Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott

just upped and left him, he could be feeling any emotion from shame to despair. If he thinks they’ve been abducted he could be scared, or feel guilty that he didn’t protect them better.’
    Becky nodded. ‘And if he offed the lot of them, or even just the wife, he could be feeling scared, guilty
and
in despair.’
    Before Tom had a chance to respond, the door from the kitchen opened, and Robert ushered them into the living room. Nobody sat down.
    ‘Right. What do you want to know?’
    ‘We’d like to know what money your wife has access to: credit cards, bank accounts, etcetera. Obviously we can check this, but it would be better if you could talk us through how the money is managed in the home.’
    ‘That’s easy. My salary is paid into an account in my name, and I use that to deal with all the household expenses – mortgage, utilities and so on – plus any other major expenditure. Olivia collects the bills and we have what I’m sure you can imagine is an exciting bill-paying day each month. There’s a separate household account that I put money into for food, and odds and ends for the children. Olivia has a debit card on that account, and when we do the bills we check what’s been spent and what’s left. If there’s any money in the account, it’s rolled over into next month, or if she needs more, we top it up.’
    ‘Have you checked the account recently, Mr Brookes?’ Becky asked. Robert’s top lip curled slightly as if it were a thoroughly stupid question.
    ‘Of course I have. I checked it yesterday. There’s nothing unusual. A cash withdrawal in Anglesey, probably for ice creams and stuff, and then this week a Sainsbury’s shop. Exactly as I would have expected. Nothing else at all, apart from filling up with petrol once.’
    ‘What day was the shopping done?’
    ‘Monday. And she spent £78.03, if you want to know.’
    ‘If the account was for food, what did your wife use if she wanted to buy herself something – a new dress, for example – just on impulse?’ Becky asked.
    Robert laughed.
    ‘Olivia is the least impulsive person you could ever wish to meet, Inspector. She buys stuff online. She does a bit of research and chooses a few things, then we complete the transaction on my credit card when I get home. Same for me and the children, except for their shoes. She likes to get them properly fitted. Olivia loves Internet shopping. Everything can be sent back, so she can try things on and show me, and if she doesn’t like something, back it can go. You don’t understand what she’s like. She hates responsibility. I like looking after her, and she looks after me.’
    This just sounded like more evidence of control to Tom, but he knew he shouldn’t judge. If Olivia Brookes had issues, maybe this was the way they managed their lives.
    ‘Look, go and check her wardrobe if you’ve concluded that I’m a tight-arse.’ Robert extended his arm sharply upwards and stabbed with his index finger towards the bedroom. ‘It’s full of clothes. Good clothes. Designer, some of them. Check her make-up bag – all Chanel or Dior. Not that she ever wears much. She doesn’t need it. There’s nothing Olivia can’t have. She has everything she’s ever wanted.’
    For just a second, Tom saw a faraway look in Robert’s eyes as if he had left the room and was visiting another place or another time. His eyelids dropped slightly, but not before Tom had glimpsed something that looked like regret in Robert’s eyes.

16
    As he entered the incident room, Tom sensed a quiet buzz of energy from the ten or so people hunched over their desks, speaking softly on phones or sharing information with colleagues. Becky would have briefed the team by now, but his presence would indicate that she had his full support. The day-to-day running of the investigation was down to her, but with Philippa Stanley breathing down Tom’s neck given the history of this family, he also needed to keep up to speed.
    Tom felt as if he