The Fourth Friend (DI Jackman & DS Evans #3)(49)

Marie watched Carter amble towards the front of the room. This was the deep end they’d been trying to avoid all these months. Would he sink, or swim?

‘Tom was my best mate. We went to school together and we remained friends afterwards. The only thing I ever recall disagreeing with him about was when he told me he was going to marry Suzanne Cash.’ He swallowed, but carried on. ‘I’d heard rumours that she was, well, an easy lay. And I thought Tom deserved better. But,’ he shrugged, ‘Tom was adamant that he knew all about her past and it didn’t matter. He said she had changed. She loved him, and that was that. And for the first year they were together I had to agree. Everyone said she was the perfect partner, with eyes only for Tom. And then they got married.’

Marie recalled Carter saying that he hardly knew the woman. She asked, ‘Were you his best man?’

Carter flashed her an odd look. ‘They married in a registry office, with no guests. They used council workers as witnesses and there were no photographs. Tom said that was how they wanted it — no fuss.’ He sighed. ‘I stopped spending so much time at his place after that. We still met, went out, did stuff and worked on our boat, but I rarely went to their home.’

‘You still had reservations about her?’ asked Jackman.

‘I just couldn’t take to her, end of. So I stayed away. And, well, being a copper I made a few discreet enquiries about her first marriage. I found out roughly the same as Robbie did, although I had no proof. It isn’t a pleasant story.’

Robbie gave a grunt of assent.

‘Then after another year went by, Tom got kind of quiet, but he wouldn’t say what was wrong. He swore everything in the garden was rosy, but I didn’t believe him. You know when someone says, “I’m fine!” too often? You know damn well they are lying.’

Like you, thought Marie, and nodded.

‘And that’s all I can tell you. Nothing concrete, but an undercurrent strong enough to sweep away a herd of cows.’

‘Do you know what they rowed about, Carter?’ asked Jackman. ‘It must have been serious, since he packed a bag and went to Ray’s house.’

‘And why Ray?’ Marie added. ‘You were his best buddy. Why not stay with you?’

‘I was off on a stakeout the night he had the row. And I think he knew I disliked her, though he never bad-mouthed her, not once. Maybe he didn’t want to tell me what had happened.’

‘And he never told you?’ Max sounded surprised. ‘We blokes usually like to chew over things like that with our mates.’

‘Not if we are embarrassed, or know we are in the wrong,’ said Carter.

‘Mmm, good point.’

‘I’d have thought Ray would have said something to you,’ Jackman mused.

‘He told me it would blow over. Storm in a teacup.’ Carter pulled a face. ‘Ray was pretty blunt, bless him. He said I’d probably open my big gob and make things worse.’ He gave a little laugh. ‘So even on our way to the stag do, it wasn’t spoken about.’

Marie glanced at Jackman and ran a finger across her throat. Cut it now, sir. He’s had enough.

Jackman coughed. ‘Well, we appreciate all that, Carter. Now, I suggest that Robbie, Max and Charlie keep up the search for Doolan, and Marie and Carter tackle Suzanne herself. I’ve got a broad outline of what she did during the week prior to her disappearance. Work from that, and find out all you can about her and the people she fraternised with. Don’t hold back either. No one has been willing to talk about her, and I want them to stop pussyfooting around. We need someone to be straight about that woman.’

‘Anything I can do to help, sir?’ asked Gary Pritchard.

‘You are with me, if uniform can spare you, Gary. I’d like you to keep up with what is going on with Danny Hurley. I know the girl is home and dry, but his story still bothers me. We need to know about this mysterious third party who apparently orchestrated and possibly financed the whole weird scheme.’

‘Fine, sir. I’m cleared for a few days.’ Gary winked at Marie.

She responded with a smile. She knew how pleased he was when he managed to get himself seconded to Jackman’s office.

‘Excellent. Right, let’s see what we can achieve by the afternoon meeting, shall we?’

*

Marie and Carter decided to start with Suzanne’s last place of work. Soon they were sitting outside the Tan-Amazing salon in East Market Street.

‘Lovely,’ said Marie sarcastically. ‘Really nice.’

‘I suppose it’s work, isn’t it? And all the free rays you can soak up.’

‘Glad to see you are looking on the bright side.’ Marie released her seatbelt. Before she could get out of the car, Carter took hold of her arm.

‘I just wanted to say thanks for not objecting to my getting back into the CID office, especially after the way I acted yesterday.’

‘Ah, is this where I get the apology?’

‘I know I was an arse.’

‘Yes.’

‘It was just that the only way I could sort the situation fast was to go the back route, and I didn’t want to land you in the shit too.’

‘Very thoughtful of you, but I’d have turned a blind eye to a lot of things just then.’

‘Maybe, maybe not. It wasn’t worth the risk. But I am sorry.’