Losing You (33 page)

‘So nowhere near Somerset?’

‘No.’

He didn’t seem to be lying, but blowing the cover off these types when they banded together often required something nuclear. ‘Aren’t you in the least bit curious to know how your address could have ended up on Lauren Scott’s phone?’ she asked bluntly.

His grizzled eyebrows rose. ‘I can only assume someone sent it to the wrong number,’ he responded coolly.

‘And yet she was in Somerset that night, so it would seem she’d followed the directions ...’

‘Do you know if she actually went into the house?’ he interrupted.

‘Not yet, we’re waiting on forensics to tell us that. Do you know if she did?’

He regarded her askance. ‘How on earth could I when I wasn’t there, and have no idea who she is?’

Coming back into the room, Mrs Osmond said, ‘I’m very sorry, Inspector, but something urgent’s come up that I have to attend to.’

Wondering whose wallpaper was hanging off, or sofa covers didn’t fit, Dennis tucked away her notebook and got to her feet. ‘I think we’re about done here anyway,’ she said. ‘Thank you for your time. You’ve been most ... helpful.’

Mrs Osmond cast a dubious look at her husband. ‘I’ll see you out,’ she said, leading the way.

‘If anything else should come to mind,’ Dennis said, handing her a card at the door, ‘feel free to call me any time.’

Taking it, Mrs Osmond replied, ‘I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted journey, but I did tell you on the phone that we have no idea who this girl is.’

‘And they really don’t seem to care much either,’ Dennis told Clive Andrews when she rang from the car to appraise him of the visit.

‘So do you think they’re telling the truth?’ he asked.

‘Actually, I don’t, at least not entirely, but their alibis are borne out by the in-laws, and no one at Lauren’s school seems to know who they are, nor does anyone from around the Scotts’ old neighbourhood. It’s going to be interesting finding out whether Lauren went into the cottage, because if we can place her there, they really will have some explaining to do.’

‘I take it no news on that yet?’

‘No, you know what forensics are like, overworked, underpaid and like to tell you all about it. And this isn’t
a murder, so we’re hardly a priority. In fact, we really don’t know what it is. Any hunches coming up for you yet?’

‘Not really. Did you manage to get an ID on the number the text was sent from?’

‘I’ve got someone chasing the phone company. I don’t know what’s taking them so long, because we should have had something by now. Again, I suppose we’re low priority. What news on Lauren?’

‘I’m guessing she’s hanging in there, because I haven’t heard from Emma Scott since I dropped her at the hospital this morning.’

‘OK, let’s presume then that it’s good. If we lose her, you realise this’ll have to go to CID, because something’s definitely being covered up here?’

‘Of course.’

‘So, how close are you to Melissa Hunter’s place now?’

‘I’m ready to go and knock on the door as soon as you give me the word.’

‘Great. I reckon I’m about twenty to thirty minutes from Donna Corrigan’s place. I take it Melissa’s mother is expecting you?’

‘Affirmative.’

‘Same goes for Donna’s mother, so I’ll give you a call when I get there,’ and ringing off she began programming the satnav to take her to Hammersmith where, unless Mrs Corrigan had spilled the beans, young Donna was about to receive a surprise visit from the police at the very same time as young Melissa down there in North Somerset received one too. Dennis had decided to do it this way to make sure neither girl had a chance to get on the phone for a tip-off session before the other one was questioned.

Forty minutes later, after battling the usual snarl of London traffic made worse by rain, Jackie Dennis was sitting on a very comfy sofa in the Corrigans’ conservatory with a welcome cup of tea and plate of biscuits on the table in front of her, and an extremely edgy, though stunning, ash-blonde teenager perched on an opposite chair. Together, Dennis was thinking, Donna Corrigan and Lauren Scott must have presented a vision to take anyone’s breath away.
When she added in their musical talents and the air of rampant femininity this girl exuded, no doubt shared by Lauren until less than a week ago, Dennis could only contemplate the injustice of beauty allocation: some girls seemed to have it all, while others were woefully overlooked.

‘Is Lauren going to be all right?’ Donna asked nervously. ‘She is, isn’t she?’

‘Everyone’s certainly hoping so,’ Dennis assured her, putting her cup down. ‘It was a very serious accident though, and if she does come through her injuries are likely to take a long time to heal.’
If they ever do
, she considered adding, but decided that Donna was pale enough already.

‘I wish there was something I could do,’ she said brokenly. ‘I mean, if it was a kidney or something, I could let her have one of mine, couldn’t I?’

Touched by such generosity, perhaps naivety, Dennis said, ‘If it was a match, probably you could, but as it is, the only way you can help her really is to tell us why she wasn’t out with Melissa on Saturday night, when there’s quite a bit of chat on her Facebook page to say that was where she was going.’

Donna’s eyes immediately went down. ‘I don’t know why she changed her mind,’ she answered softly. ‘She didn’t text me or anything, so I only knew what had happened when Melissa’s mum called mine to tell her on Sunday morning.’ She used a finger to dab a tear from the corner of one eye and continued to stare down at her lap.

‘You’re her best friend, Donna, and she didn’t tell you where she was going, or why?’

Still not looking up, Donna shook her head.

‘Is that usual? Do you normally have secrets from one another?’

‘No, hardly ever. I mean, not that I know of.’

After wondering whether to shock her into looking up, Dennis chose to let things ride for the moment, simply saying, ‘So who do you think she might have told?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Melissa?’

‘Maybe. I mean, I don’t think so, because if Melissa knew I’m sure she’d have told me by now and she hasn’t.’

Dennis feigned a look of surprise. ‘Is there a chance Melissa’s keeping a secret from you too?’

Donna took a breath to answer, but only ended up shaking her head. ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered. ‘I was here all weekend. I’m not ... I can’t tell you what happened down there.’

‘So what
can
you tell me, Donna? I mean, there must be something going round in your mind about all this. You’ve surely got some sort of theory about why she showed up at Melissa’s house, but didn’t end up going out with her, so why don’t you share it?’

Donna swallowed noisily. ‘I – I can’t. I mean, I don’t have one.’

‘Now
that
, I’m afraid, is a lie.’

At last the girl’s eyes came out of her lap. Her face was turning crimson. ‘I – I don’t understand.’

With a friendly smile, Dennis said, ‘You’re an intelligent girl, you have an imagination, so it stands to reason you must have some sort of theory. All I’m asking is that you tell me what it is.’

Donna only looked at her.

Dennis stared back, but after a few moments the girl’s head went down again.

‘You understand that I’m a police officer, don’t you?’ Dennis said firmly. ‘Lying to me, or covering up for someone who’s been involved in committing an offence ...’

‘She hasn’t,’ Donna cried, ‘she’d never do anything wrong, so you shouldn’t be treating her as though she’s a criminal, because she isn’t.’

‘You can’t have it both ways, Donna. If you know she didn’t do anything wrong, you must know what she was doing, or at least who she was with?’

‘I just ... I just know she wouldn’t.’

‘Then what do you have to worry about?’

‘I’m not worried.’

‘Really?’

‘Well, I am about her, obviously, but I know she hasn’t done anything wrong.’

Dennis took another sip of her tea. ‘Do you know Ian and Rachel Osmond?’ she asked.

Donna frowned. ‘Who?’

Dennis repeated the names.

‘I’ve never heard of them. Who are they?’

‘Lauren received a text on Saturday evening giving her their address in Glastonbury and directions of how to get there.’

Donna’s colour vanished altogether.

‘You do know them, don’t you?’ Dennis said, watching her closely. ‘So who are they? And what are they to Lauren?’

‘I swear, I’ve never heard of them,’ Donna insisted. ‘That’s the honest truth. I really can’t tell you who they are.’

‘Can’t or won’t?’

‘Can’t. Honest to God, this is the first time I’ve ever heard their name.’

Unsure of whether she was being truthful or not, Dennis said, ‘Why would Lauren have taken her flute on Saturday night?’

Donna’s colour rose again. ‘I – I don’t know,’ she stumbled. She put a hand to her mouth, stifling a sob. ‘Like I said, she never told me where she was going.’

‘OK. Then tell me about Parker Jenkins.’

Donna’s eyes widened with surprise. ‘You mean Lauren’s ex? What about him?’

‘Well, he’s been pestering her, hasn’t he, wanting to get together to talk, trying to persuade her to go out with him again.’

‘Well, yes, but I wouldn’t say pestering, exactly, and anyway he knows she’s not interested.’

‘Is he upset about that?’

‘I don’t know. I mean, he was, but ...’ She shrugged as her answer trailed off.

‘Do you know him very well?’

‘I guess so. He lives about four streets from here and we went to the same primary school.’

‘So you introduced him to Lauren?’

‘No, she went to the same school. She knew him from there.’

‘Do you know when he was last in touch with her?’

‘Not really. I think she said it was a couple of weeks ago, but she didn’t text him back.’

‘So does she have another boyfriend now?’

A swathe of painful colour came rushing back to Donna’s cheeks. ‘No, neither of us do at the moment. We’ve got our A levels coming up. We’re having to work really hard, so we don’t have time for anything else.’

‘Except Lauren had time to drive into Somerset on Saturday night, apparently on her own, though we can’t actually be sure of that. Was someone with her?’

‘No! I mean, I don’t know.’

‘Which is it? No, or you don’t know?’

‘I don’t know. I already told you I thought she was going out with Melissa ...’

‘And Melissa’s already told her mother that she’s keeping a secret for Lauren because it’s what Lauren would want, and apparently you agree with her. That sounds very much to me like you both know a lot more than you’re telling.’

‘No! I only know that Melissa asked me if she should keep the secret and I said yes, because if she didn’t it would be like we thought Lauren wasn’t coming back.’

‘She might not, Donna, so what then?’

The girl’s eyes flooded with tears. ‘I don’t know, and I don’t understand why you’re questioning me like this when the only person who’s done anything wrong is the one who got drunk and drove his car into her. He’s the one you should be talking to, not me.’

Dennis feigned surprise. ‘You think he knows why Lauren was in the middle of the road when he came up over the hill?’

Seeming to crumple, Donna said, ‘No, I’m just saying, he’s the one who’s committed a crime, so you should all of you, everyone, go and talk to him and leave Lauren alone.’

After a frustrating half an hour further along the street with Parker Jenkins whose broken heart seemed to be well on the mend if the new girlfriend he’d mentioned was genuine, Jackie Dennis was now back in her car heading
towards the M4. ‘Hi, it’s me,’ she told Clive Andrews when he answered his mobile. ‘So how did it go with Melissa?’

‘I didn’t manage to get any more out of her than her mother did,’ he replied, sounding weary and exasperated. ‘She knows something, obviously, she’s not actually denying that, but no way is she going to give it up. How about Donna, any more communicative?’

‘No. She’s not even really admitting to being in on the secret, but I’m not swallowing that. She knows as much as Melissa, that’s for sure, but whatever it is, like you said, no way are they giving it up.’

‘Of course it could all be totally irrelevant.’

‘It could, but there again it might not. Did you get anywhere mentioning the Osmonds to Melissa?’

‘Another blank. Apparently she’s never heard of them.’

‘Did you believe her?’

‘She sounded pretty convincing, but not knowing her, I’ve no idea how good a liar she is.’

‘Mm, I’m left feeling pretty much the same way about Donna. I couldn’t get anything out of the ex-boyfriend either, apart from how he’s really sorry about what happened to Lauren, and he really hopes she gets better, but he’s over her now – he’s met someone else apparently – and surprise, surprise, he’s never heard of the Osmonds either.’

‘So what next?’ Clive asked.

‘Good question. Without any actual evidence of a crime I guess we’ve gone as far as we can for now, because we have no powers to seize phones or computers, apart from Lauren’s of course, much less to shake the girls up with a trip to the station. So, what can I say apart from thanks for coming on board today? I’d hoped, with you being that bit closer to the Scotts and what’s happening with them, it might have persuaded Melissa to open up.’

‘I hoped so too, and I ladled it on, believe me, but her loyalty’s firmly with Lauren, misguided though it might be, and right at this moment I can’t see a way to change it.’

‘OK, I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. Let me know if there’s any change in Lauren,’ and after ringing off she
clicked the controls on her steering wheel to take an incoming call.

‘Hey ma’am,’ the voice of one of her sergeants came cheerily down the line. ‘It’s Chester.’

‘What’s up?’ she asked.

‘Two things. First, the CPS is sniffing around wanting to know more about the Scott–Lomax case.’

‘What? Why? Does he know something we don’t?’

‘No idea. I’ll have to leave that with you.’

‘OK, go on. Second?’

‘Second, we’ve had some interesting news from the labs where Lomax’s blood’s been tested.’