Dr. Nixon tilted her head in thought, and she twisted her hands, still clenched tightly together, from side to side. “Approximately eight years, I suppose. I still can’t see what the connection is or why your firm would be interested in my… employee.”
“Okay, cards on the table. This man is a suspect in a case I’m working on where several Worcester women have gone missing.”
The colour drained rapidly from the doctor’s cheeks. The woman’s gaze finally came back to meet Ellen’s. If she didn’t know any better, she would have considered the woman’s reaction to be one of incredulity, tinged with a knowing truth. “Are you all right?” Ellen prompted.
“What? Oh, yes. I’m fine. I’m going to have to end this little chat shortly as I have an important meeting to attend in half an hour, and I need to brush up on my notes before I leave.”
“Well, thank you for your time. I appreciate your help. It’s been enlightening.” Ellen smiled, confident that the words she’d chosen would confuse the woman. She shook the doctor’s hand and left the office without either of them saying another word.
Ellen drove back to the office with more questions than answers running through her mind. Certain that she had stumbled on something, she wasn’t quite sure what that something was. Her frustration built as she parked the car and entered her workplace.
“Hey, how did it go?” Brian asked.
“Interesting. Let me think on it awhile, and I’ll tell you all about it. The trouble is, I’m a little confused by the meeting I’ve just had and would like to analyse things before talking about it.”
“Sounds ominous. I know what that means. I’ll leave you to sort things. Let me know when I can help piece things together.”
She winked at her partner, appreciative of his understanding, then sat at her desk and wrote down a couple of pages of notes. On one of the pages, she wrote down Mike Fallon’s name, and on the other, she wrote the name of Dr. Nixon. “Brian, do me a favour, will you?”
“Go on.”
“Do a background check on a Dr. Nixon who works at the clinic. A female doctor. Sorry, I didn’t get a Christian name for her.”
“Not a problem. Leave it with me. What else have you got planned for today?”
“I promised I’d get the CCTV discs back to the nightclub. I can do that later. Apart from that, I need to look further into this Fallon’s background. He’s definitely our number-one person of interest.”
“Looks that way from where I’m sitting. I’ll get back to you with the doc’s info soon.”
“You do that while I make the coffee, for a change.”
Brian gave her a grin that could have easily challenged the Cheshire cat’s.
About an hour later, between the two of them, they had come up with more information than either of them had expected to find. Brian told Ellen what he’d found out about the doctor first.
“Susan Nixon’s been a doctor at the clinic for the last eight years. Previously, she was the head of a surgical team at another clinic specialising in heart problems.”
“Any reason she gave up a good post like that to become the head of the private clinic.”
“None that I can see. Maybe she just wanted a less stressful role later on in her life. What is she now… err… almost sixty, according to my records.”
“Makes sense. Nevertheless, she must have taken a hit on her salary.”
“Maybe money isn’t her god like it is for the other surgeons. Could be that she genuinely cares about her patients, unlike some doctors.”
Ellen’s nose twitched as she thought over his suggestion. “Not totally convinced by that. Can you trawl back through the local newspaper’s archives? See if there has been anything untoward written about the clinic since her reign began.”
His magic fingers went to work, and within minutes, she had her answer.
“That’s a negative. Zilch, nothing to report—on that front, at least. No suspicious deaths of any elderly patients, as is usually the case when these types of hospitals or clinics are under scrutiny.”
“Okay, how about personal, as opposed to professional, stuff on the doc.”
“Give me ten minutes.”
Ellen, lost deep in thought, stared out at the sombre-looking sky and sensed a storm heading their way. Mike Fallon, what have you been up to? His work schedule certainly made room for his nighttime activities, if he did turn out to be the abductor they had in their sights. But he goes to the gym during the day. Maybe he goes on his lunch break, or I’ve seen him there on his day off. Ellen realised that there was still an awful lot of digging to do about this man before she could either tackle him or get the police involved in the case.
“Bingo!” Brian shouted, interrupting her thought process.
Ellen left her desk and headed his way. She could tell by the beaming smile he was sporting that he had struck gold.
“What have you found, maestro?”
He leaned back in his chair and pointed triumphantly at the screen. “See for yourself, partner.”
She bent down and read the details of Dr. Susan Nixon’s personal life, which in truth, was pretty boring—until the last paragraph on the screen. After grieving the death of her former husband, Giles Fallon, to bowel cancer, Dr. Nixon married an old family friend. Ellen glanced at Brian in open-mouthed shock. “Bloody hell! Did I just read that right?”
Brian’s nod was as rhythmic as a metronome. “Giles Fallon. I bet you a hundred quid, too, that they have a son called Mike.”
Ellen staggered back to her desk and fell into her chair. “Shit! What have I done?”
“What are you talking about? You’ve done brilliantly on this, Ellie.”
“I’ve just told Fallon’s mother that her son is a suspect in this case.” She kicked the table leg and winced when her big toe took the brunt of her anger.
“Oh, I get it now. Well, we have to look on the bright side. If she informs her son that we’re closing in on him, then he’s liable to make a mistake, isn’t he?”
Ellen shook her head. “You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what? You’re not making sense.”
“This could send him into a panic. There’s no telling what he’ll do now, Brian. I could have just signed the missing women’s death warrants.”
“I think you’re talking out of your backside.”
Her mind was darting here and there, searching for a solution. Then it suddenly stumbled on something else that she’d foolishly overlooked. She scrabbled around on the desk, trying to locate the relevant file. She flicked open the file and ran her finger down the sheet, then stabbed at it with her finger when she reached halfway down the first page. “That’s it! He was the one.”
“You’re not making sense, Ellie. What have you found?”
Clutching the phone in one hand, she raised a finger in front of her, motioning for Brian to give her space for a minute or two until she checked up on something.
“Hello? Mrs. Falk, it’s Ellen Brazil at the Missing Persons Hotline.”
The woman drew in a sharp breath before replying, “Have you found Abbie? Please tell me you’ve found her?”
“Not yet. I’m sorry to get your hopes up. I wanted to check something you mentioned the other day about Abbie’s disappearance.”
Mrs. Falk let out a disappointed sigh. “What was that, dear? By the way call me Lillian.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong Lillian, but you said that after your daughter went missing, her ex-boyfriend came round and insisted on helping you and Richard search for Abbie.”
“That’s right, dear. Mike was here for three days in total, I think it was. Such a sweet man, caring and thoughtful. He even bought me a huge bunch of flowers to raise my spirits. I’ll be forever grateful for the compassion he showed me in the days immediately after Abbie went… missing. Why do you ask?”
Ellen took a few deep breaths, trying to slow her erratic heartbeat. “I’m just trying to sort through the missing girls’ files to
see if I can find any possible links. What’s Mike’s surname? Can you remember?”
“Oh dear, let me think. The doctor has put me on tablets to help me sleep better, and they’ve muddled my brain a little. Mike… Mike… ah yes, that’s right, Fallon. That’s it. Mike Fallon. When I said he was compassionate, I suppose it’s instilled in him as he works in a care home. Maybe if Abbie had stuck with him through her troubled times, things would be different right now.”
“Thanks, Lillian. That’s just what I need. I hope to be in touch with you again soon. Never give up hope that Abbie is still out there.”
“Oh, I won’t, dear. Not while there is a breath left in my body. Goodbye.”
Ellen hung up, unsure whether to be joyful or apprehensive about what she’d just learned.
“So?”
“So, Mike Fallon was Abbie Falk’s boyfriend. The guy she dumped after getting into credit card debt. According to Abbie’s mum, he was devastated. Stayed with her for the first couple of days after Abbie went missing. Considerate of him, huh?”
“Very. What do we do now?”
“I need to seriously think about the next course of action, Brian. The last thing I want to do is spook him into finishing the girls off, if he hasn’t done that already by now. What’s he done with them? If he’s holding them somewhere, where could that be?”
All Ellen knew was that if they didn’t track the girls down soon, their lives would be put in mortal danger once Fallon learned that they were onto him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
His mother urgently wanted to see him. Fallon knocked on the door to the office and waited in the hallway for her to call him in. He felt like a naughty schoolboy waiting outside the headmaster’s office, aware that his backside was going to get the cane. The door opened, and one of the younger nurses left the office. Her cheeks were damp, as if she’d been crying. He gulped nervously, then entered the room and shut the door behind him under his mother’s angry gaze.
“You idiot!”
“I’m sorry? Oh, if you mean what happened to old Mrs. Smithson the other day, the old dear toppled out of my grasp before I could settle her into her wheelchair.”
“Not that, you idiot.”
Why the fuck does she keep calling me that? “What then?” He flung himself into the chair in front of her desk.
“Just tell me why? Why would you do such a thing?”
“What have I done now? I don’t have a clue what you’re bloody talking about, Mother.”
She thrust the file sitting in front of her to the centre of the table, stared at him, and shook her head. He surmised he was in deep shit. Mike knew that once her calm façade slipped, all hell was about to break out.
“Where are they?”
He had an inkling that she was referring to the girls, but he decided to continue to play dumb until the words came out of her mouth. “What?”
“You, boy, are heading for a mighty fall. The girls! Where are they?”
He shuffled in his seat. Shit, how does she know? “What girls? The other girls on my shift?”
The skin around her eyes moved as her pulse quickened. “Mike, stop with the bullshit. Where are you keeping the girls?”
“What girls? And what do you mean by ‘keeping the girls’?”
His mother let out an exasperated breath, and she reached for her pen, which she began to twist nervously in her grasp. “You don’t fool me. I know when you’re pushing down the anger and lying to me. I had a woman in here this morning asking about you.”
He sat forward in his chair.
“That’s got your attention, hasn’t it?”
“What did she say? Who was she?” He had a feeling it was the girl Will had employed to look for Donna, but he needed his mother to confirm that.
“I have her card here somewhere.” She threw it across the desk at him.
He picked it up and studied it, running the girl’s name through his mind. It was already taunting every one of his waking hours as it was. He would definitely have to deal with her right away if she was getting this close to the truth. “Ah, yes, she’s the girl Will is paying to find his wife. I’m not sure what you’re insinuating my involvement is in this, Mother. Care to explain?” He smiled falsely, trying to neutralise her accusation.
“Oh, I see. But she told me that you’re number one on the suspect list.”
“What? Why on earth would she think that?”
Guilt written on her face, his mother dropped her gaze to the desk and her pen. “She really didn’t give a reason. She wanted to know how long you had worked here. I did cut the meeting short, told her I had another important meeting I had to attend to. So the conversation came to an abrupt halt.”
“Well, I’m sorry, Mother, but this woman couldn’t be further from the truth. And to think you believed her, frankly, appals me. You know how much time I spent with Abbie’s mum after she went missing…”
She gasped, and a hand flew up to cover her open mouth for an instant. Dropping it slowly, she replied, “My God! I totally forgot about Abbie. Please forgive me for thinking badly of you, Mike. It was just that… well, she sounded so certain that you were the guilty one. I should have known better than to believe a stranger’s word over a mother’s gut instinct.”
He waved a hand in the air. “Don’t mention it, Mum. There are some terrible people out there, keen to cast aspersions on innocent members of the public. I saw a documentary on TV the other day about the number of innocent people sitting in our prisons. The statistics are shocking.” I should be an award-winning actor for that display.
“I’m sorry, son. Forget I ever mentioned it. Maybe you should have a word with this woman. Caution her about the slander laws in this country while you’re at it.”
Oh, don’t worry, Mother. She’ll get what’s coming to her. No need to worry about that.
“Good idea. Although, to be fair, she’s only doing her job. We all want to find Donna. She’s such a sweet girl, and Will is utterly lost without her.” His smile was sickly sweet to match his insincere words.
“How unfortunate that you know both these girls. Maybe that’s why this Ellen woman thinks you’re a suspect. Foolish girl. I wish I hadn’t agreed to speak to her now. I’m sorry for doubting you, my dear.”
“Think nothing of it, Mother. Given the circumstances—the Donna and Abbie angle, I mean—you were within your rights to think bad of me. It’s all forgotten. What plans have you got for Christmas?”
“Well… your stepfather and I are going on a short break to Paris. I want to go and see…”
For the next five minutes, she bored him with her so-called fascinating French capital itinerary while he drifted off, a smile set firmly on his face. He gave her the odd nod now and again, to prove to his mother that he was listening to her chuntering on. His mind was working quickly and furiously, thinking and rethinking what he should do about the girls. Should he set them free or kill them, like the others? Then he started thinking about all the things he would do to Ellen Brazil as punishment for giving him a bad name. Yep, I’m going to enjoy punishing that bitch’s hide.
________
By the time five thirty came around that evening, Ellen was still very much undecided about how to proceed with Mike Fallon. She was conscious that if she pushed the man too hard, the girls would suffer. She cleared the files from her desk and locked them in the filing cabinet, then she turned to her partner. “I know you don’t want me discussing the case with Jim—”
“I didn’t actually say that. If I recall correctly, I said that we shouldn’t be getting the police involved, merely because we’re trying to grow our own business. I didn’t say anything about you not discussing the case with your brother.”
“My mistake, sorry. Anyway, we haven’t really come up with a solution as to how to move this thing forward, so would you mind if I thrashed things out with Jim tonight? Get a fresh perspective on this?”
“Go for it. What have we got to lose?”
She pecked him on the cheek, then laughed at the gobsmacked expression on his face. “What? Can’t a girl give her partner a friendly kiss now and then?”
“Hey, I ain’t complaining.”
The bemused Brian locked up the office behind them, and they each got in their cars and headed home. Ellen was still deep in thought when she let herself into her brother’s home. Jim was in the kitchen, preparing the evening meal, as usual, while Suzie was in the lounge playing a game of cards with the boys.
Jim smiled and poured her a glass of white wine. “Good day?”
“I’m not sure how you would describe it, really. I suppose ‘confusing’ would be as good a word as any.”
“How come?” Jim joined her at the table.
Ellen took a large swig of wine before she recounted what had happened with Fallon’s mother.
“Bloody hell! So she never let on that she was related to him while you were asking about him? How odd.”
“Odd or deceitful. Did she intentionally cover up the fact, hoping to put me off the scent for some reason? Do you think she’s in on it, too?”
Jim looked uncertain as he sipped thoughtfully at his wine. “Maybe she doesn’t know anything. Could they be estranged?”
Ellen screwed up her nose. “I can’t see that, not if they work at the same place.”
“There is that. So what’s next?”
“Well Brian and I have been trying to work that out all afternoon, without success. On the way home, the only solution I could come up with is for me to go undercover. Don’t look at me like that, Jim. There’s nothing else we can do.”
“Let me have a word with my DI. Surely now that we have a connection between Abbie and Donna and Fallon, we can pull him in for questioning.”
“And say what? ‘We’re aware that you know these two women. What are you guilty of?’” She paused to rethink what had happened over the last couple of days and ended up snapping her fingers together.
“What’s wrong?”
“Bingo! It’s not just the two girls, though, is it? The CCTV footage proves that he was watching at least one of the other girls who disappeared last week. I suppose if you did bring him in for questioning, you could use the nightclub’s DVD as evidence against him. However, I’d still like to go undercover.”
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