They did however get from Margaret a good description of Lewis’s car and its registration and she even, if a little reluctantly, allowed them to borrow a more naturally posed recent photograph of the man himself from a display in the lounge. He was as Mrs Goldman had described him, scruffy and staring defiantly into the camera.
‘It’ll help us to eliminate him from our enquiries,’ Mariner said, as a sop, though in reality Lewis was inching nearer by the minute to the main frame. It would have been good to be able to delve a little deeper, but until Mr and Mrs Everett returned their hands were tied. Mr Everett was apparently a director of several small companies, so would certainly have some legal connections. He wouldn’t be too pleased about coming home to find his house had been ransacked when there was no concrete evidence for doing so. They had little choice but to wait a day or so and hopefully do it with the Everetts’ blessing.
What they could do instead was issue a nationwide description of Lewis and his car, highlighting to colleagues in other forces the possible link with Yasmin. Mariner would go with Millie to talk to the Akrams as well. Their reaction to all this information would be educational.
* * *
Mariner wanted both parents together, so they went back to the house in the early evening. Amira was present too, giving her mother some much needed support. Shanila Akram was displaying increasing signs of strain. Her eyes seemed sunken in her pale face and Mariner guessed that food and sleep had become irrelevancies. Mohammed Akram was wearing better — was that because he knew that his daughter was safe, or was he just better at putting on a show for them?
‘We’re fairly certain now that Yasmin may have been seeing a boy called Lee or Lewis,’ Mariner told them, when they were gathered in the garden. ‘Has she ever mentioned him to you?’
‘Yasmin doesn’t know any boys, only her cousins.’ Mohammed Akram was calm but firm.
Mariner had no choice but to hand over the photo-booth snaps and watch shock and bewilderment creep over their faces once again. ‘As you can see, there’s no doubt that Yasmin knows this particular boy. She met him on a school trip when they spent some time together. We’ve also confirmed this with the school. He has also disappeared, which means that we have to consider the possibility that Yasmin could be with him now.’
In an unprecedented outburst Shanila Akram turned on her husband. ‘Do you see what we’ve done? We’ve pushed her into the arms of a boy. If we had let her do this out in the open and if you hadn’t—!’ She stopped herself and for a moment the air was thick with what she left unspoken.
‘Hadn’t what, Mrs Akram?’ Mariner prompted.
‘I was going to say “argued with her,”’ Shanila Akram replied, weakly. Mariner didn’t believe her, but the moment had passed and she was no longer prepared to say what she’d intended.
‘It’s my fault,’ said Amira, shakily. ‘I encouraged her.’
Her mother stared. ‘But why? Yasmin is so young. She should remain pure for her future husband.’
‘Mum, that’s ridiculous antiquated nonsense,’ said Amira, her voice strengthening. ‘I had been with several men before Ravi and I married.’
‘Amira!’
‘It’s true. But Ravi doesn’t mind. In fact he liked that I had some experience and knew what to do. Yasmin is the same. She needs some experience. She should get to know some boys.’
‘So you told her to make a whore of herself?’ Mohammed Akram was beside himself.
‘Of course not,’ Amira replied, evenly. ‘I just told her that if a chance presented itself she should take it. Virginity is overrated. And I know that Yasmin was under pressure from her friends. She felt excluded.’
‘It takes a special kind of courage to stand by your principles,’ said Akram coldly. ‘And this is the price we pay for giving in to temptation.’ He turned to Mariner. ‘We would like to be left alone now, Inspector.’
* * *
‘Whatever other skills she has, Yasmin’s pretty adept at keeping all the different facets of her life separate from one another,’ said Millie as they drove away.
‘It’s something we all learn to do, some more efficiently than others,’ said Mariner, thinking that he’d managed to get it down to a fine art, his work, mother and Anna all running on separate, parallel tracks.
* * *
Kings Rise was holding a memorial service for Ricky the next morning at a local church to help pupils through the grieving process, though how many of them would genuinely be mourning the boy was open to debate. It was another unrelentingly hot and dry day and it seemed obscene to Mariner that the sun could shine so cheerfully over such an event. Fiske had insisted on accompanying him and Charlie Glover, keeping the police presence to a minimum. The three of them slipped into the back of the church and the place was so packed with family and school friends that they had to stand in the unbearable heat. Half the church seemed to be filled with spotty adolescent kids. If this lot was anything to go by, Ricky had more mates than his mother knew.
One of Ricky’s uncles spoke nervously and with hesitancy about what a ‘grand lad’ Ricky had been, while Colleen’s sobbing seemed to echo around the whole chapel throughout. Mariner detested the indignity of these manufactured occasions and, as the congregation rose falteringly to its feet and began an uneasy rendition of the final hymn, he noticed one or two of the kids stifling giggles. When Fiske’s pager went off he wanted to punch his superior officer in the face.
Afterwards they joined the long line that filed past the family to pay their respects. ‘What the hell is he doing here?’ demanded Colleen emotionally as Fiske appeared in front of her. ‘You did nothing. Nothing!’ Suddenly she lunged for him. Mariner heard camera shutters clunk behind them and knew that this would not be Fiske’s finest hour. Turning his back on the debacle, Mariner walked over to where Charlie Glover stood lighting up a cigarette. At least Colleen would appreciate that particular brand of camaraderie.
* * *
They drove in an uncomfortable silence back to Granville Lane where Tony Knox had mixed news. ‘Lewis Everett’s parents are home. They flew in from the Bahamas early hours of this morning, boss. But they don’t know where he is either. As far as they were concerned their precious son was looking after the house and doing his work experience. They admit that he can be a bit wild but they don’t see him eloping with anyone. Too selfish for that so they say.’
* * *
The neat and tidy vestibule they’d entered the previous day was this afternoon clogged up with matching Louis Vuitton and a bulging sack of golf clubs. Mr and Mrs Everett were nicely tanned, but they didn’t look very relaxed.
‘Thank you for seeing us so promptly,’ Mariner said. ‘I realise you must be tired and jet-lagged and have things to do.’
‘This is not the kind of reception you expect or want on returning from a peaceful holiday,’ admitted Mr Everett, with a sigh of irritation. ‘But we’d like to sort all of this out as soon as we can.’
‘You’ll be aware by now that a young girl has gone missing in the area. We have reason to believe that she was in a relationship with your son.’ Mariner produced the photo. ‘This is Yasmin Akram. Did you know that Lewis was seeing her?’
Everett gave the picture a perfunctory glance before passing it to his wife. ‘Lewis has had a number of girlfriends. We don’t always meet them.’
‘And Yasmin?’
‘I don’t recall her, do you, darling?’
Mrs Everett was studying the snapshot more carefully. ‘No.’
‘And have you any idea where Lewis may have gone? We need to find him. He may be the last person to have seen Yasmin before she disappeared.’
‘I’ve had a look round,’ Everett said. ‘Some of his camping gear has gone from the garage, but as to where he’s gone I wouldn’t know.’
‘We’d like to do a more thorough search of his room if that’s all right.’
Everett stifled a yawn. ‘If you must.’
‘Do you know if L
ewis kept any kind of diary?’ Mariner asked Mrs Everett.
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Perhaps we could have a look on his computer.’
Even on the more thorough search, the only paperwork they could find was a school planner, but it contained nothing personal. On Lewis’s PC they looked for traces of records on Outlook but there was nothing.
‘What would Lewis do for money while he’s away?’ Mariner asked.
‘He has an allowance paid into his bank account and a debit card that he can use to withdraw cash from ATMs. He has a credit card too,’ Everett told them.
‘We’ll need the details. The credit card company may be able to help us track his movements.’
Lewis’s credit card records provided the break they needed. A phone call to his credit card company revealed that since the day of his disappearance, Lewis had been spending heavily at petrol stations, restaurants and surfing shops in the area around Newquay in Cornwall. Knox contacted local police with the description of Lewis and his car, with a request to publicise it widely, especially around campsites in the area.
‘That could take some time,’ he was told ‘There’s dozens of them and in this weather they’re pretty full, too.’
‘Do what you can, will you?’ Then it was back to the waiting game.
* * *
When Mariner got home that evening he saw his answering machine had been working overtime again. An unexpected message from Anna told him that she had the chance of a night’s respite from Jamie if he felt like calling round. It happened occasionally when the facility had an overnight vacancy. Mariner looked at his watch, it was ten fifteen. It didn’t take long to make up his mind.
The house was dark: Anna making the most of the opportunity for an early night. Her sleep was so often disturbed by Jamie’s nocturnal wanderings that she took a full night whenever she could. Mariner let himself in and after a long, cleansing shower eventually slipped into bed beside Anna.
‘Hello, you,’ she murmured, sleepily.
‘Hi.’ In the heat of the night she’d thrown off the duvet and he could make out the luscious curves of her body. He slid a hand round over her stomach and up towards her breast, feeling his own body starting to respond.
But Anna wriggled away. ‘Mm, I’m really tired.’
Pity. Sighing heavily, Mariner had to content himself with moulding his body to hers and breathing her scent. He lay there for a while trying to drift off, but he was too turned on and sleep just wouldn’t come. Eventually he got up and prowled the rooms, coming to rest at the bedroom window where he stared out at the eerie orange glow cast over the street by the sodium light until it was overtaken by the dawn. The next morning he felt like death warmed up while Anna looked as fresh as a daisy. ‘I’ve got a meeting with Simon about the festival this evening,’ she bubbled. ‘Any chance you could sit with Jamie for me?’ Suddenly Mariner began to question the motives for that late-night phone call.
‘Sure,’ he said, indifferently.
She picked up the undertone. ‘Is that going to be a problem?’
‘Of course not,’ he said, but he wasn’t convincing.
She was still watching him carefully when the phone rang. ‘It’s the wife,’ she said, handing it over.
* * *
In fact it was Tony Knox. ‘Cornwall police have come back to us. They’ve found Lewis Everett. But he’s not there with Yasmin. He’s there with his mate Daniel who’s also skiving off work experience.’
‘Really gives you confidence in the future generation, doesn’t it?’ said Mariner. ‘Are they on their way?’
‘They’re being escorted back this afternoon.’
‘We’ll talk to Lewis as soon as he gets here.’ Which, he realised, might mean interviewing him through the evening. He gave Anna an apologetic look. ‘I’m sorry, I won’t be able to make it tonight after all, something’s come up.’
She studied him for a moment. ‘That’s OK, I can take Jamie with me. Simon won’t mind.’
Mariner picked up his jacket. ‘I’ll see you later then.’
‘Sure, have a good day.’ No hint of disappointment, not even the demand for further explanation, so why, as he walked out to his car, did Mariner feel so piqued? Because Simon wouldn’t mind. He wouldn’t, would he? Bastard. In all honesty, what Mariner had really wanted her to say was that she would cancel the appointment. Knowing that he was being unreasonable, he recognised the growing feeling inside him for what it was. He was jealous — of Simon Meadows, with whom Anna seemed to be spending ever increasing amounts of time.
It was essential to her autistic brother’s well-being that Anna and Meadows should get on, so it came as a bit of a shock to Mariner that he should begin to resent their relationship. But it was becoming something he couldn’t deny, even to himself. After all these years of bearing witness to the devastating impact of human jealousy, a tiny part of him was beginning to appreciate its power.
CHAPTER 21
Lewis Everett arrived back in the city in the early afternoon and had legal representation right from the start. His father made sure of that and insisted on being present, too. Approaching six-foot tall, Everett was lean and lanky in that gangling post-adolescent way, his hair fashionably mussed and with a few days’ fuzzy growth on his chin. The first thing to draw Mariner’s attention, as they faced each other across the interview room table, was the tattoo on his left forearm. Mariner wondered if he’d got it at the same parlour as Shaun Pryce. ‘I understand you’re seeing Yasmin Akram,’ Mariner began.
‘Was seeing,’ said Lewis, sleepily. ‘Past tense. It was months ago.’
‘How did it start?’
‘We met on a school trip.’
‘Oh yes, the trip to the Tate,’ said Mariner. The two of you were late back to the bus.’
‘We went sightseeing. Got carried away.’
‘And lost. You continued seeing Yasmin after that?’
‘Not for long.’
‘Who broke it off?’ Mariner asked.
‘I did. She was a prick tease.’
‘Lewis!’
‘Thanks, Mr Everett,’ said Mariner calmly. ‘What do you mean by that Lewis?’
‘She used to wind me up. Hands all over me, going everywhere, then suddenly the parents and their religious beliefs would come into her head and she’d want to stop. She’d say she couldn’t go any further. I got fed up with it.’
‘But you saw her again recently.’
‘Can’t help it,’ said Lewis sullenly. ‘Sometimes she’s across on the other platform when I get my train. Then, a couple of weeks ago she sends me a text. Says she wants to meet me again, she’s got something important to say. She said I should meet her from school.’
‘And?’
‘I wasn’t going to be at school that week. It was when I started my work experience up at the factory centre.’
‘Huh.’ Lewis’s father couldn’t stop himself. Mariner silenced him with a glare.
‘I told her to come over to the centre on Monday after school.’ Lewis was getting warmed up now. ‘She’d be finished before me.’
‘And did she come?’ asked Mariner.
‘Eventually. She was late. She’d walked all the way round on the road. It’s miles.’
‘She didn’t know about the short cut over the reservoir?’
‘No, but I told her so she’d know next time. Anyway,’ Lewis said. ‘By the time she got to Dung Heap’s it was nearly time for her to catch her train home.’
‘And did she tell you?’ prompted Mariner.
‘What?’
‘The “something important” she wanted to say.’
Lewis snorted. ‘She said she really missed me and that she’d changed her mind.’
‘About what?’
‘About doing it — sleeping with me.’
‘What had brought this on?’
Everett lifted his bony shoulders. ‘Who knows? Her mate Suzanne had been giving her a hard time. And there w
as something about her sister too.’
‘So she was planning to go through with it this time?’ Mariner confirmed.
‘So she said.’ He sounded sceptical. ‘I said great, but what was she going to do about protection. I said it would be easier if she just went on the pill.’
‘Very noble of you.’ Until then, Knox had sat quietly.
‘If you must know, I thought when I said that she’d back down again,’ Lewis gave Knox a pointed stare.
‘But she didn’t,’ said Mariner, keen to keep things moving.
‘No. She’d already sorted it. I was pretty stunned. Her dad had even found out, but she’d fixed him too.’
‘She told him she was on the pill for medical reasons.’
‘Whatever.’
‘So what did you do?’
‘I said I’d meet her again on the Tuesday afternoon, after school. I was going to get off work early and we’d go back to my place. She was going to tell her parents she was staying at her mate’s house for the night.’
‘So what happened?’
‘Monday night, Dan called with this big plan about going down to Cornwall. But it was cool. I could meet Yasmin as planned then we’d go down afterwards, drop her off at the station or something on the way.’
‘Have your cake and eat it,’ Mariner observed.
‘Then Tuesday morning Dan called to say we’d have to set off early, or we wouldn’t get a pitch at the campsite. I texted Yasmin, to let her know I wouldn’t make it and that I’d see her when I got back.’
‘Just like that.’
Lewis shrugged again. ‘I felt bad letting her down. She’d gone out on a limb for me but, well, you know—’
‘Girls in Cornwall more of a certainty?’
Lewis folded his arms. ‘Less complicated,’ he said. ‘Yasmin had messed me around before. How did I know she wouldn’t just do it again?’
‘What time did you send the text?’
‘Dunno. Some time that morning.’
‘What exactly did your message say?’
‘“I’m going to Cornwall with Dan, don’t bother turning up at the reservoir.” To be honest, I didn’t think she’d come anyway. I thought she’d bottle it at the last minute like before.’
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