small featured, with fair bobbed hair which stopped just below her jawline. Matt was solid and broad shouldered like a rugby player, but Oslo was of average height, though looking taller due to his gangly frame.
Gully studied their impenetrable expressions, and guessed this seating arrangement was nothing more sinister than leftover childhood habits, but they still looked remarkably like a judging panel.
‘Firstly, we must track down the landlord, but it would save time if any of you had a key to Shanie’s room.’
No one spoke, but all glanced at one another and shook their heads. On asking them a couple more questions, she soon realized that they either didn’t like talking to her, or, alternatively, had a collective knowledge of zero.
They’re just a bunch of teenagers
, she reminded herself. Just the same as the drunken ones she could face any evening or weekend: some meek and some confrontational, but often vulnerable or emotional. Teenagers who were rarely experienced enough to recognize the growing unease that broke out at the start of an investigation. Gully could feel it now; something felt awry.
‘Look, I may need to speak to you all individually, but right now it is important that we locate Shanie Faulkner quickly. As soon as we establish that she is safe and well, I won’t need to take up any more of your time. But until then . . .’
Gully paused, irritated by the sight of Meg smirking at her as she whispered something to Phil again. It was clear to her that Meg thought that a policewoman only a few years older than herself deserved absolutely none of her time. Whether it was ageism, sexism or simply a dislike of the police was irrelevant.
‘Megan? Do
you
know where Shanie is?’ Gully’s voice was sharp and the other five turned towards Meg.
‘No, of course I don’t.’
‘Do you reckon she’s safe?’
Meg shrugged. ‘I don’t know, do I?’
‘And you don’t care either, do you?’
Gully had intended only to prod Meg into paying closer attention, but hadn’t actually expected to see the expression of earnest indignation that now painted the girl’s features more boldly than her overdone eye make-up ever could.
‘That’s not true,’ she protested.
Now it was Phil’s turn to smirk. He muttered, ‘Right.’
Focusing her attention on Meg, Gully continued, knowing she now had the others’ full attention. ‘I already have her mobile number, and details of the course she is studying. What I need from all of you now is everything else: names of her friends, her favourite hangouts – anything that could help us find her more quickly.’
No one rushed to answer, but the flicker of something reached her. It reminded her of looking into a river and only spotting a shoal of fish when one turns against the direction of the rest. Then they all turn instantly, and there’s no way to tell which one was the first. These people either
knew
nothing or had made up their minds to
say
nothing. All but one of them. There had been a ripple of movement, but at the time her attention had been fully on Meg, and she only knew that it had come from someone sitting to Meg’s right. Anyone but Meg, in fact.
Gully fell silent, holding their stares. It took just seconds for Libby then to speak. The words came suddenly and simultaneously as her body language transformed her from a meek figure slouching low in her chair to a neat and precise young woman, sitting very upright.
‘Someone does have a key,’ she said firmly, delivered as a plain fact with no room for doubt in her voice.
‘How do you know?’
‘I told everyone I was going out one day, but I was here all the time and I heard someone entering Shanie’s room.’
‘When was this?’
‘Saturday, during the day. It could have been Shanie but, no, I don’t think so. It sounded to me like a man, but I don’t know why. Whoever it was went into all the rooms.’
There was a stir of disquiet amongst the others.
‘Into our bedrooms?’ Meg
Gully studied their impenetrable expressions, and guessed this seating arrangement was nothing more sinister than leftover childhood habits, but they still looked remarkably like a judging panel.
‘Firstly, we must track down the landlord, but it would save time if any of you had a key to Shanie’s room.’
No one spoke, but all glanced at one another and shook their heads. On asking them a couple more questions, she soon realized that they either didn’t like talking to her, or, alternatively, had a collective knowledge of zero.
They’re just a bunch of teenagers
, she reminded herself. Just the same as the drunken ones she could face any evening or weekend: some meek and some confrontational, but often vulnerable or emotional. Teenagers who were rarely experienced enough to recognize the growing unease that broke out at the start of an investigation. Gully could feel it now; something felt awry.
‘Look, I may need to speak to you all individually, but right now it is important that we locate Shanie Faulkner quickly. As soon as we establish that she is safe and well, I won’t need to take up any more of your time. But until then . . .’
Gully paused, irritated by the sight of Meg smirking at her as she whispered something to Phil again. It was clear to her that Meg thought that a policewoman only a few years older than herself deserved absolutely none of her time. Whether it was ageism, sexism or simply a dislike of the police was irrelevant.
‘Megan? Do
you
know where Shanie is?’ Gully’s voice was sharp and the other five turned towards Meg.
‘No, of course I don’t.’
‘Do you reckon she’s safe?’
Meg shrugged. ‘I don’t know, do I?’
‘And you don’t care either, do you?’
Gully had intended only to prod Meg into paying closer attention, but hadn’t actually expected to see the expression of earnest indignation that now painted the girl’s features more boldly than her overdone eye make-up ever could.
‘That’s not true,’ she protested.
Now it was Phil’s turn to smirk. He muttered, ‘Right.’
Focusing her attention on Meg, Gully continued, knowing she now had the others’ full attention. ‘I already have her mobile number, and details of the course she is studying. What I need from all of you now is everything else: names of her friends, her favourite hangouts – anything that could help us find her more quickly.’
No one rushed to answer, but the flicker of something reached her. It reminded her of looking into a river and only spotting a shoal of fish when one turns against the direction of the rest. Then they all turn instantly, and there’s no way to tell which one was the first. These people either
knew
nothing or had made up their minds to
say
nothing. All but one of them. There had been a ripple of movement, but at the time her attention had been fully on Meg, and she only knew that it had come from someone sitting to Meg’s right. Anyone but Meg, in fact.
Gully fell silent, holding their stares. It took just seconds for Libby then to speak. The words came suddenly and simultaneously as her body language transformed her from a meek figure slouching low in her chair to a neat and precise young woman, sitting very upright.
‘Someone does have a key,’ she said firmly, delivered as a plain fact with no room for doubt in her voice.
‘How do you know?’
‘I told everyone I was going out one day, but I was here all the time and I heard someone entering Shanie’s room.’
‘When was this?’
‘Saturday, during the day. It could have been Shanie but, no, I don’t think so. It sounded to me like a man, but I don’t know why. Whoever it was went into all the rooms.’
There was a stir of disquiet amongst the others.
‘Into our bedrooms?’ Meg
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