Jack quietly closed the door behind him as Penny began reading a story to Hannah. He went into his home office to call Ridley. It went straight to voicemail again, so he left a message asking if he could do anything and hoping that Ridley would get in touch with him. By the time he went back to the kitchen, Maggie had cooked the vegetables and was just taking the casserole out of the oven. Jack opened a bottle of red wine and fetched two glasses.
‘Mum seems better than ever. She’s joining some women to start going to bingo once a week.’
‘You didn’t mention anything to her?’
‘No, like I said, she seemed fine. I left her reading Hannah a bedtime story.’
‘I should have gone up to kiss Hannah goodnight,’ Maggie frowned. ‘Never mind, it’s nice to have a quiet evening together and I’m feeling really pooped. We had a long day today, lots of new cancer cases taking up beds, and as usual we’re awfully short-staffed.’
Jack nodded. ‘I called Ridley again and left another message. It’s all very odd.’
‘Maybe he is ill again, and just wants his privacy?’ Maggie suggested. ‘You could always go round to his place and find out; although if he wants you, or anyone else, to know I’m sure he’ll contact you.’
‘Yeah, you’re probably right... perhaps I’ll pay him a visit at the weekend.’
Jack ate hungrily, and they drank almost an entire bottle of wine between them, before Maggie, her eyes drooping from tiredness, said she was going to have a shower and go to bed. Jack said he would clear up and then join her. He loaded the plates and cutlery into the dishwasher, washed up the casserole dish, wiped the work surfaces, then filled his glass with the last of the wine before switching off the lights and going upstairs to his office.
Opening his briefcase, Jack took out his notes on the investigation and listed his meetings for the following day. First thing he had the appointment with the psychiatrist, to discuss Rodney Middleton’s previous medical history. He knew he would be given the usual blather about client confidentiality but was hoping that as Middleton was no longer a patient, he might actually be able to glean some information. He had checked, as Clarke had suggested getting a warrant, but had been informed he did not need one as Middleton had signed a statement saying police could access his medical records. This was unusual and made Jack feel as if Middleton might be adept at playing the system. Jack had also arranged an interview with Amanda Dunn, Middleton’s girlfriend, at her hostel in Shepherd’s Bush. Middleton’s lawyer had informed Jack that she had moved out of the flat they had previously shared.
By the time Jack had showered, Maggie was fast asleep in bed. He tried not to wake her as he climbed in beside her. More often than not she slept so soundly that he joked it would take a bomb blast to wake her. He switched off the bedside light and lay down with his back to her. Just as he was dozing off, he heard low murmurs from Penny’s bedroom above. He turned over, suspecting that she had probably left her TV on and fallen asleep. He lay on his back, eyes wide open, as the murmur continued, then got up with a sigh of irritation and crept up the stairs to Penny’s bedroom, standing outside and listening. It wasn’t the television. Penny was having a lengthy conversation with someone on the phone. Jack knew his mother had a mobile; in fact, he had insisted on buying her one in case of an emergency when she was out, but he had never heard or seen her using it. Jack paid the bills, so he knew that she very rarely, if ever, made calls. He heard her laughing, then felt as if he was spying on her, and quickly headed back down to his bedroom.
Jack slid into bed and lay back trying to listen but there was no more murmuring so he assumed she must have ended her call. He thought about what Maggie had said and knew that his mum’s forgetfulness was a bit of a concern. However, Maggie had insinuated that Penny might have signs of dementia, in addition to the normal symptoms of old age. Jack felt that Maggie was probably being over-pessimistic as she had been dealing with a number of very elderly patients during the pandemic, many of whom did have dementia.
The following morning Jack overslept. Maggie was already serving breakfast to Penny and Hannah by the time he had got dressed and shaved. Jack sat at the kitchen table, buttered some toast and poured himself a coffee, whilst Maggie gave him a kiss on the cheek before rushing out.
Penny cleared the breakfast away and prepared Hannah’s orange juice and cookies for her mid-morning break. Jack gave Hannah a bite of his toast whilst she sat in her highchair, noticing that it was getting way too small for her. She had also learnt how to lift the tray and slide out on her own.
‘I heard you talking on the phone last night?’ Jack said tentatively.
Penny closed the dishwasher and began wiping down the work surfaces, whilst Hannah chortled and kicked out happily.
Jack continued: ‘I thought it was your TV, and that maybe you had forgotten to turn it off.’
‘Oh yes. I was talking to my new friend about the bingo dinner. You know you shouldn’t give her that seeded toast. It often gets stuck in her throat because she doesn’t chew it properly. Here, let me get her out of there as we should be leaving in a minute.’
Jack finished his coffee and by the time he had put his dirty things into the dishwasher, Penny had got Hannah into her buggy in the hallway.
‘Right, we’re off. Have a good day, dear.’ She leant in through the doorway and waved, and Jack blew a kiss to his daughter. He smiled to see her making the same gesture back to him, replete with kissing noises.
Jack collected his briefcase from the office, got his coat and went into the kitchen to double check that everything was turned off. He noticed that Penny had forgotten to take Hannah’s orange juice and biscuits, which were still on the kitchen table in a zip-up food bag with her name printed in cartoon letters on the outside, and decided he would drop it off on his way to interview the psychiatrist.
Ten minutes later, Jack pulled up outside the gates of the nursery school, which were kept locked whilst the children were inside. He rang the bell and waited, putting his mask on. After a few minutes a pretty teenager came out and he was able to pass the bag through the railings to her. ‘My mother forgot to bring this, for Hannah Warr.’
‘Oh thanks, I’ll take it in. I’m Carol, one of the classroom assistants,’ she smiled, before walking back into the nursery. He checked his watch, realising that he had not seen Penny returning home before he left, but then told himself that she was probably doing some shopping before she met up with her friends.
By the time he had found a parking space near the psychiatric practice, just off Marylebone High Street, he was fifteen minutes late.
Angus Seymour’s name was listed on the brass plaque outside the building. Jack walked into the small reception area. There was a rather elderly woman sitting behind a curved desk who looked up as he approached. She was wearing a mask and Jack quickly pulled his own mask up, as it was hanging from his right ear.
‘I have an appointment with Dr Seymour.’
The receptionist put on her glasses and opened the appointment book.
‘I am Detective Sergeant Jack Warr, Met Police.’
She pointedly looked at her watch.
‘Sorry I’m a bit late... traffic.’
‘Let me call through to him. He does have a rather a full morning.’
Jack waited patiently as she spoke to Seymour briefly then told Jack that he could go straight up the stairs to the second landing where Mr Seymour’s office was behind the first door to his right.
The carpet was well worn, even though the clinic was in quite a prestigious location. Jack knocked on the door, which had Angus Seymour’s name printed in gold on the outside.
The first room had three hard-back chairs and was obviously a waiting area, and then there was a door to another room which was ajar. Jack hovered for a moment before he heard an abrupt voice asking him to come in.