Between her childminder and Marcus, Amy was being taken care of. Claire didn’t want her upset by the goings-on – the reunion was now far from the fun gathering she’d planned. Shona was making soup in Claire’s kitchen, though her heart wasn’t in it, evident by the way she slowly stirred the pot, dropping in a few more roughly chopped vegetables she’d found in Claire’s fridge.
‘Pat,’ Shona said, turning towards him. ‘Things are done differently these days.’ She chopped more carrots – anything to keep busy.
Claire stared at her phone, cursing the missed call. ‘Unknown number,’ she whispered, her stomach churning.
‘They’ll leave a message if it’s important,’ Greta said, passing around yet more cups of tea.
Angus had decided that he and Jenny should go home now that Patrick was feeling more himself. ‘Shona doesn’t need more mouths to feed,’ he said, when Jenny thought they should stay to help. Claire hugged them as they left, feeling terrible that they were leaving under such circumstances. But the police had said they wouldn’t be needed for further statements, and Jenny promised to phone later that evening for an update.
As she watched them drive off, Claire’s phone pinged with a voice message. She was about to listen to it, but Nick, Jason and Marcus blustered back in, all talking at once. Maggie mustered enough energy to look up, having just left another message at Rain’s father’s office. He seemed unreachable.
‘We just spoke to the lad who works at the surf shop. His name’s Blake,’ Jason said. ‘He told us that he thought he saw a girl like Rain up near the shop on Sunday afternoon. He’s already been interviewed by the police.’
‘Why didn’t they tell us?’ Claire said, remembering how any information about Lenni had been fed to her parents on a need-to-know basis.
Maggie stood up, gripping the back of her chair.
‘Apparently, Blake saw a girl getting into a car. An old white van, to be precise. It was about 4.30 p.m., he remembers, because he was outside having a smoke and thinking of packing up the surfboards as business was quiet.’ Jason took the tea handed to him. ‘Though judging by what Blake was smoking just now, I’d question his memory.’
‘Is this good news or bad?’ Patrick replied. He stared at his son for a moment before turning away, realising what he’d done several moments after the shock registered on Jason’s face; his father had actually spoken to him.
‘If there’s anything significant to report, Maggie will be the first to know,’ PC Watts said in a tone that urged them not to speculate.
‘But Rain would never get into a van with anyone,’ Maggie said quietly. ‘Not unless she knew them.’ There was silence as everyone digested what that meant. No one dared ask the obvious, whether Blake had seen a struggle.
‘That’s good, then, Mags,’ Claire said. ‘They’re making progress.’ Claire turned her mobile over and over in her hand. ‘And perhaps it was someone she knew. A friend from school or something. It’s a small world.’ She stopped. The possibility of Rain bumping into someone familiar in Trevellin when she’d lived most of her life in a boarding school hundreds of miles away was extremely unlikely. Claire’s phone pinged another alert, so she ducked out into the hallway to listen to the message.
Claire, it’s me. We need to talk urgently. Come to the staff canteen as soon as you can. Text me when you’re here. Claire thought the message had ended, but then Callum added, And keep quiet about it.
She hung up, puzzled. It almost didn’t sound like him. She’d never heard him scared before. She went back into the kitchen, forcing the frown from her face. ‘Jeff called,’ she said, staring at the floor. ‘There’s an important contract and he can’t find it.’ She felt the colour rising in her cheeks. ‘I’ll have to dash into the office quickly.’ She hated lying. ‘But I won’t be long,’ she added, before anyone could say anything. She grabbed her bag and keys, wondering why Callum had sounded so insistent.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Callum walked briskly down the hospital corridor towards the canteen to meet Claire, the nausea rising in his stomach. He couldn’t face the sandwich his secretary had fetched him for lunch, could barely keep down the coffee she’d left on his desk.
‘Darling,’ he said, holding out his arms. She was sitting at a table in the corner of the canteen, the place already filling up with the lunchtime rush. She stood up as soon as she saw him, her hands pressing lightly against his chest as they embraced. The fresh smell of her hair grounded him, making him believe everything was going to be fine.
‘What’s going on?’ she said. ‘You sounded really worried.’
‘Sit down.’
‘Sure, but…’ Her face folded with worry.
‘Those cops came to see me again.’
‘Here at work?’
He nodded. ‘I was about to go on ward rounds. It was very unprofessional.’
‘It might be worth a complaint.’ She reached out, touching his hand.
‘Look, I’ll get straight to the point.’ His mouth went dry. ‘It turns out they’ve found Rain’s fingerprints in our bedroom. They were asking me if I knew how they got there.’
‘What?’
He paused, allowing her to process the implications. He wasn’t about to spell it out, but he also needed to be sparing with the truth. It was for her own good.
‘I mean… but… how?’
‘Exactly.’ He locked on to her eyes. ‘It must mean that she was snooping about in there.’ He sighed heavily, shaking his head. ‘It’s horrible, and the last thing Maggie needs to be dealing with under the circumstances, but I want you to check your jewellery box. Don’t make a big thing about it. There’s bound to be an explanation.’
‘I don’t understand…’ Claire was squinting, frowning, thinking. ‘Rain wouldn’t steal from us. No way.’
‘I know. I don’t want to believe it either. But why else would she have been in our bedroom?’
Claire swept her hair off her face. ‘For any number of reasons. It doesn’t mean she’s a thief.’ Callum watched as she tried to assimilate the news. She shook her head, biting her lip. He knew her default setting was trust.
He allowed himself another sigh and squeezed her hand. ‘Look, it probably wasn’t the right thing to do, but I felt I had to say something to protect the silly girl. And even after everything, I felt sorry for Maggie too. Her daughter’s gone missing.’
Claire was looking right at him, studying his expression. ‘I know, but… after what you said Maggie did to you?’
‘They’ve both clearly got issues, love. I’m not heartless.’ Callum tilted his head, touching Claire under her chin. ‘And Maggie’s not exactly a great maternal influence. Why do you think Amy is such a delight?’ He stroked her cheek.
‘So what did you tell the police?’
‘This is where it gets tricky,’ he replied, unable to hide the tension in his voice. ‘I said she’d been in our bedroom with you.’
‘With me? Why?’ Claire recoiled.
‘It was a spur of the moment thing. I wanted to make things easier for her. I said I’d seen you both chatting in there on Saturday and that’s how her prints must have got in our room.’ He watched as Claire absorbed the news. ‘It’s not going to make a scrap of difference to whether they find her or not, but it might make things easier for Rain if it turns out she has stolen something. The insurance will cover it, so we don’t need to make a big song and dance.’
‘I’m really not sure that’s right, Cal.’ Claire was quiet, thoughtful. ‘Why didn’t you just tell them the truth, that you didn’t know why Rain was in our room? What if it does have something to do with her disappearance? I can’t believe you lied to the police.’
‘Look, I told you. I didn’t want to get her into trouble. She was obviously snooping. I thought I was doing the right thing covering for her.’
Claire frowned. ‘No, it’s not right at all.’ She stared up at him. ‘Oh God, it’s all so awful.’ Her voice wavered. ‘It’s far too
much like…’ She covered her face, then looked up again, her eyes welling with tears.
‘Love, not now. People are staring.’ Callum patted her on the shoulder. ‘It’ll all work out fine, you’ll see. I just need you to tell the police that Rain was chatting with you in our bedroom on Saturday afternoon, OK?’
‘No, Cal, I can’t do it. No way,’ she said, pulling a tissue from her bag and blowing her nose. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Love,’ he replied, taking her by the elbows. ‘I honestly don’t think we have a choice, not after I stuck my neck out and covered for her. You want to get me into trouble?’ He sighed heavily.
‘No, of course not. But what if—’
‘There are no what ifs, Claire. Tell them you were in our bedroom with Rain on Saturday and it’ll all be sorted.’
‘I don’t know…’ Claire felt the grip on her elbows tighten a little. She gave a small nod. ‘Maybe you’re right.’
Callum stared at her for a second, measuring the depth of her conviction. ‘Good girl. I have to get back to work now,’ he said, kissing her on the top of her head. ‘I’ll see you at home later.’ Then he turned and strode back to the neurology department, feeling a fraction less distracted.
Chapter Fifty
Nick felt his blood pressure rising, the pulse in his temple ticking, his jaw clenching. ‘I already told you I’d contacted the council about this, that we should just proceed. Those were my instructions, Trev.’ His heart thumped as he paced around Claire’s kitchen. He thought everyone was out, but had he just heard a noise? Was someone back? He didn’t want to be overheard, not with everything else going on.
‘You didn’t need to check with them, Trev. Just continue with the cellar as we agreed.’ Nick’s throat tightened around the lie. He breathed out heavily, wondering if his lungs might collapse from stress. If he didn’t get the basement into a useable, basically habitable state, he didn’t know what he’d do. He stepped out into the garden. The sun flared out from behind a cloud, making him squint. He didn’t want to get Trevor into trouble, but what choice did he have? Money and time were running out.
‘You’ll have to trust me on this one. I’ll take any flak.’ There was a pause as Trevor thought about the implications. Nick could never reveal why he wanted the work done. No one would understand.
‘Fine. How much?’ he said, knowing when he was beaten. ‘Yes, it’ll be cash. Just get the job done, Trevor. I want it tanked, wired and hooked up to mains drains with a water supply as soon as possible. And make sure it’s fully soundproofed. I’ll give you the money when I return.’ Then Nick stifled an incredulous laugh. ‘How am I supposed to get it to you today? I’m in Cornwall.’ A pause. ‘Today, then. I’ll call you when I’m in London.’ And he hung up, red-faced, deflated, angry and absolutely terrified that his plans were falling apart.
* * *
‘Let me fill you in,’ PC Wyndham said to Maggie, pulling out a chair for her in Claire’s kitchen. Nick had just left, looking concerned, and Maggie sat down, struggling to hold her head up. It felt as though it had doubled in weight.
‘We’ve managed to speak to several of Rain’s friends, but none of them have heard from her since Saturday evening. Katie has been away in France but is back now, confirming that Rain hadn’t replied to her most recent texts. She said it was out of character, and she was planning on calling her soon. Phone records confirm all this.’
Maggie nodded, her eyes fixed on nowhere. Until there was good news, she didn’t see how she’d be able to carry on.
‘More significantly, though, we believe there was a sighting of her at the surf shop yesterday.’
‘Yes, I already know,’ Maggie said quietly. ‘Shouldn’t you be widening the search, doing something else?’
‘I can assure you that we’re doing everything to find your daughter, Maggie.’ She touched her arm. ‘It’s still relatively early days, don’t forget.’ She paused, but Maggie said nothing. ‘Is there any reason why Rain might have gone off with someone outside the surf shop, Maggie? Do either of you know anyone with a white van, a builder or tradesman, perhaps?’
Maggie narrowed her eyes, focusing on the picture PC Wyndham showed her. It was a big van with rusty wheel arches. Her mind was all over the place, trying to work out who they knew with such a vehicle.
‘Blake at the surf shop thought it was a Ford Transit, much like this one. From his description, we believe it’s an older model, quite battered.’
‘She’s just a kid,’ Maggie said flatly. ‘Of course she doesn’t know any tradesmen.’
‘What about you? Have you had anyone do any work for you who she could have got close to?’
‘She’s not like that!’ Maggie’s eyes pooled with tears. Rain wasn’t here to defend herself. ‘She’s a good girl, a good student and has lots of friends. Her own age,’ she added.
‘I’m just asking if it’s at all possible that she could know someone well enough to go off with them. Someone who drives a van like this.’
‘No. Definitely not.’ The truth was, Maggie didn’t know. With Rain away at boarding school much of the year, it felt as if she was answering questions about a stranger.
‘OK.’ PC Wyndham nodded. ‘Then we need to consider she might have met someone who owned a vehicle like this since you arrived, or…’ She slowed before continuing. ‘Or, if it was indeed Rain that Blake saw, then we have to consider the possibility that she was forced into the van against her will.’
Maggie let out a whimper. They were finally considering kidnapping. ‘She’d never go off with a stranger. And she’s not really had a chance to meet anyone down here.’
‘What about on Saturday night when she went to Newquay? Did she tell you much about the evening?’
‘No, and I didn’t ask. She was out all night, but that’s not uncommon. I trust her to be sensible. If she’s in trouble or needs to get home, I know she’ll get a cab or call me.’ Maggie was defensive, but suddenly felt like the worst kind of mother.
‘Does she drink?’
‘Sometimes.’
‘I have to ask about drugs too, I’m afraid.’
‘No!’ Maggie said, palms on the table, half standing up. ‘She goes to a good school. She is feisty, yes, and strong-willed, yes. She likes a drink and it’s not uncommon for her to be out very late or crash at a friend’s house. I know she smokes cigarettes sometimes because I smell them on her. She does her schoolwork and she’s popular with her friends. She’s had boyfriends in the past, but there’s no one special right now. I had an affair with her father, an MP, as you know, and apart from paying her school fees, he wants nothing to do with her.’
Maggie was shaking, her eyes fixed across the room. She just wanted to numb herself until they figured it out. Peter’s non-responsiveness was starting to get to her and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep this up. The door opened and Claire was there, looking concerned after hearing Maggie’s raised voice.
‘OK,’ the officer said gently. ‘Mrs Rodway, would you mind if I had a word with you in private now?’
Claire swallowed. ‘Of course.’ She led the way through to Callum’s study and shut the door, trying to remember exactly what he had told her to say. And to decide if she should even say it.
Chapter Fifty-One
Nick phoned the bank from the car. Nothing, nothing would stand in the way of opening Malone’s in September. If it meant going over budget and paying off Trevor to work beneath the council’s radar on the other project, then so be it. Five grand wasn’t going to make much difference in the scheme of things. He had to keep Trevor quiet somehow.
He’d made his excuses to the others, saying he had to dash back to London to sort out a crisis, which wasn’t exactly a lie. A disappointed look swept across Claire’s face, momentarily replacing the mask of worry. He promised he’d be back in the morning.
Nick parked a couple of streets away from the bank in Exeter, joining the queue inside. He mulled over what had happened in the l
ast twenty-four hours, his mind flooded with a bittersweet mix of memories he knew were best forgotten as he shuffled forward. He recalled the day Lenni disappeared – horror mixed with the elation he’d felt at him and Claire finally kissing. That beautiful timeless moment when they’d stood waist deep in the sea, their bodies pressing against one another, their lips finally meeting.
Decades later, he could still almost feel the chilly swell of the sea buffeting him as he surfed the waves to impress Claire. He recalled her sauntering down to the beach in her red swimsuit, kicking off her flip-flops at the water’s edge. Had she known he was watching her? Aged eighteen, it was their last summer together before they went their separate ways, which only heightened the tension.
Claire had tentatively dipped herself little by little into the chilly sea, getting used to the temperature, while he allowed the current to drag him closer. Somehow his hands had found their way around her waist – God, he remembered the surge of courage that took – and, using the current as an excuse, he drew her closer. She was shivering out spasms of laughter as the waves crashed around them, until he silenced her by pressing his mouth firmly over hers. He felt the resonance of her moan as she settled into the kiss. They’d both wanted it for so long. And they’d have had more of it too, if it hadn’t been for Lenni.
* * *
Claire felt lightheaded as she stood opposite PC Wyndham in Callum’s study. She gripped the back of a chair, bracing herself.
‘We’re still trying to piece together Rain’s exact movements, Mrs Rodway. We know that Rain was, at some point, in your bedroom.’ She waited for a reply.
Claire took a breath, going back over what Callum had said. She didn’t like it one bit, lying to the police, but it was probably easier to do as he’d told her. ‘Yes, that’s right. We were having a chat in there. On Saturday.’ She swallowed.
The Reunion: An utterly gripping psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist Page 21