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Authors: Rebecca Tope
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I think we have something to report, don’t you?’
She stared at him. ‘Gosh! It’s not like you to call in the cops. But if you’re going to, why not try Exeter? It’s nearer and on the way home.’
He hesitated. ‘For one thing, there are people in the Exeter police who’d probably know me, and for another, I don’t fancy driving through town just as the rush hour’s starting. The van’ll overheat if we get stuck in traffic. Anyway, it’s a nice evening for a bit of a drive.’
‘I still think it’s funny. Why does it matter that someone might recognise you?’
He chewed his lip. ‘Well, they might get sillyabout me and detective work. It’s just a gut feeling – another gut feeling, if you like – that it’d be easier. It’s not far, anyhow.’
‘Okay,’ she said slowly. ‘I just hope you know what you’re doing. I’ve always thought you preferred to leave the police out of things if you possibly can.’
‘Nonsense. Don’t I always keep on the right side of the law?’
‘When you have to,’ she conceded. ‘But this – what are you going to tell them?’
‘What did you think of that farmer chap?’ he asked, rather than giving a direct reply.
‘Odd,’ she said. ‘Not too happy to see us. Distracted about something. But he’s a farmer. Aren’t they always distracted about the weather or the price of beef or something?’
‘Did you pick up any clues about his relationship with Justine?’
She scratched her head and screwed up her face. ‘Not really,’ she admitted. ‘He seemed to know quite a lot about her. All that stuff about the car. He didn’t seem worried at all.’
‘Mmm. Thanks, by the way, for not mentioning Penn.’
‘That’s okay. I could tell you wanted her kept out of it. Don’t know why, though.’
‘Just a sort of hunch. Except I don’t think Mr Renton was saying more than he had to, either.The whole thing was an exercise in minimalism, when you think about it.’
Maggs wriggled her shoulders. ‘Could be he really thought we were thieves or squatters or something, and we’d run away at the sight of him. He might have been so thrown when we said we knew Justine that he couldn’t think straight.’
‘Oh, he was thinking straight, all right,’ Drew said firmly. ‘That’s what’s bothering me.’
They found Okehampton Police Station with no difficulty, on the hill leading down into the town. ‘Looks like a school,’ Maggs observed.
Drew examined the building. ‘It must have been one once,’ he agreed. ‘You wouldn’t think they’d need all that space, would you?’
The generous car park had clearly been the playground at one time, and the entrance once thronged with chattering pupils. ‘Lucky they’re still open,’ Maggs muttered. ‘It’s well after half past five.’
A very tall man met them inside the main door, dressed in a short-sleeved green shirt and cord trousers. He looked as if he’d recently been exposed to too much sun. He glanced around the reception area and seeing it unmanned, sighed and stopped. ‘Good evening,’ he said. ‘Can I help you?’
‘Er, well …’ Drew began. ‘This is going tosound funny, but we think you should know about a young woman who’s missing.’
‘Oh yes, sir? A relative of yours?’
‘Only a very distant one,’ Drew said. ‘By marriage, that is. Though I’ve never met her,’ he added hastily.
‘Really? That sounds rather odd. Perhaps you’d like to come through and tell me about it?’ Drew and Maggs exchanged one of their looks, sharing bewilderment. They’d both expected to be given a form to fill in and nothing more than that. The tall man noted their reaction.
‘I’m sorry. I haven’t introduced myself,’ he smiled. ‘Detective Sergeant Cooper. I’ll take your names and details in a moment. You seem surprised about something.’
‘Well,’ Drew forced a laugh. ‘We didn’t expect you to take us so seriously.’
‘We’re really not like the police you see
She stared at him. ‘Gosh! It’s not like you to call in the cops. But if you’re going to, why not try Exeter? It’s nearer and on the way home.’
He hesitated. ‘For one thing, there are people in the Exeter police who’d probably know me, and for another, I don’t fancy driving through town just as the rush hour’s starting. The van’ll overheat if we get stuck in traffic. Anyway, it’s a nice evening for a bit of a drive.’
‘I still think it’s funny. Why does it matter that someone might recognise you?’
He chewed his lip. ‘Well, they might get sillyabout me and detective work. It’s just a gut feeling – another gut feeling, if you like – that it’d be easier. It’s not far, anyhow.’
‘Okay,’ she said slowly. ‘I just hope you know what you’re doing. I’ve always thought you preferred to leave the police out of things if you possibly can.’
‘Nonsense. Don’t I always keep on the right side of the law?’
‘When you have to,’ she conceded. ‘But this – what are you going to tell them?’
‘What did you think of that farmer chap?’ he asked, rather than giving a direct reply.
‘Odd,’ she said. ‘Not too happy to see us. Distracted about something. But he’s a farmer. Aren’t they always distracted about the weather or the price of beef or something?’
‘Did you pick up any clues about his relationship with Justine?’
She scratched her head and screwed up her face. ‘Not really,’ she admitted. ‘He seemed to know quite a lot about her. All that stuff about the car. He didn’t seem worried at all.’
‘Mmm. Thanks, by the way, for not mentioning Penn.’
‘That’s okay. I could tell you wanted her kept out of it. Don’t know why, though.’
‘Just a sort of hunch. Except I don’t think Mr Renton was saying more than he had to, either.The whole thing was an exercise in minimalism, when you think about it.’
Maggs wriggled her shoulders. ‘Could be he really thought we were thieves or squatters or something, and we’d run away at the sight of him. He might have been so thrown when we said we knew Justine that he couldn’t think straight.’
‘Oh, he was thinking straight, all right,’ Drew said firmly. ‘That’s what’s bothering me.’
They found Okehampton Police Station with no difficulty, on the hill leading down into the town. ‘Looks like a school,’ Maggs observed.
Drew examined the building. ‘It must have been one once,’ he agreed. ‘You wouldn’t think they’d need all that space, would you?’
The generous car park had clearly been the playground at one time, and the entrance once thronged with chattering pupils. ‘Lucky they’re still open,’ Maggs muttered. ‘It’s well after half past five.’
A very tall man met them inside the main door, dressed in a short-sleeved green shirt and cord trousers. He looked as if he’d recently been exposed to too much sun. He glanced around the reception area and seeing it unmanned, sighed and stopped. ‘Good evening,’ he said. ‘Can I help you?’
‘Er, well …’ Drew began. ‘This is going tosound funny, but we think you should know about a young woman who’s missing.’
‘Oh yes, sir? A relative of yours?’
‘Only a very distant one,’ Drew said. ‘By marriage, that is. Though I’ve never met her,’ he added hastily.
‘Really? That sounds rather odd. Perhaps you’d like to come through and tell me about it?’ Drew and Maggs exchanged one of their looks, sharing bewilderment. They’d both expected to be given a form to fill in and nothing more than that. The tall man noted their reaction.
‘I’m sorry. I haven’t introduced myself,’ he smiled. ‘Detective Sergeant Cooper. I’ll take your names and details in a moment. You seem surprised about something.’
‘Well,’ Drew forced a laugh. ‘We didn’t expect you to take us so seriously.’
‘We’re really not like the police you see
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