‘Right now, our priority is speaking to friends and family so we can build up a picture of Natasha and Cressida, understand their state of mind.’
‘State of mind? They’re teenagers. They were probably just trying to escape studying for a few hours, wanted to have some fun. They could be hurt, lying in a ditch somewhere. You should be searching for them,’ Ryan said, jabbing a finger in the direction of the window. ‘I have to agree with Imogen on that.’
‘I understand you’re worried, Mr Blake, but first we need to—’
‘You need to be out there looking for them,’ Ryan said, stabbing his finger at the window again and cutting Morgan off. ‘If you don’t go out there and start searching, then I will.’
‘We will organise a search, but we need to talk to the other students and teachers on the course to make sure we’re not missing something obvious first.’
‘But this is very out of character. Natasha wouldn’t just stay out all night. She knows I would be worried,’ Imogen insisted, gripping her hands together.
‘We will instigate a search in the next few hours if we haven’t found them before then, but on most occasions, missing teenagers do turn up. I know it’s a very worrying time,’ Karen said.
Imogen pursed her lips together and turned her head towards the fire. Ryan Blake clenched his fists, and then folded his arms over his chest.
‘Do we have your permission to search their rooms?’ Morgan asked.
‘I really don’t see why—’ Ryan began, but Jasmine put a hand on her husband’s knee. ‘Of course you have our permission. We’re wasting time here arguing about it. Please do everything you need to do to find them.’
Karen nodded. ‘We will.’
Morgan was asking a few more background questions when the door to the library creaked open and Graham Doyle appeared, looking very smug.
‘Detectives, I’m sorry to interrupt, but your boss is here.’
Their boss? Who did he mean? Superintendent Murray?
This was proceeding much faster than any missing persons case Karen had worked on. Why was the disappearance of these particular students being prioritised? Karen couldn’t understand why the superintendent needed to be on site. This was certainly unusual.
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Ryan said, standing up at the same time as Morgan and Karen. ‘I hope your boss will get the search underway. We’re all wasting time sitting around here chatting.’
With a broad and, in Karen’s opinion, inappropriate smile, Graham Doyle led them from the library back to the entrance hall.
CHAPTER FIVE
At first Karen didn’t recognise the bulky man standing near the front door. He wore a brown raincoat and water dripped from the hem. His short, grey hair was bristly and damp. He was talking to a teenage boy whose hunched shoulders and bowed head made his discomfort clear.
At the sound of their footsteps the man turned around. Karen recognised him. It was the chief constable. Why was he here? What was it about this case that needed the presence of the chief constable?
Karen wondered if she might get a chance to talk to him about the Freeman case. She’d been unable to get a meeting with him; Assistant Chief Constable Fry was the best she’d managed, and he’d been as much help as a chocolate teapot. If she could just get the chief constable on her side, it would make a huge difference. If he pushed the investigation, elevated its importance, they’d have a much better chance of tracking down the individuals involved in the corruption. But then, how could she be sure she could trust him?
Was he here because he was connected to Lord Chidlow in some way? The thought made Karen’s stomach clench.
The chief constable smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling. ‘Detectives.’ He held out his hand to Morgan first.
‘Chief Constable John Grayson,’ he said, shaking Morgan’s hand.
‘DI Morgan, sir. And this is DS Hart,’ Morgan said as Karen held out her own hand.
The chief constable shook it heartily and said, ‘Good, good. I asked the superintendent to put her two best detectives on this case, so I’m expecting good things.’
He’d asked the superintendent?
Things were slowly sliding into place. The chief constable definitely had a personal interest in this case. Was he going to order them to go easy on Chidlow?
‘And this is my son Ethan,’ Grayson said, slapping the boy on the shoulder.
The final piece of the puzzle. Now the quick response time made sense. Ethan had been attending the study week, and Grayson was eager to get the situation resolved. Perhaps a little underhanded to use his position, but two kids were missing, the same age as his own son. He’d want the matter cleared up as soon as possible.
She held out her hand. ‘Hi, Ethan. You’ve been studying here this week, have you?’
Ethan, who’d been staring at the floor, managed to raise his gaze to meet Karen’s. ‘Uh, yeah.’
‘Did you know Natasha and Cressida?’ Morgan asked.
‘Not well. I mean . . . I knew them from this study programme, but we didn’t go to the same school or anything like that.’
‘You hadn’t met them before this week?’ Morgan asked.
The boy risked a quick glance at his father and then shook his head.
‘Did they tell you where they were going last night?’ Karen asked.
Ethan’s gaze slid to the floor again. ‘No. I was the one who saw them when they left, and I thought they might be going to the local pub. I asked them, but they didn’t want to tell me.’
‘They didn’t invite you to join them?’ DI Morgan asked.
Ethan gave a wry smile. ‘No. They were popular, you know. They didn’t want to be seen hanging around with someone like me. It was different if Cressida wanted me to do something for her.’
Chief Constable Grayson frowned. ‘What do you mean, Ethan? You’re popular. You’re on the rugby team at school. You’ve got plenty of friends.’
Ethan’s cheeks coloured. ‘Not like them. They thought a lot of themselves, at least Cressida did. Reckoned I was immature. Said she wouldn’t be seen dead with someone her own age.’
‘She said that last night?’ Karen asked.
‘No, a couple of days ago. Last night she didn’t say much. Just something like “I don’t think so” when I asked if I could tag along.’
‘Cressida was seeing older men?’ Morgan asked.
Ethan nodded. ‘I think so. I don’t know names or anything, but Cressida said she didn’t waste time with boys.’
‘What did you mean when you said it was different if Cressida wanted you to do something for her?’ Karen asked.
He shuffled from foot to foot. ‘Oh, nothing really. Just if she needed help with a maths problem or something, then she’d pay attention to me.’
Karen looked at John Grayson. His concern for his son was obvious. She’d been wrong. He was here for Ethan, not as a corrupt favour to Lord Chidlow.
She needed to keep her mind on the case but couldn’t help wondering when she’d get a chance to speak to the chief constable alone. She couldn’t pass up this opportunity. But perhaps it was better to wait until after they’d spoken to Ethan and the other students.