bay windows, commenting on the bronze sculpture that sat on a side table and asking me to remind him how long we’d lived in Bristol. But when DC Stevens reappeared, bearing three steaming mugs balanced on the tray we kept on the kitchen counter, the mood suddenly changed.
‘Mrs O’Connor, we’ve been making some enquiries this morning, into your husband’s disappearance, as promised. We started by visiting his workplace, ACR Security?’
His tone was suddenly serious, and a chill ran through me. I nodded.
‘OK? And?’
He paused. ‘Well, this is the weird thing. It’s not his workplace.’
I stared at him, not understanding.
‘What do you mean? Of course it is. I mean, he hasn’t been there long, but certainly a few weeks. He would have started on the …’ I thought for a moment, trying to remember the exact date. ‘Well, I actually moved down to Bristol a week before Danny did, because he had stuff to finish up in London; I can’t remember if I told you that? But he came to join me on the evening of the eighth of February, that was a Friday. He started at ACR on the Monday, so that would have been the eleventh. I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean by it not being his workplace?’
DS Clarke glanced at his colleague for a moment, and then both turned back to look at me.
‘What I mean, Mrs O’Connor, is that ACR say your husband was offered and did accept a job with them, which he was indeed due to start on the eleventh of February. But a couple of weeks before that date, he emailed them to say that he wouldn’t be taking up the position after all, due to a change in circumstances. Needless to say they weren’t very happy about him changing his mind, especially at such short notice, but there wasn’t much they could do about it. Therefore, you see, ACR Security was not your husband’s workplace. So … can you help us out with that, at all?’
Chapter 6
‘And she had no explanation for it whatsoever? She really didn’t know?’
Helena, sitting on the edge of Devon’s desk, looked down at him and frowned. He swallowed a mouthful of tea, grimaced, and put his mug down carefully on the coaster next to his computer keyboard.
‘Nope. She looked absolutely gobsmacked, to be honest. She said as far as she knew he was excited about the new job and really enjoying it. Left for work early every morning, came home usually after six, sometimes a lot later. Been doing it every weekday since they moved. Which begs the question, if he wasn’t going to work at ACR Security, what was he doing?’
Helena nodded slowly.
‘Another job somewhere, that for some reason he didn’t tell his wife about? Or was he doing something else entirely? We need to check his bank account, Devon. See if he was being paid by someone else? Although if he’d only been working in Bristol for three weeks, he may not have had a payday yet, I suppose. It would probably be end of the month, wouldn’t it?’
‘Probably. But I’m already on it – well, Frankie is, anyway. We should have his bank records this afternoon.’
He gestured at the neighbouring desk, where DC Frankie Stevens was chatting animatedly on the phone.
‘OK, good. Did we get hold of a more recent photo of him, by the way?’
Devon nodded.
‘She’s emailed one over, yes. Couldn’t find any from the past few weeks – says her phone’s playing up, her recent emails and pictures haven’t saved or something. But it’s only a couple of months old. I’ve printed a few copies off. Should be fine.’
‘OK. All right, well, stay on it for a little bit longer, and keep me posted, OK? And I want this kept quiet for now – no missing person appeals in the papers or on social media or anything. This possible connection to our other two cases is still worrying me, and I don’t want any more speculation out there. Today was bad enough.’
She glanced at the front-page splash on the copy of that morning’s Bristol Post, which was lying on Devon’s desk, and sighed. It had been just as she’d feared.
SERIAL KILLER FEARS AFTER DOUBLE MURDER ON THE DOWNS
‘Bloody reporters. So hush, hush, right? And I know you’re working really long hours at the moment, Devon. I do appreciate it, thank you.’
‘Sure boss. Got nothing better to do these days, so that’s fine by me. Joys of being young, free and single,