Page 5 of The Sex War

'I don't know, I'll have to ask his wife.' Lindsay put down the phone and went into the sitting-room. Alice was sitting on the edge of a chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Aston was trying to make conversation, but Lindsay got the feeling it was uphill work.

Alice had to think for a minute before she could answer. 'His dark grey suit, a blue-striped shirt and a blue tie,' she said, and Lindsay went back to repeat that to the policeman.

'What sort of car was he driving?' she was asked. 'Could I have the number?'

Lindsay could answer that without checking with Alice, Stephen had often driven her home to her flat after visiting them. Her voice wasn't quite steady as she answered and the policeman said soothingly: 'Now, don't worry too much, miss, it's a hundred to one he's perfectly safe somewhere. Sometimes a man feels he has to get away to think things out.' He paused. 'Is there anyone at the factory we could contact? Anyone in his confidence who might have an idea Why he's gone?'

'His secretary? I could ask my sister-in-law for her name and address.'

'Would you do that, miss? It would help.'

'Hang on,' said Lindsay, and went back to Alice, who frowned in a distracted way.

'I've spoken to her, I told you, she doesn't have any more idea than I do…'

'It won't hurt for the police to talk to her,' Lindsay said. 'What's her name?'

Alice shrugged wearily. 'Mrs Temple, she lives in the new close behind the factory—I don't know the number of the house, I remember her telling me how pleased she was when she moved in because the house was so compact. I thought she was crazy, it was a rabbit hutch.'

'Watford Close, miss? Right, we'll see if we can talk to Mrs Temple tonight. Will someone be with Mrs Grainger? We might call round to have a chat, it depends if I can spare a man. We're light-handed tonight.'

'I'll be here,' said Lindsay, and rang off a moment later, her spirits very low. Talking to the policeman had made Stephen's disappearance real. Where could he be and why had he gone?

She went slowly back to join Alice and Aston, who looked round at her in question. 'No news?' Aston asked. Alice said nothing, but her eyes were like holes poked in a white sheet, her lips were colourless and trembled. Lindsay sank down onto her knees beside her sister-in-law's chair and held her shaking hands tightly.

'It's going to be okay, don't look like that.'

'What will I do if he never comes back?'

'Of course he'll come back, you mustn't think like that!'

From upstairs came a thump and a wail. Alice jumped to her feet. 'Matt's fallen out of bed again.' She was out of the room and running up the stairs a second later. Lindsay heard her voice in the small bedroom which the children shared; soothing, calming, in a murmur. Getting up, Lindsay joined Aston on the couch, her hands linked behind her head and her body relaxing with a sigh.

'I could kill Stephen! If he was worried, couldn't he have talked to us about it? Did he have to clear off like this? He must know what it's doing to Alice.' She turned her head and Aston touched her cheek with one hand gently.

'Don't get so upset, it's early days yet, he could walk in through the front door any minute.'

Tears welled up in Lindsay's eyes, she buried her face against Aston's shoulder. 'I'm scared,' she whispered. 'It isn't like him. Stephen's always been so strong. What if… if something has happened to him?' She couldn't bear to put her fears into words, but she was afraid that Stephen might not ever come back. She might have brushed aside Alice's worry, but secretly she was beginning to feel the same—how could you help being afraid when you didn't know what had happened? The fear of the unknown prompted all sorts of dark ideas, suspicions, dreads.

'Ssh… Alice is coming,' Aston murmured. 'Don't let her see you like this, you've got to put a brave face on it for her sate, Lindsay.'

Sitting up, Lindsay brushed a rough hand across her wet eyes and Aston slid his arm round her, squeezed her comfortingly. They heard Alice coming slowly down the stairs, then another sound caught their attention, a car engine which shut off as they sat up. Lindsay stiffened and began to get up.

'Stephen!'

'It could be the police,' warned Aston.

They heard Alice running. Lindsay went to the door just in time to hear Alice fumbling with the lock on the front door, then it was open and a cold wind blew into the little hallway. Lindsay stared in rigid disappointment at the stranger facing Alice, whose thin shoulders had slumped as she realised it was not her husband.

'Mrs Grainger? Has Mr Grainger come back yet?'

'No,' Alice said in a husky voice.

'How long has he been missing, Mrs Grainger? Can I come in and talk to you?' The man was young, thin and sallow-skinned, wearing an old sheepskin coat. He smiled at Alice and flicked a quick look at Lindsay over her shoulder as he began to insert himself into the house, talking fast. 'Have you any idea why he's disappeared? Is there any trouble at his factory or…'

'Who are you?' Lindsay cut across his sentence. 'Are you from the police?'

She saw his hesitation, then he smiled charmingly at her. 'I won't take up much of your time,' he began, and Lindsay interrupted again.

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