by Anita Waller
They waited. There was obviously something else.
‘I wasn’t involved at this point, RTAs don’t come to me, but then I got a call from the coroner. He’s not done the full PM yet but there were a couple of things giving him cause for concern, hence my galloping over to the scene to have a look around. I didn’t expect to find anything there, obviously, but I needed to see it.’
Kat stood up. ‘Tessa, hang on a bit with the rest of it, and let me get you something to dry your hair, and a hot drink. You’ll feel more civilised then.’
Doris laughed. ‘We’ve only got tea towels, no proper towels yet.’
Tessa took the tea towel Kat handed to her and towelled her hair, then wiped her face. She once more ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to bounce it back into shape, then gratefully took the cup of tea from Kat.
‘Delicious,’ she said. ‘But will somebody remind me to keep an umbrella in my car, it would definitely have helped.’
Doris held up a hand. ‘Let me tell you a little bit of history I’ve gleaned about Bradwell. Samuel Fox was born here. He invented the steel-framed umbrella mechanism, used silk at first but then when nylon became available he used that. He eventually moved to Stocksbridge to open up a much larger factory, and that’s still there today.’
‘I’ll think about him when I get an umbrella, I promise.’ Tessa gave a short burst of laughter.
‘So… back to your coroner chap.’
‘Yeah, he was concerned. The victim, one Jacob Thorne, was covered almost head to toe in mud. He was dripping wet through from the rain, so whatever he’d been doing it was an outdoor activity, and when they cut off his coat they found, tucked inside it, a lady’s boot. Size four. Obviously not a large lady. The coroner sent me a picture of the boot, and it’s not one that any elderly ladies would wear.’
She paused, as if gathering her thoughts.
‘He was wearing wellingtons, and when they opened the car boot there was a shovel, thick with mud and wet through, claggy clay mud.’
‘You think he’d been digging last night, presumably?’ Kat asked.
‘Sure of it. But doing what? Where? And where is the person who owns that boot? It would have been a cold wet walk without that boot on their left foot. And Jacob Thorne definitely wasn’t gardening in that weather. His parents knew he was out, apparently, but they didn’t know where or what he’d been doing.’
‘Nobody’s been reported missing?’ Doris looked concerned.
‘Not so far.’
‘Then fingers crossed nobody is.’
Tessa cast her eyes around the room. ‘You’ve not got much furniture, Doris.’
‘I’ve got a chair,’ she said and patted the arms of the garden chair.
‘When do you get the rest?’
‘Tomorrow. It should be here for nine, and then I can start to have a home again.’
‘So that’s why Carl has booked a couple of days off, is it?’
‘We need his arms for carrying sofas and suchlike,’ Kat grinned. She had been seeing Carl for a little over four months, and they had quickly become an item.
Mouse and Doris had called a “round the desk” chat with Kat once they’d let her know they knew she had a new love in her life, and suggested they move out of her home where they had been living since before Martha’s birth.
The meeting had ended with gales of laughter, and Kat realised her life was moving into a new phase. Doris and Mouse did make stipulations before they moved out; they were to be considered first in any babysitting requirements, and they would take charge of Martha’s future IT skills. They couldn’t leave important stuff like that to her mother.
And now, sitting on a wooden floor in an almost empty house, the trio had become three separate individuals once again, as it had been before Leon Rowe, Kat’s late husband, had created havoc in their lives.
But it was a trio united by Connection, their thriving private investigation business. And it was with her Connection head on that Kat raised the next question. ‘And supposing you do get a missing person’s report in? Where, in the whole of Derbyshire, do you start to look for a small place where digging has been happening?’
‘Oh, Kat, don’t depress me even more. The short answer to that is I have absolutely no idea.’
The missing person report came in as Tessa Marsden was carrying her cup into the kitchen, prior to heading off back to Chesterfield. She answered the call with trepidation, after seeing it was from the station; they wouldn’t have contacted her unless it was concerning the current job.
She listened for a minute, then said, ‘Hang on.’ Taking her notebook and pen from her pocket, she placed them on the kitchen work surface.
‘Okay, go ahead.’ She wrote down the details being dictated over the phone, then confirmed that she would go and see the mother immediately. She was within a five-minute drive.
‘A misper, newly in,’ she said as she joined the others.
‘Oh no!’
‘Afraid so. Look, I still might be reading more into this than I should be, but you know when you get that… tingle, that feeling that something’s wrong?’ Tessa shook her head. ‘She’s an eighteen-year-old from Castleton, so I really hope it’s me that’s wrong. I’m off to see her mother, find out exactly what we know, get a photo, that sort of thing.’ She turned to Doris. ‘It’s a lovely cottage, lovely atmosphere, Doris. Good luck with the move tomorrow, and please send Carl back to us undamaged.’ She grinned and walked out of the door.
3
The detached house in Castleton was surprisingly small, and as Marsden walked up the front path, she could see a woman standing in the window. She waved and held up her warrant card, then waited at the door until it was opened.
‘Come in,’ the woman said, ‘out of the rain.’ She didn’t check Tessa’s identity, simply ushered her through the front door.
Tessa followed her to the lounge, the room the woman had been standing in as Tessa had arrived.
‘Please sit down.’
Tessa nodded. ‘Thank you. I’m DI Tessa Marsden. You’re Mrs Harrison?’
‘I am. Marnie Harrison. My husband, Andy, is at work but on his way home. He works in Manchester.’ The woman was nervous and babbling. She was a tall lady, and kept pushing her dark brown curly hair back from her forehead, as if it gave her comfort, but her brown eyes reflected the pain and worry inside her. ‘Would you like a drink?’
‘Mrs Harrison, please sit down. I’m fine, thank you. Tell me about your daughter.’
Marnie Harrison sat on the armchair, unspeaking for a moment. Then she stood and removed a photo frame from the mantelpiece. ‘This is Orla. This was taken last year. In Rhodes. In the old town.’
The young girl was beautiful. Slim, long blonde hair worn straight, her face tanned by the Greek sun with a trace of pink lipstick, definitely beautiful.
Marsden studied the photo, then asked if she could keep it. ‘I promise I’ll bring it back to you, I need to get some copies made. What colour are her eyes? I can’t really tell from this.’
‘Brown. Her eyes are brown. Of course. Do what you need to do.’ Marnie twisted her hands together. ‘Please… find her and bring her home.’
Tessa smiled. ‘Tell me about Orla.’
Marnie gathered her thoughts. ‘She’s called Orla French. I was married previously, but my husband was killed in Afghanistan ten years ago. Hence the different surname. I met Andy three years ago and we married last year. That picture of Orla was taken on our honeymoon.’
‘You took your daughter on your honeymoon?’ Marsden’s surprise showed.
Marnie gave a small laugh. ‘I know it sounds unusual, but we booked the holiday, then decided to get married and use it as a honeymoon. Orla was already booked to go with us and it didn’t occur to us not to take her. Andy’s a lovely dad to her – it’s why he’s on his way back here. I rang to tell him Orla hadn’t come home, and he wound up the meeting straight away.’
‘So, when did yo
u realise your daughter was missing?’
‘I last saw her about one yesterday afternoon. She works in one of the tea shops in the village and I called in for a drink. At this time of year, they close around four. She said she was going to her friend’s house to stay overnight, and would see me this afternoon.’
‘And her friend is?’
‘Emily Carr. I’ll have to check her address for you, it’s in Hope. Orla said she was going to walk there after finishing work – it’s only the next village – but I asked her to come home first and wait for Andy, he would have run her across to Emily’s, it was raining so heavily. She said she’d be fine, and I came back home. Got in about two.’
‘And she didn’t ring to say she had arrived safely?’
‘No, and that in itself is quite strange. We’re close, like sisters really, and she always keeps me informed of whatever she’s doing, even if she’s going to be half an hour late home from work if they’re really busy, she’ll make sure to ring so that I don’t worry.’
‘And you didn’t ring her?’
‘No. I try not to do that. It’s almost like checking up on her and she’s eighteen now. At some point you have to let them go, and keep your concerns inside you. Andy got home around seven, we had our meal and then had an early night.’ There was a slight smile, but then the smile disappeared. ‘Where can she be?’
‘I don’t know, Mrs Harrison. So what made you realise she was missing? And I need to know what she was wearing when she left work to walk to Hope.’
‘I rang her about one today to see if she wanted to go shopping. It’s her day off, hence the sleepover at Emily’s place. She didn’t answer. I tried three times, then rang Emily.’
Marnie Harrison’s face clouded over. ‘That was when I knew something was wrong. Emily works in a solicitor’s office in Baslow and she answered in a whisper, saying she was at work. I said sorry, and disconnected, then texted her and asked if Orla was still at hers.’
Marnie handed her mobile to Tessa. ‘This is the reply.’
Orla not with me. Not seen her since Sunday. She okay?
Marsden took out her own phone and photographed the text. ‘And then you rang us?’
‘I did. There’s something wrong, I know there is. I rang you, then I rang Andy. Oh, and when she left for work yesterday morning, she was wearing a red full-length coat, a padded one, waterproof. She had a Nike backpack, and she probably would have had her headphones in and connected to her mobile phone. She definitely had black knee-high boots on, because she borrowed mine. I remember her saying…’ there was a slight choking sound as her memory kicked into gear, ‘she said her boots leaked in heavy rain, so could she take mine. Find her for me, please, DI Marsden.’
‘We’ll try our best, as you know, Mrs Harrison. Do you know where she met with Emily on Sunday?’
‘Yes, they go to church, have done ever since they were about twelve or thirteen. They were at school together, used to go one week to Hope church, then the next to St Edmunds across the road, but decided they preferred this one so made this their regular Sunday service.’
There was a bang as the front door opened and Marnie Harrison stood, her face rigid. ‘Orla…?’
‘It’s me, sweetheart,’ came the deep tones of the person Tessa presumed was the husband.
He walked into the lounge still carrying his briefcase, and shook Tessa’s hand. ‘Andrew Harrison,’ he said. ‘Any news?’
4
Tessa lifted her head to meet his eyes. ‘Not yet, Mr Harrison. We’ve only recently taken the report. Luckily I was in Bradwell so managed to get here quickly. This is out of character for Orla? She doesn’t normally take time out and disappear?’
Andy Harrison shook his head. ‘No, she never has in the three or so years that I’ve known her. She’s a remarkably level-headed young lady, the kind that’s mature and not mature. I mean… she would never answer back, or show off, never be a typical teenager, and yet she was a little bit naïve. For instance, walking into Hope in that heavy rain, in the dark.’ His brow creased as he thought about it. The more he spoke, talked through the issues, the more the worry was showing. He ran his fingers through his short grey hair; his blue eyes clouded over as the reality and severity of the situation seemed to suddenly hit him.
‘Does she have a boyfriend?’
‘No,’ was the sharp answer from Andy.
‘Kind of,’ was the more telling response from his wife.
‘Tell me more,’ Tessa said.
‘I think it’s something and nothing,’ Marnie said. ‘He lives locally, she said, but wouldn’t tell me his name. She said there was time enough for that if it progressed. I’ve no idea who he is, but maybe she would have confided in Emily.’
Marnie crossed the room and stood by Andy’s side. She slipped her arm around his waist, and hugged him. ‘Let’s put our walking gear on and go look for her,’ she said softly. ‘Let’s go find our Orla.’ Marnie rubbed her eyes, eyes that were threatening to spill tears once again.
‘No, Mrs Harrison. Is it okay if you’re Marnie and Andy?’
They nodded in unison, and Andy said, ‘Of course.’
‘I need one of you to stay here, and I think it should be you, Marnie. If she’s hurt, or in trouble, and manages to get back home, she’ll want her mum.’ Tessa glanced outside. ‘It’s quite dark because of the weather, but I’ll get a team out here and we’ll make a preliminary search. If she hasn’t arrived home by tomorrow morning then we can start at first light with dogs and a large team. You’ll also be allocated an FLO, a family liaison officer. Whoever it is will be here if you need them. They don’t intrude but they will keep you informed of any activities. Marnie, go and put the kettle on, I’ll nip out to the car and make the arrangements.’
The rain had almost stopped, and Tessa sank into her car seat, took her phone out of her bag and sat for a moment, wondering how to proceed. It really was turning ever darker by the minute; the clouds hadn’t lifted during the day and she was certain the deluge of earlier hadn’t stopped permanently.
Her ringtone pealed out and she glanced at the screen. The station at Chesterfield – that had saved her ringing them.
‘DI Marsden.’
‘Tessa, it’s Harry.’ The desk sergeant’s voice was unusually subdued.
‘Hi, Harry. I was about to ring you. I need a medium-level search party out in Castleton. Can you organise it, please?’
‘I can, but we’ve some more news about that neck of the woods. We’ve another misper come in, in the last few minutes.’
‘What?’ Tessa felt a cold shiver run through her.
‘Another young lass from Castleton. She’s nineteen. Didn’t come home last night. Out of character. Pretty much like the one you’re at currently.’
‘Hang on, give me the details.’
‘Amanda Williamson, her mum calls her Mandy. She’s small, dark brown long hair, brown eyes, normally would be at Manchester Uni but she’s had pneumonia so is back home with Mum to recuperate. Supposed to be going back to Manchester next Monday.’ He read out the address and Tessa quickly jotted it down in her notebook. ‘Her mother sounds pretty distraught,’ he warned her, ‘there’s no father, only the two of them. Right, can I make a note you’re off to see her? In the meantime, I’ll get this search organised. Let’s get these lassies found. I’ll send the search team to Orla French’s address, but I’ll tell Hannah to coordinate, you might still be with Mandy Williamson’s mum.’
‘Thank you, Harry. Tell Hannah to ring me when she gets here. Make everything happen two hours ago, Harry, can you? It’s bloody awful weather, and if either of these girls are injured or something, I don’t want them out in it for a second night.’
‘Understood, Tessa, I’ll stay on a bit tonight, just in case.’
Just in case? Just in case what? A third call with another missing girl comes in? Tessa shivered again. She got out of the car and returned to Marnie and Andy. It was starting to look much more siniste
r, especially if the two girls knew each other, or had some other connection.
Marnie met her in the hallway. ‘I’ve made tea.’
‘Thank you. Can you come through to the lounge? I need to ask you two a couple of questions.’
Marnie’s face went blank, but she followed Tessa, waiting until they were seated before whispering, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Firstly, there is a search team on its way. My sergeant, DS Hannah Granger, will be coordinating everything.’
‘You won’t be here?’ Andy queried. It sounded more like a reproof than a question.
‘Possibly later. That’s the other thing I need to tell you. We have a second missing girl, also from this village.’ She paused to let that sink in.
Marnie and Andy turned to each other and clutched hands.
‘Who? Do we know her?’
‘Her name is Mandy Williamson…’
‘Zoe’s girl? Oh no!’ Marnie Harrison’s eyes were huge. ‘What’s going on? Where are our girls?’
‘There’ll be a team of searchers here shortly. Andy, I’m going to ask you to stay with your wife. It’s dark, and the team know what they’re doing. You could possibly hamper them. I have to leave you, to go and speak to Mrs Williamson. Nobody has been to see her yet, she rang through to Chesterfield to report Mandy as missing. When DS Granger arrives, she will probably want to run an eye over Orla’s bedroom. Please allow that, won’t you. There may be something there that could be a lead as to where she is.’
She stood and walked to the front door. ‘I’ll be back later.’