Twisted by Lynda La Plante Page B

moving up to become an area manager and then head of corporate business sales. He was respected, well paid and travelled extensively round the UK, but found the work tedious and never really made friends with other employees in the business. He found them to be mostly pompous ex-public schoolboys in cheap grey suits and down-at-heel black shoes, whose aggressive attitude infuriated him. An only child from a lower-middle-class family, he was doted on by his parents. They were proud at him gaining a grammar school place and then attending Kingston College; sadly, they both died when he was in his twenties. He owned his small flat outright and, having bought it when he was an estate agent, he got a good deal. He had thought long and hard before finally deciding to join the police service and it was partly due to his long-standing relationship with a lawyer he’d met when showing her round a property. He’d intended to marry her, but she broke off the relationship and started to date a barrister. It had been a painful time made worse when she said she left him because he was boring, but the break-up instigated his decision to finally change careers.
    Reid had so far enjoyed his police service and found detective work both challenging and rewarding. He was ambitious and hoped to make detective chief inspector within the next three years and eventually make superintendent. His goal was to be a member of the elite murder team, moving away from Mispers to something he felt would be more rewarding.
    He was well liked by his small team of six police officers and a civilian administrative assistant. He made them feel they were members of a ‘top team’, and always listened to and valued their thoughts and opinions. Even though he was very ambitious, his professionalism and unparalleled dedication had won him respect and admiration. It was obvious that he was moving up the promotional ladder at a steady rate.
    Barbara fancied him, even though he was at least ten years older than her, but he hardly seemed to notice she existed outside of the station, and when he suddenly looked up, catching her staring at him, she flushed.
    ‘This is very good, and you will need to upload it onto the Met and national misper databases and update things as we go, but you’ve asked the right questions at this stage. What is she like?’
    ‘The daughter?’
    ‘No, the mother. You mention that she is going through a divorce, but according to her it is an amicable arrangement between herself and her soon-to-be ex-husband, the daughter spending her weekends between them both, right? So, tell me, what she’s like?’
    ‘You mean emotionally?’
    ‘Yes – is she very anxious? Does she have any gut feelings about what might have happened?’
    Barbara paused. ‘I’d say she is very worried, but she is quite controlled. She runs her own business.’
    ‘Okay, and the husband is not with her, so I will need all his contact numbers as he will have to be interviewed today.’
    Reid patted down his jacket, picked up his mobile phone, notepad and, running his fingers through his hair, came out from behind his desk.
    ‘Right, let’s get started, and I want you taking notes. If I appear to be repeating a number of the questions you’ve already asked it’s to confirm she’s being honest. Right now I am treating this as medium risk but, dependent on the next twenty-four hours, I may have to seek permission to upgrade it to high. If that is the case a homicide and serious crime team will take it over, so I want everything ship-shape.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’ Burrows opened the door for him and he walked past her into the corridor, asking for her to organize some fresh coffee, as he had not had any breakfast.
    Lena half rose out of her seat when Reid entered the interview room, as he crossed directly towards her with his hand out. ‘Mrs Fulford, I am Detective Inspector Victor Reid and I will be overseeing the inquiry.’ She registered that he was over six feet