My Name is Eva An absolutely gripping and emotional historical novel - Suzanne Goldring Page 0,56

was here with me the other day, asking you about the guns in the suitcase.’

‘Did he, dear? And what did I tell him?’

‘He wrote it all down, Aunt. I expect you’ll remember everything when you see him.’

Evelyn decides it’s time for a dramatic flourish. She pulls a clean hankie from her handbag and lowers her head. Her shoulders shake and she feels Pat putting an arm round her. ‘Don’t worry, Auntie,’ she says. ‘I’m sure he won’t be here very long. It will all be over soon.’

Evelyn keeps her head lowered and mumbles, ‘But I can’t remember things any more. It’s all so confusing.’ She has seen other residents behaving in this way when questions are asked or their half-recalled memories are corrected. She has also seen them closing their eyes several times an hour, appearing to fall asleep in the middle of activities or conversations or asking when it will be lunchtime, when they have only recently eaten a good lunch. It is most educational, observing all these mannerisms and behaviour patterns. It really is most useful indeed.

‘Here he is, at last.’ Pat stands up as Inspector Williams arrives, bearing his usual folder under his arm.

‘Sorry I’m a bit later than I thought I’d be,’ he says. ‘I’ve just been to the house to check on the latest.’

‘And what is the latest, exactly?’ says Pat. ‘What have you found?’

‘We’ve conducted a thorough search, but I don’t think we’re going to find anything else that would concern us. There are other guns there, sporting guns, but they’re all legit. The licences have expired, but that’s no reason to question them being in the house.’

‘So is there anything you still need to check on with us?’

‘Well, we’d like a full explanation for the guns in the suitcases, of course, but we’re coming round to thinking that these were simply souvenirs from her time in the services. Nothing more than that.’

‘And this man you were asking about the other day? Are you still looking into his disappearance as well?’

Inspector Williams takes a picture out of his pocket. ‘We’d like to tie that up if we possibly can, so I thought I’d show her this today. Just to see if it might jog her memory.’

‘You can try, but I doubt if you’ll have much success. Today doesn’t seem to be a very good day for her.’

He pulls a chair nearer to Evelyn, then says, in a loud voice, ‘Morning, Mrs T-C. I’m going to show you a photograph of a man we’re looking for and I want you to tell me if you recognise him, all right?’

Evelyn lifts her head and smiles at him. As he leans forward she can see a delicate scattering of dandruff on the shoulders of his dark suit. She’s tempted to brush it away, but she tucks her hankie into the sleeve of her cardigan and looks at the picture held out before her. The face is familiar, of course, that cold stare, those thin lips. It’s the same dated picture used in the papers, when his absence was first reported. ‘He doesn’t look very friendly,’ she says. ‘Should I know him?’

‘That’s what I’m asking you. Do you think you may have ever met him?’

Evelyn shakes her head. ‘I don’t think so. And do you know, I don’t think I’d have liked him if I had.’

‘He was at the centre where you were stationed in Germany, years ago.’

Pat is bending over her aunt’s shoulder, also studying the photograph. Evelyn can smell her scent, failing to mask the stale smells of her unwashed hair and thick sweater. Pat leans in for a closer look and suddenly says, ‘That’s funny. I think I’ve seen that face before. Now where was it?’

The Inspector looks up at her. ‘It would be most helpful if you can recollect where you saw him.’

Evelyn looks up at her too. This is most interesting, but will Pat remember? She’s never had a very analytical retentive mind. She struggled at school, especially with Maths and English. She’s very good at needlework and knitting though. Pity she doesn’t apply that to herself. She’s wearing an awful jumper with a hole in it, scattered with dog hair, and she still hasn’t sewn that button back on her raincoat.

Pat is chewing her bottom lip and looking down at her feet while she thinks. Her shoes need polishing too. Then she points at the photo with an eager look and says, ‘I’ve got it! That biscuit tin I found in the