Three Things About Elsie(69)

The policeman smiled at him across the desk, although Simon couldn’t decide if it was a smile of reassurance or a smile of sudden recognition.

‘We’ll just get a few details straight first,’ he said, and his pen hovered over the paper.

Simon confirmed his name and address as clearly as he could. He even repeated it a couple of times, just to be on the safe side.

‘And you’ve worked at Cherry Tree for how long?’

‘Just over five years. Five years, two months and fifteen days.’

The policeman looked up and smiled again. The smiling was unexpected and most off-putting.

‘Five years? You must enjoy it,’ he said.

This was a bit of a curveball. Simon shuffled around in his seat whilst he tried to think of an answer. It was important to be honest, but he didn’t want to be too honest, in case it was written down in evidence and later mentioned in court.

‘It has its ups and downs,’ he said eventually.

The policeman’s pen just hovered.

‘Aren’t you going to write that down?’ said Simon. ‘In evidence?’

‘What?’

‘That it has its ups and downs?’

‘No. I was just making conversation.’ The policeman coughed. ‘When was the last time you remember seeing Mrs Honeyman?’

‘Are you still making conversation?’ said Simon. ‘Or is it a question?’

‘No, it’s a question.’

‘I’m not certain. It’s difficult to be sure.’

‘Difficult to be sure?’

‘I mean they all look quite similar, don’t they? Unless you’re concentrating.’

‘And you weren’t concentrating?’ said the policeman.

Simon sat back. ‘Of course I was concentrating. You won’t find anyone who concentrates more than I do. Or does as many head counts.’ He reached for his backpack, but then he realised his clipboard was already on the desk. ‘She was definitely there at the start of the walk, because I counted her.’

The policeman looked at the chart. ‘But by the time you reached the park gates, she’d disappeared.’

Simon nodded.

The policeman spent the next few minutes writing, and all Simon could hear was the scratch of his pen on the paper.

‘So how would you describe Mrs Honeyman, Simon?’

Simon stared at a stain on his jacket. ‘I’m not really sure.’

‘Why don’t we start with what she looks like?’

‘Don’t you already know?’

‘We do, but I want to hear what you have to say about it.’

‘Average height. Average build.’ Simon continued to stare at the stain in the hope it might offer some inspiration. ‘Grey hair.’

‘That could describe most people on this trip, couldn’t it, though?’

‘I suppose.’ Simon rubbed at the stain, because it clearly wasn’t helping.

‘Any distinguishing features?’

Simon looked up. ‘How do you mean?’

‘Anything that makes her stand out from the others?’

Simon had to think about it for a few minutes before he spoke.

‘She’s quite good at cribbage,’ he said.

‘Well?’ Miss Ambrose stood next to the telephone table in reception.

Simon was afraid to meet her eye, so he spoke to the table instead. ‘Nothing, really.’

‘I hope you stressed how conscientious we are at Cherry Tree. How resident safety is a priority. You do remember me telling you to say that?’

‘Shall I go back?’ he said.

He dared to steal a glance and thankfully, she had her eyes closed. He was usually quite good at instructions, at least when they involved moving furniture or unblocking drains, it was just when it was to do with people he found it a bit more tricky.

As he was waiting for Miss Ambrose to finish her deep breathing, a few of the residents appeared in reception and loitered around the foot of the stairs. He knew how they felt. He didn’t really know what to do with himself either.

Miss Ambrose studied them. ‘And why aren’t you talking to the police? I thought Jack was next on the list.’

‘I was.’ Jack gave Simon a strange look, which he didn’t really understand. ‘The constable is having a little comfort break, I believe. We’ve got to go back in fifteen minutes.’

‘We should be out there searching,’ said Florence. ‘Not sitting around here having conversations with policemen.’

‘Couldn’t agree more.’ Jack started buttoning his coat, but Miss Ambrose raised her hand and everyone stopped what they were doing to look at it.

‘Don’t even think about it,’ she said. She left very big gaps between all the words, and the gaps made Jack unbutton his coat again and everyone else gather closer to the stairs and become very quiet.

‘At least I managed to get hold of Gloria.’ Miss Ambrose turned back to Simon. ‘She had a look through Mrs Honeyman’s records and managed to fax things over.’

‘Any relatives to call?’ said Simon.

‘No one.’ Miss Ambrose checked through the sheets of paper she had in her hands. ‘No children. Parents of course, but they’re obviously long gone. Not sure of their names.’ She turned a page. ‘Here we go. Arthur and Clarice.’