Page 39 of Then She Vanished

Gina placed the picture back in the file. Their John Doe would have worked at the factory over a decade ago. He could have changed a lot.

‘Is Marie okay? Has something happened to her?’

‘Quite the opposite, we are trying to locate her. Do you know her surname?’

‘Yes, it was Blaine.’

‘Have you seen her since?’

‘Nah, I hated the factory we both worked at. I got sick of stinking of fish every day, so I left. I don’t know what happened to her after that. We didn’t keep in touch.’

‘Did she ever mention being worried about something while you were together?’

He leaned back and began to grind his teeth while he was thinking. ‘She thought someone followed her home one night, but I think she was just being a bit melodramatic.’

‘What makes you say that?’

He shrugged. ‘Well, she was okay. No one attacked her.’

‘Do you know where she lived back then?’

‘Yes, I picked her up to go out one night. She lived with her dad and nan. She had a cousin, too, who used to come and have lunch with her sometimes.’

‘Do you know the name of her cousin?’

‘It may have been Lissy, but don’t quote me on that.’

‘Did you have an address for Marie?’

‘I don’t know the name of her road back then, but the house was directly opposite to the Cleevesford Cleaver. It used to be a bed and breakfast. It’s a hostel now, I think. She probably doesn’t live there anymore, but it might be worth a try.’

‘Mr Ferguson, do you play chess?’

‘I used to be on the school chess team, but not since then.’

‘Do you or have you ever owned a red baseball cap?’

‘No. I’m not that man in the picture you showed me.’

‘Do you have access to a car?’

He looked from side to side. ‘Err, no.’

‘Where were you between five and eight o’clock this morning?’

‘Asleep.’

‘Where?’

‘In my van.’

‘So, you have access to a van? What van do you drive?’

‘A Mercedes Sprinter.’

‘What colour?’

‘White. Why?’