The Fourth Friend (DI Jackman & DS Evans #3)(11)

*

Robbie Melton scanned through the notes he had made at the morning meeting. Suzanne Holland was beginning to occupy his every waking thought. His method of working an enquiry like this was to get inside the victim’s head. He was certain that the solution was to be found in the woman herself. Someone, a person as yet unknown to them, was responsible for her disappearance. Robbie just needed to find her, dead or alive.

He had read all the reports. The main thing that emerged from them was the lack of forensic evidence. Apart from the quantities of blood at the house, whoever attacked Suzanne had been very careful. Robbie knew what the old adage said. Wherever you go and whatever you touch, you leave a trace. Well, Suzanne’s assailant seemed to have blown that hypothesis out of the window.

Marie was smiling down at him. ‘You look pensive.’

He held up a photograph of Suzanne Holland. ‘This woman fascinates me. It seems that despite being married, she had an awful lot of men friends. But there are so many different sides to her that it’s hard to get a clear picture of what she was like.’

‘Have you managed to contact the ex-husband in Spain?’

Robbie grinned. ‘Kind of. I’ll try again when he’s sober.’

‘Any idea of why they got divorced?’

‘No idea. He was too pissed to string a coherent sentence together.’ Robbie laughed.

Marie sat down opposite him. ‘Robbie, I’d like you to look deeper into her marriage to Tom Holland. And if you could do it rather quietly? I need to know if there’s any skeletons in the cupboard that the initial interviews missed.’ She frowned. ‘As you know, Carter is back today on full duties, but Jackman and I don’t want him getting involved with this case. Best he doesn’t hear the name Tom Holland too often. He reckons he’s fine with it, but we don’t think so, okay?’

Robbie nodded. ‘I totally agree. Don’t worry, Sarge, I’ll come to you directly if I find anything of interest.’

She nodded. ‘Oh, by the way, have you read the memo about dropping the formalities? First names and all that?’

‘Sure have, Sarge. But I’d never be able to manage it. If there’s a choice, I’d rather keep the status quo.’

‘Good man! You and me both.’

Marie walked off, leaving Robbie staring at the photograph.

Suzanne Holland had rich auburn hair just a shade or two away from red. She stared out of the picture from beautifully made-up hazel eyes. Her smile was seductive, full-lipped. Robbie shook his head. ‘Not my type. But I can see what her admirers saw in her.’

‘Me too.’ Max Cohen leaned over his shoulder. ‘That’s one hot lady.’ He slumped down in the chair Marie had just vacated. ‘I’m beginning to think this was a random wrong place, wrong time thing. I’ve spent days interviewing her acquaintances and friends, and all I’ve got is a big fat nothing. No one wanted her dead.’ He grunted. ‘And for once, I bloody well believe them. Maybe it was a bungled burglary, or she just met someone with a grudge against red heads.’

‘No, I’m certain she was the target.’ Robbie looked at her hazel eyes. What secrets did they hold? ‘She is a mystery woman.’

Max stood up. ‘Well, I hope she bleedin’ well hurries up and spills the beans, mate, ’cause this case is becoming a right pain in the arse.’

‘Indeed, it is.’ Robbie nibbled on a thumbnail. ‘But we’ll get there in the end. We’ll find out what happened.’

‘You reckon she’s brown bread?’

‘Oh yes. Don’t you?’

‘S’pose so.’

‘We’ll find her, Max. She’ll talk to us, when she’s ready.’

‘Typical woman. Gotta be on her terms.’ Max strolled back to his desk. ‘Even if she is bleedin’ dead.’

*

Marie sat in front of her computer, staring into space.

‘Penny for them?’ Carter said.

She jumped a little, but then looked up hopefully. ‘Hey! Scrap the financial negotiations, how did you get on in there? What did the super want?’

Carter screwed his face up. ‘Mmm, that was sincerely weird! She actually showed a human side.’ He gave a shrug. ‘This is most likely just a time-waster, but she wants you and I to check something out for her.’

Marie frowned. ‘So what about the case I’m already working on?

‘This is no big deal, just a few inquiries. Jackman’s okay with it, and we’ll be back here in no time.’

‘So what is all the urgency about?’

‘Because, believe it or not, she wanted you and I specifically to deal with it.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Apparently it needs tact and diplomacy and she thinks we’re the right people to do it.’

‘She said that? About you?’

‘As good as. In fact, yes, she did. And I think Jackman was as shocked as I was.’ He gave a rueful grin. ‘Although Jackman wasn’t quite as rude to her as I was.’

Marie gave an incredulous laugh. ‘Jackman is never rude. You on the other hand . . . Still, that’s a first, isn’t it? You and Ruth Crooke are like Sherlock and Moriarty. There has to be a catch, doesn’t there?

‘Oddly enough, I don’t think there is.’ He lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘It concerns the super’s niece. Now, let’s go somewhere more private and I’ll bring you up to speed.’