Page 75 of Happily Never After
‘We have an ID on the victim,’ DS Rogers informed the team at the morning briefing. ‘His name is Darren Enticknap and he was the owner of the property at the time of his death, which was recorded as suicide.’
‘Why? Surely someone must have reported him missing, at least?’ The voice belonged to DC Carpenter, who’d joined the team from uniform six months earlier. Normally, DI Harrison liked her; she was keen and eager to make her mark. Today, she just wanted her to go away.
‘It seemed an open and shut case, from what I’ve been able to find out,’ DS Rogers told her. ‘The victim left a note saying his girlfriend had just left him, his car was discovered by the coast, which explains the lack of a body, and he was apparently about to lose his job.’
This was news to DI Harrison. She couldn’t remember Darren saying anything about that. She tried not to shudder as she thought what he would have been like at home all day with nothing to do except find fault with her.
‘Any luck tracking down the girlfriend?’ she asked, hoping above all for a negative answer.
‘Not so far, Ma’am,’ DS Rogers replied.
‘She’s got to be the prime suspect, hasn’t she?’ DC Carpenter interrupted. ‘Aren’t most murders committed by people known to the victim?’
‘The majority, yes,’ DS Rogers agreed. ‘So I agree that the girlfriend is pivotal. I spoke to the neighbours, but most of them moved in after the events we’re interested in, so didn’t know anything. However, one older resident said she did remember him. She was a bit hazy about it, but seemed to think the girlfriend was blonde and called either Claire or Sandra. The only useful piece of information she divulged was that she was certain she worked in the Pig and Whistle pub.’
‘Would you like me to follow that up?’ DC Carpenter really was being irritatingly keen this morning.
‘That would be difficult, as the Pig and Whistle closed fifteen years ago.’
‘I could contact the tax office?’ DC Carpenter persisted. ‘They must have PAYE records.’
‘Good idea, assuming the staff were on the payroll and not simply paid cash in hand. Follow it up, but don’t waste too much time on it if it proves to be a dead end.’
‘Good work, everyone,’ DI Harrison told them, keen to wrap this up as fast as possible. For the time being, things seemed to be going her way. Although she had been on the payroll at the pub, she was fairly certain that the tax office only kept five years of historical PAYE records so DC Carpenter wouldn’t find anything to link her to the Pig and Whistle. The neighbour might be a problem though. But DS Rogers had said she was hazy, so that probably wouldn’t come to anything either. She just needed to sit tight and hold her nerve.
‘Have you texted him yet?’ Liv’s voice from the other side of the door startles me.
‘I’m working. Go away,’ I reply testily. I know she’d say she’s only got my best interests at heart, but Liv seems to have turned the idea of me contacting Finn into some kind of personal crusade.
‘You aren’t working,’ she replies, sounding completely unruffled by my grumpy tone. ‘I’m willing to bet a fiver that you haven’t written a word in the last hour.’
Beside me, Meg stirs in her sleep, half opening one eye and regarding me balefully. Although she was delighted to see me when I got home, I think she’s pissed off with me now because she’s worked out that me being home means no more doggy daycare.
‘Stop that,’ I tell her. ‘I said I’d talk to Donna about it later, OK?’
‘Has she still got the arse with you?’ Liv calls.
‘You might as well come in,’ I tell her with a sigh.
‘I bring offerings,’ she announces as she opens the door. ‘Fresh coffee and a rather nasty piece of millionaire’s shortbread.’
‘The coffee is welcome, but you can keep the shortbread. I’m trying to be good after thoroughly overdoing it while I was away.’
‘Suit yourself. It’s disgusting anyway. How people eat this stuff is beyond me. There’s no balance of flavour, nothing to excite the palate. It’s just layer after layer of sugary sweetness.’
‘Why did you make it then?’
‘Donna likes it.’
‘Wow.’
‘What?’
‘It must be love if you’re prepared to do that.’
Liv grins. ‘It’s a two-pronged attack, if you must know. Give her what she likes to keep her sweet, but also try to educate her palate at the same time.’
‘Poor woman.’
