Chapter Six

The Disappearances

 

Anne Marie had every evening free, but it was understood that she would let Penelope know in advance if she was to be home later than eleven o’clock. On the night of 27 May she went out at eight o’clock. Penelope noticed, or remembered afterwards, that she looked flushed and excited. She said that she would probably not be back until about midnight.

At two in the morning Penelope went to bed. At breakfast time Anne Marie had not returned. Penelope and Dick talked about whether they should sack her when she came back. On the following day, Sunday, they got in touch with the police.

 

On the morning of Wednesday, I June, Mr Darling visited Rawley police station. He saw Sergeant Saunders, who knew him quite well by sight as one of the town’s half-dozen estate agents. Mr Darling asked rather hesitantly whether they had heard anything about a secretary-typist named Joan Brown who worked for him. She had not come in on Monday morning, and when he went round to her room to inquire if she was ill, it seemed that she had packed her things and left.

‘I see, sir. Had you any hint of this? I mean, did she seem fed up with the job, give you any idea she might be going?’

‘None whatever. I was quite satisfied with her work.’ He made it sound like a testimonial. ‘It’s surprising. And annoying. She was reliable, which is unusual nowadays. If she’s coming back I don’t want to engage anybody else.’

‘Been with you long, had she?’

‘Not long, no. About three months.’

‘Any trouble at home as far as you know, anything – like that?’

‘Home.’ Mr Darling, neatly dressed and wearing a spotted bow-tie, considered the word. ‘I don’t actually know where her home is, we never discussed it. She just had a room here. I suppose she came from London.’ He leaned on the counter. ‘I expect you think I’m fussing about this, Sergeant, but I don’t understand why she left without saying a word to me or sending a letter. It seems out of character.’

The sergeant, who did think that Mr Darling was fussing, said that inquiries would be made. The details of the two disappearances made their way on to the desk of Sergeant Plender of Rawley CID. He talked about them to the head of Rawley Sub-Division, Detective-Inspector Hurley.

It was a hot day, with the threat of thunder in the air. Hurley’s office was uncomfortably warm. He was not a man who sought out work. ‘I don’t see what you’re on about, Harry.’

‘Two disappearances, sir, two in four days.’

‘You can’t say this girl Brown’s disappeared. From the report she simply upped and went. Took all her gear, didn’t she?’

‘Yes, but according to Mrs Ransom, that’s her landlady, she was in a fair old state, had been for a couple of days. And she never said she was going, that surprised Mrs Ransom just like it surprised her employer, Darling.’

‘The estate agent, isn’t it? I know him by sight.’ Hurley picked his teeth. ‘What sort of girl was she, one for the bright lights?’

‘No, sir. Rather shy and reserved.’

‘How’d she go, find that out?’

‘No. I’ve inquired at the station and bus depot, but they don’t remember. Not that they’d be likely to. We haven’t got a picture.’

‘Anyway she left under her own steam, not much doubt about that.’

‘I suppose not. If it weren’t for the other case–’

‘The au pair girl.’

‘That’s right. Anne Marie Dupont. Worked as au pair for a Mr and Mrs Service. I gather she may have been a bit flighty, but nothing serious. She’s left her suitcase behind, clothes, shoes, everything.’

The inspector looked at the photograph with Plender’s report. ‘Nice bit of stuff. You might say she was flighty and now she’s flown.’ Plender did not laugh. ‘So she’s left her duds behind. It doesn’t mean much. Ten to one she’s working in a strip club now where she doesn’t need ’em. You know what a lot of these au pairs are, on the game only they like to pretend they’re amateurs.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘I see you don’t think I’m right. Well, all you have to do to convince me is show some connection between Miss Brown the secretary-typist and Miss Dupont the au pair. You can’t do that?’

‘Not at present.’

‘What about their families?’

‘The Services have written to Anne Marie’s people in France. I gather her mother’s dead, she lived with her father and an elder sister. Haven’t traced the Brown woman’s family so far.’

‘Right. At present then, we go through the usual motions. And I think you’ll find, Harry, that within a week or two one or both of ’em will turn up.’ Hurley wiped his forehead.