Jack pulled into the small front drive of Sarah’s cottage and beeped his horn. Just a minute later, he watched as Sarah emerged from the house, locked up and climbed into the car.
“Morning,” he said. “Made you a coffee.”
He nodded to the re-usable mug sitting in the dash holder and Sarah picked it up.
“God — do I need this,” said Sarah, taking a mouthful of coffee as Jack turned the car round and headed out onto the lane that led back towards Cherringham.
“Heavy night?” said Jack. “Didn’t see your car out front.”
“You might say that. Overdid it a bit over dinner. Had to get a cab home.”
He pulled carefully onto the main road from Cherringham Bridge that ran up towards the village — the road not busy, but he knew that cars flew at this time of morning, people racing to work.
“Fun evening though, hmm?” he said.
“Not particularly,” said Sarah. “Do me a favour, would you? Run into the village first — past Syms’s place?”
“Sure,” said Jack, surprised, expecting Sarah to explain. But she didn’t continue
*
As they drove up the High Street, Sarah peered at the parked cars lining each side of the street.
“Mind telling me what we’re looking for?” said Jack, sensing her anxiety.
“Chloe. She didn’t come with me to dinner at Mum and Dad’s.”
“No?”
“No. She had quote — work to do — unquote, with Syms. And since she didn’t make it home last night. I’m thinking maybe she stayed at his place.”
“Aha. I see. So you’re checking up on her.”
“Exactly,” said Sarah.
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
“Good? Not sure. Do I need to? Definitely.”
“Okay …” said Jack, feeling it was in fact a bad idea.
“I’m looking for her little Fiat. You know it? Red and white 500.”
“Sure.”
As they approached Syms’s pop-up headquarters, Jack slowed, as Sarah checked each car.
“And just what do you intend to do if you do see her car?” said Jack.
But just then he saw her peer through the windscreen ahead.
“Jack, wait. Pull in.”
He found a gap in the cars and parked.
“Look,” she said, nodding towards Syms’s building just across the road.
The door of the pop-up shop was opening — and a woman emerged.
But it wasn’t Chloe.
A woman in a fashionable skirt, jacket. Attractive, even at a distance. Sunglasses on, briskly looking left and right.
Jack recognised her.
“Well whaddya know.”
It was Natalie Coleman. She hurried to a grey Audi two-seater, slipped in, and pulled away quickly. Jack glanced back at the pop-up shop: in the window above, a curtain moved — Ralph Syms’s face clearly visible.
The man looked up and down the street, as if checking whether Natalie had been noticed. The curtain shut again.
Jack turned to Sarah, who sat looking confused.
“I guess from your point of view, it’s hard to figure whether that’s good news … or bad news,” he said.
“Tell me about it.”
“Okay. Let me see,” said Jack. “First — if Chloe is having a fling with Syms — then she’s being two-timed. And if she’s not — but wants to — then should she know about Syms’s overnight visitor? Make sense? And third — if Chloe’s not here, where is she?”
“That’s exactly what worries me.”
Jack turned on the engine, pulled out and headed off up the High Street.
“Well, if it’s any help — I’m guessing — after whatever you two, um, discussed last night, she’s staying with a friend. Many a night my daughter did exactly the same thing. Bit of cooling off, you know? And on any other day, you wouldn’t be bothered by that.”
“So — let it lie? That what you’re suggesting?”
“Yes,” said Jack. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
He drove on, past the Village Hall and up the High Street, shops and cafés not yet open.
“Guess you’re right, Jack,” said Sarah. “But it’s not easy.”
He laughed. “Oh yeah, tell me about it,” he said, pulling out onto the Gloucester road. “Been there.”
He reached across and turned the radio on, just as a Mozart piano concerto began, the music tremendously soothing in the early fall light as they drove out of the village.
“Now — shifting gears, so to speak — why don’t you get me up to speed with what you found online.”
*
Jack turned off the main road and headed down the lane that led to the Airfield Industrial Estate.
“So — Callum and his father are fighting each other for control of the company, hmm?” he said.
“Looks like it.”
“You talk to your dad about that?”
“I did. He was very surprised. And a bit alarmed too.”
“I bet he was,” said Jack. “Don’t suppose he happened to say which Ross the council has been dealing with?” said Jack.
“Ted. Why?”
“Just trying to get the shape of this. Who’s really running the operation and all that. What else did Michael say? Anything about Hayes?”
“Only that he and some of the council members were surprised Hayes was the named builder.”
“Oh really?”
“Apparently Hayes doesn’t have much of a rep around Cherringham. Or rather, his reputation is none too good. His business on the ropes. And he’s got zero experience of this kind of build. Knocks up cheap housing usually — and badly at that.”
“Interesting,” said Jack. “Why would Ross Leisure go with him? And how about Syms — you get anything on him?”
“Afraid I ran out of time,” said Sarah. “I’ll try and grab a minute when I’m back in the office.”
“Sure,” said Jack, pulling up at the entrance to the Industrial Estate. “Though I have to wonder why Syms kept quiet about his previous with Ross?”
Sarah nodded, then inspected the massive sign by the gates that listed all the companies based inside.
“There we go — Hayes Construction,” she said. “Looks like it’s right at the far end of the estate.”
As they drove on, Sarah looked at Jack, relaxed at the wheel, tapping his fingers to the music.
“I do like the new wheels, Jack, I must say.”
“The MG’s not that new.”
“Great sound system too.”
“Yup. Put that in myself. Good, hmm?”
“Makes me think I need an upgrade.” She thought of her tattered and faded Rav-4. “My car, kind of a mum’s car? And it appears those days are over.”
“Ha. I wouldn’t bet on it,” said Jack. “Just you wait till Daniel comes home from his travels. And in times of crisis, you know who your kids — even as adults — call.”
Jack pulled up at the end of a long building — some kind of converted hangar. Big roller-shutters next to a door that must lead to offices above. The car park had plenty of spaces, but only a lone Subaru pick-up was parked out front, the paintwork scratched and dull.
Sarah climbed out — while Jack killed the ignition. To the side of the hangar, Sarah could see a yard, tall-fenced with barbed wire on top. Behind it, stacks of building materials, a fuel pump, a line of diggers and other vehicles.
But the whole place — deserted.
“Eight-thirty,” she said. “Construction outfit? You’d expect it to be buzzing.”
“Yup. Thinking just the same,” said Jack. “Come on.”
*
Jack stood with Sarah at the door that said “Tom Hayes — General Construction”.
Seems doubtful that a busy operation sits on the other side of that door, he thought.
Still, Jack guessed that Hayes would be working with a lot of other companies, trying to keep the whole operation on time and on budget.
This was maybe just a central office.
He looked at Sarah, raised his eyebrows, and turned the door knob.
Which didn’t turn.
“Guess we should have called ahead,” Jack said.
“Maybe.” Sarah responded by rapping on the door hard, since no buzzer button could be seen.
Quiet, then the sound of someone clearing their throat, steps, and the door was opened by none other than Tom Hayes himself.