too far from me to tell anything.’
‘Her body language? Was she slight, short? Tall?’
‘As I looked down at her I remember thinking she was able to stand the gusts of wind and hold her own.’
‘So stocky?’
‘Not stocky but steady on her feet. I don’t know – that doesn’t make sense, does it?’
‘Keep thinking for me and we’ll get her drawn up when we get back to the apartment. Jeanie will help. So, when you took the call from Toby, how did he seem?’
‘He was distracted. I guessed he was battling the wind, he wasn’t used to the buggy. I should never have said they should go out. I knew Toby wasn’t in the right state of mind and Samuel was just getting a cold – grizzling.’ She looked across at Willis.
Willis thought to herself:
If he’s still alive that’ll be
the least of his worries.
She stopped and turned her head away from the icy wind. Below them the Maritime Museum was lit up. Willis noted the officers around the entrance.
‘Lauren – I think it’s time we got back.’ Willis was a few steps ahead before she realized Lauren wasn’t following. ‘Is there something else you wanted to tell me about yesterday?’
Willis looked at Lauren’s expression. She seemed to be struggling with something.
‘Not about yesterday.’
‘Then what?’ Willis was distracted by the commotion going on. There was a flurry of activity around one of the bins by the entrance to the museum. She wanted to get Lauren away just in case they’d found Samuel’s body.
Lauren caught her up. Willis sped up as they walked towards home.
‘Toby and I haven’t really been getting on for a while. We don’t share a bed any more. I sleep in with Samuel.’
‘Has that been going on for long?’
‘Two years.’
‘I’m sorry, Lauren. I suppose the pressure of having Samuel changed your life?’
‘Toby’s not interested any more. I knew he was bisexual when I married him. I thought we’d be fine. I thought we were well matched in our own way. I don’t need a macho-man. But I think he’s become interested in someone else. I don’t know whether that’s a man or a woman. Could it have anything to do with Samuel going missing?’
Chapter 7
When Willis got back Carter was still there, waiting for her. They went into the kitchen to talk privately.
‘They’ve found something.’
‘What?’
‘Just been verified now. It’s Samuel’s suit,’ answered Carter.
Willis and Carter went to join the others in the lounge and share the news. Jeanie sat next to Toby on the sofa as Lauren stood, shell-shocked, in the middle of the room.
‘It means he’s dead,’ Toby said as he stared dumbstruck at his wife.
‘No, it doesn’t.’ Carter was stern. ‘They changed his clothes for a reason. They wanted to disguise his identity. That means there is still hope he’s alive.’
‘Lauren,’ said Willis. ‘Can we sit down and draw the woman you saw on the street below?’
‘What woman?’ Toby asked. ‘You never said about a woman before.’
‘There was a woman staring up at me, that’s all. I’m trying to remember every small detail, anything that will help.’
‘Was she at the funeral?’ asked Carter.
‘I didn’t see her there.’
Lauren went to her desk to get some paper. She sat with Willis and Jeanie at the kitchen table.
Lauren shook her head as she looked at the finished drawing. ‘It isn’t much to go on, is it?’
Jeanie picked up the drawing and went to show Toby and then Carter. ‘Toby, did you see a woman like this, while you were out?’
He shook his head. ‘I honestly never looked at anyone. I pushed Samuel around in the buggy. I looked at the view across London but most of the time I had a lot to think about. My father had just died. A father who hated me and then left me a dog and a load of debt. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.’
‘Toby, we need to look into your father’s affairs, his personal correspondence. We would like to search his flat and look into
‘Her body language? Was she slight, short? Tall?’
‘As I looked down at her I remember thinking she was able to stand the gusts of wind and hold her own.’
‘So stocky?’
‘Not stocky but steady on her feet. I don’t know – that doesn’t make sense, does it?’
‘Keep thinking for me and we’ll get her drawn up when we get back to the apartment. Jeanie will help. So, when you took the call from Toby, how did he seem?’
‘He was distracted. I guessed he was battling the wind, he wasn’t used to the buggy. I should never have said they should go out. I knew Toby wasn’t in the right state of mind and Samuel was just getting a cold – grizzling.’ She looked across at Willis.
Willis thought to herself:
If he’s still alive that’ll be
the least of his worries.
She stopped and turned her head away from the icy wind. Below them the Maritime Museum was lit up. Willis noted the officers around the entrance.
‘Lauren – I think it’s time we got back.’ Willis was a few steps ahead before she realized Lauren wasn’t following. ‘Is there something else you wanted to tell me about yesterday?’
Willis looked at Lauren’s expression. She seemed to be struggling with something.
‘Not about yesterday.’
‘Then what?’ Willis was distracted by the commotion going on. There was a flurry of activity around one of the bins by the entrance to the museum. She wanted to get Lauren away just in case they’d found Samuel’s body.
Lauren caught her up. Willis sped up as they walked towards home.
‘Toby and I haven’t really been getting on for a while. We don’t share a bed any more. I sleep in with Samuel.’
‘Has that been going on for long?’
‘Two years.’
‘I’m sorry, Lauren. I suppose the pressure of having Samuel changed your life?’
‘Toby’s not interested any more. I knew he was bisexual when I married him. I thought we’d be fine. I thought we were well matched in our own way. I don’t need a macho-man. But I think he’s become interested in someone else. I don’t know whether that’s a man or a woman. Could it have anything to do with Samuel going missing?’
Chapter 7
When Willis got back Carter was still there, waiting for her. They went into the kitchen to talk privately.
‘They’ve found something.’
‘What?’
‘Just been verified now. It’s Samuel’s suit,’ answered Carter.
Willis and Carter went to join the others in the lounge and share the news. Jeanie sat next to Toby on the sofa as Lauren stood, shell-shocked, in the middle of the room.
‘It means he’s dead,’ Toby said as he stared dumbstruck at his wife.
‘No, it doesn’t.’ Carter was stern. ‘They changed his clothes for a reason. They wanted to disguise his identity. That means there is still hope he’s alive.’
‘Lauren,’ said Willis. ‘Can we sit down and draw the woman you saw on the street below?’
‘What woman?’ Toby asked. ‘You never said about a woman before.’
‘There was a woman staring up at me, that’s all. I’m trying to remember every small detail, anything that will help.’
‘Was she at the funeral?’ asked Carter.
‘I didn’t see her there.’
Lauren went to her desk to get some paper. She sat with Willis and Jeanie at the kitchen table.
Lauren shook her head as she looked at the finished drawing. ‘It isn’t much to go on, is it?’
Jeanie picked up the drawing and went to show Toby and then Carter. ‘Toby, did you see a woman like this, while you were out?’
He shook his head. ‘I honestly never looked at anyone. I pushed Samuel around in the buggy. I looked at the view across London but most of the time I had a lot to think about. My father had just died. A father who hated me and then left me a dog and a load of debt. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.’
‘Toby, we need to look into your father’s affairs, his personal correspondence. We would like to search his flat and look into
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