wrong?’
Again the couple conferred with each other and then Mrs Maisell got up and went in a zigzag route across the cluttered room to open a drawer in a small carved mahogany desk. She rifled through it and brought out some flyers from Tina’s salon.
‘She put these through our letterbox, pensioners’ special prices, but I’ve used Audrey for fifteen years.’
‘That’s no use to them, Bea, they don’t want to know about hairdressing. It’s where Alan’s gone – that’s right, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, Mr Maisell.’
‘Well, we can’t help you. I’ve never even set foot in their place, but like I said, he seemed a friendly sort of chap. Wait a moment, I’ve remembered now . . .’
They all looked at Morris expectantly.
‘He used to jog in the morning – you know, run round the block – and I was going to . . .’ He sucked in his breath.
‘I can’t remember where I was going, but I know it was early.’
‘The only time you’ve been out really early was when you went to collect Eileen from the station.’
‘Oh yes, that’s right . . . so when was that, Bea?’
Mrs Maisell got up and did another zigzag around the furniture to the desk and opened another drawer, taking out a diary. She flicked through it and then nodded her head.
‘It was exactly ten weeks ago. She’s his cousin and comes from Israel. She got the train from Heathrow to Paddington, that’s right, isn’t it, Morris?’
‘Correct.’
Anna’s patience was wearing thin.
‘So on this morning you saw Alan, Mr Maisell?’
‘He was doing those stretch exercises – you know, standing facing the wall and bending over to ease up the tendons. It was really early because it was quite dark still and I said to him . . .’
Again everyone hung on his words.
‘I said, “You’re an early bird.’”
‘And?’ Anna wanted to grip him by his throat.
‘He said it takes one to catch one.’
‘Is that it?’ Paul asked, becoming as exasperated as Anna.
‘No. There’s something else. I went to the garage, got my car and, as I was driving out, I saw him and he was kicking the wall, like a karate kick, and next minute he was punching it as if he was really angry about something.’
Mrs Maisell had been thumbing through the diary and she now had something to add.
‘I met Miss Brooks a few weeks back – that’s the last time I’ve actually spoken to her. She was in Asda. The reason I remember is I go there once a month to buy those big bags of all-in-one dog meals. They’re cheaper there than anywhere else – not for us, for her upstairs.’
‘I wait in the car park,’ Morris said, looking disgruntled.
‘I was in the checkout queue and Tina, Miss Brooks, was in the next one, and you know it’s always the same, you get in one line and see the other one moving up faster. I saw her and said to her I should have joined her because she started off behind me and then she was ahead of me and then at the till while I was still waiting. Something was wrong with the woman in front of me; her credit card wasn’t going through.’
Anna felt like screaming. Paul stood up and asked Mrs Maisell why she recalled the incident.
‘She had some big containers of bleach – four of them that were this big.’ She indicated with her hands. ‘I said to her, “I hope you’re not doing tint jobs with those”, like a joke you know, because she’s a hairdresser, and she gave me such a look and then said she needed them for the salon as sometimes hair-dye won’t come out of their overalls.’
‘Did you see any other cleaning liquids in her trolley?’
‘I think she had some carpet cleaner.’
‘Can you give us the exact date this incident occurred?’
‘Yes, it was the sixteenth . . . or was it the seventeenth. Well, it was March and it was one of those days. I do the dog-food run every month. You’d be surprised how much that little dog can eat.’
Anna sat with Paul in her car. Neither had said much, but ideas were forming as they swapped information back and forth.
‘Day or so after Alan goes missing, there’s bleach, carpet cleaner?’
‘Could be for her salon?’ Anna suggested.
‘No, she’d have one of those special cards for business bulk buys.’
‘Then there’s Alan’s early morning run, punching out at the brick wall,’ Anna mused. ‘Doesn’t sound like the same person we’ve been told about.’
‘The new carpet order – why?’ Paul looked at Anna. ‘Kind of spoils the possibility that she bought the bleach to clean up evidence.’
‘Unless she couldn’t get rid of it? Blood and bleach stains are hard to get out of a carpet so she’s now ordered a new one.’
‘Shit, you going down that route, Anna?’
‘Yes, and don’t tell me you’re not thinking the same thing.’
‘Yeah, I am, I am – but we were there at her flat. Did you see any signs of there being a fight or cleaning up? There wasn’t anything that looked out of place.’
‘I could definitely smell bleach.’
Anna started the engine and said they should find out – visit the salon again and check for the bleach. If there was no sign of it they’d return to Tina’s flat. She also wanted to interview Tina’s next-door neighbour, the city slicker with the Lotus.
Feeling a hit of adrenalin kick them into action, they arrived at Tina’s Beauty Salon just after twelve. From the outside it didn’t look too busy and Anna suggested that Paul keep Tina occupied whilst she had a nose around.
Felicity recognised them and told them that Tina was not there, but was expected back early that afternoon.
‘Thank you, Felicity. We just wanted to have a look around, if that’s all right with you?’ In case she didn’t give permission, Anna flashed her ID badge. They both headed past the hairdressing section that had only one client under a dryer and another having a cut and blowdry. Donna was at the sink washing around the bowl with a water jet. She smiled at Anna.
‘Donna, can you show me the kitchen area? I’d like to ask a few questions, and maybe you’d make us a coffee?’
Donna turned off the spray and checked her client under the dryer. Then she led them to the same area behind the screens, and went to the coffee percolator. ‘There’s still some fresh as I just brewed some for myself. As you can see, we’re not busy today.’
‘Tell me, how do you clean up the floor here?’ Anna asked, looking at the black and white lino tiles.
‘We wash it all down, either after work or first thing in the morning.’
‘What do you use? It looks good.’
Donna pointed to a corner cupboard and said that all the equipment was stored in there. She added that she didn’t actually do the sweeping up or mopping – that was down to the juniors. Anna opened the cupboard. There were two large plastic containers of domestic bleach and some polish called Kool Floors, a couple of ragged mops, two brooms, a bucket, and that was about all that fitted into the small corner space. She examined one of the containers of bleach and shook it. It was almost empty and the other one was full.
‘When do you use the bleach?’ she asked, closing the cupboard.
‘Quite often. Sometimes there’re drops of dye, and with wet hair these tiles are difficult to keep spotless. With all the cut hair and the traffic going back and forth it’s often a mess with footprints, and she’s very particular.’
‘Tina?’
‘Yeah. She doesn’t use much bleach because of the smell so that’s done at night after we close.’
‘Where do you get the cleaning equipment from?’
