Behind Closed Doors (9 page)

He’d deserved to die, everyone had said so except Suzi who thought he should have been made to stick around suffering, longing, forever grieving for his kids and knowing they’d be alive if it weren’t for him.

She didn’t like being bitter, it didn’t help anyone, least of all her, but all the same she hoped he was rotting in hell.

It was her mother who’d found the vacancy at Blue Ocean Park. She’d been scouring websites and newspapers for months, wanting to help her daughter get started again, and then this job had come up. With Suzi’s background in beauty therapies it would be perfect, her mother had declared, and perhaps being far from everything and everyone who reminded her of what she’d lost would be a good way to go.

Suzi hadn’t argued. She had to do something, so why not this?

Her brother, Gary, had driven her down for the interview. He’d been going through his own set of troubles at the time, stuff she should have been more supportive over, but she just hadn’t been in the right frame of mind. He’d come through in the end, but not unscathed, which was why she was trying to help him now. No one had to know about his past, he was only here for the summer, so it wasn’t like he was setting down roots or anything, the way she was. He’d be gone when the season was over, back to his usual haunts in London, or most likely to their mother who still had her house in Harold Wood, where Suzi and Gary had grown up.

‘Blimey, they’re all over the place,’ Gary was grumbling as he peered through the blinds of Suzi’s Suntan Salon, watching a handful of uniformed cops swarming around the nearby caravans.

Receiving no response, he glanced over his shoulder to where Suzi, a large blonde bronzed woman in her mid-forties, was creating a buy one, get one free poster to hang outside. This was the trouble when the weather was good, she found, business was always slow, and it wasn’t forecast to rain again until the weekend so she had to try something to get the punters in.

‘Shit, they’re coming this way,’ Gary muttered, standing back.

Without looking up she said, ‘Then you’d better make yourself scarce, hadn’t you?’

‘They’ll see me leave.’

‘So? For all they know you’ve been having a treatment. Anyway, you’re one of the lifeguards for God’s sake, they’re going to want to talk to you at some point . . . Unless they find her first, of course.’ Her eyes narrowed questioningly as they met his.

‘I don’t know where the fuck she is,’ he cried, throwing out his hands.

‘Then you’ve got nothing to worry about, have you?’ she said tartly.

His handsome face flushed with hurt. ‘That’s just great,’ he grunted, ‘even my own sister suspects me . . .’

‘I don’t suspect you of anything,’ she cut in hastily. ‘I’m just saying if you start acting suspicious they’re bound to think you’ve got something to hide.’

His colour deepened, reminding her that of course, he did, which was why it was probably a good idea if they didn’t interview him yet about Sophie.

‘Go in the back,’ she told him, ‘I mean right in the back, not where the beds are, and stay there till I come and get you.’

‘What if they want to search the place?’

She blinked in amazement. He might be hunkier than the Hoff, but he was definitely a few miles short of the beach at times. ‘Why would they want to search it?’ she demanded. ‘No one’s going to think she’s hiding here. They’ll just want to talk about the last time I saw her, and if I might know anything that can help find her.’

‘So what are you going to say?’

Getting up from her desk, she replied, ‘If you want to hang around you’ll find out.’

He didn’t. The cops were some of his least favourite people, so scooting swiftly across the reception he disappeared through the beaded curtain, while Suzi grabbed a watering can and went outside to soak the geraniums. If it turned out her brother knew anything about Sophie Monroe, where she was, how she’d got there, why she hadn’t come back yet, then Suzi didn’t want the cops finding out before she did. Damage control was what she was calling this little exercise, a way of trying to safeguard everything she had here before her brother could bring it down round her ears, because it would just about destroy her to have to leave it now.

‘Hi, mind if we have a word?’

She turned round with a friendly smile and saw, to her surprise, that neither of the officers was in uniform – all those she’d spotted about the site up to now had been. These two, a bloke and a woman, were in plain clothes, which had to make them detectives, and if detectives were asking questions they must be taking this case more seriously than she’d thought. ‘Sure,’ she answered cheerily to cover a clench of anxiety. ‘What can I do for you? To be honest,’ she ran on, before the ginger one could speak, ‘I wouldn’t advise any treatments for someone with your sort of skin.’

‘That’s not why we’re here,’ he replied, holding up his badge. ‘DC Johnson. This is DS Lawrence.’

So definitely detectives. Another horrible thud on her heart. ‘Oh, you’ll be wanting to ask me about Sophie Monroe,’ she responded helpfully.

‘Could we go inside?’ Leo Johnson suggested.

Leading the way, she gestured towards the leatherette sofas that formed the salon’s waiting area. ‘Would you like a drink?’ she offered, going to help herself from the cooler.

Leo held up a hand. ‘We’re fine, thanks,’ he replied with a smile. ‘We’d just like to know what you can tell us about the last time you saw Sophie Monroe.’

Her eyes flicked to the woman cop, who hadn’t yet sat down. She was busy reading all the notices on the board and posters on the walls. She had a nice figure, Suzi couldn’t help noticing, and great hair too, if she bothered to do something with it. Some women just didn’t know how to make the most of themselves. ‘Well,’ she began, turning back to Leo and wishing she didn’t feel so nervous when she had nothing to be nervous about, ‘it’s hard to be sure when I last saw her. I mean, she’s always around the site, especially with it being the school holidays, you know, in and out of the Entertainment Centre, working at the arcade, or mucking about in one of the warden’s golf carts.’ She chuckled fondly. ‘Bit of a prankster she is at times, but there’s no harm in having some fun is what I always say.’

‘Indeed,’ Leo agreed. ‘So do you remember when you last saw her?’

‘Let me think. You know, I’m sure it was on the beach last Saturday, with a group of other kids. That was probably the last time.’

‘So you didn’t see her on Sunday?’

She shook her head slowly. ‘Not that I can remember.’

‘Did you know any of the kids she was with?’

She was still shaking her head. ‘All I can tell you is they looked quite a bit older, maybe in their twenties, and I think they were staying in one of the yellow zone caravans, that’s the economy end of the park, but I couldn’t swear to that, and I definitely don’t know them.’

‘Boys and girls?’

‘Mostly boys, I think. Her mate, Estelle, was there. I definitely remember that, because I saw her running up to one of the vans to get an ice cream. Frankly, you couldn’t miss her, the way she was bursting out of her bikini.’

‘And you don’t remember seeing Sophie again after that?’

As she shook her head she glanced at the woman detective again – DS Lawrence, had they said? She was leaning against the wall now, hands in her pockets, ankles crossed as she listened. Why didn’t she say something? It was creeping Suzi out the way she was just standing there like some sort of mind-reader who could get to all the things not being said. ‘No, I don’t think I saw her after that,’ she replied, turning back to Leo. ‘But I did hear . . .’ She stopped, deciding it wasn’t her place to tell them about the row Sophie had had with Heidi on Saturday night. Anyway, Heidi had probably already told them herself, and since Sophie hadn’t gone off until late Sunday night it was hardly important, especially when those two were forever at each other’s throats. She might say God spare her the stress of teenage girls, but he had and actually she’d give anything in the world to have a humdinger with one of hers, anything rather than nothing.

Leo’s eyebrows were raised, apparently waiting for her to go on.

Realising she had to say something or she was going to give the impression she was holding stuff back, she said, ‘Well, I heard that she was helping out in the Carvery on Sunday, and that something went on with one of the waiters. She tripped him up for a laugh, or something, and he didn’t find it very funny.’ That had happened, just not last Sunday, but at least it had given her something to say.

‘Do you know which waiter it was?’

‘No, I’m afraid not.’

‘Do you happen to know if she had a regular boyfriend?’

Suzi shrugged. ‘This place is holiday-romance central, and with the way kids go in for friends with benefits these days . . . I mean, she’s a bit young for that, obviously,’ she added hastily, ‘and I’m not saying she was into it, but it’s kind of what they do, from what I hear.’ She was conscious of her brother out back. Was he listening to any of this, or had he climbed out of a window to go and bury his head in the sand?

Taking another direction, Leo said, ‘How well do you know Sophie’s parents, Heidi and Gavin?’

Suzi smiled. ‘I’m quite good friends with Heidi.’

‘Does she talk to you much about Sophie?’

Realising it would sound bizarre if she said no, Suzi rolled her eyes as she answered. ‘Show me a mother – or stepmother – who doesn’t talk about their kids – and I have to be honest, it sounds, from what Heidi says, that Sophie can be quite a handful at times. But being Heidi she’s always finding excuses for her, saying she’s going through a phase, or she’s feeling left out because of the baby, or it’s her time of the month.’

‘And her father?’ Leo prompted. ‘Does she seem to have a good relationship with him?’

‘As far as I know she thinks the sun shines out of him, and he thinks the same about her.’ She was aware of DS Lawrence’s eyes on her, so penetrating they could be going right through her skull to thoughts even she didn’t know she had. ‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she suddenly blurted, ‘everyone always blames the parents when kids go off the rails, or do something daft, but they’re good people, Heidi and Gavin, two of the best.’

There was something about the way the detectives looked at each other that turned Suzi hot inside. She’d said too much, or they’d read something into her words that she hadn’t meant to be there. ‘I’m just saying,’ she ran on, ‘if Sophie’s taken it into her head to leave home, well obviously she has, I don’t think you should be looking to blame the parents.’

Leo smiled and got to his feet. ‘Thanks, we’ll bear that in mind,’ he told her.

Pushing herself away from the wall, Andee said, ‘Is there a back door to this place?’

Suzi’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Yes, but I always keep it locked.’

Andee nodded. ‘So the person I saw standing at the window just now is still here somewhere? Listening?’

The colour drained from Suzi’s face. ‘I – I don’t think . . . He’s probably on one of the beds by now. He’s my only customer so far today.’

‘And would he be someone who’s visiting the site, or who works here?’

‘He – um, well, he’s working here for the summer, as a lifeguard at the open-air pool. Actually,’ she went on awkwardly, ‘he’s my brother.’ She might as well tell them now, or it would only look odd if they found out later and she’d failed to mention it.
Please God don’t let him have been with Sophie Monroe on Sunday night.

Leo’s pen was poised. ‘Your brother’s name?’

She knew she had to tell them, it would look suspicious if she didn’t, but it was all right, Gary wasn’t from around here so it wouldn’t mean anything to them. Unless they looked him up. All hell would break loose if they did that. ‘Gary. Gary Perkins,’ she said hoarsely.

DS Lawrence was looking at her again, so piercingly that Suzi felt she was being pinned to some sort of confession she didn’t even know she was making. What
was
it about that woman’s eyes?

‘Here’s my card,’ Leo said, handing one over. ‘If you remember anything else give me a call.’

Assuring him she would, she watched from the open door as they walked down the road towards Alfie’s Pie Shop, no doubt discussing what she’d said. Or maybe what she hadn’t said, and heaven knew there was plenty of that, but no way was she going to start telling them about the rumours she’d heard concerning some of the foreign girls who’d worked at the park going off to become strippers, or worse, because they had nothing to do with Sophie, even if they were true. And she really didn’t believe they were.

Taking herself through to the back she found her brother perched on one of the beds with his head in his hands.

‘Did you hear all that?’ she asked, surveying him with unease.

He nodded.

‘Please tell me you weren’t with Sophie Monroe last Sunday night,’ she demanded fiercely.

He looked up. His guilty expression was answer enough. Slapping him round the head she cried, ‘What the hell were you thinking? You know damned well how old she is . . .’

‘Stop it, just stop,’ he growled, jumping to his feet. ‘It’s not my fault she’s gone and run off . . .’

Her eyes were flashing wildly. ‘You know what this place means to me . . .’ Her voice broke on a sob. ‘I can’t go back to where I was before, spending all my days thinking about how it would be if they hadn’t gone . . . if that psycho bitch . . .’

‘Ssh, ssh, I’m sorry,’ Gary murmured, trying to hug her. ‘I didn’t mean to cause any trouble . . .’

Pushing him away, she said, ‘No, you never do, but you just can’t seem to stop yourself.’ She looked at him in despair. ‘Why did you have to go near her? If they don’t find her, they’re going to think you had something to do with it . . .’

‘I swear, I didn’t do anything . . .’

‘They will find her, won’t they?’ she pressed.

‘Course they will.’

She wanted to believe him, more than anything in the world she wanted it to be true, but she had a horrible feeling about this. She couldn’t put it into words, it was just there, lodged in her like a stone, and she had no idea how to get rid of it.

‘What about the girls who used to work here?’ she asked. ‘Do you reckon Sophie’s gone with one of them . . .’