Clare began crunching on the biscuit. ‘I hate the way she always has you running around for her, at her beck and call.’
Mary shrugged. Her oldest had asked for it now. ‘Like I do with you! I do so much for Harrison and you. I’ve taken you in, I support you; I look after him a lot of the time so that you can have a life. This was meant to be my time. Howard wanted to retire soon and all we wanted was a peaceful existence but no, you’ve come back and filled my life with chaos—’
‘There goes my point. You’d never say all that to Susan, the golden child. Susan can do no wrong. Don’t forget who gave you all those sleepless nights years ago. It wasn’t me, was it?’ She threw the biscuits at a tin of beans and slammed the cupboard door. ‘Oh and now I know how you feel, I’ll be looking to move out as soon as possible. You and Howard can be all on your own without me and my problem son. I’m sick of you and Susan ganging up on me anyway, picking away at me. No, I never went to college and no I’ve never had a good job and I’ve made mistakes. You always loved her more than me. I’m the disappointment of the family, clearly.’
Mary placed a hand on Clare’s arm. ‘We’re not picking on you. We just want to help you find a job. You’re my daughter and I love—’
‘Don’t even say it. You hate me being here and you’re always having a go at my son.’
Harrison’s behavioural issues had been a challenge for them all and she sympathised with what Clare had to put up with. Her grandson annoyed her and she felt he lacked discipline but was she having a go at him all the time? Is that how it came across? It was hard and it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Clare was right in a way. Susan had always had most of her attention throughout their lives but that didn’t mean she loved Clare less. Susan had been the poorly behaved child who Mary had bent over backwards for and gave all her attention to. She had neglected Clare. Her stomach knotted as the guilt sank in. ‘Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to upset—’
‘You never do.’ Clare hit both of her palms on the worktop and walked out of the room, slamming the kitchen door as she went. Harrison began calling for her. The peace was all but gone, if it had ever arrived.
‘Oh come here, love.’ Howard entered and placed his arm around her, pulling her close. ‘The police will find her. She can’t be far and I’m sure everything will be fine.’
She pushed away from him. ‘That’s the problem, everyone thinks this is all nothing.’
‘Did you tell the police about what happened? You know, in the past.’
Mary shook her head. ‘I couldn’t. They won’t look for her if I tell them. I know something’s different this time. She wouldn’t just leave Rory and the girls when she said she’d pick them up. She wouldn’t, it would be like her right arm had been cut off.’
‘I’m sorry. Come here. You’re right, my love.’ He once again pulled her in and she allowed him to stroke her hair and comfort her, his warmth making her feel safe at that very moment. Maybe she was wasting police time and maybe Susan would turn up tomorrow or the next day, or even the day after; but what if she didn’t? What if Mary hadn’t said a thing to the police and something had happened? Just because the rest of the family wasn’t taking her disappearance too seriously, it didn’t meanshecouldn’t. This time felt different, and she would find out why. She had to find the spare key to Susan’s house, the one she’d used a couple of years ago to water the plants when the family had gone on holiday. She’d put it somewhere. The answers were there and she had to be the one to look for them.
Five
‘I’ll be back at the station in a few minutes. We need to speak to the husband before he goes to work in the morning and I’d like to see Susan’s house. Also, put out an ANPR on Susan’s car. Make the calls.’ She ended the hands-free call with Jacob and continued driving in the dark. She hadn’t planned her next visit but Mary had been the catalyst for it. She’d missed spending time with her mother.
Gina placed the carnations on the passenger seat and began driving along the dark country lanes, back towards civilisation. Soon, she would go back to her past, the very past she’d tried so hard to forget and she only had herself to blame for this one.
She thought of Hannah, her daughter, with whom her relationship was turbulent most of the time. Hannah had abandoned her and moved to Gloucestershire and Gina couldn’t even start to judge her for that. After all, Gina had abandoned her own mother. She wondered if her mother would be proud of her if she were still alive. She died thinking that Gina was a failure but life had changed so much after. She’d brought Hannah up alone, studied and worked hard to become a detective inspector.
As she snaked the car along the lanes with only her headlights lighting up the country roads, she felt her head pounding. She’d grab a quick coffee at the station, the lack of caffeine running through her blood was evident.
The carnations were already beginning to wilt but they were the only bunch for sale at the garage.
Flecks of frost on the road sparkled like miniscule diamantés in the light’s beam. Long naked branches reached across the hedgerows – reminding her of Jack Frost’s fingers, alluring but deadly should they enthral her with their shimmering beauty, causing her to take her mind off the icy roads beneath. She pressed her foot on the brake pedal, slowing down a little. The winter sun that had blessed the day was long gone. She felt the extent of that frost, creeping over the nape of her neck and down her spine. Shivering, she turned the heating up but the car merely spurted out more cold air. It needed running a lot longer than a few minutes to warm up.
The bend came quickly and the carnations rolled into the passenger footwell as she applied more pressure to the brakes. As she reached for the flowers mid-skid, the car hurtled towards the hedge. Steering failing. Tyres having no grip. As she braced herself, the tyres gripped the road just in time. She slammed the brakes stopping just before the hedge. Heart hammering against her chest, she held the flowers in one hand, gripping them, hugging them close to her heart. She wasn’t losing them, they were all she had to offer her mother. She glanced at them, realising what a pitiful effort they were.
The lights of the station shone in the distance.Buck up, Gina.She shook her shoulders out, trying to relieve the tension, ready to present ‘in control’ Gina to her colleagues. Foot back on the pedal, she took it slowly, all the way to the station.
Six
Gina passed her office and headed along the corridor to where Kapoor and Detective Sergeant Jacob Driscoll were having coffee.
Kapoor wafted a piece of paper in the air. ‘I’ve found out the registration, guv.’
‘And all units have been informed. Hopefully someone will spot the car or the ANPR will pick it up if she’s on the move.’ Jacob loosened his tie.
If she turned up in the area, the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system would flag Susan up, then they’d know where to start looking. ‘Nice one. You should both head home and get some sleep. I don’t think there’s much more we can do tonight.’
Kapoor nodded, finished her coffee and smiled.
Gina placed her cold hands in her pockets. ‘Thinking about it though, I don’t trust the family. When I asked Mary if anything like this had happened before, she was hesitant. What aren’t they telling us?’
Kapoor shrugged and Jacob listened intently.
‘We should try to locate her phone. Will you get that in motion and let me know if you hear anything?’
