Mortal Crimes: 7 Novels of Suspense (92 page)

“When you say ‘town,’ are you talking about Worcester City centre?”

The man let out a heavy breath. “Yes. Shit, why didn’t I take her or pick her up?”

“Don’t worry, sir. We’ll try and find her. I have to ask, have you recently had an argument?”

“No, nothing like that. Please, she’s pregnant. We only just found out. She was out celebrating with the girls. Not drinking alcohol, of course. She wouldn’t do that.”

“Gosh, I’m sorry to hear that. Please try and remain calm. Does your wife go to Gypsy’s nightclub?”

“Yes. That’s where she and her friends planned on going last night. I spoke to her best friend this morning. I thought my wife might have gone home with her last night, but she hadn’t. She told me they went to the nightclub, then went their separate ways afterwards. I’m so worried about her. It doesn’t matter what fee you charge. I just want her back.”

“One more question, Mr. Cox. Did your wife go to any clubs, such as a gym or aerobics class anywhere?”

“Yes. In her lunchtime, she used to go to Jack’s Gym. Up until recently, that is. The doctor advised it would be good to get a little fitter before she fell pregnant. It worked, too. Now this!”

“Is there any reason at all you can think of for her to have taken off? Any debts? Added stress at work?” Ellen had a feeling his answer would be no, especially since Sandy was pregnant and had so much to look forward to.

“Nothing. We’ve done nothing but make plans ever since we found out about the baby.”

“Okay, do you have access to a computer at the moment?”

“Yes. My laptop is right here,” Cox replied, sounding puzzled.

“Is it possible for you to e-mail me a recent photo of Sandy?”

“Ah, I see. Of course. I’ll do it right away.”

Ellen gave him the office e-mail address and stared at her e-mail account, waiting for the woman’s photo to appear—not that it would make much difference. She already had a rough idea what Sandy Cox looked like.

Her fears were realised when she opened the e-mail and saw a stunning blonde smiling out at her from the screen. She clicked her fingers to get Brian’s attention. He left his chair and came over to stand beside her. They looked at each other and shook their heads in dismay.

“I’ve got it now, Mr. Cox. We have an ongoing enquiry similar to this that I need to chase up a few details on today. Can I get back to you later? In the meantime, I’ll start making enquiries. I’m willing to look for your wife at a reduced fee.”

“There’s no need for that. Money isn’t an issue. My wife’s safety is and that of my child. I’m a little confused. Are you saying that other people have gone missing, as in a spate of missing persons in the area?”

“Yes, that’s right. Try not to worry too much. There might be a simple explanation for that. We’ll talk soon.” She hung up before he could question her further. It wasn’t in her make-up to give anyone false expectations, but the man sounded so distraught that she really didn’t want him to worry himself into an early grave.

“What the hell is going on, Ellie?” Brian asked.

She chewed on the end of her pen and then looked up at him. “It’s still a mystery, one that I intend solving. I know I planned on visiting Diane’s relatives this morning. However, I think I’d be better off going to see the gym employees and the manager of the nightclub. This investigation isn’t going to get anywhere without checking out those two places first.”

“Yep, I agree. What do you want me to do?”

She shrugged. “There’s little you can do, except man the phones and pray that another woman doesn’t go missing soon. Looks like Sandy Cox went missing around the witching hour. Maybe I should consider wearing a disguise and laying a trap,” she said thoughtfully.

Brian walked away, slumped into his chair, and scowled as he pointed at her. “No way! No
way
are you doing that, lady. So get that thought out of your bloody head.”

“Wind your neck in and stop playing the protector. If I have to go undercover to catch this bastard, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. How else are we going to catch him?”

“Let’s see what you dig up today before we go off at a tangent, huh?”

“All righty. I’m off.”

She was halfway out the door when Brian called after her. “Ring me between visits, as usual.”

She saluted him and closed the door behind her. Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the car park at Jack’s Gym. She grabbed files of the missing girls off the passenger’s seat, then made her way into the gym. The girl on reception recognised her and gave her a welcoming smile.

“Hello again. I wondered if either you or the owner could give me some information about a few of your members?”

“I’ll have to check with the boss. Would you like to take a seat? Or go for a wander around the gym if you like, and I’ll catch up with you?”

“Great. Thanks a lot.” Ellen pushed through the glass doors and stepped into the air-conditioned gym. Since it was still early, only three members—all men—were working out. They halted their workout regimes and glanced her way. Each looked her up and down as though she were a tempting steak or breast of chicken.
Isn’t that what bodybuilders mostly eat?
She tried not to shudder under their gaze and delivered a slight awkward smile.

The men took the hint of her lack of interest and got back to their training.
Is this what this place is all about? Is it some kind of cattle market? Do men and women hangout here with the specific intent to get chatted up and asked out? Surely not.
Ellen ran the women’s names and their marriage status through her mind. Most, if not all, of the missing women had partners, either in the form of a husband or a boyfriend. Ellen struggled to shove away the fear of intimidation. She didn’t intimidate lightly, but something about being in the midst of an environment so highly charged with testosterone was definitely unnerving.

“Ah, here you are.” The receptionist brushed Ellen’s arm, and she almost ended up in the glowing suspended ceiling. “Sorry.”

“No problem. I was deep in thought. This all seems a little daunting to me. I wouldn’t know where to begin with all the different apparatus and their uses.”

The receptionist smiled. “We have trained instructors to help you there. Before you’re set loose on the equipment, you have to go through an introduction course with one of our instructors. I can schedule a slot for you this week if you like?”

Now that’s an idea. Become a member and snoop while you’re training. Blending in with this lot allows me to see what they’re up to.

“I have to get fit. The trouble is, I sit in an office most of the day. I hope your instructors come with the patience of Job. I’m not a very good listener when it comes to taking orders.”
As the instructors at the police academy would no doubt agree.

“They’re saints, believe me. I hated any form of exercise before I came to work here. Now I can’t get enough of it.”

Ellen noted the brunette’s amazingly toned body in her skin-tight Lycra trousers and boob tube. Her abs protruded like steel bars, stretching her tanned skin to capacity.
She’s pretty enough. So why hadn’t she gone missing? Wrong hair colour, that’s why
, she corrected herself.

“You can sign me up before I leave. What did your boss say?”

“He wanted to know why?”

“I’m investigating the disappearance of Will Endersbe’s wife. That’s why I came to see him the other day.”

“Ah, yes. She’s a lovely girl. Any idea why she ran off like that?”

Ellen frowned. “Is that what you think?”

“Don’t you?” The receptionist seemed genuinely puzzled and, for some reason, nervous all of a sudden.

“We’re not sure. There doesn’t appear to be any logical reason why Donna would leave the way she did.”

The receptionist gasped, looked over her shoulder, and leaned in to whisper, “So you think she’s been murdered?”

Ellen held up a hand. “Now, hang on a minute. I didn’t say that. What would make you think such a thing?”

“I don’t know, probably watching too many CSI programmes.” She laughed. “What else could it mean?”

“That she’s been abducted. There’s a huge difference between that and being murdered.”

The glass doors opened, and Will Endersbe and his two mates entered the gym. He looked both pleased and anxious about her presence. “Please don’t say anything else while Will is in earshot. I’ll have a quick chat with him and meet you back at reception if that’s okay?”

“See you in a minute.” The receptionist gave Will an awkward smile and set off back to her post.

Will rushed forward. “Have you found her?”

“Not yet. I’m just getting started on the enquiry front, Will. How are you holding up?”

“I’ve been better.”

The two men he was with caught up with them and stared at Ellen, making her feel uncomfortable.

“What do you mean your enquiries have only just started?”

“Any chance we can talk in private?” She turned to the other two men, hoping they would take the hint. They didn’t.

In the end, Will had to spell it out for them. “Give us five, guys. Will you?”

They watched the men walk towards the changing rooms at the end of the gym before either of them spoke again.

Ellen pointed to a nearby wooden bench, where they both sat down. “There’s been other instances where women have gone missing.”

Will frowned. “I’m not following you.”

“Other women have been reported missing in similar circumstances to Donna’s.” Because of her plan to join the gym and observe the members, she decided to hold back on some of the clues she’d uncovered—specifically about the connection to the gym.

“What circumstances? At the nightclub? Is that the connection?”

“It could be. All the other girls were last seen around the nightclub. Let’s just say we’re delving deeper into that side of things. I take it you haven’t heard anything from her or a possible kidnapper demanding a ransom?”

He shook his head as tears misted his eyes.

She patted his knee and stood up. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Leave it with me. I hope to have some more news for you soon. How did the competition go?”

Will screwed up his nose. “Not good. I couldn’t really concentrate. Do your best to find her soon, please? You can contact me either here or at home. If Donna decides to return, she’ll know where to find me.”

“Chin up. I’ll be in touch.” Ellen glanced back to see Will’s mates leaving the changing room and coming their way. She left before the men rejoined them.

Back at the entrance, the receptionist eagerly told her to join her on her side of the desk and pulled up a chair alongside her. “I rang the boss. He’s a good mate of Will’s and said to give you anything you need, without infringing on the members’ privacy, of course.”

“That’s great. What I need to know is when these people joined the gym?”

Ellen handed the list to the receptionist, who brought her computer screen to life. She hit a few keys, displaying another screen that showed the missing girls’ details.

“I’ll call out the dates, and you write them down if you like.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Ten minutes later, they had completed the task. Ellen looked down at the sheet of paper and compared the dates. They soon figured out that all the girls had joined the gym within the last six months. Fidgeting in her chair, Ellen summoned up the courage to ask one more favour of the receptionist. “Would you mind pulling up the details of Will Endersbe and his two friends over there?”

“Wow! You think they’re involved in this?”

Ellen was quick to dampen the girl’s enthusiasm. “No. I’m just covering all the angles.”

The receptionist called out three more dates, along with the names of Will’s friends, and she added them to her list.

Ellen stood up to leave, but the receptionist placed a hand on her forearm to stop her. “Shall I make that appointment for you? You know, with the instructor?”

“Oh, yes. Do that. Will it guarantee me having abs as solid as yours?”

The receptionist laughed as she flipped open the diary sitting on her desk. “I doubt it.” She slapped her stomach. “These babies took hours of training to mould into shape. How does Friday sound to you? Six o’clock?”

“Sounds exhausting. I’ll see you then. Thanks for all your help…”

“Daisy. My name is Daisy.”

“Daisy, it was a pleasure to meet you. One last thing before I leave. Can I ask you to keep quiet about what we’ve discussed today?”

Daisy winked at her. “Mum’s the word. See you Friday, Ellen. Good luck.”

Ellen waved goodbye as she left the building, then returned to her car. She checked in with Brian before starting the engine.

“It’s me.”

“How did it go?”

“Fair to middling. I’ve just signed up for a membership. Thought I’d learn more about the club and its members if I got directly involved.”

There was silence on Brian’s end, which he finally broke by laughing so hard that he ended up gasping for breath. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel until he’d finished. “You got a problem, pal?”