Devious Intention, page 4
“You’re right; it must be dreadful. I apologise for asking this next question, but did having the miscarriage put your marriage under pressure?”
“I suppose so. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was on the rocks, though. How shall I put this? Maybe it would be best to say that Matt and I had become more like brother and sister rather than husband and wife.”
“I can totally understand that, considering your miscarriage was only a few months ago. It takes time to overcome these things. What sort of human being would you be if you didn’t grieve the loss of an unborn child?”
“Thank you, Ellie. I tried to tell my husband that same thing on numerous occasions, but he just couldn’t see where I was coming from, which caused an even further rift between us.”
“What a shame. This situation must be causing you so much turmoil inside. Please, if you’ll let us help, we promise to do everything we can to reunite your family before long.”
“Thank you. Any idea where you’re going to begin?”
Ellie raised an eyebrow. “Yes, by offering you a bed at our cottage with us. No objections. That’s okay, isn’t it, Bri?”
Brian winked at Ellie. “I was about to suggest the same. Together, we’ll bring your family back to you, Louise. Of that, you can be certain. We’ve never let a client down yet, have we, Ellie?”
“No, and we’re not about to start now, either. Right, I need to start asking some questions that might sound a little awkward, so bear with me, Louise. We need to know where to begin this investigation. Anything you tell us will be treated as strictly confidential.”
“I don’t understand; I’ve told you everything I know. I’m not sure I can really add anything further, Ellie.”
“You’ve given us an insight into the state of your marriage, but I wondered if you’d share with us how things are with your husband’s business?”
“I would if I could. However, Matthew tends to keep that sort of thing to himself. He says he doesn’t want to burden me with the ins and outs of his stressful work regime, whatever that’s supposed to mean.”
“Hmm… well, in my book that could mean one of two things: either he is genuinely trying to protect you, or he could be in some kind of trouble. In my—sorry—our experience, it’s very rare for people to simply disappear, which is what you’re telling us has happened to Matt and Sophie.”
“I see. Well, I think you’ll need to ask his associate if everything was okay on the business front, then. I didn’t really get the impression that anything was awry, but I suppose I’ve been pretty wrapped up in my own misery for the past few months. It’s possible I haven’t noticed.”
“That’s a reasonable excuse. So, I think we should check out what the state of play is with your car first, and then we’ll look into what’s going on with the business.” Ellie rested her finger on her chin, striking a thoughtful pose.
Brian nodded. “Okay, will this be before or after we’ve tracked down the attending police officer?”
“Ah, right. For a moment I forgot about that angle. We need to contact him first before we do anything else. Are you okay with that, Louise?”
She blew out a breath. “I hope you have more joy than I had with Sergeant Bould. I got the impression he was treating me as if I was a bloody criminal. I guess in his eyes, in light of the accident I’d just been involved in, I was.”
“That’s not an excuse I’m willing to accept. So, we’re agreed: you’re employing us to search for your family, so in the eyes of the law, we can request certain information on your behalf.”
“Yes, and I promise to repay you when I get back to Hertfordshire.”
Ellie waved her hand. “We’ll discuss that later. Talking of Hertfordshire, is there anyone there you should or could contact for help?”
“Here’s the thing—all my contact details were either on my mobile or back at the house in my address book. I’m lost without either of them. I have a head like a sieve even when I’m not suffering from concussion.”
“That’s okay. We can work around that. Who do you want us to contact?”
“My best friend, Georgina Drinkwater. She lives in Tring, but for the life of me, I have no idea of her address. When I visit her, I tend to drive on autopilot.”
“Brian, can you get a number for me?”
He stood up, brushed the sand off his trousers, and stepped a few feet away from where they were sitting to place the call.
Louise turned to look at the sea. The way the waves hurtled towards the shoreline coincided with how battered and bruised she felt.
“Hey, don’t look so down. We’ll sort this; just be patient. My brother is still working in the force, and he’s been known to lend us a hand on the odd occasion, too.”
“I look at Cally, and all I see is what Sophie should be doing now, playing in the sand, building sandcastles one after another. Instead, she’s out there. For all I know, she could be dead, and it’s driving me nuts not being able to do something.”
“You’re wrong, Louise. You are doing something about it. Stay strong. We’ll get the answers we need to reunite you all. I promise.”
“I have faith in you. You’ve been so kind to me already when others have tried to take advantage of me. I hope Brian can track down Georgina. I’m in desperate need to hear a friendly voice. We’ve known each other since school. Maybe she knows something about Matt’s business that I’m unaware of.”
“She must be a very close friend if you think that, Louise.”
“Very close. Georgina has been the closest thing to a sister I’ve ever had. She was instrumental in helping me make the funeral plans to bury Mum. I couldn’t have got through that horrendous time without her wonderful support.”
“She sounds like a terrific friend. Someone you can rely on when the chips are down, as my dad used to say. There’s not many people like that around these days.”
“She is.”
They stopped talking when Brian rushed back to them and offered his mobile to Louise. “I have someone who wants to speak to you.”
Louise snatched the phone out of his hand and whispered, “Is it Georgina?”
Brian smiled and nodded.
“George?”
“Louise, what the hell has happened? Did you go away?”
“Yes, oh, George, I’m not sure where I should begin. Matt and Sophie are missing.”
“What? Where? How?”
“There was an accident. When I woke up, they were gone. I’ve employed a couple of private investigators to help me find them.”
“Whoa! PIs? Why? Aren’t the police helping you?”
“They’ve been as much use as a chocolate teapot. They told me that I was driving the car and that I smashed into a barrier. Of course, it’s all lies. I distinctly recall a car hurtling towards us and Matt crashing into him before I was knocked unconscious.”
“Damn! Why the mistake? Sounds like a right cock-up. How can the police say you were driving? And where was the driver of the other car, or the other car for that matter? None of this makes any sense, love.”
“Tell me about it. Could you do me a big favour and go to the house? See if Matt has made it home somehow? For all I know, he could be suffering from amnesia or something along those lines.”
“Of course, I’ll check it out. Are you going to continue with your holiday?”
“What? I can’t believe you would ask me that, George!”
“Sorry, that came out wrong. What are you going to do? Remain down there, looking for Matt and Sophie in the meantime?”
“I see. Yes, unless we find out anything that will draw me away from the area.”
“Are you staying at the cottage you booked?”
“No. Damn, maybe I should have checked there first. It’s this concussion—my mind isn’t working well at the moment. I’ll need to try and remember the name of the village we were supposed to be staying in. All the information was in the car. I put it all in a plastic sleeve. Never thought I’d need it, really. It’s as if things are conspiring against me.”
“It might feel like that, sweetie, but stick with it. Your mind will begin to clear soon, and it will all come flooding back. I’ll drop by the house later today and get back to you.”
“Only on this number. My mobile’s missing too.”
“Crap! I’d be lost without mine.”
“That’s the least of my worries, George. I’m more concerned about Matt and Sophie’s well-being.”
“Thoughtless comment on my part. I’m just blown away by what’s happened to you, to you all. I’ll be in touch soon. Take care. Ring me if you need me to come and pick you up or need any more help, okay?”
“Thanks, I will.” Louise handed the phone back to Brian.
He took it and asked Ellie, “What’s next?”
“I think I should pay this Sergeant Bould a visit before we do anything else. Brian, it won’t take two of us to see him. Why don’t you take Louise and Cally back to the cottage and keep them entertained with your wit? On second thoughts…”
“Cheeky sod,” he complained good-naturedly.
CHAPTER THREE
When Ellie contacted the Falmouth police station, the girl on the switchboard explained that due to government cutbacks, the enquiry desk at the station was closed. Therefore, Sergeant Bould would need to come out to see her to discuss the matter in person. Ellie didn’t want the meeting to take place at the holiday cottage where Louise could overhear, so she asked Bould to ring her on her mobile to arrange a suitable rendezvous point. He had seemed surprised to hear from her, but he agreed to meet her at the Gylly Beach Café on the seafront at four o’clock.
Ellie kicked the sand around as she contemplated what she was going to say to the officer. She made her way to the café and sat down at a table. Bould had the audacity to turn up ten minutes late.
She offered her hand for him to shake and smiled broadly in an attempt to get on his good side from the outset. “Would you like a coffee, Sergeant?”
“That’d be nice, thank you. I must say that your call came out of the blue.” After the waitress took the order and left, he looked around at the other tables. “Is Ms. Gillespie not here with you?”
His use of the title ‘Ms.’ ruffled her feathers immediately—Louise had told her that this jerk hadn’t accepted what her marital status was. Determined not to let him see how much his rudeness had affected her, she kept the smile pinned firmly in place.
“No, she’s instructed us to work for her; therefore, any communications you have with her from now on should go through either me or my partner, Brian. That way, there won’t be any misunderstandings on either side.”
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Misunderstandings? I’d say you need to be cautious with the information that Ms. Gillespie has fed you, Miss Brazil.”
“Would you care to enlighten me as to what you mean by that, Sergeant?”
“Just that I suspect all is not how it appears to be with your client.”
He was toying with her, if the sparkle in his eyes was anything to go by. “You’re going to have to tell me what you’re suggesting. You can’t leave me dangling like that, Sergeant.”
“Why don’t we lay our cards on the table from the beginning?”
“Okay, you first.”
He leaned back in his chair and studied her face for a few moments before he replied, “Let’s start with the facts in this case, shall we?”
“Please do,” Ellie agreed, sitting back in her own chair and folding her arms in front of her.
“Right, for a start, your client refutes that she was driving the car at the time of the accident, and yet there was no one else near the scene or involved in the accident to prove otherwise.”
Ellie’s eyes narrowed as she picked over his statement, then something suddenly dawned on her. “Was there any evidence of impact inside the vehicle?”
“What are you getting at?” It was the sergeant’s turn to look puzzled. He appeared a little uncomfortable when he sat forward and rested his arms on the table.
The waitress arrived with their drinks, delaying Ellie’s response.
“Okay, I’m at a disadvantage here because I haven’t witnessed either the crime scene or the condition of Louise’s vehicle. I’ve thought long and hard about your accusation that she was driving the car and have come up with a simple solution that would put Louise’s side of events at the top of your list.”
“I’m listening.”
“She was concussed when you found her, yes?”
He nodded.
“Why was that? Because she hit the windscreen with her head, right?”
His eyes widened with the revelation. “Okay.”
“Therefore, I repeat my question about what impact you found on the inside of the car. Was there any damage to the windscreen, for instance?”
“I’ll need to check that out. I can’t say I thought about that.”
“Really? What about the accident investigators? Surely they put that in their report?” Ellie prompted, disheartened by his response.
“No accident investigators attended the scene. There was a major road traffic accident on the motorway fifteen miles away, and the council demanded that the road be opened ASAP!”
“That’s incredible, and you allowed yourself to be fobbed off like that?” She was amazed and incensed by his absurd confession. That kind of situation would never have arisen in her area.
He shrugged. “What else could I do?”
“Stand up for yourself, and the law. Have you thought what the consequences of that statement will be if Louise takes the force to court?”
“She wouldn’t do that, would she?”
“Give me one good reason why I should suggest she doesn’t do that.”
“Because, well, because…”
“Is that it? How long have you been a serving police officer in this sleepy backwater, Sergeant?”
“Nearly ten years. Why?”
“Let’s just say your logic as to how a crime scene should be investigated is way off the mark. Especially when the victim of the said crime has told you that the rest of her family has gone missing. How many cases have you come across when someone has uttered those words?” Ellie’s blood began to boil as she witnessed the changing expressions on his tanned face. It was just dawning on him that he’d majorly messed up.
“None. Look, the woman was on a stretcher, complaining that she was concussed. Do you know what that means?”
“Of course I bloody do! Jesus, that still wouldn’t prevent me from investigating the crime thoroughly. I want to see her car for myself. Can you arrange that?”
He tutted and chewed his lip a few times. “No, the car was scrapped.”
“What? Now I know you’re some kind of wind-up merchant.”
He shook his head as his cheeks flushed. “Nope. It was a write-off. That’s how we treat cars like that around these parts.”
His distinct Cornish accent began to grate on her nerves. “Even though they’re involved in an ongoing case? A case there are valid questions about?”
“Well…”
“Really? Could this get any worse for you? Not in my book, I have to say. Your ineptness to conduct your enquiries responsibly is beyond me.”
“Now, wait just a minute—I do the best I can with the evidence presented to me.”
“Hmm… so, how is the missing persons’ enquiry going so far? How many sightings have you recorded in the area?”
“Ah!”
Ellie thrust her coffee cup to the side of the table in disgust. “For fuck’s sake! What kind of backward policing do you do around here?”
“We do our best given the resources we have at our disposal.”
“Is that really an adequate excuse or just one coppers like to pluck out of the air when they’ve fu… excuse me, screwed up?”
He hitched up his left shoulder and looked down at his cup, obviously embarrassed.
“What I want to know is what you intend to do about that cock-up, Sergeant.”
“What can I do? The car has been scrapped.”
“What about going to Louise’s home address? Have you done that yet?”
“Should I? Given that the home is out of my jurisdiction?”
“Is that it? If someone in need isn’t a local resident, you simply wash your hands of them?”
“It comes down to resources again.”
“That’s utter bullshit. You’re talking to an ex-copper, Sergeant. I’m well aware how the system works. You have a police database to hand. Normally, officers type in a person’s details, and—ping!—the computer comes back with the relevant information. Marvellous technology, don’t you agree?”
“If this conversation is going to involve large doses of sarcasm, Miss Brazil, then I’d like to call a halt to it right now.”
“It isn’t. Surely you can understand my frustration, and my client’s?”
“Yes. I’ve already apologised, but really, I don’t see how I can amend things now.”
“You draw a line under the fuck-ups and start again.”
He glared at her and said, “Why should I do that if your client has instructed you to look into the case for her?”
Ellie thumped her fist on the table. The cups and saucers leapt into the air and landed again in two heaps on the glass table. “Jesus! Every bloody UK citizen has a right to have a full and proper investigation carried out if a crime has been committed.”
“Granted. However, the only crime that I can see has been committed in this case is a road traffic accident.”
“Seriously? Are you really as dense as you look?” Ellie bit down hard on her tongue after the insult she’d just unleashed at the twit. “I’m sorry. That was wrong. I apologise. What about the missing persons’ report? Don’t you regard that as an ongoing incident that you should be chasing up?”
“If I must. However, if your client has instructed you to conduct a search for her family, there seems very little point in me looking for them too. There’s every possibility we’ll get in each other’s way.”
