Free Cross and Burn by Val McDermid Page B

‘If I’d said to you last night that Bev would go missing, is there any part of you that would have thought, “Yeah, that makes sense”.’
    Without hesitation, Dan shook his head. ‘No. Bev’s totally reliable, totally organised. If she was going to do a runner, she’d do it in such a way that nobody would notice it was a runner until she was history.’
    Paula could think of nothing more to ask Dan. Though she had a feeling there might be more later. She stood up and fished her card out of her pocket. ‘Text me Vahni Bhat’s number, would you? And let me know if anything occurs to you. Anything unusual, or anything Bev said. We’re treating this seriously, Dan.’
    ‘OK. Tell Torin we’re thinking of him.’
    That would be the easy part, Paula thought, checking her watch. She’d sent a pair of DCs to Nadia Wilkowa’s flat, promising to join them there. Unless Nadia had lived in a monastic cell with no possessions, they’d still be there, poking through her underwear drawer and kitchen cupboards. Which gave her a small window of opportunity to conclude some more unorthodox arrangements.
    She sent a quick text to Elinor, asking for five minutes in the fifth-floor coffee shop that she knew was near the wards where her partner would be dealing with post-op patients from the morning. Paula was halfway through a mug of hot chocolate when Elinor appeared, businesslike in white coat and stethoscope. Time had done nothing to diminish the physical jolt of pleasure Paula still felt whenever they were reunited. Even if only a few hours had passed. It was crazy, it was adolescent, but she didn’t care. When she’d met Elinor, her life hadn’t held much joy. Now, the reason for getting up in the morning overwhelmed any argument on that score.
    Elinor made straight for Paula’s table, missing out a visit to the coffee counter. She leaned over and kissed her on the lips as she sat down. ‘Not that it isn’t always a delight to see you, but I genuinely only have five minutes,’ she said.
    Paula held up both hands in a gesture of apology. ‘Sorry. I’m tight for time too. But it’s important.’
    ‘Give me the ten second version.’ Elinor reached for the mug and took a swig, shivering with pleasure. ‘Sugar rush, I love it.’
    ‘Torin McAndrew reported his mother missing this morning. She’s not in work, nobody’s heard from her and —’
    ‘Bev’s missing?’ Elinor interrupted.
    ‘Apparently.’
    ‘But she wouldn’t leave Torin. Paula, something serious must have happened. Have you checked the hospitals?’
    ‘First thing I did. And the custody records. She’s not been in an accident and she’s not been arrested. Believe me, I’m taking an interest.’
    Elinor clapped her hand over her mouth. She knew only too well the sort of cases Paula generally ended up dealing with. Anyone would be horrified at the thought of a friend ending up at the heart of one of those. ‘What can I do?’
    ‘Who’s her best mate?’
    ‘Probably Dan.’ Elinor answered without hesitation. ‘He’s straight, but he’s so camp he might as well be a gay man. There was a moment a couple of years ago where it nearly spilled over into more than just good friends. But they both backed off. She didn’t want to risk his marriage and really, neither did he.’
    ‘Was it mutual, the backing off?’
    Elinor paused, thinking. ‘To the best of my recollection. I’ve been in their company a few times since and I didn’t sense any awkwardness between them.’ She gave Paula a sceptical look. ‘You’re not thinking Dan’s got anything to do with Bev going missing, are you?’
    ‘I’m not going to apologise for covering all the bases, Elinor. But there’s something a lot more pressing than what kind of guy Dan is. Here’s the thing. I can’t leave Torin home alone. I know he stayed there last night without Bev, but he didn’t really believe she’d be out all night. He doesn’t have any family near at hand. And I