The Locked Room (Ruth Galloway #14)(66)

‘I remember the Dawn Stainton case,’ says Tanya. ‘Deadly Dawn they called her.’

‘You don’t surprise me. She hasn’t turned up for work today and apparently that’s very out of character. I’ve put a trace on her car.’ When Nelson had asked Ruth what car Zoe drove, she had replied ‘I think it’s blue’. The surgery had been more helpful and now they are looking for an electric blue Nissan Juke. The receptionist even knew the number plate, ‘We need it for the parking permit.’

‘Next of kin?’ says Tanya.

‘There’s an ex-husband,’ says Nelson. ‘Patrick Stainton. She put him as next-of-kin on her personnel records, but I’ve contacted him and he hasn’t spoken to Zoe in years. They divorced in 1994.’

‘That must have been about when the court case was.’

‘Yes, you’re right.’ Nelson is impressed, though he should be used to Tanya’s powers of recall by now. ‘Anyway, there’s no one else.’

‘That’s a bit lonely,’ says Tanya.

‘I suppose it is,’ says Nelson.

The thought doesn’t make him feel any less troubled. Lonely people can be dangerous. When Tanya goes out of the room, bristling with purpose, Nelson rings Ruth.

‘I’ve found out who Zoe is,’ she says, without waiting for him to say anything. ‘I think she’s my sister.’ Then she’s off on a saga about photographs, foster parents and Zoe always reminding her of her mother. When Nelson can get a word in, he says, ‘I take it she’s not back yet?’

‘No. I keep looking out of the window.’

‘Keep your doors locked,’ says Nelson.

‘Why?’ says Ruth.

‘Because it’s always a good idea to keep your doors locked. Especially when you live in the middle of bloody nowhere.’

‘But do you think Zoe could be in danger?’

‘I don’t know but there’s a lot that feels fishy to me. Joe McMahon having a room full of photos of you and then going missing. Those messages about the Grey Lady. Zoe disappearing on her way to work.’

‘I’m a bit worried about Eileen too. You remember, the student who showed you Joe’s room?’

Nelson remembers the girl shivering in the porch of the halls of residence.

‘What’s happened to her?’

‘I don’t know. She’s not attending lectures. Her personal tutor hasn’t heard from her in a while. I’ve asked the warden of the halls to check up on her today.’

‘It’ll be quicker to go myself,’ says Nelson.

‘That would be great,’ says Ruth. ‘I don’t like to think of her in that place on her own.’

‘Nor do I,’ says Nelson. ‘I’ll call you later. And keep the doors locked.’



The halls look even bleaker today. It’s April now and there’s a real feeling of spring in the air but the blue skies and bright sun contrast with the general sense of abandonment. The grass grows high around the empty buildings and litter blows across the courtyards. Nelson has asked the warden, Jeremy Stokes, to meet him outside Vancouver House. He thinks the man looks nervous. He’s wearing a surgical mask and backs away from Nelson even as he greets him.

‘How often do you check on the students here?’ barks Nelson from behind his own mask.

‘They can call us whenever they need anything,’ says Jeremy, tapping in a passcode to open the door.

‘But you don’t come here yourself?’

‘No. I’ve been shielding. My wife has cancer.’

Nelson lets the man off but, all the same, UNN’s student care leaves a lot to be desired. Eileen’s room is on the second floor and, as soon as Jeremy lets them in with his master key, it’s clear that it’s been empty for a few days. There’s mould on a coffee cup by the bed and an intricate spider’s web across the en-suite shower.

‘Maybe she’s gone home,’ says Jeremy.

‘Have you got a number for her? Perhaps you could find out.’

Nelson goes into the corridor and starts knocking on doors. Before he’s got to the end of the line, one of them opens.

‘What’s going on?’

It’s Mei. The girl he met on his last visit, the one who said she’d keep an eye on Eileen.

‘It’s DCI Nelson. Have you seen Eileen?’

To his surprise, Mei nods. ‘She put a note through my door on Monday night.’

‘What did it say?’

Mei looks slightly alarmed at the urgency in his voice, but she says, equably enough, ‘I think I’ve still got it. I’ll show you.’

She disappears into her room and comes back with a postcard which she hands to Nelson.



I’m off! Thanks for everything. Love you Exx

Nelson stares at the rounded blue letters, the heart that follows the kisses. ‘Does this sound like her?’

Mei smiles. ‘It does.’

‘Do you know where she was off to?’

‘I assumed home.’ Mei is starting to look worried.

‘Can I take the card?’ asks Nelson.

‘Of course.’ There are probably fingerprints all over it now, but Nelson gets out an evidence bag and inserts the card. Eileen wrote it on Monday. It’s Wednesday now. Not that long for a teenager to go missing but long enough.