‘Four.’
‘So the other two were boys?’
‘Yes.’
‘Were you happy with that arrangement?’
‘We trust Emma,’ said Sarah. ‘Besides, we know Alex Dearden. He’s a nice boy - we had no worries on that score.’
Fry waited for one of them to say the same about Neil Granger, but they didn’t. Instead, the Renshaws glanced at each other again, passing some hidden message.
‘I understand Emma knew both of the boys from an early age,’ said Fry.
They both lived in Withens as children, so they went to the same school.’
‘So both Alex Dearden and Neil Granger were old friends of Emma’s. You knew them both well, and you were happy for your daughter to be sharing a house with them.’
‘We know them both,’ said Howard.
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‘A set-up like that could be enough to cause stress in itself, in some circumstances.’
‘I don’t think Emma found it a problem. She is a very well balanced girl.’
‘Apart from the stress she suffered because of the work and the exams.’
‘Yes.’
Mr Renshaw had been listening to his wife carefully. Now he looked at Fry. ‘She isn’t the sort of girl to kill herself/ he said. ‘We’re quite sure of that.’
‘Oh, quite sure/ agreed his wife.
‘Thank you.’ Fry sighed. She had noticed that every time she slipped up and used the past tense in referring to Emma, one of the Renshaws corrected her gently.
‘You realize there’s no reason why she shouldn’t come back/ said Sarah.
‘It’s been over two years now, Mrs Renshaw.’
‘But there’s no reason why she shouldn’t come back.’
Howard Renshaw leaned forward with a smile, trying to look like a helpful intermediary, ready to calm the situation and smooth over the sudden tension.
‘There are plenty of young people who go missing for long periods of time/ he said helpfully.
‘Yes, I know, Mr Renshaw/ said Fry.
‘And many of them turn up again, safe and sound - sometimes after several years.’
‘Yes.’
‘And you know perfectly well that the police enquiries at the time found no evidence of a crime.’
‘No/ said Fry.
But Howard Renshaw was sharp enough to catch her hesitation.
‘At least, that’s what they told us/ he said, suddenly fixing her with an accusing stare.
‘There’s some new evidence/ said Fry.
‘Evidence?’
‘I’m afraid Emma’s mobile phone has been found/
‘Where?’ said Howard immediately.
‘In woodland a little way outside Chapel-enleFrith.’
‘Can you tell us exactly?’
‘I’d rather not at the moment, sir. Obviously, we want to
48
examine the area thoroughly before we come to any conclusions.’
Sarah Renshaw was smiling. ‘Well, that explains why we were never able to contact her, if she had lost her mobile phone. I suppose it was stolen.’
‘Well, il’s possible/ said Fry. ‘But there could be other interpretations. We’re keeping our options open.’
‘What are you saying?’
Fry could hear the rising note in Sarah Renshaw’s voice, and she began to feel uneasy. She was aware of Gavin Murfin shuffling on his chair next to her, as if he wanted to get up and leave the room.
‘I’m not trying to upset you, Mrs Renshaw. It’s just that we’re going to have to look at the circumstances again, and ‘
‘And what!’
Sarah Renshaw was getting flushed. Fry desperately cast around for something to calm her down. She looked at Mr Renshaw, hoping for his placatory intermediary act right now. It didn’t come. But Sarah calmed herself with her own thoughts.
‘I lit a candle the night she didn’t come home,’ she said. There’s been a candle burning for her ever since.’
