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Authors: Antonia Frost
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with some nice artwork for the lounge, for when we get around to doing it up. Do you charge a lot?’
‘Whatever I can get,’ she said. ‘I’m not above haggling.’
‘Game on!’ he said.
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ she said with a laugh, and returned to the table with the drinks. ‘So, then, how was Alnwick?’ she said to Garrett. ‘I can’t believe you spent the whole afternoon talking to the police.’
‘No,’ he said, ‘although I did have to wait for ages, as they were busy. I think an old woman was mugged or something, and they were beside themselves with excitement. There can’t be much for them to do around here.’
‘So what did they tell you? Do they keep records going back that far?’
‘No. If no action was taken they usually get rid of them after five years. I knew they wouldn’t be able to tell me anything if the story was true. I just wanted to make sure it was.’
‘Do you mean you think Alexander was lying?’
‘He might have been,’ said Garrett. ‘I wanted to find out whether they had anything else on him.’
‘Like what?’
‘Domestic violence, you know, that kind of thing. If it turned out he’d been beating her, then her disappearance would look a lot more dodgy, obviously.’
Zanna tried to imagine the mild-mannered Alexander resorting to violence against anybody, and was unconvinced.
‘Yes, it would,’ she replied. ‘But if the police had a record of something like that then surely they’d have been a lot more interested in where she went.’
‘True,’ said Garrett. ‘I just wanted to investigate all avenues.’
‘And did they have anything on him?’
‘Nope,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Not a thing. They’re an entirely respectable family of good standing in the community.’
‘Well, then.’
‘But that makes it all the more suspicious, don’t you think?’
‘In newspaper-land, maybe.’
‘Oh, come on. Nobody’s that perfect. If it was all so idyllic, then why did she take her child and run away?’
‘Who knows? Maybe she got bored with marriage to a man who was more interested in dead people than he was in her. Alexander’s a historian,’ she explained, in reply to his enquiring look.
‘Oh, that Alexander Devereux? You mean the one who wrote that book about George the Third that everyone was going on about a few years ago?’
‘That’s the one. He’s already admitted that he wasn’t the most attentive husband. It’s all very pretty around here, but I imagine Helen was dying of boredom after a while. I just wish I had any idea where she went.’
‘Maybe you should ask to see her letter. Perhaps she gave a clue in that.’
‘I’m sure they’d have mentioned it if she had. Alexander did say she was fascinated by Canada and used to talk about going there. But yes, you’re right—it can’t do any harm to look at the letter, if they still have it. I’ll send him a text before I forget.’
She took out her phone and at that moment remembered the email, which had temporarily slipped her mind.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Garrett, as he saw her expression.
‘I’ve just remembered something,’ she said. ‘I got an email from someone calling themselves Helen Chambers.’
‘What?’ he said in surprise. ‘What did it say?’
‘It said, “I am waiting,”’ said Zanna.
‘Is that all? Waiting for what?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘Is it someone’s idea of a joke?’ he said.
‘I don’t know. As a matter of fact, I wondered for a second if it was you.’
‘Why would I do something like that?’
‘Well, you do like to play jokes on people.’
‘Funny jokes, yes. Funny being the operative word. This one’s just stupid. Can I see it?’
‘OK,’ said Zanna. She opened her inbox, then frowned. ‘Oh. Where’s it gone? It’s disappeared.’
‘Are you sure? Maybe you deleted it by mistake.’
‘No,’ she said after a few moments. ‘It’s not in deleted items either.’
‘Give that to me,’ said
‘Whatever I can get,’ she said. ‘I’m not above haggling.’
‘Game on!’ he said.
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ she said with a laugh, and returned to the table with the drinks. ‘So, then, how was Alnwick?’ she said to Garrett. ‘I can’t believe you spent the whole afternoon talking to the police.’
‘No,’ he said, ‘although I did have to wait for ages, as they were busy. I think an old woman was mugged or something, and they were beside themselves with excitement. There can’t be much for them to do around here.’
‘So what did they tell you? Do they keep records going back that far?’
‘No. If no action was taken they usually get rid of them after five years. I knew they wouldn’t be able to tell me anything if the story was true. I just wanted to make sure it was.’
‘Do you mean you think Alexander was lying?’
‘He might have been,’ said Garrett. ‘I wanted to find out whether they had anything else on him.’
‘Like what?’
‘Domestic violence, you know, that kind of thing. If it turned out he’d been beating her, then her disappearance would look a lot more dodgy, obviously.’
Zanna tried to imagine the mild-mannered Alexander resorting to violence against anybody, and was unconvinced.
‘Yes, it would,’ she replied. ‘But if the police had a record of something like that then surely they’d have been a lot more interested in where she went.’
‘True,’ said Garrett. ‘I just wanted to investigate all avenues.’
‘And did they have anything on him?’
‘Nope,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Not a thing. They’re an entirely respectable family of good standing in the community.’
‘Well, then.’
‘But that makes it all the more suspicious, don’t you think?’
‘In newspaper-land, maybe.’
‘Oh, come on. Nobody’s that perfect. If it was all so idyllic, then why did she take her child and run away?’
‘Who knows? Maybe she got bored with marriage to a man who was more interested in dead people than he was in her. Alexander’s a historian,’ she explained, in reply to his enquiring look.
‘Oh, that Alexander Devereux? You mean the one who wrote that book about George the Third that everyone was going on about a few years ago?’
‘That’s the one. He’s already admitted that he wasn’t the most attentive husband. It’s all very pretty around here, but I imagine Helen was dying of boredom after a while. I just wish I had any idea where she went.’
‘Maybe you should ask to see her letter. Perhaps she gave a clue in that.’
‘I’m sure they’d have mentioned it if she had. Alexander did say she was fascinated by Canada and used to talk about going there. But yes, you’re right—it can’t do any harm to look at the letter, if they still have it. I’ll send him a text before I forget.’
She took out her phone and at that moment remembered the email, which had temporarily slipped her mind.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Garrett, as he saw her expression.
‘I’ve just remembered something,’ she said. ‘I got an email from someone calling themselves Helen Chambers.’
‘What?’ he said in surprise. ‘What did it say?’
‘It said, “I am waiting,”’ said Zanna.
‘Is that all? Waiting for what?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘Is it someone’s idea of a joke?’ he said.
‘I don’t know. As a matter of fact, I wondered for a second if it was you.’
‘Why would I do something like that?’
‘Well, you do like to play jokes on people.’
‘Funny jokes, yes. Funny being the operative word. This one’s just stupid. Can I see it?’
‘OK,’ said Zanna. She opened her inbox, then frowned. ‘Oh. Where’s it gone? It’s disappeared.’
‘Are you sure? Maybe you deleted it by mistake.’
‘No,’ she said after a few moments. ‘It’s not in deleted items either.’
‘Give that to me,’ said
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