“Odd?” Paul sipped his coffee. “No. Well, maybe. Jack took an envelope from his office. Not the regular type that he drops off with his secretary, but a small white one. Like you’d post a letter in.”
“And that’s odd, how?”
“Jack’s not exactly the letter writing sort. I mean, he dictates stuff and Joni does whatever she does to make it right. But she handles everything. Posting, or couriers or whatever. For him to carry an envelope out of the building was a bit strange.”
“And he did so on the day he disappeared.”
“He did.”
“Anything else?”
“Not from the footage. And let me know if you need more. Or of anyone else’s movements.”
“Like?”
Paul shrugged. “Dunno. Just thinking aloud.”
“Appreciate the assistance.”
“Like to say I appreciated the coffee…” Paul stood with a grin. “Let me buy you a real one next time.”
Ben grimaced at the eternal dig about police coffee, then watched until Paul was out of sight. There were pieces to this puzzle not adding up.
Ellie stared at the ceiling of the spare bedroom for a long time, barely aware of the transition from night to light as her thoughts collided. Sleep had finally come long after midnight, but only for a while. She needed to make her own bed and move back into her own bedroom. New sheets. Flowers.
Everything was out of control, and Ellie hated it. Her work gave her purpose, a daily routine where she contributed and helped others. But that work had taken her away for a month and she’d returned to a world on its head.
Dad was missing and his wife didn’t seem to care. How could Meredith be so cold about his disappearance? Perhaps it was a combination of brandy and worry that made the woman so nasty the other night. Today she’d go back and speak with her, one on one. Find out what the past few weeks were like and where she believed Jack might be.
And Dennis. Champagne in the fridge. Their bed stripped bare. Half his closet empty. Had she been away one time too many? Was there someone else?
Meredith…
Ellie flung the covers off, unsure if the sick feeling in her gut was hunger, or truth.
There was no food in the place, nothing she’d risk eating. She showered and dressed, plaiting her hair before it was dry and overdoing the makeup.
She glanced in the mirror on the way out, pausing long enough to brush a stray hair behind an ear. Worry lines creased around her eyes. At some point she needed to talk to Michael, about this. And tell him…what? Ellie closed the door on her dark thoughts.
The sight of gym man at the elevator was almost enough to send her back inside. But the click of her door locking got his attention and he grinned. Ellie raised her chin and smiled politely as she approached.
“Nice morning. You’re up early,” he said.
Even from a few feet away his body odour invaded Ellie’s senses. He was presumably on his way to a gym…or was he? Again, there was a sense of having met him somewhere away from here, or someone like him.
“Always. Are you heading down to the seventh floor?” She glanced at the bag he carried.
“Seventh? No. Should I be?”
“You look ready to work out.”
He frowned as the elevator opened. “Yeah.” He stepped inside.
Ellie followed, keeping as far away as she could in the small space.
“Sorry, just assumed you’d use the gym in the building.”
He drew his bag closer to his body. “Right. Nah. I do other stuff. Like boxing. And I have a membership down the road from the last place I lived. Can’t waste it.”
The elevator stopped a couple of floors down and other people got in. Ellie flattened herself against the wall to make space, rather than move closer to gym man. Whatever his name was.
Her phone vibrated and she managed to slide it of her bag. A message from Paul. “I’m grabbing breakfast at Hidden if you’d like to catch up.”
The doors opened. Out of the building, she crossed to the tram station in the centre of the road. Did Paul have anything new to add? Ellie needed a coffee.
10
Hidden Meanings
Hidden was an aptly named tiny café in a dark alley running off a narrow street. Word of mouth kept it busy from dawn to close and today was no different.
Ellie slipped between tables to reach Paul who was protecting two seats at a long bench facing a brick wall. He stood as she neared, dropping an unexpected kiss on her cheek.
“Here, grab your seat before someone steals it. Have you eaten?”
“Haven’t had time to shop yet, but coffee will be fine thanks.” Ellie tucked her feet under the table as Paul headed for the counter. She touched her cheek, brow furrowed.
Her stomach rumbled. She should have ordered some food. The café was buzzing with sound. Music, chatter, the background kitchen noises. It was pleasant. Comforting. She liked it here.
“Right. Won’t be long.” Paul settled next to her. “I am so sorry, Ellie.”
“Why?”
“Leaving you alone since you got back to deal with everything. Not being there when you probably needed a friend.”
“I’m fine, Paul. It isn’t your job to worry about me.”
“But I do. Jack would have…Jack wants me to.”
Ellie’s eyes searched his face. “Wants? Have you heard from Dad?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, bad choice of words. But he always did. Keep an eye on my girl. That’s what he said more than once. So, I will.”
“It really isn’t necessary. But I do have questions.”
A waiter interrupted with coffee. The steaming cup smelled divine and Ellie murmured her thanks before taking a cautious sip.
“Ask away.”
“Okay. Since when did Dennis live at Dad’s house?”
Paul sat back. “Have you asked him?”
“I haven’t seen him since the night before last. When I got back from London.”
“Why not?”
“Police station, then nearly a whole day searching everywhere for Dad,” Ellie’s voice broke a little. “Then I went to his house, to get something from my desk. But only Meredith was there and she was in a mood.”
“What were you after?”
Was it her imagination, or was Paul closer, his eyes intense? “Just a…notebook I’d left there. Nothing important.”
“Excuse me.” The waiter returned with two plates. Paul motioned for one to be set before Ellie.
“Oh, I didn’t—”
“I did. You need to eat.”
Two perfectly poached eggs perched aloft a swirl of spinach, with a fan of sliced avocado to one side. Exactly what she’d have ordered for herself.
“Paul? Thank you. But how on earth did you order this?”
“It is your favourite, right?”
“It is.”
“Then eat.”
He was already devouring his waffles. Ellie stared at him for a moment, then picked up a fork, famished.
Food helped. She savoured every morsel, then finished the coffee with a sigh.
“Earth to Ellie.”