Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(37)

Ginger Dreadlocks nodded. ‘You were after the sax, right?’

Toby nodded meekly.

‘How long do you think he was in here?’ asked Jeanie.

‘About twenty minutes. We had a good chat about music, didn’t we?’

Christ, thought Jeanie. He completely forgot about Samuel.

‘While this gentlemen was in here, looking at the horn—’

‘Sax – a horn is a different instrument,’ corrected Ginger Dreadlocks.

‘While this customer was in this shop, did you notice the buggy parked outside?’

‘No, I can’t say I did.’

‘Not at all?’

‘No. I was more interested in serving this customer; I never imagined he would have a buggy outside.’ As he was talking the penny dropped and he realized who Toby was. ‘Sorry, man.’ He shook his head. ‘I didn’t realize.’

They left the shop and passed by the search going on around the area where the suit had been found.

‘Toby, stay here, please.’ Jeanie left him and walked across to the commander in charge of the search operation. She updated him, then rang Robbo.

‘We have confirmation from Toby that he left the buggy unattended outside a pop-up music shop on a side street, just off the beginning of the park. It’s about a five-minute walk from where the suit was found. I’ve updated the search parties. The assistant confirms he spent some time in the shop.’

‘Okay,’ Robbo said. ‘I’ll get two officers down there to interview the assistant and find out more. We’ll get straight onto this and see if we can find any CCTV to back it up.’

Jeanie walked back over to Toby. She squeezed his arm and smiled, trying to ease his worried expression. She indicated that they should keep walking. They took the path up towards the Observatory.

‘I have held everything up, haven’t I?’ Toby asked.

‘I won’t lie, Toby, we could have done with knowing this straight away.’

‘I was just so worried about what Lauren would think of me, what everyone would think. I thought he would be found by now. I’m so sorry.’

‘It is done, Toby, and you weren’t responsible for taking Samuel. We need to push forward now and you need to tell us everything you remember about this walk,’ Jeanie said firmly. ‘This must be quite a climb with the buggy,’ she said as they headed up the steep last section. Above them the Royal Observatory was still closed to the public. Toby stopped and looked at the ‘closed’ signs. He’d been quiet since they’d left the shop.

‘When will it reopen?’ he asked. ‘We can’t afford the loss of revenue.’

‘I expect it will be a few days,’ Jeanie answered, trying to hide her surprise at him asking.

‘I’m sorry, it’s just that I don’t want everyone to suffer because of what’s happened.’

‘You really love this place, don’t you?’ Jeanie asked, smiling.

‘Yes, I suppose I do.’

‘Did Samuel like coming up here?’

‘I never brought him up here before Monday.’

‘Did he like it then?’

‘I don’t know. He was asleep.’

They passed through the entrance and Jeanie nodded at the police officer on duty. A group of officers were clearing a drain.

‘We’ll stop here, Toby,’ said Jeanie.

‘What are they doing?’ asked Toby.

‘Looking for any clues, anything that might have been dropped. We haven’t found Samuel’s hat and boots yet.’

Toby stood beneath the bright searchlight as the white-suited forensic team knelt beside the drain.

‘Oh God. Do they think he’s down there?’

‘No, they’re looking for something someone might have dropped by accident or on purpose. You mentioned Gareth, is he your friend here?’

Toby’s head snapped round to look at Jeanie and then, just as quickly, he returned his stare to the forensic team.

‘Gareth works here, that’s all. We’ve become friends.’

‘Do you see Gareth outside work?’

‘Sometimes, we meet for a beer sometimes.’

‘Has Gareth got a partner? Is he the same sort of age as you?’

‘I don’t think he does have a partner at the moment. He’s a bit younger than me, I think.’

‘So you’re like his mentor.’

‘I don’t know about that.’

‘He looks up to you, I expect?’

‘Not really. We just get along.’

‘Have a laugh?’

‘Yes.’

‘What about Lauren?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Does she like Gareth?’

‘I haven’t bothered to introduce them. Lauren has her own social life. She works very hard, long hours. Luckily there is a crèche where she works. She isn’t much of a socialite. She goes to the gym in her spare time.’

‘But – do you think she’d like Gareth?’

‘I can’t see why not. I also can’t see what this has to do with anything.’

He looked betrayed, as if Jeanie had led him down a path he shouldn’t have taken.