A Perfect Lie by Claire Sheldon

Author:Claire Sheldon [Sheldon, Claire]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

DI Chris Jackson

Chris pulled onto James' drive as a short, ginger-haired man was leaving the house. Chris studied him, convinced he knew him from somewhere. What with the thousands of criminals he must have dealt with in his time, never mind witnesses, victims and general passers-by, he was forever seeing faces that he recognised but couldn't quite place. As the person walked towards the car he turned and smiled at them before continuing off down the street.

‘I recognise him from somewhere,’ Chris said, climbing out of the car.

‘No ideas. Sorry, sir,’ Julie responded as she joined him in walking towards the house.

‘Hmm, probably just a passer-by that I've encountered in the past.’ They walked up the drive towards the door, assuming James would be in, given he had just had a visitor.

‘You ready?’ Julie asked as they approached the front door.

‘Yeah, I just wish we were bringing them more positive news,’ Chris said as he reached over, pressed the doorbell and waited.

‘Mrs Garner? DI Chris Jackson and this is DS Ryan.’ A look of worry crossed the woman’s face as she studied their ID cards.

‘Is this about Jen?’

‘Can we come in Mrs Garner? Is James home?’

‘Come in,’ she said, directing them towards the conservatory and calling for James and her husband as she followed the officers in. ‘Can I get either of you a drink?’

‘Tea please,’ Julie spoke in her calm, reassuring voice. ‘Milk, no sugar.’

‘DI Jackson?’

‘Water, please.’

They sat down in the well-lit conservatory as the evening began to draw in. Chris could hear the chatter of children from the back garden as they chased each other around the swings. Chris wondered how they were coping without their mum. Right now it sounded like they didn't have a care in the world.

‘James.’ Chris stood up to meet him as he entered the conservatory, followed by his mum with the drinks carefully balanced on a tray.

‘I've asked Derek to keep the kids occupied, so we can talk without distraction.’

‘Thank you, Mrs Garner.’

‘It's Rita,’ she said, reaching over to pour the tea.

‘How are the children taking their mum's disappearance?’

‘To be honest, they’re going through phases. One minute they’re playing happily, then the next they’re asking where their mum is,’ Rita responded.

Chris turned to talk to James. ‘James, when I saw you this morning, I promised I'd have some news.’

‘You found her?’

‘Not quite.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘We've managed to track your wife's movements, and she was last seen getting off the Indigo bus in Nottingham.’

‘Okay. So, does that mean you've found her in Nottingham?’

‘Your wife, as your neighbours suggested, left here around 9.30 a.m. She walked towards the train station, made a phone call and went on to answer a second call from the phone box.’

‘James, do you have any idea who she would have been ringing that she couldn't phone from home?’ Julie asked.

‘No idea. I hadn't spoken to Jen since I left for work that morning, I've checked my phone and my answerphone dozens of times, but nothing.’

‘Your wife doesn't look in any form of distress at any of the points we've managed to pick her up.

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