But where is her respectable nurse neighbour now? And does her disappearance have anything to do with the fact that her history is now known to Norfolk police? Ruth has not enjoyed the few instances when she has appeared on screen, as an expert witness in various archaeology programmes. She can only imagine how it would feel to have your face emblazoned across the papers, charged with the very worst of crimes. That Zoe was completely innocent doesn抰 seem to have affected the prurient tone that still accompanies her original name. Even Nelson called her a murderer.
Ruth goes to the window, hoping that Zoe will materialise in front of her. But all she sees are the marshes, the long grasses moving endlessly in the wind.
慦e need to find Joe McMahon,?Nelson tells Tanya. 慔is dad lives in London. Says he hasn抰 seen Joe for a year but maybe he抣l turn up there. People do normally drift home in the end. Here抯 the number.?
慏o you think he抯 the bearded man the neighbour mentioned??
慖 don抰 know but he抯 got a bloody big beard and he抯 been acting suspiciously. That抯 enough for me. Try to find this neighbour of Samantha抯 too. Oh, and now Ruth抯 neighbour抯 gone missing.?He tells Tanya briefly about Zoe Hilton.
慖 remember the Dawn Stainton case,?says Tanya. 慏eadly Dawn they called her.?
慪ou don抰 surprise me. She hasn抰 turned up for work today and apparently that抯 very out of character. I抳e put a trace on her car.?When Nelson had asked Ruth what car Zoe drove, she had replied 慖 think it抯 blue? The surgery had been more helpful and now they are looking for an electric blue Nissan Juke. The receptionist even knew the number plate, 慦e need it for the parking permit.?
慛ext of kin??says Tanya.
慣here抯 an ex-husband,?says Nelson. 慞atrick Stainton. She put him as next-of-kin on her personnel records, but I抳e contacted him and he hasn抰 spoken to Zoe in years. They divorced in 1994.?
慣hat must have been about when the court case was.?
慪es, you抮e right.?Nelson is impressed, though he should be used to Tanya抯 powers of recall by now. 慉nyway, there抯 no one else.?
慣hat抯 a bit lonely,?says Tanya.
慖 suppose it is,?says Nelson.
The thought doesn抰 make him feel any less troubled. Lonely people can be dangerous. When Tanya goes out of the room, bristling with purpose, Nelson rings Ruth.
慖抳e found out who Zoe is,?she says, without waiting for him to say anything. 慖 think she抯 my sister.?Then she抯 off on a saga about photographs, foster parents and Zoe always reminding her of her mother. When Nelson can get a word in, he says, 慖 take it she抯 not back yet??
慛o. I keep looking out of the window.?
慘eep your doors locked,?says Nelson.
慦hy??says Ruth.
態ecause it抯 always a good idea to keep your doors locked. Especially when you live in the middle of bloody nowhere.?
態ut do you think Zoe could be in danger??
慖 don抰 know but there抯 a lot that feels fishy to me. Joe McMahon having a room full of photos of you and then going missing. Those messages about the Grey Lady. Zoe disappearing on her way to work.?
慖抦 a bit worried about Eileen too. You remember, the student who showed you Joe抯 room??
Nelson remembers the girl shivering in the porch of the halls of residence.
慦hat抯 happened to her??
慖 don抰 know. She抯 not attending lectures. Her personal tutor hasn抰 heard from her in a while. I抳e asked the warden of the halls to check up on her today.?
慖t抣l be quicker to go myself,?says Nelson.
慣hat would be great,?says Ruth. 慖 don抰 like to think of her in that place on her own.?
慛or do I,?says Nelson. 慖抣l call you later. And keep the doors locked.?