?”
“I was in real estate.” She wrinkled her nose like it was something nasty, something she wanted to forget. “I found this house for Ed. That’s how we met, actually.” A secretive smile.
“How long ago was that?”
“Hmm… About fifteen years ago, now.”
“Do you have any children?”
“I don’t, but Ed has two from his previous marriage. They’re at university now. Makes one feel old.” She grinned. “I was very fond of Becca and Peter. The house felt strange after they’d gone.”
Appearances were deceiving. Here, he thought they were the perfect suburban family. Husband, wife, two kids at the local school, when in fact, she was his second wife and the kids had already flown the nest.
“Ed’s first wife died,” she told him. “He moved here because of the schools. I remember when we first met, it was pouring with rain and we hid inside this house until it had eased up. That’s how we got talking.”
Rob nodded encouragingly, willing her to go on.
“He was really torn up over his wife’s death, so were the children. They were…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Lost.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I know,” she hastened. “It’s hard to believe a man like Edward could be in that position, but he was. Newly widowed with two kids to raise.” She shook her head. “So very tragic. We always said it was fate that brought us together.”
Fate, indeed.
Edward chose that moment to walk into the room. “Hello again, Detective. I’m about to have an espresso. Would you like one?”
He hesitated.
“It’s no bother, really. I have a little machine that does it all for me.”
How could he refuse? “Thanks.”
“You know,” Edward continued. “I was thinking about this whole ghastly business and I recall something a couple of years back, something similar happening. Do you remember, Jules? One of our neighbours was talking about it.”
Rob perked up. “Really?”
Julia ‘s brow furrowed. “Yes, now that you mention it, I do recall something like that. Hang on, let me have a think.”
“I’ll be back with the coffee.” Ed walked out, but he didn’t beckon to Rob to follow, so he sat where he was and waited for Julia to remember.
Come on.
“That’s it!” She snapped her fingers. “Gosh, if Ed hadn’t mentioned it, I’m not sure I would have ever thought about that again.”
“About what?” He struggled to keep the impatience out of his voice.
“It was Sylvia – at number twenty-seven – who mentioned it during dinner one night. I was astounded because she’d never said a word.”
“Who hadn’t?” Rob said tightly.
“Tessa Parvin.”
“Who?” The name was vaguely familiar. He racked his brains. Where had he heard it before? Mallory would know.
“Tessa, she lives around the corner. Her daughter was taken.”
Rob’s heart skipped a beat. “Taken? Like kidnapped?”
“Yes, just like Katie. It was a while ago now, but I’m quite sure that’s what it was.”
Ed returned with the coffee. It smelled great, but Rob hardly noticed. His mind was flying. A woman in the immediate area had also had a child go missing.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Maybe not.
He accepted the espresso from Ed. It was in a proper glass espresso cup with just the right amount of crema on the top. “Thanks.”
He fixed his eyes on Julia. “What happened to the child? Did they ever find her?”
She shook her head. “As far as I know, she’s still missing.”
14
This was arguably the best espresso Rob had ever had, but unfortunately, he wasn’t in a position to enjoy it.
Katie. Tessa. Sylvia. A second missing child. Never found.
It must have been before his time, since he didn’t recall anything like that. It was surprising the Chief Superintendent hadn’t mentioned it. He’d been around for decades. The thoughts flew through his head, mingling and merging in a confusion array of disjointed information.
“Can you tell me anything more?” he asked. “Like when her daughter was abducted?”
Ed sat in a vacant chair. “It didn’t happen around here, I don’t think.” He looked at his wife for confirmation.
Julia shook her head. “No, Tessa only moved into the area three or four years ago. I think that’s why she relocated.”
Rob exhaled. That’s why they hadn’t heard about it. It was outside their jurisdiction.
“Wasn’t it something to do with Tessa’s ex-husband?” Ed asked.
Julia sat up straight. “Yes, that’s right. Sylvia said Tessa’s ex had taken the girl back to Syria, or wherever he was from. It’s such a male dominated society over there. The wife has no rights.”
“How did she know the father took her?” Not that he was disputing what she said, but if the father had kidnapped her, it was unlikely to be connected to the Katie Wells case.
“I’m not sure. I think that’s the conclusion the police came to.” She looked at Rob like he ought to know. She had a point.
“We’ll look into it,” he said gruffly. “Could you give me Tessa’s address?”
“Of course.” Julia got up and fished in her handbag that was lying on the living room table. She scrolled through her phone contacts. “Here it is.”
Reaching for a small notepad and pen, she wrote down the address, then handed it to him.
It was literally around the corner. Not in the road they’d just canvassed, but less than five hundred meters away. “And Sylvia was number twenty-seven?”
She nodded.
Mallory’s side of the road.
Just then his phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. Mallory was outside waiting for him. He finished the last sip of his coffee and passed the cup to Ed. “Thanks, I needed that.”
He grinned. “Anytime. Good luck, Detective. We’re counting on you to bring Katie home.”
“Did you speak to a Sylvia Grey?” Rob asked his partner as soon as he got to the car.
Mallory nodded. “Yes, she’s in number twenty-seven. Nice lady. Very knowledgeable about plants.”
Rob couldn’t care less about her plants.
“Did she mention anything about Tessa Parvin’s missing daughter?”
Mallory frowned. “No. Did I miss something?”
“It’s something the Maplin’s said. Apparently, Tessa’s daughter went missing a couple of years back. The police thought the husband had taken her back to the Middle East.”
“Sylvia didn’t mention it.” He ran a hand through his thinning hair, clearly agitated with himself.
“Not your fault,” Rob said. “It’s probably not relevant. Is she there now?”
“Yep.”
“Let’s have a quick word and get her take before we go and see Tessa Parvin.”
They walked back up the lavender-scented street and knocked on Sylvia’s door. It was a dove grey, like her name.
She opened the door with a warm smile. “You’re back DI Mallory. Did you forget to ask me something?”
She was younger than Rob had expected, late thirties with a heart-shaped face and chocolatey brown eyes fixed on his partner.
Mallory smiled back. “Yes, sorry to disturb you, Miss Grey.”
“Please, I asked you to call me Sylvia.”
Was Mallory blushing?
Rob cleared his throat. “Excuse us for interrupting, Miss Grey.” The first-name bases did not apply to him. She shifted her melting gaze onto him. “We want to ask you about Tessa Parvin. I believe you know her?”
“Oh, Tessa, yes. Do you want to come in?”
They followed her into a tastefully decorated hallway consisting of a narrow bureau with a lamp, a basket for her keys and a wrought-iron coat stand. It was pleasantly bright and uncluttered, a total contrast to the kitsch design of the Maplin’s place.
“Please, sit down.” The living room was equally cheery, with sheer curtains lifting in the breeze from the open window. The furnishings were all light-coloured and minimalist, but of good quality. Rob sat on a tastefully upholstered armchair, leaving Mallory to sit beside Sylvia on the L-shaped sofa.
“Could you tell us what you know about her daughter’s disappearance?”
The smile melted off Sylvia’s face. “Oh, that. I’m not sure I should mention it. Tessa doesn’t like people to know.”
“It would really help our investigation,” Mallory said.
Her gaze flickered back to him and softened. His partner had made quite an impression.
“Okay, well if you think it will help.”
Mallory gave her an encouraging smile.
The interplay between the two of them was interesting. Did he detect a spark there?
“What do you know?” Mallory asked.
“It was shortly after Tessa moved into the neighbourhood.” Sylvia clutched her hands in front of her. She had thin, elegant fingers. No wedding band. “I met her at the nursery, she was buying some petunias for her garden and we got talking. She used to be a botanist; did you know that?”
“No.” Rob resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
“Anyway, I went to hers for a cup of tea and commented on the photograph of her daughter. A pretty little girl. Mixed-race, that was a surprise. That’s when she told me.”
“Yes?” Rob leaned forward in his chair.
“Well, she fell apart. She said her daughter lived with her ex-husband in Iran, and she couldn’t see her. It was very sad. I felt so sorry for her.”
“Did the father abduct the child or was it an agreed arrangement?” Mallory asked. Rob was content for him to take over the questioning. Sylvia responded better to him, anyway.
“Just between you and me, I think he took her without permission. Tessa was distraught, it was still very raw. She admitted she’d moved because she couldn’t stay in that house anymore, not without her daughter.”
“Do you know where she used to live?” Mallory enquired.
Sylvia scrunched up her forehead, then gave a soft sigh. “No, sorry. I can’t remember. I think it was the same county, though.”
“Okay, that’s fine.” Mallory smiled. “Thanks Sylvia, you’ve been amazing.”
Amazing? That was a strong word.
She beamed. “I’m happy to help.” Then, she gasped. “You don’t think that’s got anything to do with Katie’s disappearance, do you?”
“Oh, no,” Mallory assured her. “It just came up in our enquiries and we’re obliged to check it out.”
She nodded, the smile firmly back in place. “Okay, well if you’re ever in the neighbourhood, do pop in for a cup of tea.”
Rob masked a grin as his partner coloured. “I will, thank you again, Sylvia.”
“She’s nice,” Rob remarked, as they left the neat, double-story house with the grey front door.
“Don’t.” Mallory held up his hand.
Rob laughed. “Okay. Come on, it’s time we paid Tessa Parvin a visit. She’s only a block away.”
Mallory raised his eyebrows. “Wasn’t she the one at the volunteer search party? I remember taking down her name.”
Rob nodded. It had come back to him too. “That’s the one.”
He didn't need to say it. He knew Mallory was thinking that same thing he was.
Tessa Parvin lived in mock-Tudor turmoil. The house seemed slightly off kilter, like it was listing to the side. Faded wooden beams gasped out for varnish, while the paint on the exterior walls had disintegrated in exhausted chunks.
The garden was wild and chaotic. Nettles drooped in the heat, while out of control lavender collapsed forward, unable to hold their purple heads upright. Rob and Mallory navigated the overgrown path, careful not to sting themselves, and rang the doorbell.
It chimed a low melody, then footsteps on the floorboards and the chain rattled.
“Hello?” Tessa Parvin’s aquiline nose poked through the gap.
“Mrs Parvin? It’s the police, could we have a word?”
There was a pause.
The door closed again while the chain was removed. A bolt slid back, and the door opened.
A stale, musty smell assaulted them, like when you walk into a house that’s been closed up for months.
“DCI Miller and DI Mallory from Richmond CID. May we come in?”
“What’s this about?”
She didn’t move, didn’t invite them in. Her body planted firmly in front of the door. Behind her was a dark hallway. So dark, Rob had to strain to see anything beyond a few meters.
“Katie Wells.”
Rob held up his warrant card. If he’d hoped it would intimidate her into letting him in, he was wrong. Her back straightened and her shoulders squared for battle.
“Why do you want to talk to me?”
“We understand you know the family?”
He phrased it as a question, hoping it would encourage her to answer, but she merely nodded. He tried again. “You were part of the informal search party that was disbanded, weren’t you? We met briefly yesterday.”
Another nod. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced from him to Mallory and back again.
Rob was losing patience. “Look, Mrs Parvin, you can either let us in and answer some questions or we can take you down to the police station and answer them there.”
“On what grounds?” she asked.
“On the grounds that this is an active investigation and you
may know something that could help us.”
“I don't know anything about Katie’s disappearance. If I did, I would have told you.”
That was his entry point.
“Because you know what it’s like to have a daughter taken from you, don’t you?”
She stared at him, lost for words.
When she’d found her tongue, she scowled. “That has nothing to do with this. If you want to come in, get a warrant. I know my rights.”
She shut the door in their faces.
Rob looked at Mallory. “By the time we get a warrant she may have moved Katie to another location, assuming she’s there now.”
Mallory frowned. “She was acting rather suspiciously. What should we do?”
Rob ground his teeth together, working his lower jaw. “Fuck it, let’s caution her and bring her in for questioning. We’ll have to do this the hard way. And get a warrant to search her premises.”
He banged on the door again.
No answer.
“Mrs Parvin, if you don’t open this door, we’re going to break it down and arrest you. Please come out.”
The silence dragged on.
“Get uniform out here with a battering ram,” Rob snapped. “I’m going around the back. If she comes out, arrest her.”
Mallory was already keying the numbers into his mobile phone.
Rob walked around the side. The house seemed to lean on him, casting a long shadow across the mangled garden. The upstairs windows were in darkness, curtains drawn. It didn’t look like there was any movement. He considered the Tutor-style loft, but the small box window in the centre of the uneven triangular beams was closed. If Katie was in there, they’d never know from down here.
A batted blue Ford Escort sat in the narrow driveway to the side of the property. In front of it was a metal gate that led around the back. The hinges screeched as he pushed it open. Judging by the rust, it hadn’t been used in quite some time.
The back garden was bigger than the front, yet equality chaotic. More sad lavender, unfriendly thistles, a tangled assortment of unidentifiable wilderness plants, even some sunflowers, their bobbing yellow heads hanging in shame.
