minute.’
‘Can’t I come with you?’ asked Terri.
‘What?’
‘This is where one of the students lived, isn’t it?’
‘Russell Thomson.’
‘Then get me in there, Dad. You want to find these kids, don’t you? I can have a look at his room. Let you know what I think.’
Brook considered the ethics of involving civilians, let alone family, in police business. Talking things through with her was one thing, it helped him think. Giving her free rein in a missing person’s room was quite another. He gestured her out with a flick of the head, still not sure he was doing the right thing. ‘Don’t touch anything. Don’t speak.’
Brook hesitated at the door. He could hear Poole shouting. He thought he heard,
Terri shuffled uneasily next to him and kicked over an empty plant pot near the step. It rolled noisily along the concrete of the drive. The shouting from within stopped while Terri stared apologetically at her father. Brook resisted the temptation to roll his eyes and knocked firmly on the door instead.
‘Hello.’ Yvette smiled hesitantly, failing to invite him in. ‘Oh my God, what happened to your head?’
Brook smiled back to confirm his well-being. ‘I had a bit of a fall. Nothing serious.’
‘You want to be more careful at your age,’ she teased. Her smile disappeared as quickly as it arrived. ‘Are there developments?’
He decided against getting drawn into the Deity broadcasts. If she didn’t already know about them from the news, she soon would. ‘Nothing concrete.’
‘I saw that film,’ she said. ‘Poor Kyle. You think Rusty shot it, don’t you?’
She hadn’t yet seen the Becky Blake film and Brook wasn’t about to enlighten her. ‘We can’t rule it out. It was shot before the party so. .’ He held out Russell’s laptop which she took from him without enthusiasm, before looking across at Terri. ‘This is Detective Constable Terry. I wonder if we could come in for a moment. We need to check a detail in Russell’s room.’
Yvette wavered but before she could refuse to invite them in, Len Poole appeared behind her in his bright blue tracksuit.
‘Inspector. I thought that was your voice. Goodness, you’ve been in the wars. Any news?’ He looked across at Terri and gave her a lingering up and down. Brook hoped it was the unconscious habit of the ex-pathologist.
‘There’s a press conference shortly and my guess is it will make the TV news.’
Len nodded. ‘Better get back and watch it then.’ He scratched his head in consternation. ‘It’s a difficult time. I just came round to meet Yvette. Let her know we’re there for her if she needs support,’ he added, answering a question that hadn’t been asked. ‘We need to pull together when something like this happens.’
Brook just smiled.
‘Well, I’d best be off. Nice to meet you, Yvette,’ said Len, turning to leave.
‘You too, Len.’ Yvette smiled. ‘Thank Alice for thinking of me. I’ll be in touch.’
‘What do you need to check, Inspector?’ she said when Len had gone.
‘Just something one of my underlings needs to verify. Upstairs, Constable. Chop, chop,’ said Brook to his daughter. ‘First on the left.’
‘Right away, sir,’ replied Terri, making a show of pulling on the latex gloves Brook had given her, before heading up the stairs.
Yvette followed her progress. ‘She’s very young,’ she said when Terri was out of sight. ‘I suppose that’s a sign of my age.’
‘Start worrying when you’re as old as I am,’ answered Brook. He looked beyond her to the interior. ‘Any danger of a cup of coffee while I’m waiting?’
Yvette handed Brook a cup and darted her eyes anxiously round the room. She gestured him to a seat.
‘Inspector Brook, you’ve been so kind.’ She laughed nervously. ‘I can’t keep calling you that.’ She cocked her head at Brook.
‘Damen,’ he answered reluctantly.
‘Damen. Interesting name.’
‘It’s German for Ladies,’ he said. ‘Don’t ask.’
She smiled fulsomely at him. ‘I didn’t know men like you existed any more. You know, all the men I’ve ever met, even the boys like Wilson — they look at me in a certain way, but not you. You look at me and see a person, not a MILF.’
Brook smiled and took a sip of coffee.
‘You know what I’m trying to say.’
The conversation was heading where Brook hoped it wouldn’t. ‘Yvette —
‘Can’t you? I think you can. I can see it in your eyes.’
Brook took another sip of coffee. Perhaps he was expected to give clarification, something he’d rather avoid. He kept silent, but when Yvette said nothing and wouldn’t drop her gaze, he realised she wouldn’t be denied.
‘You’re not married, are you?’ she said.
‘Not any more.’
‘How do you cope with the loneliness?’ Brook stared back without expression. ‘I’m a very lonely woman, Damen. I have been all my life. I never knew my father, and my mother died when I was young. I was put in care until I was old enough to live my own life.’
‘I’m sorry, I had no idea,’ Brook lied.
She smiled sadly. ‘I can’t be alone, Damen. I won’t be. Since Rusty-’
A door closed on the floor above and Terri descended to the hall. ‘All done, sir.’ She pulled off her gloves with a satisfying snap.
Yvette and Brook followed Terri to the front door.
‘Thanks for the coffee,’ said Brook.
‘My pleasure, Damen.’
As Brook followed Terri outside, Yvette allowed her hand to brush softly against his.
‘See you soon,’ she said.
‘I reckon those two know each other, Dad — before today, I mean,’ said Terri, when they were on the A52.
Brook smiled across at her. ‘Chester.’
‘Chester?’
‘Yvette Thomson’s only lived in Derby for six months — she’s from North Wales and once lived in Chester. Len went to Chester with Mrs Kennedy for the weekend, the night of the party. It could be a coincidence. Len said he didn’t know her.’
‘He’s lying,’ said Terri. ‘But why pretend they don’t know each other when they do?’
‘Why does anybody lie?’ said Brook, avoiding her eye. ‘Something to hide from the past.’
Terri nodded. ‘Maybe it’s something to do with that envelope.’
Brook squirrelled an admiring glance her way. ‘You’re good at this, aren’t you?’
She grinned with pleasure. ‘Must be genetic. What do you think was in it?’
‘I don’t know but I don’t think he had it when he left so he must have taken great pains to hide it.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because I couldn’t find it when Yvette was making coffee.’
Terri narrowed her eyes at her father. ‘Isn’t it illegal to search a house without a warrant?’
‘Absolutely. It’s on a par with impersonating a police officer.’
Terri laughed. ‘
