‘Both please. Very kind.’
‘No problem. To be perfectly honest, I’m surprised to see you. I imagined you’d be at the hospital.’
‘I’m on my way back there right now actually. Haven’t had time for breakfast. My wife’s staying at the hospital full time still. I’ve just been nipping home to fetch bits and bobs.’
‘Oh right. I see.’ Matthew doesn’t see at all but parks his surprise and moves straight through to the adjoining kitchen to make yet more coffee.
‘I used to live in this flat next to the office.’ He raises his voice so that Mr Hartley can hear him through the door connecting the two spaces. ‘We sometimes think about letting it but I rather like having the kitchen space. And strictly between us, I’ve been known to take a little nap in the flat after a long night.’
Ed Hartley lets out a small, nervous laugh but his mouth remains tight and Matthew watches as he taps his hand against his lips. Tap, tap, tap. His visitor runs his fingers through his hair, crosses his legs and then jerks his right foot up and down repeatedly.
By the time Matthew emerges with a cafetière and hot milk in a jug – he decided against the noise and delay of his espresso machine – Ed’s face is even paler.
‘Are you sure you’re alright, Mr Hartley?’
‘Well no, I’m not actually.’ He takes the mug and nods as Matthew offers to pour in some hot milk but shakes his head to sugar.
‘How’s Gemma doing? Any change?’
Mr Hartley just shakes his head again. Matthew takes in a long breath.
‘OK. So why are you here? What can I do for you?’
Gemma’s father starts a strange rocking in response to the question, his eyes darting around the room as if trying to find the answer among the furnishings.
Matthew waits.
Mr Hartley sips at his drink and then stares at his feet. ‘This is probably going to sound a little odd. Irregular even. But I was wondering if you might help me find someone, Mr Hill. It’s to put my mind at ease. Purely to put my mind at ease.’
‘I’m sorry. I’m not following you. Find who?’
He does not reply.
‘I’m very sorry, Mr Hartley, but you are going to have to spell this out for me. Is this something to do with Gemma? With the inquiry? Because if it is, I need to be clear that this is perhaps something you – we – should be discussing with the police. With DI Sanders. This is a live and complex investigation as you know. There’s no way I could be taking on—’
‘No, no. I can’t talk to DI Sanders. And this isn’t connected to Gemma. At least – I’m ninety-nine per cent certain it’s not connected. I just need the reassurance, you see. That’s all this is. To set my mind absolutely at rest.’
Matthew glances at his mobile on his desk. Mel Sanders will definitely need to be updated on this, but he will need to tread carefully.
‘How about you just tell me what this is. This one per cent of worry. Who are you worried about? Who’s missing?’
‘My wife, Mr Hill.’
‘She’s disappeared from the hospital?’ There’s a punch to Matthew’s stomach. He’s picturing the police guard. Has something gone wrong again at the hospital?
‘No. No, no. Not Rachel. I mean my ex-wife. My first wife.’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise you’d been married before.’ Matthew’s frowning again. He doesn’t recall Melanie mentioning this when they’ve gone over the case.
‘No one knows.’ Ed looks up to take in Matthew’s expression.
‘I think you’d better tell me everything, don’t you?’
Ed resumes rocking, his agitated expression heightening. ‘She’s called Laura. My first wife. And she became unwell. It was all very difficult. It was why we parted.’
‘Unwell?’
‘It’s complicated. I really don’t like to talk about it; not to anyone. But the thing is . . .’ Another pause. ‘The thing is it’s probably just a coincidence . . . Not connected in any way at all. But it’s been preying on my mind, you see.’
‘What has?’
‘We met in a cathedral. Me and Laura. We met in a cathedral, Mr Hill . . .’
CHAPTER 11
THE FATHER – BEFORE
Ed Hartley has come to spend a lot of his time wondering about fate. The weather. Timing. He will muse most of all about the rain that Thursday in Wells; had it been dry, he would never have met Laura.