‘You would stand in the rain, guv,’ Jacob said, half-jokingly as they ran back towards the car.
A man pulled up in a van and began to step out. Gina hurried over. ‘Dale Blair?’
He grabbed his keys from the dashboard, oblivious to the fact that she was getting soaked. Raindrops bounced off his fluorescent jacket. ‘No, he lives next door to me. When you do see him, tell him to hurry back and do something about his dog. All night that thing barked and it continues. Who are you? I don’t think we’ve met.’
‘DI Gina Harte.’ She pulled her identification out.
The man scrutinised it then smiled. ‘Is he in trouble?’
‘No, we just need to speak to him in relation to something we’re investigating. Can I please just sit in your van for a moment? I’m getting soaked and I think you may be able to help us.’
The man nodded. ‘Of course.’ Gina put a thumbs up to Jacob who was running the engine to warm himself up. She jogged around to the passenger side and got in, knowing that she’d drench his seats but not caring. Her waterlogged shoes and socks sent a shiver from her feet upwards. Damp had begun to soak into her trousers and was now starting to climb up to her shins.
She rummaged around until she felt her notebook in her bag. From it, she slid the photo of Susan out and held it up with trembling fingers. She hadn’t felt this cold for a long time, almost chilled to the bone. ‘Do you remember seeing this woman over the past few days?’
He took the photo from her with his hard shovel-like hands and began to study it. ‘Yes. I saw her knocking at Dale’s door a couple of days ago, Tuesday, I think. I don’t remember the time. It was mid-afternoon maybe and I was between jobs. I only popped back because I forgot my sandwiches and I was starving. The long and short of it is, my wife passed them to me through the door and waved me off. As she did, I saw this woman going into Dale’s house.’ He pointed to Susan in the photo.
She held up a picture of a car the same as Susan’s. ‘Have you seen this car around?’
He shook his head. ‘Nah. She didn’t have a car. She came from that direction.’ He pointed down the path. Gina thought it odd that Susan had turned up without her car to visit a potential client. She gazed up and down the street.
A woman lifted the voile on the front window and peered out.
‘That’s the wife. She’s probably wondering why I’m sitting in the van with a woman she doesn’t know.’ The man jangled his keys. ‘I should get going, if that’s all. I haven’t seen that woman or Dale since. Sorry I can’t be of any more help.’
‘Thank you. I will just brave this weather one more time to ask your wife the same questions. What’s your name?’
‘Don Fellow.’
‘Thank you for your help, Mr Fellow.’ She opened the car door and ran, almost slipping on the slimed over mossy pathway that led to Don’s house. The woman opened the door, her greying blonde hair up in a tight bun. The smell of onions escaped the house – then came a stronger smell. Gina was sure she’d just cooked sausages.
Don hurried past her. ‘This is a detective, love. She wants to know if you’ve seen a woman at Dale’s next door. You know I forgot my sandwiches the other day, there was a woman going into Dale’s house.’
The woman nodded. ‘I saw her, young, pretty, long dark hair.’
Gina held the photo up.
‘That’s her. I didn’t see her leave. I was busy in the kitchen that day, sorting the cupboards out.’
Gina’s shoulders dropped in disappointment. ‘Do you remember what time it was?’
She shook her head. ‘I’m retired. Time means nothing to me. I know it was after midday as Don was well and truly ready for his sandwiches, weren’t you, love.’
Gina pursed her lips together as she thought. She took a step back into the rain and drew her gaze back to Dale’s house. Their houses were attached and her next question was going to be a long shot. ‘Did you hear anything coming from the house?’
‘It was quiet for most of the time but I did hear what I thought to be shouting at one point. I really couldn’t grasp what was being said. We may be neighbours but these houses are pretty old and the walls are thick. I didn’t want to listen, especially when the dog started to bark so I put the radio on. I did hear his front door slam a few minutes later and after that it was quiet. I assume that’s when she left. Has something happened?’
Gina passed the couple her card. ‘We are looking for the woman in the photo, her name is Susan and she’s currently missing. All we’re doing at the moment is trying to trace her whereabouts on the day. We also need to get hold of Dale. If you see him, can you please call me?’
Don and his wife nodded.
‘Is he in trouble,’ the woman said as she wrapped her chunky cardigan around her body.
‘No one’s in any trouble, not that we know of. We just need to either speak to the woman in the photo or Mr Blair.’
Don nodded and placed her card in the front of their letter rack. ‘We’ll definitely call you if we see anyone come back.’
Squelching in her shoes to the car, Gina struggled to stay upright on the sopping wet drive.
