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‘Twenty or so. Although not all of them will have been in. He’s … They’re … downsizing.’
‘You know if any of them have seen Daniel today? Or spoken to him since he left the house?’
‘No one’s been answering the work phone. Customers usually go through to Daniel’s mobile. It’s a noisy place. They don’t always pick up.’
‘You haven’t been down?’
‘I only just found out. I came straight to the quay.’
‘We’ll get someone over there to talk to them. And to Mr Povey, too. Mrs Locke – Lucy – was Daniel … Has any aspect of his recent behaviour given you cause for concern?’
The cold kiss. The chilling goodbye. The sensation, all morning, that events are running out of control.
‘Not at all.’
‘I’m sorry to press you – but no indications of depression, anything like that?’
‘Will it affect the search?’
PC Noakes tilts her head. ‘I’m sorry?’
‘I know how these things work. You start thinking this was deliberate – that he sailed out there because he didn’t want to be found, and it lets you stand down the search, gives you a—’
‘Mrs Locke—’
‘—reason to call everyone back, when Danielisout there, right now, depending on us to find him, depending on—’
‘MrsLocke—’
‘It’sLUCY!’
She rocks backwards, shocked by her loss of control.The two police officers study her as if she’s just become a lot more interesting. Glancing around, she realizes that half the people inside the Drift Net are staring.
Let them. Never before has Daniel’s reputation needed protection. And now, suddenly, it does; cupped hands around a stuttering flame.
‘Lucy,’ Sean Rowland says. ‘The coastguard is coordinating search and rescue, not the police. No one’s thinking of standing it down – we’re only getting started. These officers are just doing their best to build up a picture of what might have happened.’
Lucy thinks of the Seago life raft, untouched in its locker. She takes a breath and blows it out. To PC Noakes, she says, ‘I’m sorry. I just … It’s hard to believe this is happening.’
Noakes nods, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. ‘It’s fine. Believe me, we get it all the time.’
Lucy glances at the clock. ‘School’s finishing. I need to collect my son – arrange for someone to look after him. I’ll be twenty minutes or so.’
‘In that case let me take some contact details.’
Lucy recites her mobile, her landline and her email. She gives out Daniel’s various contact numbers, as well as Nick’s.
‘Do you know your husband’s vehicle registration?’
Lucy relays that too. Standing, she pulls on her borrowed jacket.
‘Are you a volunteer?’ PC Lamb asks.
She shakes her head. ‘My ex is the lead coxswain.’
‘Your ex-husband?’
‘Ex-boyfriend.’