Page 73 of The Locked Room

Nelson is impressed. ‘You think it might be Joe McMahon?’

‘It’s just a thought.’

‘A good one. See if Joe ever attended one of those slimming meetings. Lean Machine or whatever they were called.’

‘Lean Zone,’ says Tanya, zipping through her notes as though keen to match Tony for insights.

‘Ruth went to a Lean Zone meeting,’ says Nelson. ‘And McMahon seems to be obsessed with her. Her missing neighbour, Zoe Hilton, went too.’

‘Good for Ruth,’ says Tanya.

‘Why?’ says Nelson.

‘No reason.’ Tanya looks back down at her notes. ‘Judy thought there was a link with Lean Zone, didn’t she? I suppose we could ask her about it.’

‘She’s got enough on her plate at the moment,’ says Nelson.

And that’s the other reason for all the activity. To avoid thinking about Cathbad.

But Judy is, in fact, sitting at her home-office space in her bedroom. Maddie has taken the younger children to the beach and there is only one thing that can take Judy’s mind off the possible death of her life partner: work. Although she’s had messages today from Nelson, Clough, Tony and even Tanya, none of them have asked about the case. She wishes they would. She wishes that she could say something besides ‘no news yet, in ICU, holding his own.’ ‘I used to hold my own,’ Clough texted back, ‘until I was told it would make me go blind.’ She misses Clough.

There’s something there, some link that she’s not seeing. Judy leafs through her notebook.

She went to evensong at St Matthew’s sometimes.

Avril and Tony loved birdwatching. It was one of the reasons they moved here.

She was very devout in her quiet way.

People do become very close sometimes. We’ve even had a few romances.

I was a bit worried. I wish I’d asked more.

What’s the connection? She’s got to find it. Nelson and co will never crack this case on their own.

‘Mum!’ She hears shouts from downstairs. Barking. Wails of, ‘It’s not fair. She saidIcould have it.’ The children have become particularly demanding in the last twenty-four hours. Thing too. She knows she should go downstairs but she can’t quite face it yet. Then she hears another voice, one that seems to come from another world, another life.

‘I know I can’t come inside but can you just say I’m here?’

‘Clough!’

Judy runs to the top of the stairs.

Back in his office, Nelson takes out the postcard that Eileen Gribbon posted under Mei’s door. It’s still in its plastic evidence bag.

I’m off! Thanks for everything. Love you Exx

‘Off,’ says Nelson aloud. ‘Off where, Eileen?’ In theory, it should be easy to trace people during lockdown. After all, everyone is meant to be staying at home to save lives. But what happens when they have to leave home, maybe to save their own life?

Mei has given him her number and he rings it now.

‘Just checking that you’re all right.’

‘I’m fine,’ says Mei with the heartbreaking confidence of youth. ‘Jeremy came to check on us today.’

‘Jeremy? Oh yes, the warden.’ At least he seems to be remembering his duty of care, albeit rather late in the day.

‘Let me know if you’re worried about anything,’ says Nelson.