‘No one by that name has checked in, I’m afraid.’
‘How about Grant Braddock?’
‘Now I know that name. Bear with me.’ She flicked through a few pages in the diary and began to read. ‘He booked cabin seven about a month ago. It’s booked until four this afternoon. It was just him and his daughter.’
‘How old was his daughter?’
‘I’d say fourteen, fifteen maybe.’
It definitely wasn’t five-year-old Cally that the woman was describing. Gina pulled out her phone and showed Olive the photo of Taylor. ‘Was this her?’
‘Yes, lovely girl. I gave her a packet of sweets.’ The woman paused and scrunched her brows. ‘Is that who you’re looking for? He’s not some sort of paedophile, is he?’
‘No, Taylor is actually twenty.’
‘Oh, I see. I had her down as about fourteen but maybe I’m just bad at ageing people.’ The dog settled at her feet and began to pant a little. ‘Are they together?’
‘As you can appreciate, this is part of an ongoing investigation and I can’t disclose any details. I’d really appreciate it if you could give me a map of the site so that I can see if either of them are there so that we can talk to them.’
The woman pulled out a faded photocopy of a map and drew a circle around a cabin. ‘It’s this one. Am I going to get any trouble with them? This is a peaceful site. It’s a relaxation haven.’
Gina smiled and shook her head. ‘I’m not anticipating any trouble at all. Thank you for your help.’ Gina and Wyre turned to leave.
‘Can I interest you in any eggs, fresh this morning?’
‘I’m fine, thank you, but I may pop back for some when I’m off duty.’ As Gina went to open the car door, Olive ran out.
‘Wait. I didn’t want to say anything. It’s stupid really but you’re here for a reason.’
‘What is it?’
‘It wasn’tjustthe girl’s age. I thought she was his daughter because she looked like she’d been sulking. He dragged her in and she then stood in the corner of the room refusing to walk next to him. She didn’t say anything, it was all in the body language. That’s why I offered her some sweets. Thought it would cheer her up. I mean, she basically looked like a kid who had just been told off.’
‘Thank you, you’ve been really helpful.’
‘Great, I’ll be hanging out here for a while. You know where to find me if you need anything.’
Gina got into the car and put the key in the ignition. ‘Let’s find this cabin. You navigate.’ She passed Wyre the map. ‘I want to know why Grant Braddock was dragging a sulking Taylor into a cabin in the woods. Something’s not right.’
TWELVE
As they drove through a tunnel of trees along the thin windy road, Gina spotted a couple of cabins ahead.
‘That’s it, the one over there, guv.’ Wyre pointed at the cabin on the right that backed out onto a valley of trees.
‘Wow, it’s amazing.’ The small, panelled structure had a large wraparound porch. A rocking seat for two filled one end and the hot tub another. What Gina guessed was the main living space in the cabin peaked at the front like a chapel and the tinted huge windows and glass door allowed privacy for guests. All Gina could see was the woods reflected in them. A man came out of the next cabin, just a short walk away, and began placing bags into the boot of a car.
Gina pulled up outside number seven and they both stepped out. Ringing the doorbell, they waited, but there was no answer. Gina lifted the letter box and listened but no sound came from the cabin. ‘Smells slightly smoky in there.’
‘Breakfast or something else?’ Wyre bent over to inhale.
‘Don’t know.’ She knocked as hard as she could but again, there was no answer. Gina walked to one of the windows, pressed her nose against the glass and shielded her eyes from the light. She could see the outline of a huge settee and a kitchen island, but there was no one walking about. Several wine bottles lay on the floor, along with a pile of sweet wrappers and two dirty plates. ‘I wonder if they’re still in bed.’
‘There’s no car here, guv.’
Gina shook her head. ‘Can’t believe I didn’t spot that. They must have gone out.’ She hurried over to the man packing his boot. ‘Hey, I wondered if you could help me. I’m looking for the people who are staying in this cabin. Have you seen them?’
‘Have we seen them?’ A young woman stepped out. ‘We’re cutting our break early because of them and I’ll be complaining.’
