The Naked Room by Diana Hockley

though—’ She hesitated. I cast an encouraging glance at her. ‘Ally and Jess weren’t getting on too well in London. My daughter was quite upset about it. I think it was professional jealousy on Jess’s part.’
    Evan and I avoided looking at each other, not wanting the mother to know we were examining Jessica Ral-lison’s behaviour on the night in question.
    ‘Ally went to America for a short concert series and then flew back to Australia to join the orchestra here. She came home for a week to see me and to arrange for her things to be transported to Brisbane.’
    ‘Did you go to Ally’s house after you got down here?’
    ‘Pam took me over there, but it upset me. I couldn’t bear to stay in Ally’s house, so I’m staying with Pamela.’
    She pressed her hand to her mouth. I touched her hand again, gently, and received a grateful, but relieved glance. I decided to explore the other avenue, perhaps the one Eloise Carpenter was afraid of and which might explain her extreme tension. ‘Has anyone contacted you since Ally disappeared?’ I asked.
    Eloise looked puzzled, but wary. ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Has anyone phoned you and asked for money or some favour in return for Ally’s safety?’
    Her eyes widened, perhaps a little too much. ‘I haven’t got any money to speak of, Detective Sergeant. And nor has my daughter.’
    ‘Let me know if you think of anything which might help, something Ally may have said. And would you like to have a Family Liaison Officer stay with you while your goddaughter is not here?’
    She shook her head. ‘I’d rather not, but if I find I need someone I can change my mind, can’t I?’
    I handed over my card, at which she barely glanced, before putting it on the coffee table.
    ‘Yes, of course. It’s entirely your choice. And can you give me the names of all of her friends that you can remember, please?’
    Eloise searched her memory for the names of Ally’s friends, which prompted a thought.
    ‘Ms Carpenter, where did you originally come from?’
    Eloise stared at me. ‘Western New South Wales, Dubbo actually. Why do you ask?’
    ‘I feel I might have met you before, but I can’t think where,’ I explained with a smile.
    When we reached our car, I turned back to wave, but she had shut the door.
    ‘She was lying through her teeth, but there’s nothing we can do except watch her bank accounts,’ I said, as we drove away and I punched numbers into my mobile. ‘Best get started on it. And I’ll bet anything you like the father is not dead.’
    ‘You reckon it’s a kidnapping for ransom?’
    ‘Hm…don’t know. It can’t be for money from the mother, but we’ll check out her finances anyway. If the father is alive, there’s no way of finding out who he is unless the mother tells us. Perhaps they’re on such bad terms she can’t approach him, or he’s married and it’s all a big secret. Unless we get proof to the contrary, we can only go with the predator snatch. We’ll keep our ear to the ground and give the boys a “hurry up” on Eloise’s background.’
    Evan grunted, as he swerved to miss someone’s burly tomcat coming home late from a hard night’s hunting in the mountains, aka the park running parallel to the road.
    ‘Yep, I agree. What’s next? The violinist?’
    ‘Yes.’ I sighed. It was going to be a long day.

CHAPTER 12
    Secrets
    Eloise
    Monday: 10.46am.
    James’s phone call had come just minutes before the police arrived to interview me. I picked up the receiver, answered and waited, pencil poised, ready to take a message for Pam.
    ‘Eloise? Are you alone?’ My heart almost leapt out of my chest. His voice was muffled, as though he was trying not to be overheard.
    ‘James? James, what is it?’
    ‘Are you alone?’ The tone of his voice frightened me.
    ‘Yes, at the moment, but—’
    ‘Eloise, I had a phone call in the middle of the night. Ally’s been kidnapped. For ransom.’
    ‘What? Ransom?’
    He repeated himself,