Jonny Simpson wasn’t due back at work for a week. His honeymoon week, the supervisor reminded Bill.
Bill thanked him and put the phone down.
Tracey’s feelings about Jonny Simpson had never been fully explained. And now Bill couldn’t ask her. Nine times out of ten the murderer was someone the victim knew. Men regularly killed their wives and their girlfriends. Jonny had lied about the rose. He was jealous of someone or something.
As far as Bill was concerned there were two men in the frame for the murder. Jonny and the mystery guy who visited Donna regularly at the club.
Rhona had a DNA sample from blood on the rose. It would prove whether Jonny had handled the rose but it wouldn’t prove he killed Donna.
Bill didn’t like to think about the third scenario. That the murderer had chosen Donna at random. With no other motive than the desire to kill.
Jonny’s room above the fire station was empty. His mates hadn’t seen him since the news about Donna. His best man, Alistair Banks, also a fireman, had no idea where Jonny was.
‘He said he needed to get away for a couple of days. Sort his head out. He was devastated about Donna.’
‘Did Jonny say anything about Donna seeing someone else?’
Banks looked genuinely surprised.
‘No way. You should have seen them together. Donna loved him.’
‘And Jonny?’
‘Donna was Jonny’s girl. He wouldn’t have let... ’
Bill waited.
‘It wouldn’t have happened.’
‘Donna had a regular spot at the Eden club as a lap dancer.’ Bill watched the face closely. ‘Did Jonny know that?’
A lot of emotions played on Banks’ face. Then he decided to come clean.
‘Jonny met Donna there. We went in a crowd from the fire station. When they started a relationship, Donna stopped dancing. That’s what he told me.’
‘Jonny believed she’d stopped?’
Banks nodded.
But Donna hadn’t stopped dancing. Was that enough reason for Jonny to kill her? Bill winced at the thought. But he couldn’t ignore the fact that Jonny and Tracey had disappeared at about the same time. And that conjured up all sorts of ideas. Most of them bad.
Had Jonny killed his bride-to-be in a fit of rage and Tracey suspected him? If so, Jonny would have to remove Tracey to stop her talking.
Bill had been a policeman for a long time. Some said he had too soft a heart to become a Chief Inspector. He didn’t sook up to the right people. He fell out with his superiors too often. He was a free spirit. A loose cannon. Bill didn’t care what they said about him. All he cared about was finding out the truth. That’s why he and Rhona got along. She was a scientist. But she had a heart. A big one, though she tried not to show it too often. Rhona took every case to heart. Every death. The only way she could help the victim was to solve the case. She was determined about that. It took up all her time and denied her a personal life. Bill wondered for a moment about the saxophone player she’d met at his birthday party. Had it lasted? He secretly wanted Dr Rhona MacLeod to have what he had. Someone to love her. A life outside murder and mayhem. A family.
A family is what neither Donna nor the missing Tracey seemed to have, despite the fact that Tracey was a mother.
DC Clarke had come up with details of Tracey’s child. The boy was three. He had been born when Tracey was fifteen. Tracey had refused to have him adopted and he was now in long-term fostering. If she had a photo of the boy, it was likely she was in touch with the foster family. DC Clarke was checking their address with the social work department.
By seven o’clock Rhona had the name of the rose. He could hear her excitement over the phone.
‘A new rose. Came on the market summer 2004. Bred from a fragrant garden rose and a cut rose for vase display. Lasts well and smells nice.’
‘Well done,’ he said and meant it.
‘I had help.’
‘So where does that get us?’
‘The roses are only sold by Marks and Spencer.’
‘He didn’t grow it?’
‘Which explains why it was blooming in November.’
Bill’s heart sank. How many people bought roses from Marks and Spencer?
Rhona came in. ‘Try the nearest outlets to the club and Donna’s flat. If the guy was in the habit of buying them, the shop might remember him.’
‘We’ll give it a go.’
‘No sign of Tracey?’
Bill grunted. ‘No. And Jonny’s disappeared now too.’