Lynda La Plante - Twisted

‘Is there anything else you can think of that might help us?’ Wey asked.

‘Not really. I feel really awful about this and wish I could be more helpful. I had bathed the boys as, what with it being Saturday, it was their nanny’s night off. I put them to bed, and then called Serena to see if she was coming home for supper. She said they were going to have a hamburger and she’d be back at around ten. I didn’t even ask if Amy was with her, I sort of thought that she was, and then I made dinner for my husband and myself, and Serena arrived back at…’ She shook her head. ‘It was later than we had agreed, it was near eleven, and I was a bit tetchy with her because, you know, she is only fifteen and that was when I asked about Amy.’

Harriet continued to explain that she was not overly concerned, because Amy had said she was going to her father’s and later sent the text that she was there, so they had presumed she had just decided to stay with him.

‘I didn’t think any more about it. Then on the Sunday we had a pre-arranged kids’ party that the boys were invited to. I took them there and my husband stayed in to watch something or other on the TV. Serena went shopping to find a pair of shoes, and then came back in time for Bill to collect the boys and drive Serena back to school. I think he did try and contact Amy, but there was no answer and by this time Serena was really a bit miffed about it, and the boys were being very naughty – probably over-tired after their birthday party. They saw the Legoland signs on the motorway and wanted to be taken there and then became boisterous when Bill said they couldn’t go – I think he said it was too late, too dark and they weren’t open…’

Detective Lane had made copious notes and now asked if Amy had left any kind of overnight bag as she was supposed to be staying the night. Harriet jumped up and apologized.

‘Gosh, I never thought about that. Let me go and have a search of Serena’s bedroom.’

They could hear her running up the stairs, and then shouting down to the kitchen to her by now rowdy boys, telling them to stay in there as she was still busy. Lane looked to Detective Wey, who had also been taking notes.

‘We need to ask Mrs Newman exactly what Amy was wearing on the Saturday and visit Serena’s school to go over everything with her,’ Wey said. Lane nodded and then glanced around the pleasant room and tapped his notebook.

‘This isn’t looking good, Takeaway; because nobody realized she was missing from Saturday through to the Monday, when the school reported she hadn’t shown up, it’s bloody nearly three full days and nights.’

‘Yeah, maybe ask about the relationship between her daughter and Amy, and we should also talk to the husband.’

As if on cue the front door opened, and shrieks and yells came from the hallway as the boys realized their father was home. Bill Newman walked in, stopped and looked at the two officers. They rose to their feet and introduced themselves, soon realizing he appeared to not even be aware that Amy Fulford was missing. He held up his hand for them to wait a moment and went into the hall to chastise his sons, who were now running up and down yelling at the tops of their voices. They heard him loudly telling the boys to go into the kitchen and stay in there until he came in to see them; he then shouted instructions to someone called Nicky to put on a DVD and keep them quiet.

Newman returned, closing the door, and offered the detectives a drink, which they refused. This didn’t stop him from helping himself to a glass of red wine from an opened bottle before he sat on the arm of the sofa. He was good-looking, and wore a thick woollen suit and a checked shirt with a dark red tie. The detectives took the opportunity to ask about his daughter’s relationship with Amy, but he was unable to give details as, he explained, he had only met her maybe once or twice. Serena, as far as he was aware, had a number of friends and as she always came home on weekends he shared the pickup and collection with his wife. He said she still had a number of friends from her old school in Fulham, and had been at the same boarding school as Amy for just over a year. He said they felt the weekly boarding was a good way to give them breathing space as the boys were a bit of a handful and it helped his wife Harriet have less to do. As if hearing her name, she returned empty-handed.

‘I’m sorry to take so long, but I did a really thorough check – wardrobes, under the beds, everywhere – and there is no case or anything that I don’t recognize as belonging to Serena.’

Her husband got up and kissed her, placing his arm around her shoulders. ‘I feel so bad about all this,’ she said, ‘it’s just dreadful, and I really blame myself for not being more diligent – poor Lena, she must be frantic.’

‘Do you know Mrs Fulford well?’

‘No, I’m afraid I don’t, just from school projects and events when we’ve met each other – she seems a lovely person.’

‘What about her husband?’

Harriet looked to her own husband and he shrugged. ‘I don’t know him; I think they’re separated or getting a divorce, but like my wife, I have only met Lena a few times, and usually she was with her husband. Marcus, I think he’s called. I met him about six months ago when he dropped Serena home as we had a sports event for the boys; he seemed very nice but he didn’t come in, just waved to us from his car.’ Harriet sat close to her husband, resting one hand on his knee as he sipped his wine.

When she was asked if she recalled what Amy was wearing, she screwed up her face.

‘Oh gosh, let me think – she was wearing her school uniform when they arrived, then before lunch I think they both changed. Probably Serena would be able to remember, but I think it was jeans and a sort of leather and denim jacket maybe; I’m so sorry but I didn’t really take much notice. Oh, shoes, she was wearing the same shoes that Serena wanted to buy – they were flat blue suede ballet-type shoes with a sort of bow in dark leather.’

Detective Wey finished writing and then glanced up. ‘So if she changed into clothes while she was here, then she would have brought some kind of overnight bag or suitcase?’

‘Yes, right, but as I have said it’s not upstairs, and I am trying to remember if she took it with her. I’m so sorry but my mind is just a blank; hang on, let me go and ask Nicky – she was here at lunch.’

Harriet disappeared and Bill again offered the detectives a drink but they declined.

‘It’s a full-time job over the weekend with the boys, and Serena home, and me!’ He grinned – he was a very affable easy-going type, but by now neither detective was feeling relaxed; they had gained little and were concerned about losing precious time.

Nicky Martinez, the Newmans’ nanny, was about twenty-two, French, petite, with two long blonde braids and food stains over her T-shirt. She spoke good English and as Bill went to sort out the row emanating from the kitchen she took up his perch on the arm of the sofa.

‘Amy was wearing blue suede ballet pumps from LK Bennett. I remember because we had talked about how much they cost at lunch.’

Wey wrote in his notebook as DS Lane asked her to continue.

‘She was also wearing a maroon sweater, with frilly cuffs and a pair of black leggings. I can’t recall what jacket she wore, but she was very eager to see the movie as it starred Robert Pattinson.’

‘Did she seem worried or upset about anything?’ Wey asked.

‘No, not at all, there were no signs and she was okay that Serena would wait at the house and do her hair while she went to see her father and get her watch.’

Lane and Wey looked at each other as this was the first mention of Amy going to get a watch and it tended to suggest that she was not meeting anyone or had any prior arrangement.