An Enigmatic Disappearance by Roderic Jeffries Page A

only provide her with money, not excitement.’
    â€˜I might have been mistaken about his feelings. Perhaps he is a good actor and knew that if he could make me think she was betraying him, my sympathy would make me less likely to doubt all he told me … We must speak to him.’
    â€˜As soon as we’ve finished lunch?’
    â€˜I have to return to the office to do some work. Shall I pick you up at six at your hotel?’
    â€˜Fine. That’ll give me the time for a good swim.’
    A swim in preference to a siesta?

CHAPTER 12
    As they turned off the road on to the short dirt track down to Ca’n Nou, Maitland said: ‘It looks to be quite a house! Has he bought or does he rent?’
    â€˜I have no idea,’ Alvarez replied as he began to brake.
    â€˜What would a place like this cost?’
    â€˜Prices have become absurd! There is a house I know which has only three bedrooms and some land and the owner is asking a hundred million pesetas.’
    â€˜That’s closing on half a million pounds!’
    Alvarez brought the car to a halt. ‘People have been blinded by pesetas. Prices at this end of the island have always been high because it is the most beautiful, but recently Germans have been paying whatever is asked and now owners demand so much that the mind is confused thinking about it. Even an unreformed finca with no more than a hectare of land and a poor well which dries in the summer is beyond a man’s dreams.’
    â€˜What goes up, has to come down. The market will crash and you’ll be able to go out and buy your dream property.’
    â€˜Perhaps I will win El Gordo or the primitive lottery, but I do not think any of the possibilities are very likely.’
    As they climbed out of the car, Ogden opened the front door of the house. His face was in shadow, but Alvarez did not miss the sharp change of expression as he recognized Maitland.
    â€˜Hullo, there,’ Maitland said cheerily as he approached the house, his right hand held out.
    Ogden, making no attempt to shake hands, said thickly: ‘Why are you here?’
    Maitland dropped his hand to his side. ‘I thought it would be a good idea to have a chat with you, and Inspector Alvarez kindly brought me along.’
    â€˜I’ve nothing more to say.’
    â€˜I’m sure you’ll manage to find something.’
    â€˜Clear off.’
    Alvarez came to a stop. ‘May we enter, señor?’
    Ogden hesitated, then, without a word, turned and went through the house to the patio where he sat, seemingly careless that his rudeness highlighted his fear.
    As Maitland settled on a chair, he said: ‘It’s interesting that you’ve not asked if we’ve news of your wife.’
    â€˜The inspector would have told me if he’d finally found the energy to try to find her … What the hell d’you want?’
    â€˜The answers to a few questions, like do you rent this place or is it yours?’
    â€˜That’s none of your bloody business. It’s nothing to do with what’s happened to Sabrina.’
    â€˜That is a matter of conjecture. After all, a rented house can be deserted overnight at the loss of only the unused rental period; a house that’s owned has to be sold which takes time and the transfer of the purchase price will leave a trail unless one’s very smart.’
    â€˜Why are you here?’
    â€˜That’s not obvious? I’m hoping to find out if there’s significance in the fact that your third wife has disappeared in similar circumstances to your second.’
    â€˜All I know is, she didn’t return on the Sunday and I’ve been living in hell ever since.’
    â€˜Because you spend your time wondering if she’s enjoying her freedom more fully than your script allows?’
    Ogden turned to Alvarez. ‘Why aren’t you stopping him insulting me?’ he shouted.
    â€˜I have heard no