Blood Line

‘Right, I’ll check with them. And what about Tina? We should have a photo of her. It helps when looking over any CCTV we may seize.’

‘I’ll ask her to hand one over.’

‘She’s not staying at the flat until it’s given the all-clear, so do you have a contact address for her?’

‘It’s on the board, Brian.’

‘Right, thanks. Have we sniffed around for any new life-insurance policies, only the one we have been checking out was made a couple of years ago. Maybe there’s a newer one?’

‘Check it out then.’

‘It’s just that I find it odd. I mean, I’m in my forties and I haven’t got one.’

‘Nor have I, but Alan Rawlins appears to have been a particularly cautious man when it comes to money.’

‘Particularly anal if you ask me.’

Anna’s patience with Brian’s offhand derogatory remarks was wearing thin. She raised her voice to show her disapproval of his comments.

‘Just get on with it, Detective Stanley!’

‘Okay, I’ll get started.’

‘Thank you.’

Anna returned to her office. Stanley might be very experienced, but he was starting to get under her skin; however, she had to admit he was working the case. She wondered how Paul and Helen were getting on interviewing the remaining names in Rawlins’s address book. She called Paul’s mobile, but it was turned off so she sent a text message. Once that was done, she left the station to go to talk to Michael Phillips.

Paul and Helen had been criss-crossing London. A number of the names were dead ends as the people had moved or gone abroad. By mid-afternoon they had successfully interviewed six. Four had not seen or spoken to Alan for a long time and could give no indication of what might have occurred. They did all repeat what an exceptionally nice person he was; most had been to school or college with him and none appeared to be very intimate friends, but almost all of them said that after his relationship with Tina had begun they had seen very little of him. None were very enthusiastic about her, but at the same time felt that if she made Alan happy it was none of their business.

The fifth person they interviewed was a librarian called Alison Bisk. She was an attractive blonde, but the type of woman who doesn’t know how to make the best of herself. She was wearing a very plain jumper with a woollen skirt that reached her calves, and comfortable shoes. She was at first startled by their appearance at the library and then shocked when they said they were interviewing everyone who knew Alan, as he was missing.

‘Missing?’

‘Yes, Miss Bisk. If we could go somewhere more private we’d just like to ask you about your friendship with Mr Rawlins.’

They went into a small reading room, where Paul explained that they were looking into his disappearance as it was possible it could be due to foul play.

‘What do you mean?’

‘He has been missing for some considerable time and we have found things inside his flat that give cause for concern.’

‘But I haven’t seen him for maybe six or seven months.’

‘You knew him well?’

She nodded.

‘What can you tell us about him?’

She chewed her lip and then did a small nervous cough. ‘We used to go out together so I did know him very well.’

‘Tell us what you know about him.’

She sighed and then explained that she and Alan had lived together in her flat, and that at one time she had felt that their relationship would eventually lead to marriage.

‘I don’t want to say anything bad about him. You see, we were together for almost three years. He was always a very caring and loving person. He could be a bit obsessive about saving money, but he wanted to buy a place of his own – you know, he didn’t really like living at my flat. He halved the rent with me though, as well as saving for the future. It was a future I believed I would be a part of, but . . .’

She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers together and releasing them.

‘He went on a surfing holiday to Cornwall,’ she continued. ‘I couldn’t go because my holiday dates didn’t match his. I knew something was wrong when he phoned me from there.’

‘Wrong? What do you mean?’

‘Well, he sounded different – distant. He said he was having a wonderful time, but he just didn’t sound like the Alan I knew. He phoned me maybe four times, but I could feel he was different. I can’t really explain it, but I sensed it, as I was very much in love with him. Anyway, the Saturday he was due to come home I’d bought a special dinner and even though he didn’t really drink I’d got a bottle of rose wine.’ Her eyes welled with tears.

‘Go on, Miss Bisk, please. This is very helpful.’ Helen felt for the girl; she was obviously still very hurt.

‘I was in the bath and I had my hair in rollers because I wanted to make myself look good for him when he got back, but he came home earlier than I expected. He was so tanned and his hair was very blonde and he leaned on the bathroom door and . . .’

She searched for a tissue and dabbed her eyes.

‘He was like a stranger. He said that he still loved me, but he was no longer in love with me and would be moving out.’

She began to rip at the tissue.

‘I was in shock. I couldn’t believe that in just two weeks he could have changed so drastically, and then there were these calls from her – she had the cheek to call my flat and ask to speak to him. I knew whoever it was had to be the reason he was leaving, but he wouldn’t tell me anything. It took two weeks for him to clear all his belongings and he left.’

‘When exactly was this?’

‘Four years ago.’

‘But you said you saw him a few months back.’

‘Yes. He would often stop by and see how I was, or a couple of times he came here to see me at work. He never really explained anything to me, but I knew he had moved in with that woman in Hounslow. I never went there and I never called him. It was always him that contacted me, but not for us to get back together – just to see how I was. I think he felt guilty for the way he had treated me.’

‘When you saw him, did he appear to be in good spirits?’

‘How do you mean?’

‘Well, was he depressed or moody, and did he say anything derogatory about his latest girlfriend?’

‘No. I never felt I could broach the subject with him. To be honest, I hoped he would come back, but he never even suggested it. I used to see his parents on the odd occasions at Christmastime. I’d take them a little gift. They were the sweetest people and I think they were upset at the way he had treated me. I don’t think they liked his new girlfriend.’

‘Did he ever seem angry?’

‘Oh no, Alan was such a calm person. He did dress differently, more fashionably, and he seemed more handsome, or maybe that was just me. I missed him so much and like I said, I think he did feel guilty because we had been very serious about each other. In fact, one time he asked if I wanted to start a family and I obviously said that I would, and after he had left I found . . .’

Again she started to weep. Paul and Helen waited.

‘I didn’t drive and he had started to arrange driving lessons for me. I found in a cupboard the L-plates he had bought for me. On one he had written a message about having a baby soon. I never took my test. I still don’t drive – silly, really.’

Paul got into the driving seat and looked at Helen.

‘“Silly, really”. Bloody sad, more like it. She’s a nice-looking girl if she did more for herself.’

Helen shrugged. She had found it rather pitiful that Alison had not got over a relationship that ended years