The halls look even bleaker today. It抯 April now and there抯 a real feeling of spring in the air but the blue skies and bright sun contrast with the general sense of abandonment. The grass grows high around the empty buildings and litter blows across the courtyards. Nelson has asked the warden, Jeremy Stokes, to meet him outside Vancouver House. He thinks the man looks nervous. He抯 wearing a surgical mask and backs away from Nelson even as he greets him.
慔ow often do you check on the students here??barks Nelson from behind his own mask.
慣hey can call us whenever they need anything,?says Jeremy, tapping in a passcode to open the door.
態ut you don抰 come here yourself??
慛o. I抳e been shielding. My wife has cancer.?
Nelson lets the man off but, all the same, UNN抯 student care leaves a lot to be desired. Eileen抯 room is on the second floor and, as soon as Jeremy lets them in with his master key, it抯 clear that it抯 been empty for a few days. There抯 mould on a coffee cup by the bed and an intricate spider抯 web across the en-suite shower.
慚aybe she抯 gone home,?says Jeremy.
慔ave you got a number for her? Perhaps you could find out.?
Nelson goes into the corridor and starts knocking on doors. Before he抯 got to the end of the line, one of them opens.
慦hat抯 going on??
It抯 Mei. The girl he met on his last visit, the one who said she抎 keep an eye on Eileen.
慖t抯 DCI Nelson. Have you seen Eileen??
To his surprise, Mei nods. 慡he put a note through my door on Monday night.?
慦hat did it say??
Mei looks slightly alarmed at the urgency in his voice, but she says, equably enough, 慖 think I抳e still got it. I抣l show you.?
She disappears into her room and comes back with a postcard which she hands to Nelson.
I抦 off! Thanks for everything. Love you Exx
Nelson stares at the rounded blue letters, the heart that follows the kisses. 慏oes this sound like her??
Mei smiles. 慖t does.?
慏o you know where she was off to??
慖 assumed home.?Mei is starting to look worried.
慍an I take the card??asks Nelson.
慜f course.?There are probably fingerprints all over it now, but Nelson gets out an evidence bag and inserts the card. Eileen wrote it on Monday. It抯 Wednesday now. Not that long for a teenager to go missing but long enough.
慔ow did she seem when you last saw her??
慉 little down. We all are. It抯 very hard, living here on your own, trying to keep up with your studies, worrying about Covid.?
慉re you on your own here??
慣here抯 one other girl. Lan. Her family are in China too.?
Nelson turns to Jeremy. 慪ou should be looking after these girls better.?
慖 know,?says Jeremy. 態ut what can I do??
慪ou could check up on them sometimes,?says Nelson. 慡end them food parcels. Buy them a Netflix subscription. Show some bloody compassion.?
He thinks that the warden is about to burst into tears.
慖t抯 OK,?says Mei kindly. 慦e抮e all under pressure.?
Nelson leaves after a few more well-chosen words. He wishes he could find somewhere else for Mei and Lan to live but no one is going to be taking in lodgers during a pandemic and all the hotels and B&Bs are closed. Nelson gets back into his car feeling frustrated. He抯 about to text Tanya and ask her to put out a description of Eileen when a message appears on his screen.
Judy.
Cathbad worse. Think it抯 the end.