‘I’ve given up looking in mirrors. When you’ve got four kids – five if you count my Stuart – then people expect you to look a mess,’ she said with a half-smile. ‘You don’t look like you’ve slept much.’
‘I haven’t.’
‘No. Me neither. I had a call from Ellen Devonport about half seven, too.’
‘Oh.’
‘Linda Armitage sneaked out of the house. She came back, slammed the door behind her and went straight upstairs. She wouldn’t talk to anyone.’
Matilda frowned. ‘Where had she been?’
‘They don’t know.’
‘How long had she been out?’
‘They don’t know that either.’
***
Sian drove with Matilda in the passenger seat, looking at her reflection in the small mirror in the visor.
‘You’d think people would prepare you for old age, tell you about the lines on your forehead and crow’s feet.’
‘You’re only forty-f—’
‘Don’t say the f-word,’ Matilda interrupted.
‘My Stuart says wrinkles are a sign of a life well lived.’
‘Do you believe him?’
‘I believed him when he said having four kids would be fun. Silly sod. I also believed him when he said he’d help out if we had a big party for our silver wedding anniversary.’
‘How are the preparations going?’
‘Slowly. He’s full of ideas but he expects me to put them into action.’
‘Typical.’
‘I’m on the internet all night trying to find someone to make an ice sculpture while he’s flicking through Sky. He’s about as much use as a condom machine in a monastery.’
‘An ice sculpture? Really?’
‘I know. Tacky isn’t it? I’m trying to put him off the idea.’
They turned off Stannington Road into Acorn Drive and pulled up outside the Armitage House. Craig’s dirty Mercedes Sprinter was parked in the driveway.
Sian made to get out of the car while Matilda stayed and stared at the house.
‘What’s wrong?’ Sian asked.
‘This doesn’t look like the house of someone who has fifty grand to spare,’ she said, taking off her seatbelt.
It was still only early, and the pavements were littered with mums and dads taking their children to school. The faces of the parents were drawn and full of worry. It appeared that word had got out about Keeley’s disappearance.
Matilda and Sian received strange looks from passers-by as they made their way up the garden path. As much as they tried not to look like detectives, it wasn’t easy when everyone was glaring at them. Their job seemed to emanate from them. A few lingered to see how distressed Linda was when she opened the door. They were disappointed when it was Ellen – a face they had never seen before.
‘How are they all?’ Matilda asked.
‘As you’d expect. Craig’s decided to stay off work today and Jodie isn’t going to school.’
‘Good idea,’ Sian said.
‘Do you know where Linda went yet?’
‘No. She won’t tell us.’
‘Is she still in bed?’
‘No. She’s in the living room. They all are.’
‘Right. I’d better go and introduce myself,’ Matilda said.
Outside the living room door, Matilda paused and braced herself. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly before entering.
She was hit immediately by the dense atmosphere. Grim faces turned to look at her. Craig was sitting with Riley on his lap. Jodie was cross-legged in the armchair wearing her pyjamas and dressing gown. Linda was on the sofa, staring into space, her eyes wide and full of tears. It was happening all over again.
‘This is DCI Darke,’ Ellen said, making the introduction. ‘She’s going to be leading the investigation into finding Keeley.’
‘Darke?’ Linda asked. ‘As in Matilda Darke?’
‘That’s right,’ Matilda nodded.
‘Jesus Chris! We’re never going to get our Keeley back,’ she sobbed, pulling another tissue out of the box on the coffee table in front of her and wiping her red eyes. The table was littered with crumpled tissues. She stood up and went over to the window.
‘Linda!’ Craig admonished.
‘I mean it. Have you read this?’
From a bookcase behind her packed with paperbacks, Linda picked one from the third shelf and threw it with force at her husband. He batted it away so it wouldn’t hit Riley. It landed face up on the sofa. Matilda looked at it and saw the book written by Sally Meagan about her missing son. The smiling face of Carl in happier times looked up at her. Matilda’s heart sank. Neither she nor the South Yorkshire Police were painted in the best light. Since the book had been released, tensions between Matilda and Sally had eased slightly. They would never be best friends but there was a mutual respect for each other as they worked together to try and find out what had happened to Carl.
‘Yes, I’ve read it. Not every case can be solved, love, you know that. That doesn’t mean to say she can’t find our Keeley. I’m sorry,’ he said to Matilda.
Matilda gave a pained smile as she shrunk into herself and edged back towards the door.
‘Don’t apologise for me,’ Linda said. ‘Can we request another detective?’ She asked, looking to Sian.
‘Linda,’ Ellen began, her voice quivering slightly. ‘I can assure you that DCI Darke is the best person to be working on this case. She is the finest detective within South Yorkshire Police, and she will leave no stone unturned in finding your daughter.’
‘Then why isn’t she then? Why aren’t any of you out there turning over these stones?’ She turned to look out of the window. ‘Where are the police cars? Where are the helicopters?’
‘It’s not as simple as that, Mrs Armitage. We need to go through exactly what happened.’
‘I explained all this last night. Don’t you lot communicate with each other?’ she asked. She was visibly shaking, and beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. ‘My daughter is missing. She’s been taken, kidnapped, and you need to find her.’
‘We are doing everything—’
‘In our power,’ she interrupted. She spoke with pure venom.
‘Linda, why don’t you come and sit down,’ Craig said.
‘I don’t want to fucking sit down,’ she exploded. ‘I can’t sit around here drinking tea while God knows what’s happening to my daughter. If you’re not going to do anything, I’ll find her myself.’ She stormed out of the living room.
‘Mum,’ Jodie whimpered, tears streaming down her face.
Craig stood up. He handed Riley to Jodie and followed his wife out of the room.
Matilda, Sian, and Ellen stood awkwardly in the living room while voices were raised out in the hallway. Linda was spitting venom and saying harsh words about Matilda. She’d heard them all before, but it still hurt to hear them again.
Craig opened the door and stepped back in on his own. ‘She’s gone for a lie down,’ he said. ‘I really am sorry for what she said. She’s not usually like this.’
‘It’s perfectly understandable,’ Matilda said, though she would be lying if she said it hadn’t hit a raw nerve. Matilda sat on the sofa next to Craig. ‘I know you and Linda answered a lot of questions with DS Mills last night, but I’d like to ask some of my own.’