Chapter Forty-Nine

“WHERE CAN MATTHEW Start be?” said Tim as he and Juliet drove away from the hospital.

“You told Veronica we’d be calling again this morning.”

“I know. If she’s seen Start since then, she’ll have told him.”

“Well, that’s what we asked her to do.”

“Agreed. We’ll go straight there.”

“Do you think we need back-up?”

“There isn’t time. Why do you ask? Do you think Start’s mad enough to attack us?”

“I don’t know, but everything we’ve found out about him says he’s unstable.”

“I think we should chance it,” said Tim. “My hunch is he won’t be at home. We know he’s trying to avoid us. If we can’t speak to him now, we’ve got enough on him to tell the media that we’re looking for him.”

“If he’s holding those girls, that could spook him into harming them, if he panics.”

“You’re right, but I don’t see what the alternative is. If we take too long to find him, he may harm them anyway. We don’t know what happened to Helena Nurmi. We can’t be sure that the woman who called herself Helen is the same person. And we need to find her, as well. Can you look for a guest house called Twelvetrees?”

Juliet took out her mobile. They were both silent while she carried out some searches.

“If there’s such a place in this area, it isn’t listed.”

“There’s a surprise!”

They’d reached the beginning of Blue Gowt Lane. Tim slowed the car.

“If Veronica opens the door, I’d like you to talk to her. You’ll make more headway with her than I will,” he said. He parked the car on the ramshackle bridge where he’d turned it round the previous night. “We’ll walk from here. If Start’s watching from the house, we stand more chance of taking him by surprise if we’re on foot.”

“Don’t forget the dogs,” said Juliet nervously. “They’ll hear us as soon as we open the gate. They may not be tied up this morning.”

 

They trudged along the narrow lane. It was still dark; there were no street lamps and a bitter wind was sweeping across from the fields.

When they reached the Starts’ house, Tim opened the same small gate and motioned to Juliet to precede him. She entered the garden hesitantly, listening out for the dogs, but could hear nothing. A few yards further on, they encountered a vehicle: a black 4 by 4.

“This looks promising,” Tim whispered. “Perhaps I’m wrong and he’s here after all.”

Juliet rang the doorbell. Veronica Start opened the door almost immediately.

“Hello, I thought it would probably be you,” she said briskly. She didn’t invite them in.

“Mrs Start, we’ve come to speak to your husband. Is he here?” said Juliet.

“No, unfortunately not. I did tell him you wanted him. He’s been back. He says he’s got a busy day ahead of him. And his father wants the dogs. To guard a building site, probably. That’s what they’re trained to do.”

“That’s his car standing on the forecourt, isn’t it?”

“Yes. He’s driving one of the works vans now. He usually does when he has the dogs with him. He doesn’t like them messing up his own vehicles.”

“So he knows we’re looking for him. Did he say when it might be convenient to see him?” Tim couldn’t resist taking over from Juliet. If Veronica Start noticed the question was laced with sarcasm, she didn’t show it.

“He’s bound to be back tomorrow. He always spends Sunday afternoons working in his office, preparing for the week ahead.”

“You said yesterday that his office is round there, behind the dog compound?”

“Yes, it’s always been his office. Since before we were married.”

“I see. Did he own this house before he met you, then?”

“His father owned it originally and gave it to Matthew after his mother left. Matthew grew up here: he’s never lived anywhere else, except when he was a student. Matthew’s obsessive about this place. He’ll never leave it. He doesn’t even like going on holiday. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m running a bit late. There’s a netball match at school today and I’m supposed to be helping.”

Tim took a step back.

“Certainly,” he said. “We’ll probably see you there. We’ll be continuing our search for Cassandra Knipes; attending the netball event is one of our lines of enquiry.”

“Really? Well, you know best, I suppose.”

Juliet was still standing on the doorstep.

“How’s your face today, Veronica?” she said. She moved a little closer. “It’s still looking rather nasty. I do think you should see a doctor.”

The violence of Veronica Start’s reaction was unexpected. Her face crumpled.

“Why don’t you leave me alone? Don’t you understand that your snooping only makes things worse. It should be obvious to you by now that I have no control whatsoever over Matthew or his comings and goings.”

She slammed the door shut.

“Should I ring the bell again?” said Juliet.

“No. Leave her to it. Whatever hell it is she’s living in, I think we’ll be able to help release her from it very shortly.”