慖t抯 a possibility,?says Nelson. 慖t was Eileen who first alerted us about Joe抯 disappearance, but he could have been in touch since.?
Tony opens his mouth and Nelson dreads an anecdote about his own university days, possibly featuring friends made in freshers?week and never forgotten, but he has underestimated the new recruit. 慖 was looking at Judy抯 notes on the supposed suicides,?says Tony, 慳nd one of Karen Head抯 friends mentioned her having a boyfriend with an unsuitable age difference.?
Nelson is impressed. 慪ou think it might be Joe McMahon??
慖t抯 just a thought.?
慉 good one. See if Joe ever attended one of those slimming meetings. Lean Machine or whatever they were called.?
慙ean Zone,?says Tanya, zipping through her notes as though keen to match Tony for insights.
慠uth went to a Lean Zone meeting,?says Nelson. 慉nd McMahon seems to be obsessed with her. Her missing neighbour, Zoe Hilton, went too.?
慓ood for Ruth,?says Tanya.
慦hy??says Nelson.
慛o reason.?Tanya looks back down at her notes. 慗udy thought there was a link with Lean Zone, didn抰 she? I suppose we could ask her about it.?
慡he抯 got enough on her plate at the moment,?says Nelson.
And that抯 the other reason for all the activity. To avoid thinking about Cathbad.
But Judy is, in fact, sitting at her home-office space in her bedroom. Maddie has taken the younger children to the beach and there is only one thing that can take Judy抯 mind off the possible death of her life partner: work. Although she抯 had messages today from Nelson, Clough, Tony and even Tanya, none of them have asked about the case. She wishes they would. She wishes that she could say something besides 憂o news yet, in ICU, holding his own.?慖 used to hold my own,?Clough texted back, 憉ntil I was told it would make me go blind.?She misses Clough.
There抯 something there, some link that she抯 not seeing. Judy leafs through her notebook.
She went to evensong at St Matthew抯 sometimes.
Avril and Tony loved birdwatching. It was one of the reasons they moved here.
She was very devout in her quiet way.
People do become very close sometimes. We抳e even had a few romances.
I was a bit worried. I wish I抎 asked more.
What抯 the connection? She抯 got to find it. Nelson and co will never crack this case on their own.
慚um!?She hears shouts from downstairs. Barking. Wails of, 慖t抯 not fair. She said I could have it.?The children have become particularly demanding in the last twenty-four hours. Thing too. She knows she should go downstairs but she can抰 quite face it yet. Then she hears another voice, one that seems to come from another world, another life.
慖 know I can抰 come inside but can you just say I抦 here??
慍lough!?
Judy runs to the top of the stairs.
Back in his office, Nelson takes out the postcard that Eileen Gribbon posted under Mei抯 door. It抯 still in its plastic evidence bag.
I抦 off! Thanks for everything. Love you Exx
慜ff,?says Nelson aloud. 慜ff where, Eileen??In theory, it should be easy to trace people during lockdown. After all, everyone is meant to be staying at home to save lives. But what happens when they have to leave home, maybe to save their own life?
Mei has given him her number and he rings it now.
慗ust checking that you抮e all right.?
慖抦 fine,?says Mei with the heartbreaking confidence of youth. 慗eremy came to check on us today.?
慗eremy? Oh yes, the warden.?At least he seems to be remembering his duty of care, albeit rather late in the day.