make any plans for the future?”
“Well, he didn’t ask me to marry him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Annie laughed. “I don’t suppose he did, but were you going to see one another again?”
“Sure. He was up here for another week, and I said I could get away a few times–if he got some more condoms. He said I could come and see him in London, too, if I wanted. He gets lots of free tickets and he said he’d take me to concerts.” She pouted. “My dad would never let me go, though. He thinks London’s some sort of den of iniquity.”
“Did Nick give you his address?”
“We didn’t get that far. We thought…you know…we’d see one another again up here. Oh, shit! Sorry.” She dabbed at her face again. Crying had made her skin blotchy. Other than that, she was a beautiful young woman, and Annie could see why any man would be attracted to her. She wasn’t stupid, either, as she had pointed out, and there was a forthrightness about her attitude to sex that many might envy. But now she was just an upset and confused kid, and her skin was breaking out.
When she’d pulled herself together, she laughed and said, “You must think I’m well daft, crying over some bloke I just met.”
“No, I don’t,” said Annie. “You felt close to him, and now he’s dead. That must be terrible. It must hurt.”
Kelly looked at her. “You understand, don’t you? You’re not like the rest. Not like that sourpuss you had with you last night.”
Annie smiled at the description of Banks, not one she would have used herself. “Oh, he’s all right,” she said. “He’s just been going through a rough time lately, too.”
“No, I mean it. You’re all right, you are. What’s it like being a copper?”
“It has its moments,” Annie said.
“Do you think they’d have me, if I applied, like?”
“I’m sure it would be worth a try,” Annie said. “We’re always looking for bright, motivated people.”
“That’s me,” Kelly said with a crooked smile. “Bright and motivated. I’m sure my dad would approve.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Annie said, thinking of what Banks had told her about the way his parents reacted to his chosen profession. “But don’t let it stop you.”
Kelly frowned, then said, “Look, I’ve got to get to work. I’m already late. CC’ll go spare.”
“Okay,” said Annie. “I think I’m just about done for now.”
“Can you give me a minute before we go?” said Kelly, pulling down the mirror and taking a small pink container from her handbag. “I’ve got to put my face on.”
“Of course.” Annie watched with amusement while Kelly applied eyeshadow and mascara and various powders and potions to hide the acne and blotchiness, then drove down the hill to drop the girl at the Cross Keys before heading back up to see what was happening at the youth hostel.
5
September 10–12, 1969
O ver the next few days, Chadwick’s investigation proceeded with a frustrating lack of progress. The two essential questions–who was the victim, and who was with her at the time of her death–remained unanswered. Surely, Chadwick thought, someone, somewhere, must be missing her? Unless she was a runaway.
Things had been quiet on the home front since he and Yvonne had come to their compromise. He was convinced now that she had been at the Brimleigh Festival on Sunday night–she really wasn’t a very good liar–but there seemed little point in pursuing the issue now. It was over. The important thing was to try to head off anything along the same lines in the future, and Janet was right: he wouldn’t achieve that by ranting at her.
On Wednesday, though, Chadwick had paid a quick visit to the Grove, just to see the kind of place where his daughter was spending her time. It was a small, scruffy, old-fashioned pub by the canal, with one dingy room set aside for the young crowd. He checked with his friend Geoff Broome on the drugssquad and found it
“Well, he didn’t ask me to marry him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Annie laughed. “I don’t suppose he did, but were you going to see one another again?”
“Sure. He was up here for another week, and I said I could get away a few times–if he got some more condoms. He said I could come and see him in London, too, if I wanted. He gets lots of free tickets and he said he’d take me to concerts.” She pouted. “My dad would never let me go, though. He thinks London’s some sort of den of iniquity.”
“Did Nick give you his address?”
“We didn’t get that far. We thought…you know…we’d see one another again up here. Oh, shit! Sorry.” She dabbed at her face again. Crying had made her skin blotchy. Other than that, she was a beautiful young woman, and Annie could see why any man would be attracted to her. She wasn’t stupid, either, as she had pointed out, and there was a forthrightness about her attitude to sex that many might envy. But now she was just an upset and confused kid, and her skin was breaking out.
When she’d pulled herself together, she laughed and said, “You must think I’m well daft, crying over some bloke I just met.”
“No, I don’t,” said Annie. “You felt close to him, and now he’s dead. That must be terrible. It must hurt.”
Kelly looked at her. “You understand, don’t you? You’re not like the rest. Not like that sourpuss you had with you last night.”
Annie smiled at the description of Banks, not one she would have used herself. “Oh, he’s all right,” she said. “He’s just been going through a rough time lately, too.”
“No, I mean it. You’re all right, you are. What’s it like being a copper?”
“It has its moments,” Annie said.
“Do you think they’d have me, if I applied, like?”
“I’m sure it would be worth a try,” Annie said. “We’re always looking for bright, motivated people.”
“That’s me,” Kelly said with a crooked smile. “Bright and motivated. I’m sure my dad would approve.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Annie said, thinking of what Banks had told her about the way his parents reacted to his chosen profession. “But don’t let it stop you.”
Kelly frowned, then said, “Look, I’ve got to get to work. I’m already late. CC’ll go spare.”
“Okay,” said Annie. “I think I’m just about done for now.”
“Can you give me a minute before we go?” said Kelly, pulling down the mirror and taking a small pink container from her handbag. “I’ve got to put my face on.”
“Of course.” Annie watched with amusement while Kelly applied eyeshadow and mascara and various powders and potions to hide the acne and blotchiness, then drove down the hill to drop the girl at the Cross Keys before heading back up to see what was happening at the youth hostel.
5
September 10–12, 1969
O ver the next few days, Chadwick’s investigation proceeded with a frustrating lack of progress. The two essential questions–who was the victim, and who was with her at the time of her death–remained unanswered. Surely, Chadwick thought, someone, somewhere, must be missing her? Unless she was a runaway.
Things had been quiet on the home front since he and Yvonne had come to their compromise. He was convinced now that she had been at the Brimleigh Festival on Sunday night–she really wasn’t a very good liar–but there seemed little point in pursuing the issue now. It was over. The important thing was to try to head off anything along the same lines in the future, and Janet was right: he wouldn’t achieve that by ranting at her.
On Wednesday, though, Chadwick had paid a quick visit to the Grove, just to see the kind of place where his daughter was spending her time. It was a small, scruffy, old-fashioned pub by the canal, with one dingy room set aside for the young crowd. He checked with his friend Geoff Broome on the drugssquad and found it
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