Frozen Grave (Willis/Carter #3)(52)
Diane dropped in on Zoe on her way home and heard the wonderful peaceful sound that meant the kids were asleep. She knew she’d find Zoe sitting at the kitchen table on her laptop.
‘How did it go?’
‘It was great, love. So many interesting people. You wouldn’t believe people’s stories – how they end up on the street. Just bad luck, most of them.’
‘Keep an eye on your purse.’
‘Tut-tut. That’s not a good attitude. You’re becoming a very cynical young lady.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m really glad it will work out, Mum. Tea?’ Zoe got up to put the kettle on. ‘Did you see much of Simon?’
‘Yes, I did. He’s quite the chef in the kitchen. Except he doesn’t shout at anyone.’
‘I should hope not.’
‘There were lots of people asking what would be happening now about someone called Lolly.’
‘I saw that on the board at work. She was left in the lorry park at Shadwell.’
‘What’s going to happen now?’
‘Well, we’ll do our best. We’ll investigate it like we do all unexplained deaths but the truth is, we don’t hold out a lot of hope of solving it. She was always vulnerable.’
‘Yes, but they say this is the second time someone has tried to kill her. The first time the gang from the estate tried to set her on fire whilst she was sleeping.’
‘We will investigate it, Mum. I’ll have a look into it myself, see if I can find out what’s happening for you.’
‘Yes, because, after all, these people are her family. They are the only people she had left in the world. They deserve to know what happened.’
‘Yes, I know, Mum. I will do it, I promise. Did you get any gossip on Simon?’
‘I didn’t ask. I’m not going to be a spy for you. I would hate them to think I was.’
‘They won’t, Mum. I’m just interested, that’s all.’
‘Mmm, not falling for that, but anyway – he’s difficult to work out. No one mentioned a girlfriend to me.’
‘Did you learn anything about him at all? Was there talk about Toffee – the man in hospital?’
‘The other volunteers can understand why he’s spending so much time at the hospital. According to Sheila and Lyndsey, Simon and Toffee spent a lot of time in his office and they seem to have a special bond.’
‘Did you meet any of the other regulars to the hostel? Did you meet a young woman called Martine?’
‘I heard her name mentioned.’
‘If you get the chance to talk to the people who come in – just listen out for anything that seems worth remembering.’
‘I told you, I’m not spying for you.’
‘Just helping people, that’s all. Not spying.’
‘There is something – nothing really but when I left there I went to say goodbye and there was a woman in his office.’
‘Who was it?’
‘I didn’t ask. But she wasn’t one of the clients in the hostel. She was smartly dressed. She was crying her eyes out when I went in there and he clearly didn’t want to talk to me. She hid her face in a hanky.’
‘When are you going back in, Mum?’
‘I was thinking of going in tomorrow, to help out in the day, if they need me; I can make tea, talk to people. I think that’s what I’ll enjoy doing the most, just listening. But Simon is going to ring me first.’
‘Be good to go in as much as possible.’
‘Trying to get rid of me?’
Zoe smiled. ‘When you’ve finished your duties here, that is.’
‘Simon can’t be intending to go into the hospital tonight, can he? Maybe he knows that you’re not going in.’
‘I wouldn’t get your hopes up of having a vicar as a son-in-law, Mum. I don’t think we’re suited, do you?’
‘Who knows? But you couldn’t help out at the hostel – you’d probably have everyone strip-searched just to get a cup of tea. And you certainly wouldn’t believe anything they said to you – you’d be like, why did you say you did that but then you said the other . . .?’
‘I’m not that bad.’
‘Mmm. You don’t notice it. I saw you interrogating the postman the other day. What made you leave your trolley outside number 36 while you delivered letters to 44?’
‘Now you’re exaggerating.’ Zoe laughed.
Chapter 29
The next morning, Willis got up at six and went for a shower before breakfast. It was dark in the house. She put the light on in the kitchen and the windows were black. She walked around with a bowl of cereal in her hands. She drank tea. She stood for minutes just staring out of the kitchen window at nothing and mentally preparing for the day. Normally, the scene from the window was a mash-up of lit bathroom windows with bevelled glass, back doors – today it was a snow-capped scene.
She picked up her bag and slipped out of the house at 7.15. She walked across to her sky-blue Polo. It had a hat of snow and she slid her hand across it, breaking it off in chunks. The snow was not going to stay, according to the weather forecast. It was almost too cold for it.
Willis didn’t often drive. She didn’t enjoy it; but today she was pleased to be warm and dry inside her car. She had arranged to meet her mother’s doctor in charge of her treatment. She headed north on the A1 to Nottinghamshire. She hit the edge of the town and followed the signs for the hospital.