‘Dunno, Tina buys it. Do you want milk and sugar?’
‘Thanks, just black for me with sugar.’
Felicity popped her head around the screens. ‘Can you fit in a blowdry, Donna, no appointment?’
Donna nodded and Felicity disappeared.
‘Where is Tina this morning?’
‘No idea, but I don’t think she has any appointments until this afternoon. We’re always quiet midweek unless it’s specials, half-price, like yesterday. That was pandemonium and we were short-staffed. A junior was off with flu and Kiara wasn’t in.’ Donna fidgeted and then said she should go and check on her client.
Left alone, Paul helped himself to coffee as Anna sipped the rather tepid cup she’d been given.
‘This isn’t fresh,’ she complained.
‘So what?’ Paul snapped, as he had the start of a headache.
‘This bleach is not from Asda,’ Anna said.
He was about to check in the corner cupboard when a striking-looking black girl with a head full of cornrows walked in.
‘Is that coffee fresh?’ she asked.
‘No – Kiara.’ Anna looked at the name on her salon smock.
Kiara gave her a rather haughty look.
‘Who are you? This area is for staff only, you know.’
Anna did the introductions and Kiara started to make up a fresh pot of coffee.
‘Is this to do with Alan?’
‘Yes.’
‘All this is a bit strange, isn’t it? Him taking off like that.’
‘You knew him?’
‘We all knew him, not that we had much to do with him. He’d wait for Tina in the car park sometimes, but he hardly ever came into the salon. He probably felt a bit self-conscious – I think he was shy.’ She laughed.
‘When was the last time you saw him?’
She sat down on one of the pink chairs and crossed her legs.
‘It has to be at least three months ago. He and Tina were having a row, I remember that.’
‘Where?’
‘Out in the car park. I park my car out there and it was after closing so I was on my way home.’
‘Did you hear what they were arguing about?’
‘No.’
‘You didn’t hear anything that was being said between them?’
‘Not really, no. They were sitting in his car, or it’s her car – the VW – and she was shouting, but I was not going to get involved. I just got into my car and drove out.’
‘What was Alan doing?’
‘Sitting there. To be honest I always found them an odd couple – she’s very volatile and she can really have a go at you, know what I mean? But he seemed a bit downcast. It was obvious who the boss was.’
‘They were engaged to be married, weren’t they?’
‘Yeah. Well, she flashed a diamond ring around, and I know she was looking at property to buy.’
Anna placed her half-empty coffee mug down on the table.
‘Do you think that Alan was the type to just walk out on Tina?’
Kiara pulled a face. ‘I dunno.’
‘Did you ever hear anything about there having been someone else he was seeing?’
‘I wouldn’t have liked to be in his shoes if she found out.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Anna asked.
‘Well, like I said before, the lady has a short fuse and I wouldn’t like to be caught on the end of it.’
‘Give me a scenario when you have seen Tina angry.’
Kiara suddenly didn’t want to answer any more questions, shaking her head and backing out.
‘Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of anything here. I know she’s got a temper and we’ve all had to bear the brunt of it sometimes, but she’s good to work for if you treat her right. Ask someone else, okay?’
Kiara left them and Anna helped herself to some of the fresh coffee Kiara had brewed, but not drunk. The next moment they got their own experience of Tina Brooks’s temper. She almost kicked the screen down as she faced them.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ she demanded, hands on hips. ‘Why are you asking my staff about my relationship with Alan? It’s none of their fucking business.’
‘We are just interviewing everyone who might give us some indication as to where he could be.’
‘Anybody working for me would know we kept our life private. I told you this – in fact, I’ve been fucking accommodating to you two whenever you turn up, and from now on if you want to see me again, you ask to do so through my lawyer. Now get out of my salon.’
Anna put her coffee down and Paul drained his mug.
‘Now – I want you out of here
‘You know, Tina, this isn’t the best way—’
The young woman pushed Anna in the chest, interrupting her.
‘It’s
Anna walked out first and Paul followed quickly as they heard a crash of breaking china in the staff room. They both hurried through the salon, passing Donna blowdrying a customer’s hair. She gave them a smile, but wiped it off her face fast as Tina strode after them.
‘You want to talk to any of my staff, you ask me first.’
Anna opened the salon’s door. Felicity at reception looked terrified as Tina told her, ‘You hear me, Felicity? You don’t let anybody in here without my permission – and that includes the police.’
She slammed the door after them so hard, Paul was worried it would shatter the glass.
Anna whistled and then smiled. ‘Mmm, that was nice.’
‘You look as if you are starting to enjoy yourself,’ Paul said.
She laughed. ‘I wouldn’t exactly describe it as enjoyment, more like interesting.’ Paul didn’t say anything, but it was the first time he had heard her laugh properly. It perplexed him, because he had not found the interaction with Tina in any way amusing. On the contrary, it disturbed him.
‘Next port of call?’ Anna said as she started the engine. They were using her Mini rather than a patrol car.
‘City banking company over by Liverpool Street,’ Paul replied promptly.
‘What’s his name?’ Anna asked.
Paul pulled out his notebook and flipped over a page to a name he’d taken down; the occupant of flat one.
‘Michael Phillips.’
The journey took some time from Hounslow and Anna put the radio on. They sat listening to classical music on Radio 3. Paul’s hangover was still resting like a low dull thud so he closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn’t get any worse.
They parked and headed towards an impressive building close to the station. It had taken a while for Anna to get the doorman to allow them to park in the small private parking area. She showed her ID and said she was there on business and he gave her a sticker to place on the windscreen.
By this time Paul had asked a receptionist seated behind a large curved desk to contact Mr Phillips. She placed a call to the company of Aston & Clark Merchant Bankers and at the same time wrote down on two visitor’s cards his name and Anna’s. She slipped them into plastic covers with the phone hooked under her chin, repeating that she had DCI Travis and DS Paul Simms waiting.
‘Mr Phillips is in conference room three. If you go to the fourth floor, his secretary will meet you outside the lift.’
Together Anna and Paul pinned their visitor cards to their lapels and waited by a small gate for it to open and allow them to pass through to the lifts. The security of the company was very obviously a priority and it wasn’t until
