Simon Beckett - Fine Lines

Her voice had a slight tremor. “No, it’s okay, thanks. A friend of mine’s going to stay.”

It was my turn to feel disappointed. “Well, let me know as soon as you hear anything.”

“I will. Look, I’m going to have to go, Donald. I want to keep the phone free in case he rings.”

“Yes, of course. And don’t worry about coming into the gallery tomorrow. Just... well, just see how you feel.”

“Okay. Thanks.” She sounded distant and uninterested. It was clear she did not want to talk to me. I said goodbye and put the receiver down feeling worse than before I made the call. It had only let me see that, in spite of everything, Anna still regarded me only as her employer. Not a friend or confidant. I tried not to be disheartened, and told myself that I could expect nothing else. Obviously, she had other people she would turn to before me. I would just have to be patient.

It was still early days.

The next day it was almost lunchtime before Anna arrived. She looked pale and tired. Her eyes were red and puffy.

“Have you heard anything?” I asked, brushing aside her apologies.

She shook her head. “Not from Marty. I’ve just had the police around to the flat. That’s why I’m late.”

“The police?” I was glad I was behind her; she could not see my face.

“I reported Marty as missing, so they sent a couple of policemen to take the details.” Her voice was dull.

“What did they say?”

“Not much, really. I did find one thing out, though.” She tried to smile. “Wherever he is, he’s taken a suitcase with him.”

“A suitcase?”

“One’s gone. Along with some of his clothes and his passport.”

I looked shocked. “When did you notice this?”

“This morning, when the police were at the flat. One of them asked if anything of his was missing, and I said no, because I didn’t think it was. I’d seen his clothes in the wardrobe, so it never occurred to me to check if anything had actually gone. And I didn’t think it would have. I thought if he’d gone anywhere he would have told me. But then they asked if they could search the flat, and when I went around with them I realised one of the suitcases wasn’t there. So then I had another look through his clothes, and saw some of them had gone as well. Then one of the policemen asked if I knew where his passport was, and I looked but couldn’t find that, either.” She did not look at me as she spoke.

“Is anything else missing?”

“Not really. Most of his clothes were still there. His chequebook’s gone too, but that’s all. Nothing of mine’s missing, if that’s what you mean. The police made me check.”

“Anna... I don’t know what to say.”

“Not much to say, really, is there?”

“Have you any idea where he might have gone?”

“No. None at all.” She stared at the table top. “I just can’t understand it. He wouldn’t just go off somewhere without letting me know. He’d have left a note, or something. And he certainly wouldn’t go all this time without phoning me.”

“Is there anyone he might have left a message with?”

“No one I’ve not already phoned. Except his parents, and I can’t see Marty telling them anything. And I don’t know how to get in touch with them anyway. Their number’s in his address book, and he carries that with him.”

I knew. I had given it to Zeppo to burn. “I don’t want to pry, but can you think of any reason why he might have left?”

She shook her head. “That’s just it, I can’t! It’s not as if we’ve had an argument, or anything. The last thing he said when I phoned him was that he was missing me.” Abruptly, she covered her face. “Oh, Christ, I feel so confused!” Just as suddenly, she recovered. She wiped her eyes. “Sorry.” I offered her a handkerchief, awkwardly. “Here. It’s clean.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m all right now. Really.” She gave me a shaky smile to prove it. “It’s just that I don’t know what to think, that’s all. One minute I want to kill him, the next I’m certain something’s happened to him. I keep going round and round in circles.”

I nodded, sympathetically. “Are the police going to do anything?”

“They’ve already checked with all the hospitals, but nobody answering Marty’s description’s been admitted recently. That’s something, I suppose. So now they just list him as a missing person, which means they’ll keep an eye out for him at airports and train stations, places like that. But I can’t see them trying very hard. Not when it looks as though he’s packed up and walked out.”

“Is that what they said?”

“Not in so many words. They were polite enough, but I could see what they thought. I’m just some neurotic girlfriend, whose boyfriend’s left her. I suppose you can’t really blame them, can you?”

I sidestepped the question. “What about his work at the university? Has he been under pressure from that lately?”

“No more than usual. Not enough to make him do anything like this. And he loves it, anyway. He wouldn’t just drop out without saying anything. That’s what I can’t understand. I know what it looks like, but I can’t believe he’d just walk out like this.” She looked at me. “What do you think, Donald? Honestly?”

It was my turn to shake my head. “I really don’t know, Anna. I can’t claim to know him well enough to say.”

“Yes, but what do you think?”

I sighed. “Well, let’s say I’d perhaps be more concerned for his welfare if his luggage and passport were still here. As it is...” I spread my hands.

“I know. It looks like he’s left me.”

I said nothing. Anna was quiet for a moment. “But in that case, why didn’t he take everything with him?” she burst out. “Most of his clothes are still here. And all his personal things as well. If he was leaving he’d take everything, wouldn’t he?”

“I don’t know, Anna.”

“And why hasn’t he got in touch with me? Or the university?”

“Perhaps...” I stopped. “No, it doesn’t matter.”

“No, go on. Please.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Anna. I’m not saying he has. But... well, perhaps he felt he needed some time to think.”

“What do you mean?”

I spoke cautiously. “Well, perhaps he hasn’t been in contact because he was afraid to. I don’t want to upset you, but it does seem a coincidence that this has happened only weeks before the two of you leave for America.”

She frowned. “You mean he might have had second thoughts?”

“All I’m saying is that it’s a possibility.”

Anna considered this only briefly. “No. No, he wouldn’t do something like that without telling me. Besides, he’s as keen on the idea as I am.” She was emphatic.

I inclined my head. “Obviously you know him best. But try and look at it objectively. I know it’s hard, but if you look at the bare facts, forgetting for the moment who’s involved, then they do seem to suggest something like that. Marty spends two days on his own, and the day before you arrive back he disappears with a packed suitcase and his passport.”

“You mean he might have gone to America without me?”

I had not actually meant that, but it seemed a useful idea. I gave a helpless shrug. Anna was silent as she considered this new possibility.

“No, he wouldn’t do that,” she said after a while. But she seemed less certain than before. “Not without saying something. And most of his things are still here. He must be planning to come back. He could have just taken his passport because... because...”

I said nothing. She smiled sadly. “I can’t get away from that, can I? Why has he taken his passport unless he was planning to use it?”