Dead Of Winter (Willis/Carter #1)(91)

‘Why was that?’

He shrugged. ‘I intended to go at one point, bought them way in advance, but things changed. Alex asked me not to go with them. I thought about it, and decided the boys were old enough to go on their own. I was going to suggest another friend have my ticket instead of me but Alex didn’t want that.’

‘Aaron’s mother said she thought you would be going with them. She had no idea.’

‘Really? I thought Alex and Aaron had agreed to it between them.’ He made an unconvincing attempt to look surprised. His face turned red.

‘What did you do while they were at the match?’

‘I don’t know . . . had a coffee somewhere, did a bit of window-shopping . . . what is this . . . do I need to account for my every move? Why don’t you put the energy into finding Alex instead of harassing us . . . you can see the state my wife is in . . . she’s very brittle at the moment.’

‘Did you change your mind and go in after all?’

‘No.’

Michael Tapp looked towards the door of the lounge. ‘Where’s your colleague?’

‘I expect she’s chatting with Mrs Tapp. How do you think she’s coping with all this?’

‘The same way we both are. We’re devastated, what do you expect?’ He looked at Carter accusingly. ‘Someone’s walked away with our son in broad daylight.’

‘Not just someone . . .’

Tapp gave a small intake of breath but kept his eyes glued on Carter.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, she wasn’t just someone, was she?’

‘Sorry?’

‘She was the person who had the spare ticket.’

Tapp tilted his head to one side, but his face became darker. His eyes narrowed onto Carter’s face as if trying to read every expression.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Can you show me the ticket?’

‘I looked for it before; I must have thrown it away.’

‘That’s the only way she got near enough to Alex to take him. She gained access to the ground that way. She met him on the way to the toilet, but then he knew her, or he trusted her implicitly. She arranged to meet him at half-time. Why was that?’

Michael Tapp shook his head. ‘I remember now.’ He looked relieved. ‘In the end I gave the ticket away to one of the people at Alex’s school, one of the dads.’

‘Did he pay you? It’s what fifty pounds? It’s a lot of money to right off.’’

‘I don’t remember. I owed him maybe. I just don’t remember.’

In the kitchen Ebony was watching Helen with concern.

‘Are you okay?’ she asked, seeing her shoulders bow and begin to tremble. ‘You and your husband . . . everything alright, Helen?’

Helen Tapp turned and looked at her: her face was flushed; she wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand.

‘Bound to be difficult. He doesn’t like showing his feelings. He’s in denial.’

‘Is he home a bit more to help you?’

‘The last few days he hasn’t been.’

‘Helen, I’m sorry to ask you, but do you have a strong marriage? Have you been having problems?’

Helen Tapp nodded wearily. ‘He has had affairs.’

‘Has?’

She nodded again. ‘I thought about leaving, but with Alfie so small – and I don’t have a job. I don’t have my own money. I wouldn’t even know where to go or how to look after the kids on my own.’ She clasped her hand over her mouth to suffocate the scream about to explode. Ebony went over to her and put her arms round her but she stopped, backed away, swung her head back and forth. ‘No . . . please . . . he mustn’t hear me cry.’

‘We’re going to do our utmost for Alex, Helen. I believe he is still alive. I believe we will find him. When we do . . . you and I will talk again and I will put you in touch with women who can help you in whatever you decide to do.’

Helen grabbed more tissues from the box on the side and buried her face in them and sobbed silently as she nodded. She looked up at Ebony, her eyes swimming with gratitude.

‘Now stay strong, stay optimistic, because we have a team out there working twenty-four seven just to find Alex and we are going to do it. You have to do your side of things and be ready for him when he comes home.’ She nodded. ‘Any woman in your husband’s life right now?’

Helen nodded. ‘This one’s special. I think it’s been going on for a while.’

‘Have you seen her?’

She shook her head. ‘I’ve smelt her on him.’





Chapter 61


Carter and Ebony left the Tapps’ house and walked back across to the detective’s pool car. The smell of cold takeaway greeted her as Ebony opened the passenger door.

‘Have you finished with that?’ They’d picked up something for lunch from a drive-through on the way. A half-eaten burger was on the top of the dashboard.

‘Be my guest . . .’ Carter watched her, amused. He pressed another square of nicotine gum out of the packet and substituted it for the old one.

Ebony started on the cold chips.

‘Nobody feed you at home?’ Carter shook his head in disbelief as he watched Ebony foraging for lost chips at the bottom of the bag.