An Enigmatic Disappearance by Roderic Jeffries

perhaps her insistent manner, so clearly uncharacteristic, had been occasioned by the fear that her husband would find little difficulty and even less reluctance in being unfaithful to her.
    *   *   *
    Alvarez looked at his watch and with a sense of disbelief saw that only twelve minutes had passed from when he had last checked the time; one hour and eighteen minutes remained before he could leave the office and return home. He slumped back in the chair, all too conscious of a thumping head and a mouth that tasted to be beyond its sell-by date. He should not have refilled his glass quite so often. Yet it would have appeared rude if, as he reminisced with Pedro about the years since they’d last met, he had sat in front of an empty glass.
    Ada Heron intrigued him. He was convinced she possessed a sharp intelligence, yet she allowed Ruffolo to reduce her to simpering stupidity. And why did she take so little care over her personal appearance? Was this ignorance or a deliberate one-finger gesture?…
    The phone interrupted his wandering thoughts. He dragged himself upright and reached across the desk, lifted the receiver.
    â€˜Traffic. It’s been one hell of a job tracking down the registration number.’
    What number was the idiot talking about?
    â€˜Are you still there?’
    He wasn’t going anywhere. ‘Someone came in and needed something in a real hurry and I had to show him where it is.’
    â€˜The jefe’s muttering about sending your department a special invoice for the time it’s taken.’
    â€˜Is he likely to?’
    â€˜God alone knows what he’ll do and maybe even He isn’t smart enough to guess … Are you ready?’
    He wrote down the registration number he was given, thanked the caller, said goodbye, replaced the receiver. Only then did he finally remember why he had requested the number.
    He slumped back in the chair. Until now he had not bothered to make a report because there were so few facts and little angered the superior chief so much as uncertainty. But if there was the possibility, however remote, of Traffic’s submitting a bill for extra work, it behoved him to inform the superior chief of what was happening before the other gained an incorrect view of events.
    He dialled Palma. The plum-voiced secretary told him to wait. He waited.
    Salas’s manner was as aggressively curt as ever. ‘What is it?’
    â€˜Inspector Alvarez, señor, from Llueso…’
    â€˜Good God, man, do you think I don’t know where you are based?’
    â€˜I have to report that an Englishwoman, Señora Ogden, has disappeared…’
    â€˜When?’
    â€˜She was last seen by her husband on Sunday after lunch…’
    â€˜It has taken you two days to inform me of the fact?’
    â€˜I wanted to be able to make a full and accurate report before I advised you.’
    â€˜An admirable ambition, but one that if followed would ensure I never heard from you again.’
    â€˜Clearly, it has been essential first to determine whether she disappeared of her own volition or has met some form of trouble. It does seem that her disappearance may be voluntary.’
    â€˜On what grounds?’
    â€˜Early in the year, she may have been having an affair.’
    â€˜It really is extraordinary how keenly you dredge up even the slightest suggestion of salacious behaviour. Have you ever consulted a psychiatrist?’
    â€˜Señor, I can only detail the facts as they present themselves.’
    â€˜Then present them to me with as few unsavoury details as possible.’
    He did so.
    â€˜You have learned nothing to confirm the suggestion that the relationship between the señora and Ruffolo is an unnatural one?’
    â€˜There’s been no suggestion of that.’
    â€˜It’s only a moment ago you were saying they had committed adultery.’
    â€˜Oh! I thought you meant…’ He came to a