AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘On Friday lunchtime,’ says Nelson, ‘a man answering to Cathbad’s description was seen getting into your car.’ This is stretching things a bit but Nelson wants to see Leo’s reaction.
‘Impossible!’ says Leo. It sounds genuine enough, but Nelson thinks that there’s something theatrical about the tone. Leo has also turned away so Nelson can’t see his face.
‘Is it?’
‘Yes. I was here all day on Friday. Ask my cleaning lady.’
‘I will.’
‘Why are you asking me about Cathbad anyway? He’s not in trouble, is he?’
‘Possibly,’ says Nelson. ‘He’s gone missing.’
‘Missing? He’s probably just gone off for a long walk somewhere. Cathbad was a great walker, as I remember.’
‘We’re treating his disappearance as suspicious,’ says Nelson. He adds, ‘Just as Emily’s was.’
‘You can’t think. . .’ Leo stops.
‘What can’t I think?’
‘That anything’s. . . happened to him.’
‘Tell me, Professor Ballard,’ says Nelson, ‘do you own any other properties in the area?’
It’s just because I have similar colour hair, thinks Tanya. Also, a lot of her face is covered by the mask. Still, she mustn’t waste this opportunity. For some reason, Emily Pickering is in the forefront of Arabella’s mind.
‘Hi, Arabella,’ she says, facing her through the screen. ‘I wanted to talk about Emily actually.’
‘Emily,’ says Arabella, but more vaguely this time.
Tanya gets a photo out of her bag. It’s an enlarged image of Emily, Tom, Cathbad and Gaia at the Green Child café.
‘Do you remember Emily?’ says Tanya. ‘She was a friend of Freya’s and Gaia’s.’
‘Gaia’s getting married,’ says Arabella. ‘I’m pleased. I didn’t like the one before. He was bad for her.’
‘Leo Ballard?’ says Tanya hopefully. ‘Why didn’t you like Leo?’
‘Gaia never visits any more,’ says Arabella.
Adele had said that Gaia visited often but Tanya supposes that ‘often’ has a different meaning when you have dementia.
‘What do you remember about Emily?’ she says. ‘Were Gaia and Emily friends? Or was she Freya’s friend?’
‘Tom was Emily’s friend,’ says Arabella. Her voice sounds different. Younger, more certain. ‘That’s Tom there.’ She points at the photograph.
‘What about Peter?’ says Tanya. ‘Your husband. Did he like Emily? Were they friends?’
‘Peter liked to take photographs,’ says Arabella.
‘Did he take photographs of Emily?’
‘He put his photos in a special book.’
‘What sort of photos? Was Emily naked in them?’
Has she gone too far? Arabella’s chin sinks onto her chest and she looks as if she’s about to go to sleep. Tanya holds the picture up against the screen.
