Day Five
“Tom! Can I have a word please?” DCI Jones strode into the incident room.
“What can I do for you, sir?” Calladine looked round from the board, which he had been studying intently.
“The States, Tom—this list. I’m thinking of the cost of all those phone calls. Are they really necessary?”
He was at it again, the penny-pinching fool!
“I’m afraid they are, sir. That list is students from the university who may be missing. At least two students from the States have ended up dead on our patch, so we need to know how many more we could be looking at.”
“I appreciate that, but couldn’t we leave the spadework to the university? They were their students after all.”
“Yes but the bodies are ours, sir. And when others turn up they will be ours too.” He spoke as calmly as he could, trying hard not to lose it. Tom Calladine was ready to blow, and if the DCI didn’t get out of his face soon …
Jones sighed. “Budgets, Tom. We only have so much money to play with. This could blow our phone bill sky high.”
“Can’t be helped I’m afraid. At the very least, the families of the dead girls need to know.”
“Okay, contact them, but leave the others for the time being. I’ll sort something out. Something cheaper.”
And exactly how was he going to do that? Calladine inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm his anger. What did Jones imagine they were all doing here? That man had spent so long tucked in that little office of his that he’d lost all comprehension of what really went on.
Ruth was sat at her desk, shaking her head and swearing under her breath. “Bloody idiot. Does he think we do this for the fun of it?
We have to spend money sometimes. I bet he’s not seen the overtime bill yet, has he, sir?”
“Now now, Sergeant Bayliss. Take it easy. Let’s not get riled, and less of the cheek…We’ll give him until lunchtime and then we’ll crack on with the calls regardless. What we all really want is an end to this. He’s with us on that one, surely?”
“Monika?”
“Not yet, and please don’t go on about it. I’ve enough on right now.”
“Coward! What’s happened to you?”
“Sleep—or rather the lack of it—that’s what happened. I’ll sort it, I promise.”
“You can tell me about it on the way to the university. And don’t go thinking I’ll let you wimp out, because I won’t. You need that woman, Tom Calladine.”
She was probably right, but he didn’t feel like dissecting his love life right now.
“Give me a minute. I want to check if Julian got anywhere with the CCTV from the undertakers.” He picked up the phone and tapped in the forensic scientist’s number. All he got was his answer service.
“He must be out, or busy.”
“Or even both.”
“Okay. We’ll get off to Manchester and check with him on our way back.”
He went into his office and grabbed his coat.
“I’m in, sir!” Imogen announced as he and Ruth made to leave.
“I’ve got access to the social media site Madison used, so now I can look at her posts. I’ll have a look around, see what I can find and fill you in later. One thing though—and this could be vital. He was pushing Madison. He said he had someone else and he’d dump her if she didn’t make her mind up about him. He said the new girl was already lined up and keen—someone she knew. He was getting at her—taunting her for her indecision. It seems Madison got very jealous and threatened to sort the girl out. It might be important to find out who this other girl is, sir.”
One after the other, then. One on the go and one in the wings.
He had to put an end to this.
“Try and find out her name—anything to help us identify her before it’s too late. If you get anywhere, then ring me.”
“Alice might know, sir,” Ruth suggested.
Ah, the all-knowing Alice. He didn’t want to rely on her too much. She was far too intense for him. A young girl like her should be out enjoying herself not poking around compiling lists—even if it was an enormous help.
“This new girl should take precedence, don’t you think? We should speak to her friends and make sure she’s okay before we chase after folk who knew Serena.”
She was right. This other girl could be in danger.
* * *
“You might be feeling rough but you don’t look so ragged around the edges today.”
“I don’t know. All the abuse I have to put up with, not only from Jones but now from you as well…But I suppose I did sleep a little better last night. I had an interesting conversation with Zoe, and she helped me to figure something out. She thinks Fallon might have brought the body to the funeral in the boot of his car. I just have to work out how to prove it. Oh—and did you know that she’s a lesbian?” He still hadn’t made his mind up about that one.
“Yes, I guessed actually.”
“She told you?”
“No—I said I guessed. Come on, sir, I really expected you to twig. She’s made no secret of it.”
Calladine was mystified. He’d had no idea until his daughter had told him. “How does that work then? How did you know?”
“I guess my gaydar is a little sharper than yours, that’s all. You don’t have a problem with it, do you? I didn’t have you down as homophobic.”
“That’s because I’m not, and it isn’t a problem, not really. It’s just that when Zoe turned up like she did, and I’d got used to the idea of having a daughter, I allowed myself to indulge a little. For the first time ever I started to think about an extended family—grandkids even.”
“Tom Calladine! You old softie. Have you told Zoe how you feel?”
“God no, I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“She might not even want kids; but you should ask her. It is the twenty-first century, you know. Gay couples get married, and they also have kids. There are ways and means.”
* * *
When they reached the university they made their way to Joanna Johnson’s office. They now needed to know who Madison Benneti’s friends were, apart from Alice—particularly the Americans.
“I’m not sure. They do meet up, our overseas students. There are a number of groups and social events they go to,” the tutor said.
“Who would know, then?” Ruth asked.
“Well, I suppose you need to speak to Alice again.” Joanna Johnson sighed. “Believe me, she’ll be only too pleased to help. She came and had a word with me after you spoke to her. She wants to do a period of work experience with your team.”
Work experience—that was a new one. As far back as Calladine could remember, no one had ever put themselves up for that little treat.
“I’ll get her to meet you. Refectory again?”
“Late breakfast? Or have you eaten?”
“Not that organised I’m afraid. I left early and Zoe had already gone.”
“Surely you don’t expect her to run after you, sir? Make breakfast…Her job is every bit as demanding as yours, you know.”
“She does conveyancing. How demanding can that be?”
“Very tricky job. All those impatient house-buyers wanting things to move faster, irate phone calls and having to get all those searches right. Give me police work any day.”
“Don’t be so sarcastic. I could go off you, Ruth Bayliss. You’ve become far too smart-arsed for your own good, if you ask me.”
They queued at the counter along with the students and helped themselves to a selection of what was on offer. Well Calladine did, but when it came to it, all Ruth could stomach was tea and toast.
“More bacon, more sauce—don’t know how you can.”
“You could once. What’s happened to you?”
“A girl has to watch her figure. I only have to look at food these days and I pile it on.”
Calladine looked her up and down. That couldn’t be right. In fact, to him she looked as if she’d lost a little weight. It showed mostly in her face. She was looking prettier somehow. Was that the Jake effect? Or the fact that she’d grown her hair longer? What was it about women? Give them a few weeks and they could completely change their appearance. Whereas men—well, they remained stubbornly the same. He certainly did. A short, no-nonsense haircut and the colour left to do its own thing—which these days, was defaulting to grey. As for his weight, it hadn’t changed in years, regardless of what he insulted his stomach with.