by Anita Waller
She met Hannah on the driveway, so returned to the front door and introduced her to the parents, then left to visit the Williamson household.
Zoe Williamson went out to stand on her front path as soon as she saw Tessa’s car pull up outside. She didn’t speak, simply held the door open for Tessa to go in.
Tessa and Zoe faced each other in armchairs, and Tessa took out her notebook. ‘Give me some details about your daughter, please, Mrs Williamson.’
‘It’s Zoe,’ she said. ‘Call me Zoe.’ Her short dark hair was flat to her head, wet with rain. She had clearly been outside for some time waiting for her daughter to walk up the street, arrive home in a taxi, get off the bus – anything, as long as she did arrive home. Zoe’s green eyes were filled with tears.
Marsden nodded and waited.
‘She’s a lovely girl, never given me a minute’s worry until now, which is why I’m panicking. She rarely goes out other than to church, but last night she said she was meeting someone. I asked her who it was, but she gave me that smile that she has, and said I’ll tell you who he is if I decide I like him.’ Zoe pushed a photograph across to Tessa. ‘This is Mandy.’
A pretty, rather serious-looking girl, stared back at Tessa. Her hair was dark brown and pulled up into a ponytail, high on the back of her head. Her brown eyes stared straight ahead at the camera.
‘May I borrow this?’ Tessa asked. ‘I’d like to get some copies made.’
‘You can keep it. I had a larger one made, so have had that smaller one in a drawer. Please… find her for me.’
‘We’ll do our best, Zoe. Does Mandy know another girl in the village called Orla French?’
‘They know each other from church, I believe, but I think that’s the extent of it. Why?’
‘Orla is also missing. We’re keeping an open mind in these early stages, but is there any possibility they could be together?’
‘I wouldn’t have thought so.’ Zoe frowned. ‘She’s never mentioned Orla.’
Tessa waited, but there was nothing else. She closed her notebook.
‘If you can think of any friends Mandy might have had, you need to be ringing around them to see if she’s there. We already have a search team in Castleton, but the weather and darkness is hampering us. Tomorrow morning, at first light, there will be a much bigger contingent here. And a family liaison officer will be with you, keeping you up to date on everything. Sit tight. Don’t go out looking yourself. If Mandy comes home, she will want someone here, and that must be you. I have to go, to check on everything, but I’ll be back.’
As Tessa pulled away, she could see Zoe Williamson at the window staring out into the dark, and Tessa couldn’t even begin to imagine how she must be feeling.
5
The carpet fitters were already waiting when Doris arrived at the cottage. She felt thankful that the rain had finally stopped, but the air still felt damp, and everything seemed grey.
She waved at the two men in the van, and unlocked the front door. It was cold, but she knew she couldn’t put any heating on; the men wouldn’t thank her for it. She had chosen a plain light grey for fitting in both bedrooms, hallway, stairs and landing, and the primary lounge downstairs. She had made a special arrangement with them that they would come back within a week to complete the smaller second reception room, once she had moved everything out of it that was being stored there.
They began work immediately, refusing her offer of a drink, saying that they needed to crack on if they were to be finished before the delivery men arrived with her furniture. As each room was completed, she covered the carpet with old sheets – it was definitely the wrong sort of weather to have furniture removal men trampling on brand new carpets!
As they drove away a much larger van pulled up with her entire life in the back of it. Kat, Mouse and Carl had arrived; Martha had headed off for a playday with Nanny Enid and Granddad Victor.
Carl organised everything, and it seemed to be only a short space of time before the van disappeared, the men replete with tea and scones.
Doris had her cottage.
The search team found a body at eleven o’clock.
Nadine Bond, the family liaison officer allocated to the Harrisons, held her breath when she saw Marsden head up the path to the front door. She had been in this situation too many times not to recognise the expression on the DI’s face and she moved to sit by Marnie.
‘Marnie, Andy, I’m sorry. It’s bad news. We’ve found Orla’s body in the Peakshole Water, quite close to Peak Cavern.’
Marnie crumpled and fell against her husband. He tried to sit her upright, but his wife was unconscious, in a deep faint.
In Bradwell, life felt good. The furniture miraculously fitted, the dust sheets had been removed from the carpets and it was starting to look like the home Doris had known it would become.
Carl stood by her side and looked around the cosy little lounge. ‘Okay, Nan, is there anything else you want putting in a different place? I don’t want you moving anything on your own. Kat says you’re to take it easy.’
‘Humph. Take it easy… I’m sick of hearing that.’
He grinned. ‘Don’t blame me, I’m repeating what I’ve been told. If you promise not to move anything on your own, I’ll go upstairs and help Kat put that cot together.’
‘Of course I won’t move anything. As if I’d dare,’ Doris said, keeping her fingers firmly crossed.
Carl took the stairs two at a time, and found Kat and Mouse sitting on the floor in the small bedroom trying to make sense of the instructions.
‘Thought you’d have this done by now, and Martha asleep in it,’ he joked.
Both pairs of eyes turned towards him. There was an absence of smiles.
‘It makes no sense at all,’ Kat said. ‘I put her other one together on my own, but this seems to have a lot more parts than mine.’
‘Okay,’ Carl said. ‘Let’s do a trade. I’ll put the cot together, if you’ll make us a cup of tea. I think Nan could do with one, to stop her from moving her suite into the other reception room. If that carpet was down, I reckon she would be doing it as we speak. She’s fancying a more cottage style of suite in the main room, I fear.’
‘She’s supposed to be taking it easy.’ Kat jumped up and moved towards the stairs.
‘Kat, a word of advice,’ Carl said. ‘Don’t mention taking it easy to Nan. It wouldn’t be a good idea.’ He took the Allen key from her and picked up the instruction leaflet.
‘Women,’ he muttered. ‘Useless.’ Mouse hit him with the large box the cot had been in and he grinned at her. ‘Did you notice I didn’t say that while Kat was in the room?’
Marnie buried herself in Andy’s arms. She felt so dizzy and ill, and it showed in her face. Andy pulled her as close as he could get her, and they looked at Tessa, then Nadine, willing them to say it had been some horrible mistake and it wasn’t Orla.
The quietness in the room, the feeling of hopelessness, told them it was true, and nothing would bring Orla back to them.
Siân Dawson, the Williamsons’ FLO, opened their front door, and ushered Tessa through to the lounge. ‘She’s bearing up,’ she said. ‘I’ve said nothing yet about Orla French having been found. Zoe’s going to fall apart when she hears that.’
Tessa nodded, and lightly touched the FLO on her arm. ‘I know but I have to tell her before anyone else does.’
Tessa stood in the doorway and looked at Zoe. Her eyes were closed but she wasn’t asleep. She was intertwining her fingers, obviously deep in thought.
‘Zoe?’ Tessa said gently.
Zoe’s eyes shot open. ‘You have news?’
‘Of a kind,’ Tessa said, ‘although not of Mandy. Orla French has been found.’
Zoe stood. ‘Is she okay?’
‘I’m afraid not. The search team found her body in the Peakshole Water.’
‘Oh my God, no. And Mandy…?’
‘No sign. The search team have continued with their planned operation, co
vering a lot of ground. Don’t give up hope, Zoe.’
‘And how are her mum and dad?’
‘Stepdad. They’re devastated. And angry.’
Siân came through from the kitchen carrying three mugs of tea. ‘I’d already made us a pot. You look as though you need one, boss.’
Tessa smiled her thanks. ‘I do. It’s not been a good day, as you can imagine.’
All three sat down, but Zoe simply held her cup, as if seeking comfort in its warmth on her hands.
‘How did she die?’ Zoe asked.
‘We don’t know yet. She has been taken to the morgue, waiting for the post-mortem to be done. Nobody is speculating, not even the pathologist. Orla was found in the river, which was, and still is, running really fast. We’ve had a lot of rain. She could so easily have slipped.’
Tessa Marsden didn’t believe a word of what she was saying. She felt they should be looking for a second body, that maybe a serial killer had descended on Castleton and taken two young women, but her job at the moment was to keep Zoe Williamson from thinking along those lines.
6
‘Yes of course. I’ll look forward to seeing you in the morning, Mr Barker. I’ll initially put you in with Katerina, but eventually we will need to bring our IT colleague, Bethan, into the mix. See you at ten o’clock, tomorrow.’
Doris put down her receiver with a smile. Having business calls transferred to her home telephone number for the duration of the move had been inspirational, but it was time to reopen the office. She had half-expected the call to be from Tessa Marsden, who had learned to trust that anything she said to Connection colleagues remained with them, and she knew Tessa would eventually arrive to talk things through, confirm what she was thinking.
But instead it had been from someone called Ewan Barker, who had lost touch with his son and wanted them to find the missing man. Mouse was embroiled in checking out backgrounds for applicants for senior job opportunities with one of the UK’s major employers, so Kat was the logical one to start the ball rolling with Mr Barker.
Doris sank down onto her sofa, reclined it and laid back her head. This cottage was perfect; no wonder the late Alice Small had loved it so much. Doris idly reached to one side to pick up the mail delivered that day and that she had dumped on the side table, and sifted through it. There were four items of junk mail, each addressed to Alice Small at Little Mouse Cottage.
Little Mouse Cottage, clearly a name Alice had stopped using, preferring to use its number rather than its name, and a name that would be resurrected with due haste, as far as Doris was concerned. It was perfect. She pulled her laptop towards her and five minutes later had ordered a plaque for the outside wall, with a hand painted little mouse at the side of the name.
‘The icing on my cake,’ she murmured to herself, and then changed websites to look at cottage furniture. This room, she knew, needed a cottage style suite. The current one would be fine in the second reception room. She smiled, and picked up the small glass of sherry. ‘To me and my little mouse,’ she said, and raised the glass.
The morning saw the final carpet laid by eight o’clock. Doris left for the office. She knew the carpet fitters hadn’t particularly wanted to start work at seven in the morning, but a promise of bacon sandwiches had swung the deal. Finally her cottage felt her own, and she could get on with doing the things she wanted to do in it.
It was a cold icy morning, and she switched on the heating and the coffee, getting her priorities straight. She would have it nice and warm for when her girls arrived – and the new client, Mr Ewan Barker.
Kat arrived first. ‘Mum’s picked up Martha this morning. I didn’t have to go to their house. They’re apparently going on an adventure, so I left Carl loading the dishwasher and came in early. Do we know anything about Mr Barker?’
‘Not much. He lives in Grindleford and he’s looking for a son he’s lost contact with. When he rang I took his name, address and phone number, so get him to fill out a client form, will you?’
Kat nodded. ‘I will. No sign of Mouse?’
‘No, she was really snuffly with that damn cold yesterday, and she’s no appointments today so I’m leaving her to sleep. If she’s not down here for ten, I’ll pop up when you’re in your office with Ewan Barker, and check she’s okay.’
‘You want a coffee, Nan?’
‘I didn’t, until I started smelling the coffee I’ve put on, so I will.’ She smiled. ‘I’m already full with coffee and bacon sandwiches. I persuaded my carpet men to fit the carpet in the second reception, hereinafter known as the snug, by bribing them with bacon sandwiches. Everything’s done, also the furniture can be moved to where it belongs. I’m putting the television in the snug, so the lounge will be a TV-free zone, but my books will be in the lounge. I’m having a cottage suite in there, and the old comfy suite is going in the snug. Oh, and did you know the cottage had a name? Alice must have used it when she first moved there, because it’s on her mail, but there’s nothing on the outside wall to show she carried on using it. I’ve ordered a new plaque. It’s called Little Mouse Cottage. I loved it, so it’s staying.’
‘That’s lovely. And Mouse will be dead chuffed.’
‘Well, one day she’ll inherit the place, so it will become even more relevant.’
Kat laughed. ‘She’s hardly Little Mouse. What is she? Five foot nine, ten?’
The shop bell tinkled and Mouse walked in to the laughter. ‘Hey, I hope you’re not laughing at me,’ she said, and sneezed.
‘As if,’ Kat chuckled. ‘Ask your nan what the name of her cottage is, and you’ll realise why we’re laughing.’
‘Thanks, Kat,’ Doris said. ‘Drop me in it, why don’t you? The cottage was called Little Mouse Cottage. It seems Alice stopped using the name, but I’m resurrecting it.’
‘Aw, that’s lovely,’ Mouse said. ‘Really sweet.’
‘Hope you feel like that when you inherit the place,’ Doris responded, smiling at Mouse as she sneezed again. ‘And do you think you should be here? Why not go back to bed with some medication, and stay there until you feel better.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Mouse said. ‘I’ve had a hot lemon thing, disgusting taste. It had better work. Is there any more of that coffee going?’
‘There is.’ Nan poured her one and handed it to her. ‘Are you working on the recruitment things?’
‘I am. But give me a shout if I’m needed for your feller, Kat. Nan, you don’t need to stay here if you’ve things to sort at home, you know. It’s not as though we pay you.’ She laughed.
‘I’m staying. You’ll both be in your offices, so I’ll man the reception area. I’ve some work to do on that course I’m taking, and I’m nearly done, so hopefully after today I can forget about it and wait for the results to say I’ve passed.’
‘You said last week you’d failed abysmally.’ Kat grinned. ‘What changed?’
‘I read through what I’d done and decided it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. It’s time you two started it. We’ve a fine collection of certificates on the wall, but we’re heading towards the more upmarket ones.’
Kat and Mouse groaned in unison. ‘Kill me now,’ Kat said. She took her coffee and headed for her office. ‘Send Mr Barker in when he arrives, and I promise to remember to get him to fill in the client sheet.’
‘Before you disappear,’ Mouse said, ‘have either of you heard anything from Tessa?’
‘Not a thing. I’m guessing that means there are developments. I hope they found the missing girl alive.’
‘DI Marsden? I’ve made this young lass a priority. She was dead before she went into the water, and she died by strangulation. Her hyoid bone was fractured. No water in her lungs. There’s a massive contusion on her head, so she was probably knocked unconscious before being strangled. And time of death was between four and six in the afternoon.’
‘Shit,’ Tessa breathed into her phone. ‘I was hoping you could tell me it was accidental. That she’d slipped on mud or something
.’ She hesitated. ‘Right, I’d best go and tell her parents, and officially turn this into a murder enquiry.’
‘I’ve not finished.’ There was hesitation at the other end of the phone this time. ‘She was approximately fourteen weeks pregnant. I’ve taken DNA from the foetus.’
‘Oh no.’ Tessa’s head spun. The whole situation was getting worse by the second. ‘Is that everything?’
‘For the moment. Until we get results in anyway.’
‘Thanks. Do me a favour and check that foetus DNA against that RTA victim, Jacob Thorne, will you? Speak soon.’ And she slipped her phone into her bag.
Telling Marnie and Andy Harrison was difficult. Neither of them could speak. Like Tessa, they had expected it to be an accident caused by the bad weather. To be told it was murder was, to them, unthinkable. Marnie had held it together until Tessa had told her of the pregnancy, and then she had simply dissolved.
Andy pulled his wife into his arms, and she sobbed inconsolably. Andy looked at Tessa, his face haggard. ‘Can we do anything?’
‘No, you need to be together. Nadine will remain with you, and she will pass on anything we discover. She’s here to help you through this awful time, and I’m so sorry I had to bring you the worst of news.’
Nadine nodded. ‘Would you like a drink of water, Marnie? It’ll help calm you. It won’t make things any better, but you need to be strong.’
‘Thank you,’ Marnie whispered. ‘What happens next?’
‘I’m going to see Emily Carr, to try to find this boyfriend.’
Tessa made no advance phone call. Emily’s face reflected shock when Marsden showed her ID, but she quietly asked another member of staff if they could cover on reception for a few minutes.
Emily led her down a corridor to an empty room, and they sat facing each other across a desk.
‘This is about Orla?’ Emily asked.