As an afterthought, he slid off the bed and dropped to his knees. Bending over, he peered under the bed. It was a divan but with no pull-out drawers, leaving a narrow gap between the base and the carpet beneath. Using the torch on his mobile phone, he lit up the area, excited at possibly finding something presumably stashed out of sight. It would have been easier to retrieve with the slender fingers of a petite teenager, he was sure, but eventually, Eric managed to tease the laptop out from its hiding place. It was incredibly slim and lightweight, crafted from one sheet of pressed aluminium he figured. Eric knew his hardware and this cost a small fortune. This was an expensive piece of kit for a teenager, even for people as wealthy as the Bettanys.
With one last glance around, he retreated from the room, closing the door behind him. Setting off downstairs, he found Janssen still in the kitchen holding a discussion with the parents. Conversation ceased as he entered with all eyes turning to face him.
“Anything?” Janssen asked expectantly.
“No uniform, no,” he replied, noting the look of consternation on the faces of the parents. “But I did find this, though.” He held up the laptop triumphantly.
“That’s not Holly’s,” Colin Bettany said flatly before looking at Marie. “It’s not, is it?” Suddenly, he didn’t sound so sure. Marie shook her head.
“We’ll have to take it back to the station with us,” Eric said, apologetically.
“And it might be best if the two of you stayed out of Holly’s room for the time being,” Janssen added. “I know it might be tempting to be close to her possessions and thereby to your daughter, at this time, but please, we may need to carry out a more detailed search and if you were to touch anything or remove—”
“For goodness’ sake, man! Why would we want to move anything?” Colin said, the hostility returning. Janssen appeared irritated with him. Eric could tell. He was a relaxed boss, although that was probably the wrong choice of word, calm would arguably be more suitable, but when his back was put up, he could be a nightmare to be around. One of those times was in danger of manifesting now. He also found himself making an early assumption that Colin Bettany was used to getting his own way and not one keen to relinquish authority.
Janssen explained how they would assign a family liaison officer to them who would keep them abreast of the investigation but, for the moment, they were to bear with them. Once Holly was able to be seen, they would be offered the chance to sit with her along with carrying out the formalities of the identification. He gave them his contact card and Eric fell into step as they saw themselves out.
Closing the door behind them, Eric blew out his cheeks. He was grateful to be outside. Janssen appeared to notice his reaction and Eric quickly unlocked the car, scurrying round to the driver’s side and getting in, wishing for the moment to pass. His discomfort was not only a result of delivering this type of news and witnessing the ensuing grief; that alone was a terrible experience, but also, he wasn’t comfortable around people of this class. He found their social status intimidating, reminding him of his roots. He felt somehow inferior to them, unworthy of sharing space as their equals and that annoyed him.
Chapter Four
The children were squabbling over what to watch on the television when Jane returned. A flash of annoyance passed through her mind at the pettiness of the debate. William’s insistence on his choice of a superhero cartoon series he’d become obsessed with recently, seven series’ worth of episodes and every one virtually identical to the last. Rosie, on the other hand, wanted a cartoon featuring children in the form of a variety of animals, attending craft classes managed by an affable canine. The latter was the most preferable but instead of getting involved, she tuned the disruption out.
A pile of fresh mail sat on the worktop, next to the kettle. Her thoughts passed to her husband. At least you managed to walk to the gate and retrieve that. The coffee machine was on, the filter head still set in place and somehow, she doubted he had left it ready for her. Not wanting to bother with the hassle, she flicked on the kettle. Sifting through the post, the first three she picked up were flyers or generic advertising mail shots and she set them aside for the recycling bin with barely a glance. The next was a utility bill and she tore it open, removing it from the envelope and scanning the total sum, nothing more.
The water reached temperature and the kettle switched off. Reaching into a high cupboard, she took down a mug, putting in a heaped teaspoon of instant coffee granules and two sugars. She would need to reduce her sugar intake at some point soon. The process wouldn’t be pleasant, it never was. She’d put on weight since the move despite walking the surrounding landscape on a daily basis with Archie. Her eyes were drawn to the next letter. The envelope was handwritten, addressed to Ken and came without a stamp. Scooping it up and glancing over her shoulder towards the children, she saw their heated debate was over. The animals were planting vegetable seeds by all accounts. Rosie was happy. William lay in the crook of the corner sofa, his head buried in
