Chapter Six
MATTHEW WATCHED JEN DISAPPEAR UP THE lane towards the pub. She had hair the same shade of red as autumn leaves, and he could still see the colour of it when she hit the shadow thrown by the high hedges, bent by the westerly winds.
On the terrace, Paul Armstrong had just finished a phone call. Matthew went up to him and held out his hand.
‘Mr Armstrong, we chatted earlier, but I didn’t properly introduce myself. Matthew Venn. I’ll be senior investigating officer here in North Devon. I’m so sorry about Hannah’s death. We’ll do everything we can to find out what happened.’
Simple words, but Armstrong seemed suddenly moved by them.
Matthew thought the man had been able to push away the reality of Hannah’s murder by managing detail, anchoring himself in his old working life.
Now, the use of his daughter’s name broke through the pretence.
His eyes became unfocused, and he looked as if he might faint.
He’d been awake for most of the night and fighting to keep calm all morning. He must be exhausted.
‘Shall we sit down? Would you like some water?’
Matthew took his arm and led him around the house to where the terrace was wider and contained a picnic table and chairs. The chairs were wicker with padded cushions, comfortable, and there was an umbrella to keep off the sun.
‘Yes, water would be great. Thanks.’
There was a small outside bar with a sink, and glasses.
This would be where the family would party, Matthew supposed.
Would they invite locals to join them? Or only their grand friends from London?
The tap water was surprisingly cool. He filled two glasses and took them back to the table.
Armstrong was wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
Venn’s colleagues were out of sight now, but the murmur of their voices could still be heard in the distance. They seemed a long way off.
‘Where’s your wife?’
‘She’s up with the boys. She wanted to tell them. They must be so confused.’ He looked up at Matthew. ‘She’s calmer now. Of course, she found Hannah’s body. I haven’t been allowed to see her yet, so until now, it hasn’t seemed real. Just another crisis to manage.’
Matthew took a sip of water. ‘Jen, Sergeant Rafferty, tells me you’re hoping to move into a hotel.’
The man nodded. ‘That’s all sorted. We can move in this afternoon.’ He paused. ‘Your sergeant was very kind to my wife. Please thank her.’
‘I will.’ Matthew wondered if this was a politician’s politeness, a habit, like thanking waiters and shop assistants to make a good impression as a decent man. All the same, it was welcome. It didn’t happen often enough. ‘Are you up for a few questions?’
‘Of course.’ Armstrong had completely recovered his composure now.
‘When did you last hear from Hannah?’
‘Cath got a text early morning on Friday to say they’d arrived safely.
’ There was a moment’s silence. In the background one of the invisible officers laughed.
Venn frowned but Armstrong seemed not to notice.
‘We tried phoning this morning to say that we were nearly there and to tell them to stick the kettle on, but there was no reply.’ He looked across at Venn. ‘Was she already dead then?’
‘We don’t have a time of death. It’s hard to be accurate about these things. We think she was still alive at around five o’clock this morning.’
‘We were almost here by then! We stopped in the services in Bridgwater for coffee and because Gil needed the loo. If we’d carried on driving straight down, we might have got here in time to save her.’
‘Really.’ Matthew’s voice was very quiet, very gentle. ‘You can’t think like that. Every bereaved family is swamped by what ifs. If you let it, that way of thinking will drive you crazy.’
‘I suppose it would.’
‘Your daughter did have a phone then? We didn’t find one with her.’
Armstrong gave a tight little laugh. ‘Of course! We all have mobiles now. There’s no escape from them. Hannah’s was distinctive. It had a pink cover, and she’d drawn all over it, and plastered it with stickers. Rainbows and flowers. Even when she got a new phone, she kept the cover.’
‘Did Hannah say anything about their plans for the weekend?’
‘I’m not sure. Cath might know more …’ Armstrong looked up. ‘I wasn’t great about family stuff. Too wrapped up in work. Politics becomes a kind of addiction. Nothing else matters …’ He broke off and Matthew could see that there were tears in his eyes again. ‘Until something like this happens.’
The mood was suddenly broken by the sound of a child’s voice, calling for his father, and Cath Armstrong and two small boys appeared round the corner of the house and onto the terrace. One of the boys ran towards the politician, who took him in his arms.
The woman looked entirely drained. Of colour, energy, emotion. ‘We’re ready to go when you are.’ The words were directed at her husband.
Matthew didn’t know much about children. He thought Gilbert and Alex were school age, but one of them was still very young. They could be five and seven. They wore shorts and T-shirts in bright colours, suitable for a holiday but incongruous here when the parents were mourning.
‘Have you got everything?’ the man asked. His voice was falsely cheerful in front of the boys. He’d be used to keeping up appearances.
‘Most of it’s still in the car.’
‘We’ll go and find our hotel then.’ He turned to Matthew. ‘We’re in the Victoria in Torr. You can get us there if you need us. That is okay with you, Inspector?’
‘Of course.’
‘You will keep in touch? When you know anything?’ The mask slipped briefly, and the voice croaked.
‘We’ll be in touch regularly with an update. Sergeant Rafferty will be your main source of contact. I know your wife has already spoken with her and I don’t want to bring in a stranger.’
After all, Appleyard had said to keep the team small to avoid leaks. So, Jen can act as family liaison.
Venn wanted someone who he could trust on the job.
The politician nodded. He got to his feet, carrying the smallest boy still in his arms, and the family disappeared around the house towards the pool and the drive. Venn stayed where he was until he heard the car driving away.
Ross May had come out of the house and was waiting when Matthew arrived there.
The pool was in full sunlight now, and the reflection was so bright that he had to squint.
Ross was local, the protégé of Oldham, Venn’s boss, still cocky but learning a bit of patience.
Learning, too, the realization that he wasn’t always right.
Venn thought Ross would have hated being locked up in a room with a couple of small boys, would see it almost as beneath him, an insult, but he seemed relaxed.
‘They were nice kids.’
‘Did they say anything useful about the family?’ There would be nothing that could be used officially, but at this stage Matthew just wanted to understand the Armstrongs better.
He’d been the only, beloved child of religious parents.
It had hardly been a normal upbringing. He was feeling out of his depth.
Ross shook his head. ‘They chatted a lot, but about their friends, school. At first, they weren’t really worried about Hannah, because their mum told them she must have gone for a walk, and she’d be back soon.
They hadn’t taken in the fact that Lottie was dead.
Their parents sent them straight into the house when they saw the body. ’
Ross paused for a moment, before continuing.
‘The boys realized something was going on when all the uniforms arrived. Then they were quite excited, looking out of the window, full of questions. I told them that we needed help to find Hannah.’ He looked across at Venn.
‘That was when Alex, the oldest, said, “Like that time she went missing at home.” I asked when that was, but kids that age don’t really have much idea of time, do they? ’
‘I suppose not. Interesting, though. Well done.’ Matthew thought that the children would never have talked to him. He had a presence that intimidated, even when he tried to be approachable.
‘Then the mother came in and told them that Hannah was dead. I don’t think Gilbert, the little one, understood what she meant, but Alex started crying.’ A pause. ‘It’s too much for anyone to take in, isn’t it? But she was probably right to be honest with them.’
Matthew thought he’d never seen Ross so moved or sympathetic, and perhaps the constable felt the need for an explanation because he added, ‘We’re trying for a family, Mel and me.’
Matthew didn’t know how to respond to that. Was it the moment for congratulations? In the end, he said, ‘You’ll be great parents,’ meaning it. It seemed to be the right thing to have said. Ross glowed.
‘Jen’s gone to the pub to see if they can provide some takeaway food we can bring down for lunch.
When that’s all sorted, can you go with her to the farm and take statements from the family there?
The son was Hannah’s boyfriend. Treat him carefully.
He’s shattered. His father ran the music festival that took place there over the weekend.
Do they know why Lottie left early yesterday evening?
Did she come back to Tide House with anyone?
There’s an American couple in one of the glamping pods too.
They were there all weekend so it would be worth talking to them. ’
Ross nodded. ‘Sure.’ No questioning of Venn’s judgement or suggestions for a different approach. Matthew thought that potential parenthood seemed to be suiting him already, making him more mellow. Less pushy. He much preferred this new, more mature version of Ross.