Mortal Crimes: 7 Novels of Suspense (93 page)

Still sniggering, he replied, “No, not me, but I sense
you
will have come Saturday morning.”

“Ha bloody ha. I’m not that unfit, buster. I’d outrun you over a hundred metres.”

“Yeah, right. So, where are you going now?”

She held up her wrist, and her watch told her it was approaching ten thirty. “It’s too early to go to the nightclub, so I think I’ll go and pay Diane Ely’s relatives a visit before lunch.”

“Good idea. Talking of lunch, any chance you can pick up a sandwich and drop it back before your afternoon gallivanting?”

“Not sure I should bother after the way you just insulted me. Maybe I should teach you a lesson. Respect me or starve, buddy.”

“Oh, okay, threat noted. I’ll try and act upon it in the future. Now about that sandwich… I fancy cheese and ham today.”

“You’ll get what you’re given. I’m going. Talk later.”

She searched through the file on the seat behind her and pulled out the address of Diane Ely’s parents. After mentally planning the route, she headed off.

The sixties-style bungalow was set in a quiet cul-de-sac. As Ellen got out of the car, she took in the neat little gardens and imagined each one being an award winner in the summer. The residents obviously cared deeply about their neighbourhood.

Ellen rang the bell. A few seconds later, a lady wearing an apron opened the door. “Hello, can I help you?”

“Mrs. Ely? My name is Ellen Brazil. I run the Worcester Missing Persons Hotline. Mind if I come in?”

Her face lit up with hopefulness, and she stepped back to let Ellen in. “Have you found Diane?”

“I’m sorry. Not yet, but we will.”

They walked into the lounge, which appeared as though it had been scrubbed clean within an inch of its life every day. Mrs. Ely wiped the patches of flour off her hands on her apron and sat down in the high-backed tapestry chair next to the bay window. Ellen could see the indents of the chair’s legs in another part of the beige carpet and assumed that the woman had moved the chair in order to keep an eye on anyone coming up the path, no doubt hoping that person would be her missing daughter.

“I was in the kitchen baking, trying to keep my mind off…”

“No need to apologise. I want to be frank with you from the start, Mrs. Ely.”

“Please, call me Jill.”

“Jill. The last thing I want to cause you is any further worry, but I think you should be aware that there have been other cases similar to your daughter’s. That’s why I’ve come to see you today.”

Jill ran a trembling hand through her thinning hair, and her brow creased deeply. “Other cases? Where women have simply just disappeared?”

“Yes. I’m working with the National Missing Persons Bureau on this. Forgive me for what I’m going to say next, but without a body, the police have very little interest in these cases.”

“Oh my. I’m not sure how to take that.”

“It was intended to put your mind at ease. Their lack of involvement doesn’t mean it will be detrimental to your daughter’s case. I got involved last week when a client contacted me about his missing wife. Since then, I’ve discovered numerous cases where women matching your daughter’s physical description have simply vanished. My assumption is that they’re being abducted. I’ll be honest with you. I’m trying my hardest to get the police involved because the numbers are stacking up. I used to be in the force and know that without proof, because they have restricted funds, cases such as this tend to be pushed aside until a body surfaces.”

“I see. So you think Diane has been abducted. It would explain a lot. She had so much to look forward to, with the wedding due.” She took a tissue from a box sitting on a nearby table and daintily blew her nose. “We had to cancel everything on Saturday. It was horrendous. I had to put my concerns for my daughter’s well-being aside to deal with cancelling the arrangements that we spent months sorting out. Her fiancé was brilliant about it all. I’m not sure I would have been if I’d been in his shoes. However, he knows how much Diane loves him. He’s been out there searching for her ever since. They were due to fly out to the Bahamas today, so he’s off work anyway. He’s rung me a couple of times this morning to let me know how he’s getting on.”

“I take it he hasn’t found anything out yet?”

“No, nothing. He’s just driving around, hoping to find her walking the streets. The poor boy. Like you say, the police are doing very little to help, so he’s been forced to go out there.”

“If you give me his number, I’ll contact him to let him know he’s not alone in this.”

Jill handed Ellen a business card. “He’s a stationery representative. Here’s his business card.”

“Thanks.”

“Surely there’s something the police can do? Can’t they ask the public to help? You know, do one of those TV appeals or something? I know it’s an awful thing to say but even knowing that she is dead and no longer suffering is better than living through this nightmare.”

“I have contacts in the force still. I’m doing my very best to get them to recognise that something far more sinister might be afoot here. However, I must reiterate. Without a body…”

She looked down at the tissue her hands were twisting into a tight knot, then nodded. “I understand.”

Wishing to get on with the investigation, Ellen stood up to leave. “I’ll contact you as soon as we hear anything. I promise. If you find out anything which you think might help me with the investigation, please get in touch straight away, day or night.” She handed Jill a card with her mobile number on it.

Jill shook her hand at the front door and held it longer than she should have. The deep-set pleading in the woman’s eyes touched Ellen. She withdrew her hand slowly and again assured the woman that she would do her utmost to bring Diane back.

________

Ellen stopped off at the bakery a few roads away, bought two rolls, and returned to the office to feed her ever-hungry partner.

“This case is becoming exceedingly frustrating,” Brian said before taking a large bite of his cheese-and-ham roll.

“It is indeed. We need a break, something to latch on to. Hence me joining the gym. I thought I could see what develops on that front. However, I’m hoping this afternoon’s visit to the nightclub will prove to be more beneficial. I don’t mind admitting that, right now, I’m feeling a total failure.”

“Well, that’s just being daft. Without substantial clues or actual evidence that these girls are being abducted, there’s little anyone can do.”

“Which is why I need to use my charm to get around the manager of Gypsy’s.”

“I’m sure you’ll succeed where I failed.”

“Knowing the reputation of that place, you’re probably right. Maybe I should go home and dress for the occasion.”

They both laughed.

“Christ, I’d never get any work done if you came into the office wearing a mini-skirt, even if it was in the name of work.”

“No fear of that happening. Not with my legs, buster.”

“Why do women do that?”

Frowning, she popped a crumb of cheese into her mouth. “Do what?”

“Put themselves down about their figures. You’ve got a perfect ten from where I’m sitting.”

Ellen raised an eyebrow, and his cheeks coloured up. “You, my friend, have been without a woman too long, and you’re looking at me through rose-tinted glasses. Talking of which, have you been in touch with Trish lately?”

He finished his last mouthful of roll, then screwed up his paper bag and aimed it at the bin. “Only about the baby. I miss Cally tons. Can’t say the same about Trish, though. Anyway, she’s moved on.”

“As in she’s got another fella?”

“Yep, some guy called Damien.”

A huge shiver rippled through her. “God, I hate that name. Ever since I saw that
Omen
movie. Ugh, it gives me the creeps.”

“It obviously has the opposite effect on Trish. Apparently, she’s all over the guy, according to our mutual friends.”

Ellen felt sorry for him. He’d been besotted and married to Trish for six years. They had seemed extremely happy, until she found out that she was pregnant. Everything had changed overnight. She suffered terribly during the pregnancy, and her bouts of morning sickness had lasted a full seven months. Even Brian used to come in to work resembling the lead role from a zombie movie. The minute little Cally was born, Trish kicked Brian out and filed for divorce. They didn’t even get the chance to attempt to make family life work. The thought of leaving Trish with Cally freaked him out. He was afraid her maternal instincts wouldn’t kick in, but he needn’t have worried on that score. She wasn’t exactly mother of the year; nonetheless, she did appear to look after the child well. If she hadn’t, then Brian wouldn’t have hesitated in taking Cally himself.

“It must be hard for you. Not so much seeing Trish with another man, but the thought of Cally growing up with this new guy instead of you?”

“Yeah, it sucks. He hasn’t moved in yet, but my friends are saying that it’s only a matter of time. Hey, as long as I see my little girl on the weekend, then I’m happy-ish.”

He smiled at Ellen. However, his smile neglected to reach his eyes, and Ellen knew that he was hurting far more than he was letting on.

“I hope things work out for you both. Any chance you could get joint custody of Cally?”

“I’m trying. I have a solicitor on the case now. The trouble is, I really don’t want to mess things up. Trish is trying her darnedest to be civil and cooperative with my needs. I think this Damien is starting to stick his oar in and stir things up.”

“Sorry, hon. You know, you can talk to me anytime about this, don’t you?”

“I appreciate that, Ellie. I try and push it to the back of my mind when I’m at work. I tend to do all my worrying in the evening, usually.”

“That isn’t healthy, Brian. If you need to vent, even in the evenings, feel free to pick up the phone and ring me, okay?”

He saluted her. “Yes, boss.”

“Er… that’d be ‘partner.’ We’re equals remember?”

“Does that mean I can order you around at times, too, then?”

She raised a hand at him. “Now don’t go getting carried away, love.”

“As if I’d do that?”

“Right, I better get down to the nightclub.” She threw her lunch wrapper in the bin and pulled on her jacket.

“Go get ’em, tiger.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

As soon as Ellen walked towards the nightclub, which used to be a former church, a shiver rose up her spine. Cautiously, she surveyed the area, then felt ridiculous because none of the girls had disappeared during the daylight hours. She’d been to the nightclub once or twice for her friends’ hen parties, but she had never felt the ominous feeling that was running through her right then.

She banged on the huge front door, and it flew open immediately. A pimply, youngish man wearing a white shirt and black trousers appraised her openly.

“Is the manager or owner in?”

“Yep. Who wants to know? If you’ve come for the bar job, it’s been filled. Although, with that figure, I’m sure we could put you down on the waiting list. We don’t get many fit birds like you applying for jobs.”

Ellen rolled her eyes up to the sky. “That type of flattery will get you nowhere, sonny.”

The young man laughed. “You couldn’t be more wrong, lady. I have a different girl every night of the week between my sheets.” His chest puffed out along with the boast.

Ellen’s interest piqued. She smiled falsely. “Really? Maybe I should take your name and number, just in case I get lonely one night.”

His eyes widened in surprise, and he dug into his trouser pocket. He produced a scrap of paper and a pen, then quickly jotted down his name and phone number. Ellen smiled inwardly; she was pleased to see that she hadn’t lost her touch for gaining important information from an unsuspecting individual.

She winked at him and put his number in her bag. When she got back to the office, she could have Brian see if anything interesting showed up in his background. “Now, back to business. Is the boss available for a quick chat?”

“If it’s not about a job, then what’s it about?”

“It’s personal,” she told him, not intending to let on who she was or why she was there, in case he turned out to be the one they were after.