returned upstairs. Felicity asked if they would like a tea or coffee.
‘We’ve got a little rest room right at the back by the stairs,’ she said, ‘and there’s a coffee machine. Just help yourselves.’
Little was the operative word. It was more or less a corner with more screens, a couple of chairs and a table with coffee cups and mugs and packets of biscuits. A girl in one of Tina’s pink overalls was standing eating a sandwich and brewing up coffee. She turned as Anna and Paul sat down on the chairs.
‘Excuse me, I’ve not had a break today. I was starving and my lady’s under the dryer.’ She had a mouth full of her sandwich and wiped it with the back of her hand. ‘Do you want a coffee?’
‘No, thank you. We’re waiting for Tina.’
‘Okay. Busy today since nine this morning. I had two perms—’
‘What’s your name?’ Anna interrupted.
‘Donna.’ The girl bit into her sandwich again.
Anna showed her warrant card and introduced herself and Paul. It had little effect as Donna was now making herself a mug of coffee, stuffing the remains of her lunch into her mouth.
‘Is this about Alan?’
‘Yes. Do you know him?’
Donna turned and nodded. ‘We all do – well, we know who he is, but . . .’ She lowered her voice and moved closer. ‘What’s going on? Tina told us he left her. She was in a terrible state.’
‘Did he come to the salon?’
‘No, but he used to pick her up sometimes and wait outside in the car park. I think we all scared the pants off him. We used to have a couple of guys working here, but they didn’t fit in.’
Tina walked in now minus the gloves and rubber apron, but with her pink salon smock.
‘Donna, your customer is taking her own rollers out!’
‘Sorry, sorry, but I never got lunch.’ She scurried out and Tina crossed to the coffee percolator.
‘I did say I was very busy and for you to come later. I couldn’t leave my client; these wraps have to be done correctly. I’m training one of the girls, but I’m the only one really qualified. You have to layer the thick seaweed emulsion, then do a complete body wrap, but not too tight because the heat makes the seaweed dry. You lose a few pounds all over; it’s a very good treatment.’
Tina poured herself a mug of coffee and then leaned on the table. ‘Have you any news?’
‘No, I am afraid not. Have you had any contact from Alan?’
‘No. To be honest, I’ve been working really hard and it’s the best thing for me – helps me not think about it – but I’ve had to get sleeping tablets. Every time the phone rings my heart jumps. I had to tell his father to stop calling me – he was driving me crazy.’
‘We’ve talked to a few of Alan’s friends, but nobody has seen him for quite a while. I really wanted to ask you about something you said – that there could have been another woman.’
‘Well, it’s all I can think about, the possibility. He could be very secretive sometimes.’
‘Can you give me an example?’
‘Well, yes. That Mercedes, he never told me he’d bought it. We were supposed to be saving up to get married. I only found out when I saw some receipts for spare parts – they cost a fortune.’
‘Did you argue about it?’
She sighed. ‘Alan didn’t argue. I mean, I could shout and carry on at him, but it never seemed to bother him. He’d ignore it, or what really used to get me furious was he would just walk out of the room.’
‘That must have been very frustrating,’ Anna said.
Tina shrugged her shoulders. ‘Yeah, sometimes it was.’
Paul was flicking through one of the glossy magazines; he appeared to be paying no attention to what they were discussing.
‘Did he ever get physical with you?’ Anna asked.
Paul closed the magazine, looking directly at Tina.
‘Alan? Never. And besides, if he had have done, I’d have given him as good. I told you, he was never confrontational and he hated getting into any kind of row.’
‘Did he get annoyed
‘We’ve got a little rest room right at the back by the stairs,’ she said, ‘and there’s a coffee machine. Just help yourselves.’
Little was the operative word. It was more or less a corner with more screens, a couple of chairs and a table with coffee cups and mugs and packets of biscuits. A girl in one of Tina’s pink overalls was standing eating a sandwich and brewing up coffee. She turned as Anna and Paul sat down on the chairs.
‘Excuse me, I’ve not had a break today. I was starving and my lady’s under the dryer.’ She had a mouth full of her sandwich and wiped it with the back of her hand. ‘Do you want a coffee?’
‘No, thank you. We’re waiting for Tina.’
‘Okay. Busy today since nine this morning. I had two perms—’
‘What’s your name?’ Anna interrupted.
‘Donna.’ The girl bit into her sandwich again.
Anna showed her warrant card and introduced herself and Paul. It had little effect as Donna was now making herself a mug of coffee, stuffing the remains of her lunch into her mouth.
‘Is this about Alan?’
‘Yes. Do you know him?’
Donna turned and nodded. ‘We all do – well, we know who he is, but . . .’ She lowered her voice and moved closer. ‘What’s going on? Tina told us he left her. She was in a terrible state.’
‘Did he come to the salon?’
‘No, but he used to pick her up sometimes and wait outside in the car park. I think we all scared the pants off him. We used to have a couple of guys working here, but they didn’t fit in.’
Tina walked in now minus the gloves and rubber apron, but with her pink salon smock.
‘Donna, your customer is taking her own rollers out!’
‘Sorry, sorry, but I never got lunch.’ She scurried out and Tina crossed to the coffee percolator.
‘I did say I was very busy and for you to come later. I couldn’t leave my client; these wraps have to be done correctly. I’m training one of the girls, but I’m the only one really qualified. You have to layer the thick seaweed emulsion, then do a complete body wrap, but not too tight because the heat makes the seaweed dry. You lose a few pounds all over; it’s a very good treatment.’
Tina poured herself a mug of coffee and then leaned on the table. ‘Have you any news?’
‘No, I am afraid not. Have you had any contact from Alan?’
‘No. To be honest, I’ve been working really hard and it’s the best thing for me – helps me not think about it – but I’ve had to get sleeping tablets. Every time the phone rings my heart jumps. I had to tell his father to stop calling me – he was driving me crazy.’
‘We’ve talked to a few of Alan’s friends, but nobody has seen him for quite a while. I really wanted to ask you about something you said – that there could have been another woman.’
‘Well, it’s all I can think about, the possibility. He could be very secretive sometimes.’
‘Can you give me an example?’
‘Well, yes. That Mercedes, he never told me he’d bought it. We were supposed to be saving up to get married. I only found out when I saw some receipts for spare parts – they cost a fortune.’
‘Did you argue about it?’
She sighed. ‘Alan didn’t argue. I mean, I could shout and carry on at him, but it never seemed to bother him. He’d ignore it, or what really used to get me furious was he would just walk out of the room.’
‘That must have been very frustrating,’ Anna said.
Tina shrugged her shoulders. ‘Yeah, sometimes it was.’
Paul was flicking through one of the glossy magazines; he appeared to be paying no attention to what they were discussing.
‘Did he ever get physical with you?’ Anna asked.
Paul closed the magazine, looking directly at Tina.
‘Alan? Never. And besides, if he had have done, I’d have given him as good. I told you, he was never confrontational and he hated getting into any kind of row.’
‘Did he get annoyed
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