Steven Dunne - Deity

‘Adam Rifkind?’

The man looked up at Brook, startled. ‘Can I help you?’

Brook ran a swift eye over the salon tan, the weak chin, the faint line of the missing wedding ring and the casual attire. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Brook, Derby CID.’

‘Eve,’ purred Rifkind, suddenly seeing Brook’s companion. He unveiled his most charming smile. ‘I’m sorry, Rusty hasn’t arrived yet.’ His beam disappeared as Yvette Thomson hurried from the room, her hand over her face to suffocate the whimpering. ‘Oh my God,’ said Rifkind, ‘so it’s true.’

‘True?’ enquired Brook.

‘These rumours circulating, that some of our students are missing.’

‘Where did you hear that?’ asked Brook.

‘Other students.’ He turned to a young blonde girl in the front row. ‘Fern, did you tell me Becky was missing?’

The girl nodded. ‘Sort of. I been calling Becks since I got back Sunday. She’s my best mate,’ she explained to Brook. ‘Her stepmum told me she disappeared. Kyle too.’

‘You don’t sound too worried,’ observed Brook.

The girl’s expression turned to one of pity for someone as uninformed as Brook. ‘Becks can look after herself. She’s gone on holiday, her stepmum said. Her passport’s gone — and Kyle’s.’ She leered. ‘Reckon Becks is gonna shag him straight-’

‘Yes, thank you, Fern,’ interrupted Rifkind. ‘Very colourful.’

‘What about Russell Thomson?’ asked Brook, addressing the room. ‘Anyone know where he might have gone?’ Brook’s question was greeted by silence. ‘Has anyone seen him or Kyle or Becky Blake since last Friday?’ Again silence, accompanied by shaking of heads. Brook turned his gaze on to Rifkind. ‘What about Adele Watson? Same questions.’

Rifkind’s eyes widened and he appeared to catch at a breath. ‘Adele? She’s missing too?’ Brook could detect surprise in Rifkind’s voice. It seemed genuine.

‘None of them have been seen since Kyle Kennedy’s eighteenth-birthday party, last Friday night.’ Brook looked around the small gathering. ‘Did anyone here attend the party?’ All heads were shaking again. All except the boy identified as Jake. ‘What about you, Jake?’

Jake looked down at the wrapping paper torn open on a nearby chair. Brook followed his gaze. ‘I was invited. But I didn’t go.’

‘Why?’

Jake appeared unable to answer. When he did speak, it was with venom. ‘Because Kyle’s a faggot and I didn’t want to catch AIDS.’ While the other students laughed, Jake’s face was like stone. Rifkind gave him a look of disgust but, to Brook’s surprise, said nothing.

‘It’s a wonder you were invited at all,’ replied Brook coldly. ‘And even stranger that you should buy him a present.’

Jake looked at the DVD case and then at Brook. ‘I told you, I didn’t go.’

‘No. But you must be very worried about your friend to stand outside Kyle’s house, watching us conduct our inquiry.’ Jake bowed his head without reply. ‘Do you know who else was invited?’ This time he simply shrugged. ‘What’s your surname, Jake?’

‘McKenzie.’

Brook turned to the lecturer. ‘Can I have a word in private, Mr Rifkind?’

After a brief hesitation, Rifkind nodded and indicated the door. ‘Start watching the film, people. I won’t be long.’ He followed Brook to the door and turned off the lights as Brook held the door for him. In the darkness, a female voice boomed through the speakers.

‘What we see and what we seem

Is but a dream, a dream within a dream’

Brook stopped in his tracks and turned back to the giant screen. A beautiful young girl with long blond hair was lying on a bed.

‘We’ve seen this bit,’ called one of the students. Whoever was in charge of the remote control returned the DVD to the main menu.

‘ Picnic at Hanging Rock ,’ said Brook under his breath before following Rifkind out of the suite.

‘What can I do for you, Inspector?’

‘You can tell me what it’s like driving a Porsche,’ Brook smiled. Rifkind narrowed his eyes at him. ‘I saw it outside. The security desk told me it was yours.’

Still Rifkind eyed him, saying nothing. Finally he shrugged. ‘It gets me from A to B,’ he said, with a smugness that unexpectedly raised Brook’s hackles. ‘How can I help?’

‘I’d like to hear about your relationship with Adele Watson.’

The double-edged nature of the request gave Rifkind pause but he sidestepped the trap without difficulty. ‘Certainly. She’s a very able girl, very bright — my star Literature student, in fact.’ He looked coolly at Brook. ‘She’s going to Cambridge next year if she achieves her expected grades. And thanks to me, she will.’

Brook smiled politely to crank up Rifkind’s discomfort. ‘And she’s a very pretty girl.’

‘I wouldn’t know about that, Inspector. I’m a happily married man.’

‘Not according to her diary.’ Brook paused. ‘Unless Adele’s having an affair with another Adam Rifkind who teaches here.’

Rifkind seemed suddenly out of breath. The walls finally crumbled and he looked around to be sure no one was watching his carefully constructed self-assurance being dismantled. He made to speak but stopped himself. At last he managed, ‘She’s eighteen. We. . didn’t do anything illegal.’

‘That’s reassuring,’ answered Brook. ‘But it may not tally with the Sexual Offences Act, Section 16, subsection (c) on Abuse of a Position of Trust.’ He smiled again to quicken Rifkind’s heart-rate. ‘Where is she?’

Rifkind’s head snapped back. ‘I’ve no idea. You must believe me. I didn’t even know she was missing until now.’

‘You haven’t tried to contact her?’

‘No. We. . broke it off.’

‘When?’

‘Over a week ago. And I haven’t seen her since this time last Thursday.’

Brook nodded. ‘So she dumped you.’

‘No!’ exclaimed Rifkind indignantly. ‘I took the decision that we should. .’ He glared at Brook.

‘Was she upset?’ asked Brook.

‘Why are you asking, if you know already?’ Then Rifkind closed his eyes in self-reproach. ‘You haven’t read her diary, have you?’ he added bitterly.

‘I never said I had,’ replied Brook, with an unnerving grin. Normally he disliked applying the thumb-screws, but he’d taken an instant dislike to Rifkind. He reminded Brook of Terri’s stepfather, Tony Harvey-Ellis, the smooth-talking Public Relations manager who had taken Terri’s virginity when she was just fifteen.

‘Listen, Inspector-’

‘Mr Rifkind. I don’t have any evidence of wrongdoing yet. Right now I’m only concerned with Adele’s whereabouts.’

‘I. . I don’t know.’

‘Any friends or old boyfriends she might turn to for solace?’

‘I don’t think so. Adele is a one-off. She prefers her own company.’ He smiled weakly. ‘We writers usually do.’

‘If she gets in touch. .’

‘I’ll let you know immediately, I promise,’ the man replied hurriedly.

Brook nodded. Rifkind was scared. That’s where he wanted him. ‘And your Porsche. .’

‘What about it?’

‘It might be a good idea to leave it at home for a while.’

‘Why?’

‘Jim Watson saw his daughter getting out of a Porsche a couple of nights before she disappeared. If he turns up at college. .’

Rifkind nodded. ‘Ade was scared of her father.’

‘Was she? Any idea why?’

‘He could be very jealous of anyone seeing her. She never told him we were,’ Rifkind assayed a vague hand gesture, ‘you know.’

‘Quite. Who’s Miranda? A friend of Adele’s?’

‘Miranda? I don’t know. I never heard her mention the name.’