Cold as Ice (Willis/Carter #2)(92)

‘Or text me. I don’t really like spending hours on Facebook. I’ve got better things to do with my time.’

‘I know what you mean. I’ll message you,’ Ebony answered.

‘I better get back to work now.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Coffee break is over.’

‘Of course. Thanks for meeting me.’

‘Not at all. I’m glad you’re going to be around next year. Should be fun.’ Ebony watched him as he struggled to say something. ‘You know, I didn’t mean I wouldn’t date someone with a child. I just meant . . . well . . .’ He shrugged. ‘You know?’ She nodded. ‘I’d like to ask you out. I’m into opera – don’t laugh . . . or we could take in the ballet if you’d like? The Nutcracker is on at Sadler’s Wells?’

‘You picked the only one I know! I’d love to, Yan, but I can’t at the moment.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry.’ She could see it had taken a lot of guts to ask her out. ‘Could I get a rain check on it?’

He smiled, embarrassed, and disappointed.

‘Of course. I understand. Christian seems to get all the women.’ He has a right to be pissed off, thought Ebony. ‘Be careful of him, if you know what I mean,’ Yan added. ‘I’d hate it to put you off coming on to the course – you know, if things went badly?’

She nodded. ‘Point taken. Just friends. I’m not going to hurry into anything.’

‘Yeah – wise choice to stay friends. His girlfriends have a habit of disappearing from the course and one of them was in the news recently – Emily Styles?’ Ebony felt a surge of adrenalin but tried not to show it. She frowned and played with her coffee cup.

‘Yeah, well, it was so sad. I wondered what happened to Emily. I thought she’d just dropped off the planet.’ Yan was putting his coat and scarf on. ‘She turned up in Regent’s Canal. Such a shock. I wonder where she’s been all that time. Her Facebook page is open. People have posted things on there. We all thought she’d just had enough after it didn’t work out with Christian but all that time she was in real trouble.’

‘That’s really terrible. Did you know her well?’ Ebony knew that Yan was in group photos with Emily.

‘Yeah, I saw her all the time, at social events. Lovely girl. She was a bit mad and a lot of fun. But not my type.’ He blushed.

Back at the flat Ebony skyped Robbo. Ebony thought how tired he looked.

‘Phone records are in,’ he said. ‘Christian Goddard seems to be the common denominator with our victims. On all of their Facebook pages.’

‘Has anyone posted anything new on Emily Styles’ page since the news broke about her death?’

‘Yes, there are over twenty messages. Just basic RIP ones.’

‘Did Christian post?’

‘No. Yan did, though. How did coffee go?’

‘It went okay. He seems to have a low opinion of Christian Goddard.’

‘That’s a male ploy to big himself up in your eyes. Men always slag one another off to women. We’re like builders. We always blame the last man on the job. I am getting your GPS signal by the way.’

‘My pendant?’

‘Yes. And the transmitter in your shoe.’

‘So you heard the conversation anyway. Why did you ask about it then?’

‘I didn’t want to appear rude.’ She smiled to herself and rolled her eyes. ‘You’re doing a damn good job, Ebb. Keep it up.’

‘I’d rather be back in Fletcher House in my comfort zone.’

‘You’re doing a great job and you’ve responded really well to everything. You are the one who has a real hope of finding Danielle in time.’

‘I understand, Robbo. I’m going to do everything I can. I met one of Christian’s conquests yesterday evening – Julie. I think she’d open up to me.’

‘Julie Lynton, friends with Selena Tibbs? I see they’re friends on Facebook. Yes, she confirmed your friend request.’

‘I’ll see if she’s on chat.’

‘Yes she is. IM her. Instant Messenger is definitely the safest way to ask sensitive questions. Any direct messages might be read if you’re hacked into. Facebook hang on to data, even deleted messages sometimes. They’ve had criticism for it in the past. You ready? I’ll chip in if I think it’s helpful.’

‘Okay.’ Ebony typed a message in the chat box:

‘Hi Julie, any hangover?’

‘Not too bad. What about you?

‘No. I had an early night.’

‘Are you coming out tomorrow night?’

‘To the Pear and Peach?’

‘ Yes.’

‘I think so – finding out about a babysitter.’

‘Who else is going, do you know?’

‘Not sure, sorry. Yan told me about it.’

‘Christian?’

‘Don’t know. Is there a thing between u 2?’

‘Sort of.’

‘Oh. Didn’t know, sorry.’

‘Don’t worry. Don’t think you’re his type.’

Ebony smiled to herself. She knew Robbo would be hiding a smile behind a coffee mug.

‘What about Danielle Foster, people say they are seeing one another? Do you know her? I haven’t met her.’