Page 22 of Then She Vanished

‘The way he used to stare at the girls.’

‘The girls?’

‘If you look out of the bay window where we play dominoes, there used to be a café opposite. It wasn’t a chip shop like now. It was a proper place. Instant coffee and bacon sarnies. He used to watch the girls coming and going in a pervy kind of way, or should I saygirl. There was one he seemed to have a thing for. Apparently, she turned him down, and he used all kinds of derogatory language that I won’t repeat when it came to her. The man had a daughter. He was asking Calvin’s advice as she wasn’t well and he was having to home-school her. Something didn’t add up. Why wasn’t he at home with his little girl? And why was he perving on the girls at the café? I think Calvin told me that his ex had left him, but I didn’t believe him. I told Calvin as much and Calvin told me I was being stupid and unfair, that he was a young dad with a little girl who needed a bit of help. I also told him he needed to watch out for his own daughter, which Calvin took umbrage at, but I don’t think their paths ever crossed.’ He paused in thought. ‘It’s funny, isn’t it, how you don’t forget aperson who stood out like a sore thumb, regardless of how much time has passed?’

‘Do you know how old he was?’

‘He had a beard and really messy facial hair, which I think probably made him look older than what he was. I’d go with mid to late twenties, but I’m not good with ageing people. He could have been older or younger, and he only really played Calvin so he didn’t mix with the rest of us. I’m guessing that, as he had a child who needed educating, the child must have been at least five.’

‘Is there anything at all you can remember about him; something that might help us identify him?’

‘He had a van. I know that because Calvin was trying to update things in his house and this man was picking up bulky furniture items for him.’

‘Do you know where he lived?’

‘No, but there is something on the tip of my tongue, I just can’t think. Argh, this is so frustrating.’ He pressed his lips together, frowning. The crowd in the other room started singing ‘Yellow Submarine’.

‘That’s it. He had a job. As well as looking after his daughter, he used to work part-time at a company that made ready meals, somewhere on Cleevesford Industrial Estate. He wore this red cap with Florida written on the front of it, but he’d never been there. I know that because I asked him.’

Gina knew of one factory that produced ready meals and they were still going. She waited for Jacob to jot that information down.

‘He had dark hair and an earring. He wore one small hoop earring. I remember that because it fell out and got caught in his beard one day and I told him.’

‘You’re really helping us. Is there anything else?’ Gina hoped that Wally could tell them more, but she feared that the information he had in him was coming to an end.

‘He mentioned a woman called Marie. Again, he was derogatory. He made comments about her…’ Wally placed a hand over his chest and pointed at the breast area. Gina nodded to Jacob to message the team. They needed information on Marie, the ready-meal factory and chess clubs.

Wally continued as Jacob typed a message out. ‘He said her tops were too low-cut and he called her a slag because she left him. That is not a word I’d use. I have daughters. Maybe now you know, you could find Marie. Maybe she worked at the factory, too. Find Marie.’

FOURTEEN

KEELEY

Tuesday, 3 September

Keeley should have appreciated the sound of the birds tweeting just before the sun was due to rise, but she didn’t. She hated leaving her kids and husband in bed while she headed out to do her cleaning shift at Cleevesford High. Every weekday was the same: she rose at four thirty and showered.

Before leaving, she had checked on the twins and seen they were sleeping deeply. The weekend couldn’t come too soon, and it was only Tuesday. She needed to start looking for something to do in school hours, ready for when the boys started Reception later in the month.

The walk was the same every day: she left her house, crossed the high street and began the twelve – yes,twelve– minute walk away from the shops to reach the back road leading to the school. Each morning, she looked at the houses where rich people lived, just like she was doing now. All detached with at least four bedrooms, and gardens that seemed to reach for miles. Glancing up, she could see that all the windows were closed.

She shivered. There was a slight chill in the air.

The end of the path was near and the school was in sight. Just one more road to walk down. She looked at her phone: it was now five fifty.

Glancing ahead at the school car park, she could see that the others were already there and a few lights were now on. The art and science block were lit up. She inhaled, knowing her job was the PE hall and it was time to buff the floor. As soon as her shift was done she was going to go back to bed for a couple of hours.

Someone driving a white van pulled up just shy of the school gates. It was too early for tradespeople. Maybe the driver was lost.

The engine stopped humming. She walked around to the driver’s side, past the huge white panel where she heard a click noise, and went to peer through the window.

Strange, there was no one there, but the keys were still in the ignition.

Whoever was in there must have shimmied out of the passenger side. It was quite a big cab, enough room to do that fairy easily, but why?

She spotted something dangling from the rear-view mirror and leaned in for a closer look, just as someone slid the doors open on the other side. There was a loud bang followed by a yelp.

‘Hello, are you okay?’ She wanted to walk around, but the whole situation felt strange. Maybe the best thing she could do was hurry towards the school. She could see Lucie dancing around through a window, earphones in as she waved around a duster.

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