Lane's End by Jill Paterson

sat down in an armchair as the two officers settled themselves onto the sofa. The one with the ginger hair took out a notebook and pen from his inside coat pocket.
    ‘It’s regrettable that we have to disturb you at a time like this,’ continued the Chief Inspector. ‘But it’s unavoidable, I’m afraid. Our investigation necessitates we carry on.’
    Ben sat forward. ‘Before we begin, can I ask you a question?’
    ‘By all means.’
    ‘Actually, I need some advice. It’s nothing to do with your investigation but... it concerns my fiancée, Emma Phillips. You see I’ve been overseas for the past few weeks. I arrived back last night to find Emma gone. At the time, I thought she might be out with friends, but I’ve since learned that she hasn’t been seen by any of them since last Thursday evening.’ Ben hesitated. ‘I’m worried.’
    ‘When did you last speak to her, Mr Carmichael?’ asked the Chief Inspector, sitting forward.
    ‘One day last week. From Cairo.’
    ‘And was everything all right between you at the time?’
    Ben hesitated. ‘Well, she did ask me to come home earlier than I’d planned and I told her that wasn’t possible, but there was no reason to think she was going to leave me,’ replied Ben, with indignation.
    ‘Are any of her belongings missing from the house?’
    ‘Not that I’ve noticed. Everything seems to be as it should be except her car is gone, and her handbag, of course.’
    ‘Have you spoken to her family?’
    ‘Not yet. There’s just her father. He lives in New Zealand. He’s recuperating from an operation at the moment, so I didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily.’
    ‘I take it then that Emma has a passport. Is it still here?’
    ‘Oh. I didn’t think to look.’ Ben jumped up from his chair and lurched across the room to the small antique bureau in the corner. He pulled out the top drawer and sighed. ‘It’s still here.’
    The Chief Inspector thought for a moment. ‘Very well. In that case, I suggest we have Emma listed as a missing person.’ Fitzjohn looked to his Sergeant. ‘Betts, can you get the wheels in motion while I speak to Mr Carmichael about the other matter?’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    As the sergeant left the room, the Chief Inspector turned back to Ben. ‘The Missing Persons Unit will make routine checks of your fiancée’s bank accounts and credit cards to see if any withdrawals have been made since Thursday night. They’ll also check her telephone’s activity since that time.’
    ‘I feel so helpless.’ Ben sat down again and wiped his face with his hands.
    ‘We’ll do all we can to find her, Mr Carmichael.’
    ‘Thank you. I appreciate it.’ Ben paused before he continued. ‘I take it you’re here to talk to me about my father. My sister, Joanna, told me that he’s a suspect in your investigation. Can I ask why?’
    ‘Your father is a person of interest, Mr Carmichael, as is everyone who attended the cocktail party at the Observatory, but your father is of particular interest to us because he was seen arguing with the deceased during the course of the evening.’
    Ben grimaced. ‘Who told you that?’
    ‘I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say.’
    ‘So what is it you want to ask me? Obviously you know I wasn’t there.’
    ‘Yes. We’re aware of that. Even so, I’d like to know whether you knew the victim, Peter Van Goren. Apparently, he was a foreign gentleman. Spoke with a European accent. He also used a walking cane.’ Once again, Ben trembled at the mention of the cane. ‘The reason I ask is because when he arrived at the function, he asked after you.’
    ‘Mmm. So my sister said, but I can assure you, I didn’t know the man.’
    ‘I see. Well, in that case, I must ask you to accompany DS Betts and myself to the morgue in Parramatta, to make a visual identification of the body.’
    ‘Is that altogether necessary?’
    ‘Under the circumstances, I’m afraid it is,’ replied the Chief