Free Easy Kill by Lin Anderson Page B

struggle, anxiety driving his desire to be useful, his memory letting him down.
    Finally Geordie said, ‘It was a dark colour. Big and flash.’
    Bill waited patiently, willing him to give them something more. ‘Did you see the number plate?’
    But the light had gone out. Geordie was back in his own world, filled with grief. ‘He won’t hurt her, will he?’
    ‘We’ll make sure he doesn’t.’ Bill could say the words, but he couldn’t keep the promise. ‘What if DC Clark gets you a nice cup of tea? That might help you remember.’
    Geordie’s face brightened. ‘Any chance of a chocolate biscuit?’
    Atticus was waiting in reception. Bill decided to bring him through himself. He wanted a surreptitious look at a guidance teacher who paid for sex with his former charges.
    The view from behind the desk was that of a balding man in his forties, dressed in golfing trousers and sweater. The desk sergeant gave Bill a nod and informed him under his breath that the gentleman had been waiting twenty minutes and had already made a complaint.
    Bill buzzed open the door.
    ‘Mr Beattie. I’m Detective Inspector Wilson.’
    The man rose. ‘I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes.’
    ‘Thank you for coming in so promptly. We appreciate that.’
    Instinct had sent Mr Beattie down the path of outraged innocence. Bill’s grateful response was causing him to reconsider. The man was intelligent and used to giving orders. Being on the receiving end of authority was unnerving him.
    Geordie was still in the interview room. Bill had told Janice to leave the door ajar when she went for the tea. He walked Mr Beattie slowly past so that he could get the full benefit of Geordie’s scent, before showing him into a neighbouring room and ushering him to a seat.
    ‘What was that terrible smell?’
    ‘Another one of Terri’s customers.’
    ‘I was not one of Terri’s customers.’ The affronted air was back.
    ‘Your number is on her phone.’
    Beattie drew himself up. ‘I was Terri’s guidance teacher at school. When her older brother died, she became very withdrawn and I tried to help. I gave her my mobile number then. She recently phoned me to ask if I would help her again.’
    ‘How, exactly?’
    ‘She needed someone to talk to. She was trying to get off drugs and change her life. I told her to call her parents. She said her father had broken all contact and forbidden her to visit or get in touch.’
    ‘Did you meet with Terri?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Terri told someone that you were a regular punter. Every second Wednesday without fail. She recognised you, but you pretended not to recognise her.’
    ‘Then that someone is lying.’
    Beattie was growing more confident with every utterance. Even if they could prove he had sex with Terri Docherty, she wasn’t a minor and he hadn’t committed an offence.
    ‘You are aware that Terri is missing?’
    ‘Of course I am. Her picture is everywhere.’
    As well as being on the front page, Terri’s photograph had appeared on the big screen in the main train and bus stations and two major shopping centres. This still hadn’t resulted in a sighting.
    Bill changed his tone. ‘I’m sure you understand, given the present climate, how imperative it is we find Terri.’
    Beattie looked momentarily mollified. ‘I’ve told you all I know.’
    ‘We’ll be asking everyone connected with Terri to volunteer a mouth scraping for DNA purposes, to eliminate them from our enquiries.’
    ‘But I haven’t seen Terri since she left school.’
    ‘Then you have nothing to worry about, Mr Beattie,’ Bill said.
    It seemed to Bill that there was a worse stink in this room than anything coming from next door.

17
    NORA STOOD OUTSIDE the drop-in centre, trying to pluck up enough courage to enter. Occasionally one of the young women entering the building threw her a curious glance, but for the most part she was ignored. Sweat trickled down the front of her blouse, dampening the material and making it stick