Page 23

CHAPTER 23

MELANIE – D AY T WO

It’s nearly midnight before Melanie is alone again on the makeshift bed in the office. She dials her husband’s number and feels the complex mix of longing and guilt and love, all churned together with exhaustion.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey.’ Tom’s voice is quiet also.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t talk longer earlier.’ She’d managed a quick call to say goodnight to George while Sam was eating his burger but, thanks to her nagging, he ate quickly – positively wolfed it down – so there was very little time to speak to Tom. Too little.

‘It’s OK.’

‘No, it’s not. I was with a colleague so I couldn’t—’

‘Yeah. I guessed. No problem. So how’s it going? Have you told Matthew about the letter? Is that all going to be OK for you?’

She fights the sudden and rare urge to cry, squeezing her eyes tight then moving her phone from her left ear to her right. ‘I’m having to keep the letter quiet for now to avoid a leak to the press.’ This isn’t strictly true but she can’t bear Tom’s disapproval. Not tonight. ‘But I’ve confided in a sergeant. And we’ll put it to Dawn. Just as soon as we can find her.’

Melanie takes in a long breath. ‘The truth is I’ve made no real progress at all. Nothing concrete.’ A pause. ‘I don’t feel I have anything much to go on, Tom.’

‘Oh, darling. I’m so sorry. So – what can I do? You want me to abort? Come back with George. Be nearby?’

‘No, no. Don’t do that. It’s still full on. I wouldn’t have time to see you much. It’s crazy here.’

‘So you really don’t have any leads? I saw the hassle on TV. The vigilantes doing their thing.’

‘Yeah. We could so do without all that. Two arrests. In court tomorrow. I’ve bumped that to someone else on the team. But the suits aren’t happy I wasn’t there to handle it all myself.’

‘You in a hotel? It’s late.’

She pauses and glances around. For a beat she considers lying. ‘No. I’m camping in the office.’

‘Oh, Mel. Are you at least eating? Getting some sleep?’

‘I’m eating enough. And sleeping enough. It’s just the ticking clock.’ She doesn’t need to say it. It’s very nearly Thursday. Day three. At 4 p.m. it will be forty-eight hours since Amelie went missing. She had originally said she would give the investigation two days. Regrets saying that now.

‘So you need to stay on there? See it through?’

‘Could you bear it? I’ve got the super on my shoulder. The media all over us.’

‘I understand.’ A pause. ‘So are you still hopeful, Mel? Finding her?’

‘I don’t know. I have to be honest and say that statistically, it’s getting less likely we’ll find her ...’ She can’t bring herself to say the word. Alive. ‘But it’s not impossible so I’m not giving up on that. I just don’t have anything strong . No real evidence.’

‘So talk to me.’

‘OK. So, as I said, we haven’t found Dawn Meadows yet though we’ve now interviewed her husband as you know. And so we’re chasing his lawyer who handled the divorce to try to find Dawn’s lawyer, hoping they have an address. Also a sister in New Zealand and doing the usual bank and phone checks. I’m really hoping something will come from all that tomorrow. But I have this really unexpected new line.’

‘OK. So what’s that?’

‘You know Sally’s friend Carol?’

‘The Carol we met at theirs, you mean?’

‘Yes.’ Carol lives in one of the neighbouring cottages to Sally. They’ve had supper a few times. Barbeques. Coastal walks. ‘Well, it turns out she has a record that I didn’t know about.’

‘What kind of record?’ His tone mirrors her own surprise. Carol is so nice. Ordinary. Gentle and unassuming. The last person you’d expect to have a police record.

‘She took a baby once, Tom.’

‘You are kidding me.’

‘I wish. It was a good few years back and she was unwell, apparently. With a controlling and violent partner. She spiralled and it happened out of the blue. Not premediated. But she was given a custodial sentence. Suspended.’

‘And Sally and Matthew knew this? Never said anything?’

‘I’ve spoken to them very briefly. Not in detail yet. As I say, it was a long time ago. When Sally and Matt met. I’ve called up the files and it was a very sad case. Out of character. Carol was unable to have children herself. Psych reports said she was very ill. But the bottom line is she took a child. A baby in a pushchair from an airport. Not for very long and the child was unharmed. But it was abduction all the same.’

‘And you think—’

‘I don’t know what to think. She claims she was in France when Amelie went missing but we’re still to confirm that. She’s supposed to be on a late flight home from Paris to Bristol but it had technical problems so she’s now flying early tomorrow. Cameras at the airport in Paris show her clearly alone at the moment. She’s been put up in a hotel and we’ve checked in with security there and CCTV. No child. No Amelie. She’s definitely alone tonight. So we’re going to let her travel, check in with the airline to keep the situation monitored. Then we’ll pick her up when she lands and drive her down for interview.’

‘Will you do the interview yourself?’

‘Yes. They’ll bring her straight here soon as she lands.’

‘I’m surprised they didn’t arrest her in France.’

‘We’d need more than a previous offence to arrest her and get a search warrant. As I say, the CCTV shows her alone for now. Technically she was in France when Amelie disappeared so that’s a potential alibi. Unless she’s lying or she took Amelie to France but that all seems unlikely. Would need a false passport.’ She’s thinking aloud. Her brain’s so tired. ‘I have to assume she could be lying until I figure this out. To be honest, I just don’t know what to make of this. It’s very unexpected. And it’s going to add a layer of stress for Sally and Matthew too. Her being a friend, I mean.’

‘You really are overloaded. Look, darling. You need to at least try to get some sleep. Let your brain rest.’

‘Yeah.’

‘OK. Get off to bed. I love you.’

‘You too. And I’m so sorry I’m not with you for the holiday.’

He doesn’t answer and she thinks again of the new letter and how Matthew will react when she finally tells him. Also Sally. Her brain’s swimming with what is really behind Amelie’s disappearance. Dawn? Carol? Matthew’s job? ‘Hang on. Before you go, can I ask you something?’

‘Anything.’

Melanie closes her eyes and conjures the terrible looks Sally exchanges with Matthew when they don’t realise she’s watching. Something so hollowed out and so beyond pain that it’s uncomfortable to witness.

She’s also thinking how conflicted Sally was over Matthew’s plan to join her team. It’s not that I don’t admire what you all do. It’s just so bloody dangerous .

‘Be honest. Do you hate me being a police officer?’