Gone Astray (31 page)

‘Um, thanks,’ she said, even more baffled. He was the SIO – if he wanted her to be at a briefing, all he had to do was order her to be there. ‘Come in.’

He followed her into the lounge. ‘Nice room. I like the high ceilings,’ he said, glancing up.

Maggie had no idea how to answer him. It was like she’d lost the power of speech.

‘Have you lived here long?’ he said, cocking his head to one side to appraise the spines of the paperbacks stuffed onto shelves in an alcove near the window. She was thankful there
were a few classics among the holiday reads she’d collected at airports over the years.

‘Erm, not really. About three years.’ She wanted to kick herself for how stupid she sounded.

‘On your own?’

‘I had a lodger, but she moved out.’

Neither of them spoke as he moved slowly round the room, taking in his surroundings. All Maggie could think was what people would say if they knew he was there. Belmar and his gossips would have
a field day. She shook her head to dislodge the thought. Get a grip, she ordered herself.

‘Please, sit down. Can I get you a tea or coffee?’

‘Have you got anything stronger?’

It was earlier in the day than she’d normally have a drink but she was hardly going to refuse him.

‘Is red wine okay?’

She had a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon stashed away that was meant to be half decent.

‘I’d prefer beer if you’ve got one,’ he said, flopping down onto the sofa. He stretched out his long legs and she had to hop over them on her way to the kitchen.

Her hands shook as she poured herself a glass of white wine from the bottle already opened in the fridge. She stopped short of giving herself too large a measure but did sneak a quick gulp
before grabbing one of the bottles of Budweiser, cracking the lid off with an opener and returning with both drinks to the lounge.

‘Sorry, do you want a glass with that?’ she said, as Umpire reached up and took the beer bottle from her.

‘No, this is fine.’

Maggie perched on the edge of the sofa, pressed up against the arm, as far from him as possible. Worried she reeked because she hadn’t had a chance to change her clothes, she clamped her
arms to her sides.

‘Have you seen the papers today?’ Umpire asked, taking a swig of beer.

‘I scanned the headlines but that’s it.’

‘The Chief Constable’s on my case. She thinks the Kinnocks should follow up the press conference with an interview. She’s worried a backlash is building because of their win
and it’s harming the investigation.’

‘A backlash based on what?’

‘Some papers have laid into them about reducing the reward and are insinuating they must somehow be involved in Rosie’s disappearance. They’ve also republished some of the
rumours being written on Twitter and Facebook.’

‘Written by trolls, I bet,’ said Maggie, unimpressed. ‘Why do we even care what idiots like that think?’

‘Because people believe what they read and we need everyone on Mack and Lesley’s side. We don’t want a situation where witnesses won’t come forward with information
because they’re jealous of their wealth or think that with all the money they have they should’ve taken better care of their daughter. Yes, I know, it’s ridiculous, but
that’s what people are saying. So we need the public to see that they’re still normal despite the money.’

‘You’re saying people think they deserve what’s happened because they’re rich?’ Maggie retorted. ‘That’s crazy.’

‘Yes it is, but that’s what we’re up against. I think we should get them to sit down with the
Mansell Echo
first, get the locals on side.’ Umpire relaxed back
onto the sofa cushions. ‘Do you think they’ll be up for it? I know we can’t force them to do an interview, but we could do with some more breaks on the case.’

‘Actually, sir, I may have one.’

‘From Cassie Perrie?’

‘Not exactly. I talked to her but she has no idea who GS is. She then suggested I speak to another of Rosie’s old friends, a girl called Emma Mitchell, so I’ve just been round
to see her on my way back here. Basically, I got Emma to admit that Rosie phoned her last week, saying some bloke has been harassing her for sex. Rosie didn’t call him GS when she was talking
to Emma, but it sounds like the same person. She was also scathing about the suggestion Rosie self-harmed.’

‘You went to a witness’s house without telling me?’ said Umpire, in a tone that sounded unnaturally dispassionate to her ears.

‘Yes,’ she faltered. ‘It’s not far from here—’

‘But you didn’t think to clear it with me first? You are the FLO first and foremost on this case.’

Frustrated, Maggie set her glass of wine down on the coffee table. ‘I was driving past the door, sir.’

‘That’s not the point, DC Neville, and you know it.’

She held her nerve. ‘Look, I know I appear to be in a minority of one but I think what Rosie wrote on her laptop is significant. She rang Emma because she was upset about being harassed
and she wrote about someone called GS who wouldn’t take no for an answer. What if GS is the crayon writer?’

‘I’ve told you I don’t think they’re the same person,’ he challenged her. ‘GS is obsessed with sex, the crayon writer is obsessed with money.’

‘Oh, come on, you can’t just dismiss the possibility there might be a link between them,’ Maggie exclaimed.

Umpire raised an eyebrow. ‘Remember who you’re talking to, Neville. I don’t think I need to remind you what happened last time you overstepped the mark.’

‘If you’re not prepared to listen to me, why did you want me on the case?’ she snapped, her frustration getting the better of her.

‘Because you were right all along about telling Megan Fowler’s parents.’

For a second she thought she’d misheard him.

‘Excuse me?’

‘You were right. I should’ve trusted her parents with the truth and let them see her body. I made a mistake.’

Maggie slumped backwards on the sofa alongside him. She turned her head to look at him.

‘Why now? Why have you suddenly changed your mind?’

His gaze didn’t waver from hers.

‘The Fowlers were not happy you were removed as their FLO. They wrote to me a month ago, after the trial, and said you didn’t deserve to be punished for putting their feelings first.
I thought about it and decided they had a point, so I asked DI Gant to lift your suspension. What their letter made me realize is that you have an almost unique empathy for victims and their families. That’s why I asked you back. I suppose you could say I need you as my
conscience.’

She was stunned and it took her a moment to recover her voice.

‘Well, good,’ she said, sounding haughtier than she intended.

Then, just when she thought he couldn’t shock her any further, Umpire smiled at her. Not his usual, pinched, half-smile, but a wide, beaming grin that lifted the corners of his mouth and
crinkled the skin around his eyes. It transformed his face and the force of it made her insides capsize. Thrown, Maggie leaned forward to grab her wine glass and knocked back another large
mouthful.

‘I’m glad we’ve sorted that out then,’ he said, his voice laced with amusement.

‘Hardly,’ she spluttered. ‘What about the complaint you made against me? That will still be on my record.’

‘I can’t do anything about that now. You did disobey a direct order, don’t forget.’

‘You know what,’ said Maggie, emboldened by the effect of the alcohol hitting her empty stomach, ‘I think the bollocking you gave me was worse than being suspended. It was
brutal.’

Umpire’s blue eyes glittered as he took another swig of beer. ‘I shouldn’t have shouted at you like that, but I was so bloody angry. Probably the angriest I’ve ever been
on the job. I felt completely let down.’

‘But you understand now why I told Mrs Fowler?’

‘Yes, but my reaction wasn’t even about that really. I was angry because I thought so highly of you and what you did felt like a slap in the face.’

‘You thought highly of me?’

He smiled again, another stomach-flipper. Maggie hastily necked another mouthful of wine.

‘I still do. You’re the best FLO I’ve ever had on a case, Maggie. The way you are with people is a gift. You make them feel comforted and supported during the worst time of
their lives but you never lose sight of the job you’re there to do for our side, because you’re a great detective too.’ He hesitated. ‘I like . . . I like working with you,
Maggie.’

There was something in his voice that rattled her. She tried to appear calmer than she felt.

‘I’m sorry I disobeyed your order, sir. I stand by my reasons for doing so, but I guess, talking about it now, I finally understand how upset you were.’

‘Let’s put it behind us.’

Umpire proffered his beer bottle and Maggie clinked her wine glass against it. As she did, her eyes strayed to his left hand. His ring finger was bare, confirming what Belmar had said about him
splitting from his wife. Umpire followed her gaze and shrugged.

‘It’s been four months now, but it was on the cards for a while. Kim, my wife, is a city girl and she didn’t want me to leave the Met or for us to leave London. She’s
never settled into the sticks, as she calls it. She and the kids are back in Finchley now.’

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me,’ said Maggie, embarrassed to be discussing something so personal with him.

‘It’s fine. I think most people are aware of it now. You know how they talk.’

Oh God, she thought. Did that mean he knew what people had been saying about them? She tried to drag the conversation back onto safer ground.

‘So, I’ll speak to the Kinnocks about the interview with the
Echo
. I agree, I think it’s in their best interests.’

Umpire said nothing. He just sat there and watched her. Maggie’s face grew hot, but she ploughed on.

‘And there must be someone who knows who GS is. Maybe I’ll ask Lesley again.’

‘See, this is what I mean about you, Maggie. You’re a great family liaison officer but you love investigating too. You really should be a detective sergeant by now.’

‘If I do that, sir, I’ll have to quit being an FLO. DI Gant says it’s impossible to do both with a DS’s workload.’

‘So give it up. You’ve specialized for a few years, try something else.’

The idea horrified her. ‘I can’t imagine not doing this. It’s really important to me.’

‘But you’re denying yourself the chance of promotion. Look, if you were a DS, I’d offer you a position on my team in a heartbeat.’

Maggie shook her head. ‘I’m not ready.’

There was a long pause as they stared at each other.

Umpire took a slug of drink first.

Friday

The sensation of her cheek being jabbed by a fingertip dragged Maggie from the depths of a sound sleep. She lashed out in surprise and almost sent her nephew Scotty flying across the room.

‘Auntie Maggie!’ he yelped. ‘It’s me!’

She sat bolt upright on the sofa and the cushion she’d been using as a pillow tumbled onto the floor. Scotty picked it up and handed it back, his little face a picture of hurt.

‘I’m sorry, Scotty, but you made me jump poking me like that. I was fast asleep.’

‘I know – you were snoring.’

‘Me, snore? Never!’

Maggie reached forward and pulled him onto her makeshift bed. Scotty squealed with mock indignation as she rained kisses on his cheek.

‘Get off me! I’m not a baby!’

After a few seconds, she let him ago. He scrambled off the sofa and stood near the door, beyond arm’s reach. He was still in his pyjamas – navy blue with footballs dotted all over
them – and his thick brown hair stuck up at odd angles from where he’d rolled about and fidgeted in his sleep. It was a family joke that Scotty couldn’t stay still even when he
wasn’t awake and Lou said she’d never got a moment’s rest when she was pregnant with him.

‘What time is it?’ asked Maggie.

‘Breakfast time. Do you want anything to eat?’

‘Not yet, but a cup of tea would be nice.’

He pretended to write down her order on a notepad like a waiter then, with a grin, dashed from the room.

Maggie fell back on the cushions with a groan. She should’ve stayed at home last night, gone to sleep in her own bed, but after Umpire left she was too jittery to eat anything so instead
she went straight round to Lou’s with Rob’s money. After putting the kids to bed, her sister poured them both a glass of wine, cracked open a tube of sour cream Pringles and insisted
she went over every detail of what Umpire had said.

‘At least he’s apologized for being a cock,’ said Lou after she’d finished.

‘Yeah, it’s nice to be vindicated,’ said Maggie, taking a sip of wine.

‘So, do you fancy him?’

‘Lou!’

‘Don’t give me that look. I’m not asking if you want to marry him, just if you want to have sex with him,’ she said, laughing.

Maggie squirmed. ‘I don’t think about him like that. He’s married.’

‘I thought you just said him and his wife are separated?’

‘Well, yes, but that’s still technically married.’

Lou rolled her eyes at her sister. ‘Why are you always so weird about fancying someone who’s in a relationship? There’s no law against looking.’

Maggie knocked back the rest of her wine. ‘It just feels wrong, that’s all. If someone’s taken, you shouldn’t think about them like that.’

‘But you don’t think about single ones either!’

‘I do,’ Maggie protested. ‘You’re forgetting I dated that firefighter Craig last year.’

‘For three weeks, and that was the first relationship – if you can even call it that – you’d had in five years. I think Jude’s probably kissed more girls than you
have blokes and he’s only ten.’ Lou laughed. ‘I don’t know why you won’t give the blokes who ask you out a chance. You’re twenty-eight now and if you carry on
like this you’ll be single forever.’

Maggie had changed the conversation at that point, fearing Lou might bring up Jerome. Instead she distracted her sister by suggesting they open another bottle of wine and resigning herself to a
night crashed out on her sofa. Now, waking up with a sore head and backache, she wished she hadn’t. She checked the time and saw it was 7.40 a.m. Shit, she needed to get going. Umpire
expected her back at Angel’s Reach by 8.30 a.m.