Web of Deceit
Author: M A Comley
Date: 2016-01-20 08:00:00+00:00
Keywords: investigation; suspision; police; kidnap; abduction; intrigue; Norfolk
Description: A novella (21,000 words) in the DI Sally Parker series written with co-author Tara Lyons. Other books in the series are WRONG PLACE and NO HIDING PLACE. DI Sally Parker is called to one of the best hotels in the area after one of the guests, Megan Carmen, reports her friend, Tina, missing. Sally investigates Megan's background when the woman reveals that she has just arrived from France and Tina is a woman she met on the Internet. Do genuine people truly arrange to innocently meet people they've only just met online? Or, in light of Tina's disappearance, is there something far more sinister af
Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited

Table of Contents

WEB OF DECEIT | M. A. COMLEY | And | TARA LYONS

Web of Deceit | CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

WEB OF DECEIT

M. A. COMLEY

And

TARA LYONS

This book is dedicated to Maria Lee for being one of life’s special people.

Thank you to the wonderful support of The Book Club who helped to bring the two authors together.

Special thanks as always go to our talented editor Stefanie Spangler Buswell and to Karri Klawiter for her cover design expertise.

Huge thanks go to our wonderful proofreader, Joseph Calleja, for spotting all the lingering nits.

Published by Jeamel Publishing limited

Copyright © 2015 M A Comley and Tara Lyons

Digital Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the site and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

OTHER BOOKS BY

TARA LYONS

In The Shadows (due for release in March 2016)

https://www.facebook.com/Taralyonsauthor

OTHER BOOKS BY

M A COMLEY

Blind Justice

Cruel Justice

Impeding Justice

Final Justice

Foul Justice

Guaranteed Justice

Ultimate Justice

Virtual Justice

Hostile Justice

Tortured Justice

Rough Justice

Dubious Justice

Calculated Justice

Twisted Justice

Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)

Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller)

No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller)

Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons) due Jan 2016

Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events

Deadly Act (Hero series novella)

Torn Apart (Hero Series #1)

End Result (Hero Series #2)

Sole Intention (Intention Series #1)

Grave Intention (Intention Series #2)

Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)

A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)

High Spirits

The Temptation Series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)

Past Temptation (available now)

Lost Temptation (available now)

Keep in touch with the author at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mel-Comley/264745836884860
http://melcomley.blogspot.com
http://melcomleyromances.blogspot.com

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Web of Deceit

CHAPTER ONE

Megan woke and immediately checked Facebook Messenger on her iPhone. She wasn’t disappointed. She only had one message—the one she had been waiting for from Tina Lloyd, her new Facebook friend. She had grown so close to the woman over the past three months that she had taken the decision to leave France and return to England. She wouldn’t have dreamed of considering doing such a drastic thing the same time last year.

She had lived in France for the past thirteen years and even called it her native country. However, Tina’s friendship had shown her just how lonely her life had become. She lived a solitary life as a landscape painter, surrounded by beautiful scenery that had become essential to her work, but the persistent long hours had rendered her social life non-existent over the past year or so.

Tina had friended her on Facebook, admired her work publicly, and started sending her messages full of admiration. The woman’s enthusiasm was difficult to ignore. Megan’s sense of worth had been pulverised when her husband left the marital home five years before, but she’d been filled with a new pride. She shook her head at the thought of the turmoil Stephen had put her through: the degradation she had felt daily at his hands and the harshness of his words when he’d criticised her work and told her that she would never achieve anything in this life. She’d believed him, often doubting her own abilities. However, she felt freshly determined, and since the New Year, Megan had kicked herself up the backside, adamant to make changes. She replaced the word if with when as her new positive mantra, and her life had taken an upward curve since then.

The orders for her work were coming in daily, sometimes ten orders a day. She’d thought that would never happen. Her positive mental attitude was the main reason for that; although she had an inclination that her friendship with Tina was also a significant contribution to her success.

Tina had given her back the will to live and encouraged her to sell her country home and return to the UK. Once she’d reached her decision, Megan had immediately contacted several agents and received an offer on her house within a few weeks. The speed in which everything had happened reinforced to Megan that she was indeed doing the right thing.

With the exchange date getting closer, Megan had decided to visit the UK before she embarked on the daunting task of packing up her possessions. She desperately wanted to find a new home where she could be happy again and where her business would flourish. Once Megan told Tina of her plans, her friend had volunteered to travel north, up to Norfolk, with her to find a dream home. Megan had been thrilled by her friend’s enthusiasm yet again, and she’d jumped at the chance of meeting up with her in the flesh.

That morning, Megan was excited by Tina’s message because it was the day they finalised their travel plans. The ferry would dock in Portsmouth the next day at one fifteen UK time, and Megan allowed half an hour to get through customs. South Mimms services, their agreed meeting point, was approximately one and a half hours’ drive away. Meeting a total stranger at a motorway services seemed weird, and if any of her friends had indicated that was their intention, Megan would have gasped and told them they were crazy. But over the past few months, Megan had grown to trust Tina. She regarded Tina as a dear friend, and they were both thrilled at the prospect of meeting each other.

Both anxious to finally lay eyes on each other, they exchanged excited messages throughout the day. Megan went to bed at nine that evening. How she managed to sleep until her alarm went off at five in the morning she would never know. She showered and quickly made her bed. Her bags were already tucked up safely in the back of the car. After one final check to ensure the house was secure and that she had her passport to hand, she was off—to begin the journey that would change her life.

CHAPTER TWO

After enduring the noise of screaming kids at the magic show on board, and listening to two lorry drivers sitting at the next table, bragging about their sexual exploits with a couple of prostitutes, Megan felt her heart pump faster as the ferry pulled into the harbour. She gathered her bags of duty-free gifts together and was the first one onto the car deck once the crew had unlocked the doors. Annoyingly though, almost fifteen minutes passed before she was given the green light to disembark the vessel. She tapped the steering wheel as she waited in the long queue at customs, constantly tutting as the digital clock ticked over the minutes. The thirty-minute holdup she had anticipated swiftly turned into forty-five minutes.

“Come on, guys. What’s wrong with you lot? How difficult is it to show your passport, select first gear, and put your foot on the damn accelerator?”

“Hello, miss. Forgive the holdup,” the man in the kiosk said as he reached inside the car for her passport.

She smiled sweetly at him. “It’s okay. I was expecting a delay. Busy day today. First time I’ve travelled on a Saturday.”

“Worst day to travel, love. I finish in half an hour. Will be thankful to get home and put my feet up to watch the footie on the telly, I can tell you. Are you on holiday?”

“No, I’m on a house-hunting trip.”

“How exciting. Had enough of stuffing slimy snails and frog legs down your throat over there, have you?”

Megan laughed. “You could say that.” She cringed at the thought of eating the vile delicacies that appeared to be everyday favourites in most French households. She’d never accepted an invite to dinner from her neighbours, mainly because the thought of eating such things would have caused her to throw up. That sort of behaviour would have put a severe dent in any Anglo-French relationship she’d built with the elderly couple after arriving on their doorstep.

“All appears to be in order, miss. Enjoy your trip. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“You’re very kind. I hope so, too.” She selected first gear and thumped the air, relieved that the customs man waved her past the checking bay. “I’m on my way, Tina. I’ll be with you as planned at three thirty,” she shouted excitedly before she joined the traffic on the motorway.

Megan arrived at the services at 3:29 p.m. She grabbed her handbag, locked the car, and rushed into the entrance. She recognised her friend straight away; in her late twenties, Tina was a full decade younger than Megan. She was dressed casually in a black leather jacket, and her loose brunette locks fell down her back. Her petite face, tanned and covered with freckles, framed piercing blue eyes. “Tina, how wonderful to finally meet you.”

Their hug of friendship was a warm encounter, the way a mother would embrace her long-lost daughter after years apart.

“Megan, you look so much younger than your Facebook picture.”

She frowned. “You’re kidding, right? My pic is of my two beloved dogs that have gone over the rainbow bridge.”

Tina laughed raucously and dug Megan in the ribs with her elbow. “You’ll get used to my off-the-wall humour by the time this weekend is over. I guarantee it.”

“Sorry, feeling tired after the journey. Ignore me. Shall we have a quick drink and a bite to eat first and then get on the road? I’ve brought the satnav in so I can enter our next destination. I can’t believe I’m here at last. This is going to be such an exciting weekend.”

Tina slipped her arm under Megan’s, and together, they walked over to the Costa coffee outlet and ordered a tea, a coffee, and a gooey cake each.

“I hope we’ll have time for a little fun, too?” Tina asked, sipping her cup of tea.

“Of course. I’ve planned out the itinerary for tomorrow. A nice easy day—a lot of travelling involved, though. I hope that’s okay?”

“Sure. I love travelling. We’re staying at a hotel in Swaffham tonight, right?”

“Good memory. Yes, I thought we’d stay there the one night and move to a different hotel tomorrow, rather than come back and forth to the same hotel.”

“I’m really looking forward to helping you choose your next home. I love house-hunting. Not keen on the moving part, so don’t envy you there.”

“I’ve got most of that finished now. I’m lucky. Organised is my middle name.”

“Wow, you’re brilliant. I wish I could be that organised.”

“I’m one of those people who has a list for everything, I’m afraid. Sometimes I envy people who do things on a whim. I wish I could be more like that. Sadly, I’ve always had a very structured life.”

“Well, on this trip, I’m going to make sure you let your hair down, Megan. You work too hard; life is passing you by at a fast rate. When was the last time you had a holiday?”

Megan cupped her hand around her chin as she thought. “It must be about ten years or so, maybe longer. What am I saying! This is the first time I’ve left France since moving abroad.”

“Bloody hell. That’s sorted then. We’ll make sure we have a good time while you’re here. Our priority is to find you a house. Let’s hope we can do that tomorrow.”

“It would be nice to have some fun for a change. My life has been non-stop for years. I’m reaping the rewards for that hard work now, though.”

Tina tilted her head. “But at what cost, dear lady? Hey, fun is always at the top of my agenda. Drink up. Let’s get this show on the road.”

Megan entered the name of the hotel into the satnav, and the route popped up on the tiny screen. “According to this, Swaffham is just under two hours away. That means we’ll be travelling most of the way in the dark. Thinking about it, maybe I should have booked a hotel midway for tonight.”

“Nonsense. The time will fly by. Do you have a problem driving in the dark?”

Megan withdrew her spectacle case from her handbag and popped it open to remove her glasses. “Not now I have these babies. I have night blindness. This will be the first time I’ve worn them.”

“What? Do you mean to tell me you never go out in the dark at home?”

Megan hung her head in shame. “No. I really haven’t lived at all, have I?”

Tina rested her warm hand on Megan’s. “We’ll alter that, I assure you, sweetie. Onwards and upwards starting from today. Look, if you want me to drive any of the way, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I’ll be fine. I forgot to ask—what will happen with your car?”

Tina waved a hand in front of her. “I came by taxi. No problem there. For safety reasons, I felt it would be better left at home.”

“That must’ve cost you a fortune. I feel guilty now.”

Tina sighed heavily. “Which is why I didn’t tell you what my plans were. It’s fine. Ten minutes by taxi isn’t a big deal.”

“All the same, I still feel guilty.”

“Enough of the guilt. Come on. Let’s get out of here. Let the fun begin, yes?”

They finished their drinks, nipped to the loo, then got on the road again. As they had predicted, dusk began to settle around them within forty-five minutes of setting off, bringing with it a rolling fog.

“Oh crap! Look at this shit,” Megan muttered. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “What a bloody contrast to when I docked this morning. How can beautiful blue skies turn to this within hours?”

“Are you sure you feel okay to drive? You’re scaring me a little. Don’t you usually drive on the opposite side of the road?”

Megan smiled. “I do. Hey, I’m fine. I’ll be better once we reach the damn hotel, though. Not long now. The satnav says we’re about an hour away.” Her eyes ached, and she wondered if she really would be able to continue to drive safely under the challenging conditions. Digging deep, she pulled back her shoulders and soldiered on.

Nearing the end of their journey, the car entered a wooded area, where the fog seemed a lot denser. Megan was forced to change to a lower gear. Hunched over the steering wheel, she tried to peer through the fog, hurting her eyes even more. “Damn, if only we could find the hotel.”

Tina tutted. “It has to be around here somewhere.”

“While I was on the ferry, the hotel owner sent me an e-mail to say our room was ready. I told him to expect us around sixish. It’s almost six thirty now. He said to ring when we were closer as the satnavs never recognise the hotel’s address. Do you have a mobile?”

“Yes, let me try.” Tina fished out her iPhone and held it up in different directions. “Shit! No signal.”

Megan’s patience was beginning to feel stretched. “Why did I have to book a bloody hotel out in the sticks like this? Why?”

“Okay, let’s both calm down. It has to be out here somewhere. Go back to the crossroads and take a different route.”

Megan did as her friend suggested. She paused at the crossroads, and between them, they decided which road was best to take next.

“Eenie meenie,” Tina said.

Megan could tell her companion was trying to keep their spirits up. She smiled. “Which way? It’s your choice. I made a crap decision last time.”

“Left,” Tina insisted decisively.

Megan took the road and drove down the winding country lane. The fog came and went at regular intervals on that particular route. “Look, up ahead—I can see something lit up. It has to be the hotel, doesn’t it?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

The road widened at the entrance, where six-foot stone walls shielded the view from onlookers. Megan pointed at the sign on one of the walls. “Wrong. It’s a riding stable. The lights are on. Maybe we should stop and ask.”

“Let’s try another route instead. I don’t fancy traipsing round a muddy yard in these boots.”

“You have a point.” Megan reversed the vehicle, only to find an old Ford Escort blocking their way. She saw the outline of a man sitting in the driver’s seat. “Great, a bloody country bumpkin, having a laugh at our expense.”

The interior light of his car sparked into life. The man’s head slowly turned their way.

Megan’s heart jumped into her throat. “Jesus, he looks really angry, as if I’m blocking his way instead of the other way round.”

“Don’t get flustered. He’ll move off soon enough,” Tina whispered as if the man might hear her.

“Check your phone again, Tina. If there’s a signal, call the police. I’m crapping myself here.”

Tina tried her mobile once more, but the service was still unavailable. She unlocked her seatbelt.

Megan clasped her friend’s hand. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going out there, to see what his problem is. We need to show him that we won’t be intimidated like this.”

“No! You can’t do that. I won’t let you. He could be a serial killer for all we know.”

“What other option do we have, Megan? Do you want to stay here in the dark, with him staring at us all night?”

She heaved out a long breath. “If you go, I’m going with you. Safety in numbers and all that.”

“No. I’ll leave my phone here. If anything happens, just drive off and call the police.”

“How can I call the police with no reception? Plus his car is in the way.”

Tina patted her hand. “You can squeeze past at a push. You’ll need to get out of here and find a good reception before you ring them. Anyway, it probably won’t come to that. Let me go and have a chat with him.”

Megan’s eyes pricked. She wanted to burst into tears but held them back for the sake of her friend. “Stay aware at all times. Just ask him politely to move out of our way.”

“I know what to say. Stay here with the engine running. Keep your lights trained on me. That’ll give me the confidence I need to confront this weirdo.”

Tina got out of the car and walked towards the man. In her high-heeled suede boots, she toppled now and again on the odd loose stone on the driveway. As she approached the car, the man’s glare rose up to Tina’s face. Megan’s hands began to shake. She’d never found herself in such a bizarre and frightening situation before. The man stared up at Tina, apparently refusing to wind his window down to speak with her.

Damn jerk. Ignorant little shit, open your bloody window.

Megan opened her own window a notch to hear what Tina was saying to the man. She was begging with him to get out of their way. Continuing to stare, the man folded his arms stubbornly across his puffed-out chest.

Obstinate fecker!

Tina’s voice rose the more he ignored her, until finally, he relented and wound down the window. Megan strained her ear as Tina’s voice quietened down. She could see the man’s lips moving but couldn’t make out what was being said. He gave Tina the finger. At that point, Megan started to get out of the car, intending to find out what his problem was, but a few seconds later, the man started his car and drove away.

Wearing a smug grin, Tina returned to the car, where she swiped her hands together. “That was easier than I thought.”

“You’re a star. What did he say?” Megan asked eagerly.

“He made up some kind of excuse about waiting for someone. I asked him kindly to move out of our way. He refused at first, said it was a free country and that he could park wherever he liked.”

“Bloody cheek. Men are so full of bullshit at times.” Megan selected first gear and pulled onto the main road again.

“He seemed to get the hint when I said that we had called the police.” Tina shrugged. “He had no way of knowing if I was telling the truth or not. Anyway, it seemed to do the trick. Let’s double our efforts to find this hotel now. I’m in dire need of an alcoholic beverage to calm my nerves.”

“You’re very brave. I’m not sure if I could have got out and tackled him. Actually, I’m damn sure I wouldn’t have.”

They took a left turn and ended up on a main road once again. Finally, Tina’s mobile picked up a good reception. She rang the hotel and asked for directions. Tina hung up and immediately thumped her thigh. “Bloody hell, Megan. We were a stone’s throw away from the hotel. Actually, I think we passed it at the beginning of our journey.”

“Crap and double crap. Okay, let’s retrace our steps and see if we can find it. I wonder how many people who book a room at this place give up and go elsewhere.”

“Who could blame them?” Tina agreed.

Megan took the road she’d originally taken, and within a hundred yards, she stumbled across the hotel’s entrance. “Well, I’m not surprised we missed it. The sign’s facing the wrong way. There’s a light below it, but it’s not switched on. How bizarre. Don’t these people want the trade? Oh, ignore me. I’m tired and irritable.”

Tina laughed. “You’re entitled to be. You’ve been travelling for over twelve hours now.”

Megan eased the car to a halt in the thickly-gravelled drive next to the large Georgian house.

A portly gentleman in his early fifties skipped across the driveway to greet them. “So glad you managed to find us in the end. Many people give up. I’m Peter, by the way.”

“I’m Megan, and this is my friend, Tina. I have to admit, it was extremely difficult to find. Are you aware that your outside light—below the sign, I mean—isn’t working?” Megan asked, getting out of the vehicle to shake the man’s outstretched hand.

“Oh, dear. I had no idea. The bulbs are supposed to be weatherproof, but I fear the dampness of the fog has prevented it from working. I can’t apologise enough.”

“We’re here now. I just wanted to let you know in case you’re expecting other guests to turn up this evening.”

“Oh no, dear. You’re the only guests booked in this weekend.” His eyes squished into tiny slits as he smiled.

“That’s wonderful. Hey, Tina, I guess we’ll have the restaurant all to ourselves this evening.”

The man cleared his throat. “Ah, well, you would if it was open. There’s not much call for me to keep the restaurant open at this time of year. If you’d told me in advance you wanted a meal, I would have willingly stocked up and laid on a feast.”

“Oh, bugger. I’ve been travelling all day and was hoping to put my feet up this evening. Cheeky question, I know, but are there any takeaways in the area? Would you mind if we ordered one and ate it in our room?”

“What do you prefer? There’s a superb Indian restaurant in town. Unfortunately they don’t do takeaways.”

“Okay, we’ll dump our bags and head back into town. I hope we don’t get lost again.”

“Let me take your bags. I’ll show you to your room. I think you’ll enjoy what I have in store for you. I’ve upgraded you to a double suite.”

Megan winked at Tina, not believing their luck. “Have you? That’s really nice of you. Thank you.”

The three of them entered the large wooden front door and walked up the wide stairway, which was painted at the bottom in an elegant dark-blue colour. However, as they proceeded, the walls showed signs of an old grey tinge; apparently the restoration was a work in progress. He pushed open the door to a large bedroom, where an ornate, carved, wooden headboard was the dominant feature. The two women followed the man through an alcove into the adjoining room, which was laid out as a second double bedroom with a comfortable seating area and a large pine cabinet housing a TV.

“This is beautiful. Are you sure about the upgrade? I feel kind of guilty.”

The man waved away Megan’s concerns and opened another door that led down into a huge en suite bathroom which included a claw-foot, roll-top bath and walk-in shower. The room also appeared to be in the process of being decorated. Nevertheless, it was decadent and beautiful.

“Amazing. Have you been here long?”

“Only six months. I’m in the process of renovating the place.”

“I thought so,” Megan said with a chuckle.

“I’m sorry. I tend to start one job, then another and another, when I really should concentrate on finishing one project at a time. This room is almost complete now. The whole house should be finished within a few months. That’s the plan anyway.”

“You’ve done an amazing job so far. I truly wasn’t complaining.”

“I know you weren’t. Right, I’ll leave you two ladies to it. The outer door will be left unlocked during the night so you can come and go as you please.”

“Really? But anyone could walk in, couldn’t they?” Tina asked, looking perturbed.

He dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand. “I have three dogs. You heard them when you pulled up. They’ll alert me if there’s an intruder around.”

Megan let out the breath she’d been holding in. “That’s reassuring. We’ll just have a quick wash and shoot off, if that’s all right? I’m starving.”

He bowed his head, backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.

“This place has definitely got the wow factor for me. Ready to go hunting again?”

Tina nodded. “Better to go now. Once we sit down, we won’t want to get up again.”

They quickly washed their hands and ran a comb through their hair before they set off. Half a mile down the road, they passed a familiar car.

“Jesus, it’s that bloke again. Do you think he’s following us?” Megan asked, horrified.

Tina laughed. “Hardly. How can he be following us when his car is stationary, numpty?”

“I don’t mean following following. I mean, do you think he followed us and now knows where we’re staying?”

“You really do have an overactive imagination, my dear friend. Less worry, more concentrating on where you’re going in this stupid fog, if you don’t mind.”

CHAPTER THREE

The meal they shared at the Indian restaurant was the finest Megan had tasted in years. She’d been unable to get an authentic curry in France, and that had always been a severe downside to living there. She hadn’t eaten that many Indian meals before leaving the UK, but things being out of reach like that, always tasted far better when they were attainable once more.

In spite of their doubts, they managed to find their way to Swaffham’s town centre and back again without getting lost a second time in the dreary weather.

“Okay, which room do you want?” Megan asked when they entered their suite. “Oh no!” She studied the large stripped oak door.

Tina stood beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“Haven’t you noticed anything?”

Frowning, Tina shook her head. “It’s far too late to play games, Megan. What’s the matter?”

Megan pointed, her hand shaking slightly. “There’s no lock on the door.”

“Oh heck, I didn’t notice that. Do you want me to go and complain to the owner?”

“I hate complaining when he’s been so nice to us, what with the room upgrade and all. But the thought of the main door being left open, and then us not having a lock on this door is setting off some dreadful thoughts in my mind.”

“Okay, that’s settled then. I’ll have this room. I’ll put a chair by the door, if it’ll make you feel safer.”

“That’s a great idea. We’ll just go ahead and do that now, shall we?” Megan agreed, relieved.

“You get ready for bed. I’ll see to that. You must be dead on your feet by now.”

Megan cringed. “Did you have to say it quite like that? Dead on my feet?”

They both laughed.

Megan walked into her room, unzipped her bag, and took out the long T-shirt she used as a nightdress. She sighed wearily. It had been a very long day, and she was dying to snuggle down in a comfortable bed.

Tina came into the room, armed with a towel and her toiletry bag. “All right if I go first? I won’t bother showering until the morning. I’m shattered.”

“Me, too. Go right ahead.”

Megan pulled the curtains in both of the bedrooms while she waited. She peered out at the pitch-black surroundings and shuddered. “Where are the irritating streetlights when you need them?” she muttered as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

“Why?” Tina said close behind her.

Megan almost took flight. Hand on her chest, she turned to face her friend. “Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.”

Tina chewed her lip. “Aww... sorry, hon. Why would you want the room flooded with streetlights? Don’t you appreciate the peace and quiet of the countryside? I know I do after my years spent living in London. Being out here is wonderfully relaxing for me.”

“Oh, yes. Don’t get me wrong—the setting is quite beautiful—well, from what we’ve managed to see so far in the dark and through the thick fog. It’s just... after what happened earlier with that man in the car, I can’t help but feel jumpy. How do we know he didn’t follow us here from the restaurant? He could be out there now, waiting for us to turn out the light, biding his time before he swoops in on us.”

Tina placed her hand over her eyes and chuckled. “Have you heard yourself? You, my dear girl, are going to give yourself nightmares.”

“Do you think? Am I really reading too much into this? Don’t you feel nervous staying out here, knowing that the front door and our bedroom door are open to everyone?”

“Look, if you feel that bad about the situation, then let’s pack up and leave.”

“No, we’re both tired. I’ll kick myself up the backside a few times and think nice thoughts when I hop into bed. You won’t hear another peep out of me on the subject, I promise.”

“Okay, if you’re sure. Goodnight, Megan. Sleep well. It was—is—wonderful to finally meet up with you after all this time. I hope we find you a new forever home tomorrow. I’d love to see more of you when you come back to the UK.”

“Are you sure about that? Thinking about how extreme my reactions have been tonight, I would’ve thought you’d be glad to see the back of me.”

Tina smiled. “Not at all. It must be hard coming back to the UK after living in France all those years. I think you’re entitled to feel a little wary, especially after our weird encounter earlier.”

“Thanks for understanding. See you in the morning. Don’t hesitate to call out if you need anything during the night, all right?”

“You, too, hon. Sleep well.”

Surprisingly, that was exactly what Megan did. She woke up to the warming rays of the rising sun gleaming through the curtains and hitting her head on the pillow. She stretched, cocked her head, and listened for movement next door. She heard the rustling of the sheets and called out, “Are you awake, Tina?”

“Yes, how did you sleep? Aggghhh!” Tina cried out.

“What? What is it?” Megan ran into the bedroom next door and stopped dead in her tracks. She held a shaking hand up to her face. “My God! I knew we shouldn’t have stayed here last night.”

Lying in the middle of the floor was a dead rabbit, its insides spilling out of the gaping wound to its stomach. The poor creature’s blood pooled around its furry body on the bare floorboards.

“How the hell did that get there? The chair is still in the same place.” Tina cried. Fear spread quickly across her face as her gaze moved to the door and then the window before returning to the poor lifeless creature.

“I don’t know. Quick, get dressed. We need to get out of here right away... before we meet the same fate.”

“I need to shower first. I don’t go anywhere without taking a shower.”

Megan couldn’t believe her ears. She bit down on the sharp retort that had leapt into her mouth. “Okay, whatever you want. I need to cover that thing, though.” She ran into the bathroom, picked up one of the pristine white towels, and placed it carefully over the dead animal, tears filling her eyes.

“I’ll be two ticks. What about breakfast? Isn’t that included in the price of the room?” Tina asked sheepishly. For the second time in as many minutes, Tina had shocked her.

“I couldn’t eat after seeing that. Could you?” All Megan wanted to do was go—and get as far away from the area as possible. The thought of trawling round the various estates, looking at new builds, had excited her all week, but it suddenly seemed a distant memory. What amazed her was her friend’s reluctance to leave the property swiftly.

Tina seemed put out by the sharpness of Megan’s words. “I guess I’m not as easily upset by things such as this.”

“I think you’re missing the point, Tina. How the hell did the rabbit get in the room? Someone must have put it there, and yet the chair is still against the door. And that doesn’t concern you?” Frustration made her voice rise a few octaves.

“Oh, I see. But I’d still like to have breakfast, if it’s all the same to you.”

Megan shrugged and went back to her room to make herself a coffee. Tina swept past her and into the bathroom. Before long, Megan heard the shower running and her friend humming to a popular song sitting in the charts. She shook her head in disbelief. For the first time, she wondered if she’d done the right thing by meeting up with Tina, her Facebook friend. Could you really know someone that well just through writing messages back and forth daily? She sipped her coffee and glanced out the window at the open fields beyond as the smell of bacon filtered into the room from downstairs. The smell made her tummy rumble. Maybe it would be foolish to leave without having breakfast after all. They had a long day ahead of them and might not be able to stop for something to eat until they reached the next hotel that evening. She blocked out the image of the rabbit, along with the disappointment she felt at her friend’s unsavoury behaviour, and reluctantly admitted that Tina was right—they should eat breakfast since it was included in the room rate.

Tina’s voice snapped her out of her contemplation. “That’s a lovely shower. You should try it, Megan.”

“I’ll pass. You’ve won on the breakfast front, but I’d still like to get away from here as soon as physically possible, if it’s all the same to you.”

“I’ll just dry my hair and get dressed, then we’ll pack up the bags and go downstairs for some munches. It smells delicious.”

Megan watched the younger woman breeze out of the room, acting as though she didn’t have a care in the world. She gathered her toiletry bag and walked into the bathroom, had a quick wash, cleaned her teeth, and pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt. By then, Tina had dried her hair and was packed, ready to go.

After they hauled their bags down the stairs, they found the hotel owner standing in the doorway, dressed in chef’s whites, a huge smile on his face.

“Ah, ladies. I hope you slept well. Come this way.” He turned and walked through the kitchen to a huge conservatory overlooking the rear garden. A number of small tables were scattered around the room, but only one was laid up, ready for use.

“Good morning. Yes, we both slept well, only when we woke up, we found something strange lying on the bedroom floor,” Megan said, carefully wording the weird experience they’d encountered.

Peter handed each woman a menu. “Really? ‘Strange’? In what way strange?”

“Somehow, a rabbit got into one of the bedrooms.”

“A rabbit?” Peter repeated with a frown.

“Yes. Only it wasn’t running around—or hopping, should I say? It was dead.”

“Good heavens. How did that happen?”

Megan snorted. “I was kind of hoping you would explain that to us.”

“I really have no explanation at all, unless...”

Tina and Megan looked at each other then back at Peter. “Unless?” Tina asked.

“Unless it has something to do with my dogs.”

Megan tutted. “Your dogs? Is this a wind up? How on earth could your dogs be involved?”

“I don’t understand. Why couldn’t they be involved?” Peter insisted.

“Are they in the habit of entering a room, depositing a dead animal, and then closing the door behind them after they leave the room? Despite a chair being propped up against the door for added security? They must be super-talented dogs,” Megan said, notes of despair intermingled with sarcasm running through her tone as she imagined a dog fiddling with the old-fashioned round handle on the door.

“Oh dear, you didn’t tell me your door was secured. I really should sort out the locks for those rooms ASAP. I’m sorry, but I have no plausible excuse in that case. Now, what do you want for breakfast? There’s cereal on the table over there, croissants, and pain au chocolat just to make you feel like you’re at home,” he said, sniggering. “I’ve got bacon and sausages in the Aga range cooker and beans on the stove. They’ll be ready for you soon.”

Tina rubbed her tummy. “Yum. I don’t eat eggs. Can I just have bacon, sausage, and baked beans?”

Gobsmacked at the nonchalance of the other two people in the room, Megan stared at them in disbelief. She couldn’t believe the way Peter had discarded the strange events as if they were an everyday occurrence. Maybe they are!

“Megan, quickly, Peter wants to get back to the kitchen.”

“Sorry, of course, what was I thinking? I’ll have the same as Tina. I don’t care much for eggs, either.”

“I’ll bring you tea, coffee and toast while I cook the rest of your breakfast.” He left the room.

Megan leaned forward and whispered, “His reaction was unbelievable.”

Tina reached for a croissant and began smothering it in butter. “What else could he say? If he can’t think up a good explanation, then he’d be lost for words, wouldn’t he?”

Megan sighed and watched her friend eat, her own stomach still churning from what they’d discovered in their room. “I suppose so.”

“You need to put this behind you and eat.”

“I will in a moment. I’m still coming to terms with things.” She glanced out the window, saw three huge dogs bounding across the lawn like puppies, and shook her head.

“What’s wrong?” Tina asked after she’d swallowed her mouthful of food.

“I’m just trying to work out how a dog is capable of opening a door, whilst carrying the remains of a rabbit, and close the door behind it when it decides to leave the room. It really is hard for me to contemplate that bizarre scenario.”

“Move on. Forget about it. Enjoy your breakfast, and then we’ll begin our little adventure.”

Peter appeared with their drinks and a slim wicker basket filled with slices of toast before Megan could answer. When he left the room again, she replied, “I hope our day doesn’t involve having any more strange surprises.”

“Keep saying things like that, and you’ll be tempting fate.”

Megan put two cubes of brown sugar in her coffee, cradled her cup in her hands, and continued to watch the hotel owner’s dogs frolic in the morning sun.

Peter reappeared with their breakfast moments later. “I must apologise, ladies. I’m afraid your sausages exploded in the Aga. I can do you some fresh ones if you’re willing to wait.”

Suppressing the laughter threatening to break free, Megan assured him, “They’ll be fine. We need to get on the road early.”

Peter gave them an embarrassed smile and returned to the kitchen.

Megan stuck her fork in one of the exploded sausages and studied it. She chortled. “Bloody thing looks how I feel.”

Tina laughed and tucked into her own weird, but wonderful looking fry-up.

Half an hour later, feeling fit to pop, they set off on their adventure. The first stop they made was to a new development they’d driven past the previous evening, so they knew it was only a few miles away. The sumptuously laid out show home tempted both women, but the postage-sized garden was a major drawback. Still, they took the brochure from the sales assistant and moved on to the next developer’s plot located in the heart of Wisbech. One look at the site situated on the main thoroughfare into town was enough for Megan to put her foot down and keep driving.

“Damn! Well, I hadn’t envisaged that from seeing the house on the internet.”

“It just goes to show how important it is to visit an area before committing to it,” Tina agreed. “Where to now?”

She pulled over into a lay-by and looked at the notes she’d jotted down regarding the houses that had caught her eye. “We’re running out of options now. I have a few homes lined up for us to look at in the morning with some agents. How about we drive around the areas, see the houses from the outside today, and either agree with the viewings tomorrow or discount them? It’s up to you.”

“Why not? At least you can get a feel for the area.”

“That’s decided then. I’ll give you the postcodes, and you can search your phone, see which of the areas is closest.”

They spent the next ten minutes sharing information and formulating an itinerary. “That’s settled. It’s off to Gorefield first, right?” Megan said, her mood lightening a little, mainly due to the picturesque surroundings. “It certainly is a beautiful area. I’m so glad I picked it.”

“Have you not been to the area before?” asked Tina.

“Nope, I’ve holidayed on the Broads many times. That would be my preferred location to live, but the houses are far too expensive. This is the next best thing. Maybe I can buy a boat and a little mooring if my business takes off in the UK. Hey, you could visit at the weekends.”

“Ugh... not sure I’d like that. I don’t really fancy going on a boat.”

“You’d love it. Peaceful and stress-free—well occasionally, not when you have the locks to tackle down on the Thames. That can be mighty stressful.”

“In what way? Aren’t the locks manned?”

“Some are. I went on holiday with a friend once. We decided to moor up for lunch on an open stretch of riverbank. She hopped ashore, ready to tie up the rope, and jumped straight into a bees’ nest.”

“Ouch! Was she all right?”

“A few stings. I feel guilty every time I see her because I just looked at her and laughed.”

“Really? Supposing she had gone into an anaphylactic shock?”

“Yikes, I never thought about that at the time. Silly me.” Megan drove off, heading in the direction of the first house on her property hotlist.

“Here, it must be down this lane.” Tina pointed.

“Oh no, the sign says the house is sold. We’ll get out and take a peek anyway.” Megan studied the property. The house, newly built by a local builder, shared a drive with three other houses. “Not sure I’d like that.”

“It does seem odd. Let’s take a nosey through the windows around the back.”

Megan followed her friend up the path. She looked through the window, saw a man staring back at her, and gasped. “Tina, come here,” she squealed.

“What’s up?”

Megan’s heart pounded. “I just saw a face. Someone is on the other side of the building. Oh crap, I think it was the same man who was in the car last night.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re miles from that place. What on earth would he be doing out this way?”

“I don’t know.” She grabbed Tina’s forearm and squeezed it tightly. “I’m scared. What if he’s trying to kidnap us? Or even worse, intends to kill us?”

Tina shook her arm away and took off.

“No, Tina, come back!” she cried out, appalled by her friend’s bravery or foolhardiness—she wasn’t sure which word was a more appropriate description of the woman’s trait.

“Oh, Megan, come and see what I’ve found.” Tina’s singsong voice sounded light-hearted, not in the least bit scared.

She closed her eyes, uncertain she really had the courage to go after her friend. What if the man was holding her hostage, forcing her to call out like that? You’ve been reading too many bloody crime novels, girl.

Tentatively, she circled the back of the house and sought out her friend. Tina was standing next to a small tree with wispy branches. “I think you’ll find this is your strange man, dear girl.”

Megan chewed on her lip and shook her head. “I’m not stupid, Tina. That man, or another man, was standing at this window staring right at me.”

“Whatever. I think you’re still wound up about what happened yesterday and simply imagined that you saw the man’s face instead of the branches.”

Megan stormed back to the car, furious that her friend could treat her in such a way.

Tina caught her up and pulled on her arm, forcing her to face her. “Have I upset you?”

“What gives you that idea? Bloody hell, I know what I saw, Tina. You have no right treating me like I’m some kind of idiot or I’m on day release from the local looney bin. I know I saw that man.” They continued back to the car and when they reached the main road, Megan looked up and down, but it was free of all vehicles, except hers. The only other cars in the street were the homeowners’ cars parked in their own drives.

“He’s not here, love. Why don’t we take a break, find a quaint pub somewhere, and have a quiet drink? You’ll feel much better then.”

“I don’t want a drink. If I have one, I won’t be able to stop. Let’s continue our search and then find a hotel close by. In fact, when we get back in the car, that can be your first job.”

“If you’re sure. Do you want a country hotel again or somewhere busier, like on the edge of a town perhaps?”

“Yes, let’s try one of the major hotels in the area. Not sure my nerves could stand another night like last night.”

“You’re on. Now stop worrying. You’re spooked. That’s all. No one is out to harm you, sweetie. You really are blowing things out of all proportion,” Tina said, smiling as they hopped back in the car.

This time, in spite of Tina’s reassuring words, Megan locked the doors on her Nissan Note before driving off. Out the corner of her eye, she could see her friend’s disapproving shake of the head, but she chose to ignore it. Her safety was paramount, and in all her time living in France, she’d never felt threatened. It made her wonder if she really was doing the right thing by moving back to Blighty.

CHAPTER FOUR

Megan was exhausted by the time they located the hotel where Tina had booked a room via her phone, during their trawl around the rest of the houses.

“Oh, this looks rather grand. Can we afford this?” Megan queried when they pulled into the Elsa Lee Hotel.

“I found it on a booking site, got a special room rate. I hope it’s not a crappy one.”

“We’ll soon see. Let’s leave the bags here, just in case the room isn’t to our tastes, eh?”

“Good idea. I feel somewhat underdressed. It looks really swanky.”

“You chose well, from the outside anyway. At least there is a bit of life around here, unlike last night’s hotel.” Megan shuddered as she recollected the eerie fog, the dead rabbit, and the strange man whose face still haunted her. Fortunately, the rest of the day had been spook-free, and she felt a lot calmer, better than she’d felt since stepping off the ferry the day before.

The luxurious, deep-piled carpet runner led them to the reception desk. A rotund, flushed-cheeked man leant on the reception desk where two women busied themselves. A young white lady with dark hair scraped back sat at the computer, and a slender black lady wearing a coat beamed as they approached. “Dahlings! How lovely to meet you,” the second woman gushed in a thick, unrecognisable accent. She was in her early forties and pretty, but she had a heavily scarred face.

Megan returned the woman’s smile. “Hello there. We rang up a few hours ago and booked a twin room.”

The girl sitting at the desk tapped her keyboard.

The man standing beside them asked, “Did you want a lodge, or would you prefer to stay in the main hotel? There’s a ten-pound difference on the room rate.”

“Shall we stay in the hotel, Tina? It might be better if we’re eating in the restaurant tonight. We can stagger up to our rooms then.”

“Stagger?” the man asked with a frown.

“Sorry, we’re exhausted. We’ve travelled a lot in the last few days. I didn’t mean we were going to get drunk.”

“Ah, where have you travelled from?”

“I docked at Portsmouth yesterday.”

“Portsmouth!” the black woman shrieked. “We have apartment in Portsmouth. You ring me, say you want to stay, and I give you discount at this hotel.”

Megan was perplexed by the woman’s excited announcement. How could anyone offer their home to a stranger like that? “Do you own this place? It’s a magnificent hotel.”

“It wasn’t. We worked hard to get it this way,” the woman replied proudly.

“Your hard work has certainly paid off.”

“Ginny, show the ladies the two options of rooms available, will you?” the man interrupted impatiently, addressing the young woman at the computer.

The receptionist grabbed two sets of keys off the hook and asked Megan and Tina to follow her. “Come, I show you the way.”

“Where are you from, Ginny?” Megan asked, intrigued by the woman’s accent.

“Poland. I have been ’ere many years now. I earn money and send it ’ome to my parents.”

“That’s admirable of you. Will they join you here eventually?”

The receptionist’s face filled with sadness. “I don’t think so. I will never earn enough money for three of us to live here comfortably.” She unlocked the room, and immediately, her face lit up. “You like? Nice room with en suite. View of the gardens, too.”

Megan nodded. “It’s lovely. Just what we need. What do you think, Tina?”

“I’d say it’s perfect.”

The receptionist smiled. “Wonderful. If you would like to follow me back to reception, I can fill in the booking form.”

Tina volunteered to fetch the bags from the car while Megan filled out the paperwork. She felt relieved to see the other two people were no longer at the desk when she and Tina returned, yet she couldn’t put her finger on why.

Once she’d signed the paperwork, Megan took the key from the receptionist and asked her to book a table in the restaurant for seven that evening, then she went outside to help Tina with the bags.

They showered and dressed in clean jeans for dinner. Megan was surprised to see that she and Tina were the only ones eating in the restaurant that evening. As they ate, their conversation revolved around the houses they’d visited during their exhausting day. Neither of them mentioned Megan’s weird experience at the first house, however. Thankfully, rabbit wasn’t on the menu, and their meals were both exceptional.

Just as the dinner was drawing to a close, the black woman they’d met when they arrived, walked through the empty restaurant and made a beeline for them. She pulled out a chair at the next table and sat. “Hello, ladies. Have you enjoyed your meal?” Her smile was so broad that her eyes formed tiny slits in her pretty face.

“It was beautiful. Couldn’t fault it,” Megan said, taking a sip of wine.

“Ah, good. We have excellent chefs. I started in the kitchen and work long ’ours. Even slept in there on a mattress at one time. Look...” She held out her arm and pulled up her sleeve to reveal yet more scarring on her slender wrists. “Hot fat does that to you if you’re not careful.”

“How terrible,” Tina said, wearing a sympathetic smile.

The woman introduced herself. “I’m Cleo.” She stood, kissed each woman on the cheek, and remained standing close to their table.

Megan pulled away from the woman. “Hi, Cleo, you’ve done a marvellous job. The hotel is a credit to you.”

“My husband should take credit, too, but he don’t work much. You see the size of him. He complains all day long while I work my butt off.”

Megan and Tina looked at each other in helplessness. Megan really hadn’t anticipated the woman openly trashing her husband. He must have been the impatient man they’d met at reception earlier. “That’s like most men, Cleo. Once a woman shows how capable she is of running things, they always tend to take a backseat and let her get on with it. I’m sure he appreciates your talent and organisational skills in running a huge establishment such as this.”

“You’re cute. But your friend is even cuter.” Cleo launched herself at Tina, smothered her with kisses, and squeezed her in a suffocating hug. “You come back to my room later, yes?” She burst into laughter and pushed Tina away.

Megan suddenly felt awkward. She didn’t know whether to intervene or to leave Tina to sort the woman out for herself.

Cleo bent her head down and parted her hair at the scalp. “Look. This hurt at the time—more scars of working in this place. But you know what I always say? All this hard work has taken its toll. I know I don't look as old as I am, but black don’t crack, baby. I get up when someone knocks me down and start again. My husband, he proud of me in his own way. He up there now in our room, waiting for me to service him, but I’d rather be ’ere with you gals, ’aving some fun. Is that why you ’ere?” She winked and nudged them both. “To ’ave a little fun together?”

Incensed, Megan wiped her mouth on her napkin and threw it on the table. “That’s certainly none of your business. What do you take us for, a couple of loose women? Our sleeping arrangements are not your concern.”

“All right, Megan, there’s no need to get shirty. I’m sure Cleo didn’t mean any offence by the question.”

Cleo shook her head and sucked in her cheeks. “No, I no mean offence. I like you girls. You is very beautiful,” she said, again trying it on with Tina. “You wear pretty black undies, yes?”

Megan puffed out her cheeks and shook her head in disgust. She slammed her hand on the table, and her plate and cutlery jumped into the air, frightening the other two women. “That’s enough. You’ve gone too far. Look around you, Cleo. Is this why your restaurant is empty? Do you treat all the guests at the hotel in the same way?”

The receptionist and the waitress poked their heads around the doorway to the restaurant and looked embarrassed by their boss’s outrageous behaviour. Megan couldn’t really tell if the woman was guilty of being overly friendly or if she was actually drunk. She had no intention of getting close enough to smell the woman’s breath, either.

“I’m sorry. I’m just being friendly. Let me buy you both a drink to apologise. Or better still, you come up to my room and we have a little party together. You get free drinks galore up there, I promise you.”

Jesus, woman! Don’t you ever take no for an answer? Megan was tempted to be really rude to the woman, but Tina issued her a warning look. “We’re going to have to refuse your kind offer. We’re tired. We’re going back to our room to rest. It’s been a very long day.”

Cleo frowned and tutted. “Phooey, you can rest when you’re dead. Come, ’ave some fun in my room.” She leaned in close to Tina. “You’ll come, won’t you?”

Tina’s cheeks coloured up. “No. Maybe some other time. Like Megan said, we’re both exhausted from the travelling.”

Cleo beamed and tapped her nose. “I understand. You want to be alone. But three can have just as much fun as, if not more than, two. I’m going now. Here’s my room number in case you change your mind.” She pulled a pen and a business card from her pocket then wrote on the back of the card. With a wink, she handed it to Tina. “Anytime. You hear me?”

“Thank you. You’re very kind,” Tina said calmly.

Megan watched the woman wind her way back through the empty tables into reception and heard her issuing orders to the staff before she departed. Then she heaved a huge sigh. “Jesus, persistent little shit, wasn’t she? How embarrassing!” She shuddered. “She made my bloody skin crawl. Looks like she took a real shine to you, hon. Love that ‘black don’t crack’ bit.”

Tina chuckled. “What a bloody carry-on. No wonder this place is empty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hotel’s restaurant so deserted before. Have you seen how many cars were parked in that car park?”

“It is bizarre.”

The waitress appeared to remove their plates. “Would you like a dessert, ladies?”

“I don’t think I have any appetite left after that unsavoury incident. Is she always like that?”

“Sadly, yes. She drinks a lot, you see. I’m so sorry it has spoiled your evening. She’s my boss. It is difficult for me to tell her to leave the restaurant.”

“It’s not your fault. I completely understand your embarrassment. Does she do this sort of thing often? Your food is superb, and yet your restaurant is empty. Is she the reason for that?”

The waitress’s awkward smile spoke volumes. “My hours are the same, but she has cut my wages because of the lack of business. I’m stuck. I live here at the hotel in a very cramped room with some of the other staff. I have no way of getting away from here. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be telling you this.” She bowed then swiftly retreated from the room.

Megan and Tina looked at each other and shook their heads.

“It’s incredible to think she’s punishing the staff for the way she’s behaving. If I wasn’t so tired, I’d pack up and leave,” Tina whispered.

“I’m with you on that one. Jesus, am I really doing the right thing, coming to this area? After what we’ve been through in the last forty-eight hours, I’m beginning to wonder if I wouldn’t be better off staying in France.”

“I don’t blame you for thinking that way. I can’t even reassure you, either, as I’m not from around here. Let’s go to our room. At least we won’t be interrupted by crazy hotel owners up there.”

“You hope,” Megan said, pushing back her chair and leaving the table.

When they reached the receptionist, she apologised again for her boss’s behaviour.

Megan smiled. “It’s not your fault. No real harm done. Will you put the meal on the invoice, and we’ll pay for it in the morning?”

“Of course, consider it done. Good evening, ladies. Sleep well.”

They entered their room and flopped onto their separate beds. Megan switched on the TV. The mindless karaoke show that she really hated was on the first channel she tried. “No thanks!” She flicked through the other channels, only to be disappointed. Her eyelids began to droop. “Sod it! I’m ready to turn in for the night. Are you?”

“Definitely.”

Megan was the first to use the bathroom and hop into bed. She checked her messages on her phone while Tina brushed her teeth. She was almost asleep by the time her friend came out of the bathroom.

“Are you awake?” Tina whispered.

“Not for long, I hope. I’ve never been so tired.”

“Must be all the excitement we’ve experienced over the last couple of days. I’m used to travelling, but I have to agree, I’ve never felt so tired, either.” Tina packed her toiletry bag in her holdall and removed the clothes she intended to wear the next day.

“God, you’re super organised.”

“Habit, I suppose. Goodnight, Megan. I hope you don’t have any nightmares about the delectable Cleo.”

“Gosh, thanks for the reminder. I probably will now that you’ve mentioned her.” Once Tina was settled in bed, Megan reached out and turned off the bedside light.

CHAPTER FIVE

The clock on the bedside table read seven thirty. Megan lifted her head to see if Tina was still asleep; she wasn’t. She strained an ear to see if she could hear the shower running—nothing. Megan twisted her neck to relieve the knots there and checked her phone for messages. She had none. The lack of messages wasn’t all that strange, considering the only person who ever really contacted her was actually sharing a room with her right at that moment. She yawned several times, sat up and propped the pillows against the headboard behind her. Ten minutes passed, and still, no sign of life had come from the bathroom.

Megan tiptoed across the bedroom floor, stubbing her toe on her bag near the bottom of the bed, and tapped on the bathroom door. “Morning, Tina. Are you all right?”

When no answer came, Megan tried the handle on the door. It opened. Tentatively, she walked into the bathroom to find it empty. She rushed back into the bedroom, and her gaze immediately went to the floor. Tina’s bag was missing. What the fuck? Where the hell has she gone? Why didn’t she wake me? Megan shook aside the worrying thoughts and picked up the room’s phone.

“Hello, reception. How can I help?”

“Hi, I’m in Room 207. I can’t find my friend. Can you tell me if she’s in the dining room eating breakfast, please?”

“What’s her name?”

“Tina Lloyd.”

“One moment.”

The phone clattered onto the desk, and Megan drummed her fingers on her knee as she waited for the receptionist to return.

“Hello? I’m sorry. She’s not here.”

“What? Can you tell me if she booked out?”

“No, no one has booked out of the hotel this morning. Is there anything else you need?”

Megan shook her head in disbelief and hung up the phone without saying another word. She rushed over to the window. “Damn, I can’t see the car from here.” After spotting her coat on the small sofa in the room, she searched the pockets for her car keys and let out a relieved breath when she found them. She was disappointed in herself for thinking that her new-found Facebook friend had swiped her keys and stolen her car. She chastised herself for being so selfish.

What do I do now? She must’ve crept out of the hotel in the early hours of the morning. Or did she? What if someone has abducted her? Cleo perhaps? Jesus, what can I do? I can’t see the hotel staff helping me look for her if their boss is involved.

She sat on the edge of her bed for another half an hour while she decided what her plan of action should be. In the end, she showered and dressed quickly, then picked up her phone, Googled the local police station, and called them.

“Hello, I need help. My friend has gone missing.”

“When was this, ma’am?” an officious-sounding policeman asked.

“During the night.”

“Ah, then it’s far too soon to file a missing person report, I’m afraid. Call back tomorrow and we’ll look into it.”

“But you don’t understand. So many strange things have occurred in the past few days, I genuinely think she might have been abducted. Please, you have to help me.”

“Hold the line a moment.”

Megan closed her eyes and held her breath. Please, please, please change your mind.

“Can I have your address, miss? You’re in luck, one of our best officers is willing to assist you.”

“I’m staying at the Elsa Lee Hotel. Do you know it?”

“That I do. DI Sally Parker will be with you shortly. Can you wait in reception for her to arrive?”

“Of course. Thank you, thank you so much. I really appreciate this.”

“Expect her in fifteen minutes,” the officer told her before he disconnected the line.

***

DI Sally Parker was walking through the reception area of the police station, when the woman’s frantic call came in. She made it her business to always be vigilant at work and soon picked up the need to help the caller the desk sergeant had been speaking to. She ran up the stairs to inform her partner. Jack was already at his desk, sorting through the morning’s post and distributing it into various piles. She spotted the largest pile from the doorway. “Morning, Jack. Don’t tell me that one is intended for me.”

He nodded. “Yep, how did you guess?”

“Because it’s the size of Mount bloody Everest. Okay, that’ll have to wait. Come with me.”

Jack slipped on his jacket and pushed away from his desk. He caught Sally up in the hallway at the top of the stairs. “What’s going on, boss?”

“We have a missing person on our hands, and before you say that’s not our department, I’m saying we should forget the rules on this one and take a look. According to the desk sergeant, the caller—a woman called Megan Carmen—sounded distraught and said that strange things had happened to her and her friend over the last few days. That’s led her to believe her friend has been abducted.”

“Oh right! Not another alien abduction case to bin after the caller has wasted several hours of our time,” Jack complained.

“Stop whining. We won’t know what the true circumstances are until we get there. Let’s keep an open mind on this one until then, eh, partner?”

At the hotel, which was a ten-minute drive from the station, Sally and Jack walked up the steps and into the reception area.

He let out a muffled whistle. “Posh pad.”

“I think I read somewhere that it had recently been refurbished. I bet that’s Megan Carmen over there.” Sally pointed at a woman in her forties sitting on one of the elaborate gold two-seater sofas, clutching her bag on her lap. “Miss Carmen? I’m DI Sally Parker, and this is my partner, DS Jack Blackman.” Sally flashed her warrant card as proof.

The woman stood up and gave them a relieved smile. “I’m so glad you’re here. Tina still hasn’t shown up. I’m so worried that something dreadful has happened to her. Please, you have to help me.”

“We’ll promise to do our best. I’m going to see if the hotel has a spare room we can use to have a chat. Actually, Jack, can you do that for me?”

He walked over to the reception desk and swiftly returned. “The receptionist told us to go through to the banqueting hall next door. We shouldn’t be disturbed there.”

Jack picked up Megan’s holdall and led the way. Once the three of them were seated at a table situated in the centre of the room, away from prying eyes and ears, Jack took out his notebook and began taking down notes.

“So, why don’t you tell us why you believe your friend Tina has been abducted? Do you live far?”

“I live in Normandy, France. Tina and I are Facebook friends. This is the first time we’ve met in real life.”

Sally glanced at her partner, who had his head down and an eyebrow raised. “I see. So your friend could’ve easily just taken off without telling you. Is that what you’re saying?”

Megan shrugged. “I suppose so. We were just getting along so well, I really can’t see why she would do that.”

“So you haven’t had an argument?” Sally asked, perplexed.

“No. Nothing like that at all. Why don’t I start at the beginning and let you decide for yourselves? I’m not making this up or reading things into this, I swear, Inspector. Hear me out and then decide, okay?”

“Very well. Take your time.” Sally watched the woman intently as she painstakingly ran through the events she’d encountered during the past forty-eight hours. The woman seemed genuine enough—confused by her adventure at times, but genuine. However, Sally had enough experience to always look at a situation from different angles. Why meet up with a perfect stranger and volunteer to spend time with them, alone?

“So, you say you had problems at the first hotel—the rabbit incident, and the owner of the hotel and Tina both regarded that as what? Just one of those things that goes on in the countryside?”

“I was shocked, but yes, they seemed to shrug off the incident without a second thought.”

“Then there was the episode with the man sitting in his car. You say Tina didn’t really baulk at that problem, either?”

“No, and when I mentioned that I saw the same man at the first house we went to view, she treated me like someone who had escaped from the local mental hospital or something. I swear I’m telling you the truth, Inspector.”

“Okay. Then you said that you and Tina had encountered a sour-tasting incident right here in this hotel only last night.”

“Yes, and when I woke up this morning, Tina was missing. Don’t you see how bizarre all of this is? If we’d stumbled upon just one of those strange events, I wouldn’t be thinking anything about it, but to have all those things occur to us within a few days is worrying, don’t you think?”

“Well, I have to admit that it all sounds a little strange. Thinking logically about things, yes, Tina is now missing. However, the other occurrences might not be linked. They can hardly be deemed as crimes of the decade, can they? So you’ll have to forgive my unwillingness to delve into those other events, but we can certainly look into what occurred here last night and see if we can connect the dots to where Tina is now.”

Megan sighed and relaxed against her chair. “Thank you. For a moment there, I was beginning to think I had lost my mind.”

Maybe you have, but for now, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, lady. “Have you checked your car this morning?”

“No. I ensured my keys were where I left them in my pocket, but it was too cold out there to check first thing. Should I? Do you think she might have left me a note or something?”

“I’m not sure. Jack, can you go take a look for me?”

Jack held out his hand for Megan’s car keys, slid his notebook across the table to Sally and left the hotel. A silence filled the room until he reappeared. “Nothing.”

Sally returned his notebook to him. “Right, we’ll start by questioning the staff here, see if anyone saw your friend leave the hotel or wandering around the hallways during the night. I’ll need you to stay in the vicinity. Is that okay with you?”

“I had a few appointments booked to visit some houses, but I can cancel them. I’d feel uncomfortable staying here, though, being under the watchful gaze of the staff who I’m accusing of abducting Tina.”

“I can understand where you’re coming from. Let’s see how things go for the next hour or so and revisit the situation. How’s that?”

“Fine. I’ll ring the agents now.”

Sally and Jack left the table while Megan used her mobile.

Jack leaned in and whispered, “What do you think? Has she lost her marbles? Is this going to turn out to be a wild goose chase or what?”

“I haven’t got a clue, Jack. Let’s see first if anyone who was on duty last night can corroborate the story she gave us about the hotel owner. Then we’ll re-evaluate the facts, all right?”

“Yep, sounds good to me. Want me to ask the receptionist if they’ve got a spare room we can use to question the staff?”

“My guess is she’ll tell us to question people in this room. If she does, what shall we do with Megan over there?”

“You want to keep an eye on her at the same time, I’m guessing.”

“I’d like to, but then I want the staff to speak openly with us. They might not do that if she’s in the same room. Maybe she should sit in reception until we’re finished.”

“You’re on the ball as usual, boss. I’ll go back to reception and get a list of the staff who were on duty last night and go from there.”

“I’ll try and find out a little more about Megan Carmen in the meantime.” Sally withdrew her phone from her pocket and called her team.

Stuart answered the call.

“Stu, do me a favour and run a background check on a Miss Megan Carmen. She lives in Normandy, France.”

“Is that it? Can’t you be more specific, boss?”

“Hold on, I’ll ask, even though I was trying to do this discreetly.” She walked back to Megan, keeping Stuart on hold. “Can I have your address in France, Megan, just for our records?”

“It would be better if I wrote it down for you.”

“I’ll call you back, Stu.” Sally gave Megan her notebook and watched the woman write out in capital letters her French address. “Crikey, I’m not surprised you suggested that. They sure make it complicated over there, don’t they?”

Megan laughed. “They certainly do. It takes a while to get used to giving your address and people understanding what you’re saying. I tend to write it down most of the time. Less chance of it being misinterpreted then.”

Sally smiled and stepped away. She took a photo of the address on her iPhone. “It’s me again, Stu. I’m sending through a photo with the lady’s address. It’ll be easier for you.”

“Can’t remember your French lessons from school, I take it, boss?”

“Cheeky sod. I’m being easy on you. I know how confused you get with letters at times. I have a mass of paperwork that has been messed up by your fair hand in my drawer. I’ll share that with you when we return.”

“Touché, boss. I’ll spell that for you; that’s T-O-U-C-H and E with one of those slanting things over it.”

“Cut the crap, Sergeant. I want you to carry out a thorough check and ring me back ASAP, okay?”

“Yes, boss.”

Sally hung up as Jack came back into the room. “In here. They haven’t got any other rooms available that they’re willing to let us use.”

“Helpful. Did the receptionist tell you that, or did she ring someone, like the owners?”

“No, she told me herself. Was quite adamant about it, too,” Jack confirmed.

“Was she now? Okay, let’s get started. I’ll settle Megan in the reception area and ask the receptionist to contact the staff, tell them to come and see us at regular intervals. Every ten minutes should do, right?”

Jack nodded. “I’ll wait here.”

Megan picked up her bag and followed Sally into the reception area. She reclaimed the seat she’d been sitting in when Sally and Jack had arrived. Sally asked the receptionist, “Can you contact the first member of staff please?” While she waited, Sally glanced over her shoulder now and again to observe Megan. She appeared withdrawn and afraid, flinching one minute and eagerly looking at the hotel entrance the next, as if expecting her friend to return. Sally was unsure about the woman. She suspected she would have a better insight into the woman’s character once Stuart rang back with his findings. Sally turned back to the list in front of her. “Is she Polish?” she asked, pointing at the name.

“Yes, me, too. I’m Polish.”

“Are there a lot of Polish workers at the hotel? Looking down this list, it appears most of the staff are foreigners.”

“Yes, we’re all foreign. Only the boss is English. He says foreign people have a better work ethic.”

Sally tilted her head and smiled. “And what do you say?”

“I say he doesn’t employ English because they wouldn’t work for the same pay we get. I’d say it very quietly, though.”

Sally smirked. “That’s what I thought. It’s a legitimate operation here, yes? Everyone pays tax?”

“Oh yes, we definitely pay tax. We all live here as we can’t afford to rent anywhere else.”

Sally noticed the name on the girl’s badge. “And how long have you worked here, Aleksandra?”

“Almost two years. I’ll send in the first girl,” she added quickly.

Sally felt the young woman’s awkwardness at answering questions about the hotel, and she hoped when it came to questioning her about Tina’s disappearance, she would be far more open with the information.

The first staff member, Maja, appeared in reception. She anxiously smoothed her hands down her black uniform before following Sally into the banqueting hall. Jack remained seated, his pen poised ready to take notes, as the two women joined him.

“Thank you for talking to us, Maja. You’re a waitress at the hotel. Is that correct?”

“Yes.” The waitress linked her hands tightly in front of her.

“Can you go over the events of what happened in the restaurant last night for me, please?”

The pretty brunette frowned. “I no understand.”

“The guest outside, Megan, told us there was a little confrontation that took place in the dining room. Can you shed some more light on that please?”

She shook her head, and her mouth turned down at the sides. “I no understand. That lady had pleasant meal and then went back to her room.”

“With her companion?”

“I no understand.”

“Sorry, companion: her friend, the person she dined with?”

Maja shook her head. “She dined alone. By herself. No friend.”

“What? Are you sure?” Sally asked in sheer disbelief.

“Maybe you didn’t understand the question properly,” Jack interrupted. “Two ladies booked into the hotel together yesterday, and both of them ate in the restaurant. We’re trying to find the other lady, Megan’s friend.”

“I understand what the police lady said. I’m telling you the lady in reception, she eat alone here last night,” the waitress said forthrightly.

“There’s no way you could be mistaken about that?” Sally asked.

“No. She was only customer in restaurant. How could I make mistake?”

How indeed? Crap! What have we stumbled across here? Is Megan trying to wind us up? Maybe she isn’t from France after all. Perhaps she’s just been released from the hospital or something along those lines. Sally sighed while she contemplated the situation. “Thank you, you’ve been very helpful. Can you send the next member of staff in please?”

The confused young woman rose from her seat. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more. Goodbye.”

“What the...? What is going on, boss?” Jack asked as soon as the woman was out of earshot.

“I have no frigging idea, but I bloody intend to find out. Two scenarios are striking me right now. The first is that Megan is delusional in some way, and the second is we’re dealing with some kind of cover-up. Remind me to check the hotel booking register in a mo, although I suspect that might have been doctored in some way by now.”

“You’re probably right. What sort of cover-up? Why? What would they have to gain from that?”

Sally shrugged. “Let’s play it cool, Jack. Try not to show any emotion from now on with the staff. Let’s see if we can catch someone out, eh?”

“Canny bugger,” he whispered out the corner of his mouth as the second interviewee arrived and sat down in front of them.

Nadia’s story was along the same lines as Maja’s. The previous evening, she had been on duty in the kitchen and had walked through the restaurant to obtain supplies. She’d noticed Megan sitting at the table, eating a meal by herself. The next person they questioned came up with a very similar story. An hour later, they had interviewed ten members of staff, all of whom told Sally and Jack that Megan had eaten alone. They all insisted that they had never laid eyes on Tina.

Jack pushed away his notebook and flopped back in his chair. “That’s incredible. What the heck is going on? They can’t all be wrong, can they?”

“I don’t know, partner. Maybe we should take a look at the room they both supposedly booked into.”

“At least we’ll know if two beds had been slept in, although she might have flipped between the two beds during the night.”

“Let’s try, at least. Come on.”

They rushed through to the reception desk.

“Show me Miss Carmen’s booking?” The receptionist brought the booking up on the screen and swivelled the monitor for Sally to see. Nothing, a twin room was booked under Megan’s name, with only one occupant listed. Frustrated, she clicked her fingers and demanded, “I’d like the keys to the room Miss Carmen stayed in last night.” Sally glanced over her shoulder to see Megan observing them, wearing a frown. Sitting on the edge of her seat, she appeared to be tempted to join them. Sally raised a hand, telling her to stay back.

The receptionist handed Jack the key and told them that the room was located on the second floor.

“Inspector, is everything okay?” Megan called out as they hurried past her to ascend the stairs.

“Everything’s fine. We’ll be right back.”

Jack opened the door and entered the room. “Damn! It looks like the maids have been in already and cleaned the room.”

“Shit! Why didn’t the receptionist tell us that?” Sally kicked out at the nearby coffee table.

“Beats me. What do we do now? Is it worth getting Forensics involved?”

“For what? To help us find a person who has been reported missing and yet who no one at the hotel ever laid eyes on?”

“All right, no need to snap my head off.”

“Sorry, Jack. It’s just my frustration talking; you know that.”

He clicked his fingers together. “What about going to the other hotel? We could see if that half of her story was true.”

Sally pondered his suggestion for a few seconds then nodded. “Why not? I need to get to the bottom of this case and quickly. The question is, what do we do with Megan in the meantime?”

“What can we do? Apart from book her for wasting police time, which seems a tad extreme in the circumstances. Do you think she’s mentally ill? That she’s possibly thought all of this up and has now managed to convince herself that it’s true?”

“I have no idea. Hold on. I’m going to ring Stuart.” Sally rang the station. “Anything yet, Stu? We’re in desperate need of a clue to get this case going.” She put the phone on speaker.

“Not really, boss. She’s lived in France for over ten years. No bother with the police or anything like that. Actually, she’s quite well-known for being an artist.”

“What about Facebook? Check her page for me, Stu,” Jack said.

They waited patiently while Stuart tapped his keyboard. “Okay, here she is. Well, it looks like she keeps herself to herself. She only has about two hundred friends. Her posts are mainly referring to her work. There’s the odd cute animal pic thrown in there, but...”

“Right, thanks for that, Stu.”

Sally was about to hang up when Jack held up a hand. “Stu, trawl through her page at the comments. Can you see anything from a Tina Lloyd?”

“Hold on.” Stuart fell quiet as he searched the page. “Yes, here. There’s a comment left on a piece about her work. It was a few months ago. Nothing since then. I looked on Tina’s page but there is very little activity on there.”

“Bingo. So at least we know this woman truly exists and she’s not totally a figment of Megan’s crazy mind,” Sally said. “Thanks, Stu. We’re going to wrap things up here and move location to another hotel in Swaffham. Keep in touch if you find out anything else.” Sally hung up. “Now all we have to do is deal with Megan. She’s going to go ballistic when we tell her that no one else at the hotel remembers seeing Tina. I know I frigging would.”

“Yeah, me too. Are you just going to let her go?”

“What else can we do, Jack? She hasn’t done anything wrong as far as I can tell. I’ll ask her to remain in the area. Whether she will or not is another thing entirely. I’m going to tell her that we’re heading over to the other hotel. Let’s see what her reaction is to that news.”

They returned the key to the receptionist then made their way over to where Megan was waiting anxiously. Sally sat down beside her. “Megan, this is very difficult for me to say.”

“Oh God, don’t tell me you’ve found Tina’s body.”

Sally shook her head. “Quite the opposite. We’ve questioned everyone who was on duty last night at the hotel, and no one—I repeat no one—remembers seeing you with anyone else.”

“What? They’re lying.” She stood up swiftly and shouted at the receptionist. “You’re all bloody lying! Why? What have I ever done to you?” Megan pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. She slumped back onto the sofa.

The embarrassed receptionist put her head down and got on with her work.

“Please try and remain calm. Without any proof of Tina being here, there is very little we can do to assist you, Megan. My partner and I are going to question the owner of the first hotel where you stayed. Let’s see if he can corroborate your story and go from there.”

A tearful Megan stared at Sally. “And if he can’t? What then?”

“Let’s leave it there for now. What I need from you is to stay in contact with us. Are you going to be in the area long?”

She removed a tissue from her bag and wiped away the tears that had settled on her cheeks. “I’ll stay in the area as long as I need to, Inspector. If it turns out that you’re not prepared to take on the case, then I will have little alternative than to investigate it myself. I know Tina was here with me last night, and the night before that, too. I will not allow these people to get away with their dastardly plan, whatever that may be. They could be people traffickers for all we know. Look around you—how many English people work here? Have you asked yourself why?”

“Please, try to remain calm. I’m afraid this is the norm in many hotels throughout the UK now. Often, the Eastern European workers will fill roles that pay less. There’s nothing illegal as long as the minimum wage is being met. We can certainly look into that in the future, but for now, I’d like to concentrate on finding your friend.”

“I see. I feel so stupid. Maybe that’s their intention—to make me feel inadequate.”

“For what reason, Megan?” Sally asked.

She threw up her hand in frustration. “I don’t know. Perhaps they get some kind of kick out of making people look dumb.”

“I doubt it. We need to shoot over to the other hotel now. What will you do?”

Megan shrugged weakly. “I have no idea. Sit in my car and drive around the area looking for Tina, I suppose, when I should be searching for property. I definitely won’t be buying a place in this area now. How could I? If something dreadful has happened to Tina, I will never be able to forgive myself. Please believe me, Inspector, please.”

“I do. Even though it’s hard when a group of people are telling us that you booked into the hotel alone. Which is why it’s imperative we pay a visit to the other hotel. Do you have a mobile I can contact you on?”

Megan took the phone from her pocket and brought up her number. She showed it to Jack, and he jotted it down. Together, the three of them left the hotel via the huge entrance doors. Jack carried Megan’s bag and deposited it in the boot of her car.

Sally handed Megan a business card. “Ring me if you happen to stumble across your friend. I’ll be in touch with you later on today, okay?”

“Thank you. I’ll do that. Good luck, Inspector.”

“You, too. Please, if you uncover anything suspicious, call us right away.”

“I will.” Megan opened her car door and started the engine.

Sally and Jack watched the woman pull away. “Let’s hope she stays safe and out of trouble,” Jack mumbled.

CHAPTER SIX

Sally was distracted by the beautiful surroundings the country hotel was set in. “Crap, we almost missed the sign. I can totally understand how Megan and her friend, if she was with her, found it impossible to locate this place,” Sally observed as she drove up the walnut tree-lined drive.

“She said the sign wasn’t lit, if I recall. Funny way to run a business if you ask me,” Jack agreed.

“Hmm... I wonder if it’s intentional, as if he doesn’t really want the passing trade. Otherwise, he’d improve his signage, wouldn’t he?”

“You’d think so. Maybe you’re right. Perhaps he’s just playing at this lark. Might be an ex-military guy, topping up his pension, that sort of thing.”

Sally chuckled. “Where did you pluck that idea from?”

“Don’t know. Just sprang to mind. Maybe thinking of what some of my ex-colleagues in the army would hint at doing now and again. Nice setting, though. Can totally see this place as one of those establishments to run a Murder Mystery weekend.”

“Seriously? What on earth has got into you today, partner?”

Jack laughed. “Maybe it’s the case that’s sending my thoughts off kilter. I don’t know. Ignore me if you like.”

“I intend to.” Sally giggled and stepped out of the car.

The back door of the large house opened, and a man sporting a slight beer belly came to greet them. A smile lit up his chubby face. “Hello there. Are you looking for a room for the night? I usually only take advanced bookings. Don’t generally get people turning up out of the blue like this.”

“Why’s that? Because your hotel is hard to find?” Sally asked, showing the man her warrant card.

“You’ve hit the nail on the head. Oh, the police. What can I do for you? Care to come in out of the cold?”

“That would be great. Do you have any guests staying here at the moment?”

“Unfortunately not. Which means I can continue to refurbish the place.” Once inside, he led them into the kitchen, where he filled a kettle with water and placed it on the Aga. “That’ll take a little while to boil. How can I help you?” He motioned for them both to take a seat at the solid wood centre island.

“We’d like to ask you a few questions about an incident that took place a few days ago,” Sally began cautiously.

“An incident? Around here? What kind of incident?” The man prepared three cups and saucers with coffee and placed a bowl of sugar cubes in the middle of the island.

“Can you tell me who your last paying guest was at the hotel?” Sally watched the man’s expression carefully, looking for any kind of change. She saw none.

“A young lady. Let me find the bookings diary.” He walked into the hallway and returned with a large black diary in his hand. “Here we go, a Miss Carmen.”

“Are you telling us that she stayed here alone?”

“Yes. Why?” he asked, frowning. He placed the diary on the edge of the island and tended to the boiling kettle.

“Because the young lady in question has told us that she was travelling with a companion.”

“Really? Why on earth would she tell you that?” He poured the water into the cups and slid them towards Sally and Jack. “Help yourselves to sugar and milk.”

“She also reported her friend missing this morning after they stayed at another hotel. We’re following up on a few events she believes have occurred to her in the past forty-eight hours that we think sound suspicious.”

“Suspicious? Am I under investigation for something, Inspector? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“No, nothing of the sort. You’re just on our radar because Miss Carmen stayed here, although she did tell us about a strange incident that happened during her stay. Can you shed any light on that?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re referring to. The lady stayed the night and left the following morning. However, we did have a chat over breakfast about the best places to live in this part of the world. She told me that she was moving back here from France. She said she didn’t want to end up on a dire council estate somewhere. I told her the better areas to aim for so that she could avoid the rougher parts of the Cambridgeshire and Norfolk areas.”

“I see. She said something about a rabbit?” Sally hinted at the clue rather than telling the whole story, in case the man’s expression changed at all. Again, nothing.

“A rabbit, you say? She saw one running past the window being chased by my dogs. Is that what you’re getting at? Sounds bizarre that she would bother you with such trivial information.”

“No. Okay, we’ll leave it there. I don’t suppose you have a copy of her bill I can look at, do you?”

“Of course. We do everything online. I believe the young lady asked for a twin room. I don’t have any single rooms available. As she was the only guest this weekend, I upgraded her to my best suite of rooms.”

“That would mean a lot of work cleaning-wise for you, wouldn’t it?” Sally asked, intrigued as to why he would create more work for himself for a visitor who intended to stay only a single night.

“It would. I do it all the time. Have you seen the reviews for this place? I tend to give a little extra, and people show their appreciation by giving my establishment great ratings on the online booking site.”

“Then that would mean extra business for you, is that right?” Jack queried.

“Of course. I’m hoping that’s the case anyway. I’ve only been here six months. The place is still a work in progress.”

“Hence the reason you’re not too bothered about your signage. Is that right?” Sally asked.

He winked and pointed a finger at her. “You’ve got it.”

“How was Miss Carmen during her stay here?”

His brow furrowed. “Can I ask in what respect? My guests don’t have to conform to any particular standard while they stay here, you know,” he stated jovially.

“Sorry, I didn’t make myself very clear. Was she jumpy at all?”

“Not that I could tell. I didn’t see much of her in the evening, but at breakfast, she seemed chatty enough. Intrigued about the area and wanted my opinion, as I’ve already told you. After that, she left, alone.”

Sally sipped her coffee and listened to the man. He said nothing that she found in any way odd. The more people she spoke to, the more her instincts were challenged. Everyone can’t be wrong, can they? But then, there’s the Facebook aspect. Tina did contact Megan on her page. That fact, I shouldn’t ignore.

The hotel owner didn’t seem at all uncomfortable in their presence, as Sally would have expected if he’d had anything to hide. She nudged her partner. “Come on, Jack, we’ve got work to do. Thank you for your time, sir.”

“Not at all. It’s been a pleasure. I hope coming here has helped in your quest.” He walked with them out to the car.

“Not really. But that’s our problem, not yours. Good luck with your new venture.”

He gave her the thumbs-up and returned to the house.

“Well, what do you make of that?” Jack asked.

Sally carried out a three-point turn to head back to the station. “To be honest, I’m dumbfounded by what I’ve heard today. Everything points to Megan being loopy, and yet I have this niggling doubt about the Facebook friendship.”

“Yeah, I get that. Maybe she’s just imagined being with this friend she met online. I reckon it’s all in her head.”

Sally ran a hand through her hair. “I’m inclined to think along the same lines, for now.”

***

Megan was filled with anxiety all afternoon until she received the call she’d been waiting for. “Hello. Is that you, Inspector?”

“It is, Megan. I’m sorry about the delay in getting back to you.”

“That’s all right. I hope it’s because you’ve found Tina?”

“It’s not. I have to tell you that Peter, the owner of the first hotel, also told us that you booked into his establishment alone.”

“He said what? What the hell is going on? Why are these people doing this to me?” Megan screeched down the line.

“Please, try to remain calm.”

She shook her head in despair, and tears pricked at her eyes. She was determined not to break down. “It’s bloody hard to remain calm when all those around you are calling you a damn liar, Inspector.”

“I know. I wish I could do more to help you, but I can’t. We just don’t have the resources to go on a...”

“What? A wild goose chase?”

“Well, yes. I hope you understand. Listen, if Tina gets in touch with you again, let me know immediately. Stay safe, Megan. I hope you find a resolution to your predicament soon.”

“Thank you. I wish you weren’t giving up on me just yet, but I suppose I can understand the reasoning behind your decision. All I can do is reassure you that I am telling you the truth. I’ll keep in touch with you about my findings.”

“Sorry? Your findings?”

“Yes. There is no way I can sit back and let these people treat me like this. My friend is out there somewhere, and I intend to do all I can to find her. If you refuse to help me, then I have no alternative but to go it alone, Inspector.”

“My hands are tied, Megan. Look, please, if you’re determined to find your friend and you uncover anything of importance, then get in touch with me immediately, and I’ll reassess the situation.”

“You mean in other words, I’ve got to do your work for you?”

She heard Sally let out a sigh. “I’m sorry you think that way, Megan. Keep in touch. I’ll keep a member of my team on the case, digging into the background of everyone concerned, if that’ll help.”

“Thank you, it’s something. I suppose I should be grateful for that at least. Goodbye, Inspector.”

Megan hung up and got out of her car. She walked into the women’s fashion store that she’d parked outside of and purchased what she needed for her covert operation. Then she went next door to a bedding shop, where she selected another item needed to aid her disguise. Afterwards she went to a nearby pub. Ten minutes later, she emerged from the toilet cubicle, fully clothed in her new purchases, looking sixty pounds heavier and sporting a long blonde wig, her eyes shielded behind large dark sunglasses. Even she didn’t recognise herself when she studied her reflection in the mirror. Her final task was to withdraw the maximum amount of money allowed from her account at a nearby cashpoint. She returned to her car, adjusted her seat, hopped behind the steering wheel then drove back to the Elsa Lee Hotel.

The receptionist was distracted when Megan arrived, and the phone rang several times while she dealt with Megan’s request to book a single room for one night. Megan booked in under the false name of Gina Halliday and was given a room on the third floor. It was only five thirty in the evening, but feeling worn out by the day’s perplexing activities, she snoozed for half an hour before returning downstairs to the bar. The barman apologised and said that he wasn’t ready to receive guests, so Megan decided to go outside for some fresh air. As she walked around the beautiful grounds of the hotel, she stumbled upon a car she recognised. Quickly, she hid behind the nearest corner of the building and peeped around it to see if she could be mistaken. She wasn’t. It looked like the same Ford Escort that had spooked her the night she and Tina were searching for the first hotel.

Okay, what the hell are you doing here, matey? Feet shuffled behind her. She leapt upright and pretended to brush down her clothes. A tall, skinny young man wearing chef’s whites approached her.

Megan smiled at the man and excused her behaviour by saying, “I dropped my keys. Got them now.” She rattled her bunch of car keys and popped them into her pocket. The man said nothing but constantly looked back over his shoulder as he walked briskly towards the hotel. Great detective skills, numpty!

Megan entered the hotel and stepped into the bar, which was now open to the hotel’s guests. “I’ll have an orange juice, thank you.”

The bartender poured her a glass of fresh orange juice. She carried her drink to a corner of the room and positioned herself so she could keep an eye on the bar. Around thirty minutes later, she gasped when the black hotel owner swept into the room. Why didn’t I bring my Kindle with me? I hope she doesn’t come over here and start talking to me.

However, Cleo remained at the bar and chatted to the barman for the next twenty minutes or so. In that time, she downed three large glasses of what appeared to be either whisky or brandy. She was getting louder by the minute and let out a whoop of excitement when a man walked into the bar and sat on the barstool next to her.

Megan’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. It’s him! The owner of the mysterious car. Cleo treated him like an old friend. Megan was torn about what to do next: call Sally or just observe the pair? She decided to do the latter.

She sipped her drink nonchalantly but strained an ear, trying to overhear their conversation. From what she could make out, neither of them made any reference to Tina at all. Another hour passed before the man left the bar. Cleo remained on her barstool until she had finished her drink, then she left too. Megan didn’t know whether to go outside and see if the man’s car was still in the car park or to follow Cleo. Think, girl, think!

A few deep breaths later, Megan plucked up the courage to go outside, only to find the car had gone. She returned and hung around in the reception area, browsing through the brochures and keeping one eye on Cleo. The woman started shouting obscenities at the girl on reception. At one point, the girl threw her pen down on the desk and crossed her arms, almost on the verge of tears as she glared at her boss. That only seemed to irritate Cleo more. In the end, the receptionist shouted at Cleo in her native tongue and stormed through the nearest door, which happened to be the guests’ toilet. Megan casually walked into the room after her.

The receptionist looked her way and smiled the briefest of smiles. “Wow, does she always speak to you like that?” Megan asked.

“You get used to it. I’m getting fed up with her constant abuse.”

“I don’t blame you. The woman is out of control. No wonder the hotel isn’t busy.”

“It is occasionally. We do many wedding functions. When she no drink, she’s okay. But lately, she drink all the time. Complains about her husband all the time, too. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be where she is today.” She bit her bottom lip. “I sorry. I shouldn’t say that. Forget I say it. I must go, get back to work. You have nice meal in restaurant later, yes?”

“I will, thank you. Oh, and your secret is safe with me. Don’t worry. I’ve worked for some pretty harsh bosses myself over the years.”

The woman snorted. “I doubt any of your bosses as bad as her.”

Megan remained in the loo for another few minutes then walked through the reception area, gave the receptionist a sneaky smile behind her boss’s back, and entered the completely empty restaurant. The waitress showed her to a table next to the window. Megan ordered a glass of white wine, and the waitress left her to study the menu. She felt sorry for the staff on duty when she looked around her. Fancy a beautiful restaurant like this being empty at this time of night. The waitress deposited her drink, took her order for the chicken-and-ham pie she’d chosen from the extensive menu, then left her to her own thoughts. She cringed when Cleo tottered into the restaurant, staggered her way and pulled out a chair at the table next to hers. Oh heck, go away, you vile creature.

The next twenty minutes, while Megan waited for her dinner to arrive, were like being in some kind of time warp. Cleo went through the same details she’d shared when Megan and Tina had dined together the night before. Is this her sneaky way of getting people to trust her? Maybe Tina snuck out of the room during the night and joined Cleo in her hotel room as the woman had suggested. How does the spooky man fit in this scenario? Megan smiled at the woman.

“Dahling, you look familiar to me. Have you stayed here recently?”

“Ah, you’ve sussed me. I was here last month with my fella.”

“Oh yes, I remember. He cute man. I think at the time you make sweet couple and I like to get to know you better. If you ever go to Portsmouth, I give you my address. You stay for free in my apartment, you hear me?”

“That’s very kind of you. Do you make that offer to all of your guests?”

Cleo leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Only the pretty ones.” She kissed Megan on the cheek.

Megan cringed and resisted the temptation to strike the woman. “You’re very kind. Well, I better go to bed now. I have an early start in the morning.”

Cleo jumped to her feet and placed a hand on Megan’s shoulder, preventing her from standing. “No, we not finished yet, sweetie. Let me buy you a drink or ten.” Cleo laughed raucously.

“No, that’s fine. I’m going back to my room now if it’s all the same to you. Thanks for the invite.”

“You come to my room later. You have open invitation to join me when my hubby fast asleep,” Cleo insisted, her voice rising in her urgency.

“To be honest, I just want an early night. It’s been a very long day for me.”

Cleo bent to kiss her cheek again and squeezed her shoulders. “I make you nice and relaxed. I promise you won’t regret spending night with me.”

Megan pushed her chair back, and Cleo lost her balance and toppled into the next table. “I said no, and I mean no. I’m not into the kind of thing you’re asking me to join you in. You disgust me. Now get out of my face.”

Two heads popped around the doorway as she marched towards it. Megan pointed at Cleo. “She should be bloody locked up. Institutionalised at the very least. I’m going to my room, and I have no intention of paying for my meal as when I get upstairs, I’m sure it’s going to resurface. She’s disgusting, and she’s lucky I haven’t called the police.”

The waitress and the receptionist seemed appalled and embarrassed by their boss’s behaviour. They tried to apologise, but Megan stomped up the stairs without saying another word.

She slammed the door behind her and threw herself on the bed. Her heart pounded as she picked up her phone and searched her handbag for a card. “Hello, is that you, Sally?”

“Megan?”

“My God, you’re never going to believe what just happened.”

“Calm down. Are you all right? Has anyone hurt you?”

“I’m fine, just shaken up after uncovering something major to do with Tina’s disappearance. Can you come and see me first thing?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the Elsa Lee hotel.”

“You’re what? Why? Crap, shall I come and see you now? What have you found out?”

“I’m fine. No, tomorrow will do. You’ll be shocked by what I have to tell you. See you around nine?”

“Of course. Are you sure you’ll be safe?”

“Yes, I’ll barricade myself in tonight and meet you outside in the morning. Don’t be late, please.”

“I won’t be. Stay safe.”

After Megan hung up, she moved the small sofa up against the door and piled it high with the small coffee table and the dressing table stool. It wasn’t much, but it gave her peace of mind.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sally rang Jack the next morning and told him to be at work at eight thirty.

After his initial complaints died down, he asked, “Why? Why would she stay at the same hotel?”

“If she’s anything like me, she’ll be determined to find out what happened to her friend, Jack. Where better to start her quest than at the scene of the suspected crime? We have to give her credit for that; she’s certainly got balls.”

“I suppose. Let’s hope she hasn’t put herself in harm’s way by being as pig-headed as you.”

Sally laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They arrived at the hotel five minutes late due to the morning rush-hour traffic. A woman was standing on the steps of the building. At first, Sally thought it was Megan, but the woman’s heavy build was nothing like Megan’s svelte frame. Sally glanced around, looking for Megan, and her heart began to pound when she realised she wasn’t there to greet them as promised.

“I see I managed to fool you then.” The woman on the steps removed her dark glasses and winked at Sally.

“What the? Megan! You did that all right. I take it you booked in here wearing that disguise and under a fake name.”

“I did. Thank you so much for coming. You won’t regret it. Can we talk in your car?”

“Of course.”

The three of them walked back to the car. Sally and Megan climbed into the backseat, and Jack sat in the passenger seat in the front. He turned to face them.

“What’s going on, Megan? Have you found Tina?” Sally asked eagerly.

“No. What I saw last night hints that there is something very strange going on at this hotel. Before I reveal what I’ve learned, can you tell me what exactly you found out at the first hotel?”

Sally tutted. “Like I told you on the phone yesterday, the owner told me you were there alone. He sounded convincing enough from my perspective.”

Megan nodded and raised her eyebrow. “Why am I not surprised about that? Okay, I have another question for you. When you interviewed the staff here, I didn’t see you question the owner of this hotel, the black woman, or did you do that elsewhere, in her office perhaps?”

“No, you’re right. We were told that she and her husband had left the hotel first thing yesterday and travelled to Portsmouth.”

“Oh really? Well, it must have been a brief trip because she was here at the hotel last night, making a bloody nuisance of herself just like on the night I was with Tina.”

“You better fill us in and quickly.”

“I came up with the idea of using a disguise, if only for my own benefit. I got the impression that you thought I was losing my mind.”

“I didn’t, but I can totally understand how that doubt crept in. Go on—so you thought up this disguise, booked yourself into the hotel, and?”

“And... I sat in the bar and observed. What I saw left me dumbfounded. A man walked into the bar and sat down for a drink—not just any man. He was the man I told you about in the strange car that Tina and I stumbled across near the first hotel. Don’t you think that’s a remarkable coincidence, Inspector?”

Sally looked at Jack, who nodded. “Yes, very strange and intriguing. I have to ask why you didn’t ring us straight away, Megan.”

“Because I was inquisitive as to where it would all lead. Anyway, when he came in, he joined the owner of the hotel, this Cleo woman, at the bar. The same woman you were told had left for Portsmouth only that morning.”

“Curiouser and curiouser. Are you saying they knew each other?”

“Damn right, they did. I was sitting inconspicuously a fair distance away, so I couldn’t eavesdrop on what they were talking about, but I’d say they knew each other intimately. She downed several large drinks with him, and he left the bar not long after.”

“Okay, then what?”

“She finished her drink and then left, too. She caused some shit at reception, which was rather embarrassing. The receptionist ended up crying in the toilet. I tried to console her. She said her boss always treated the staff that way. She returned to the desk, and I went through to the restaurant for dinner. Cleo followed me into the empty restaurant and started chatting me up, kissing, and cuddling me. It was all too much, especially after she pulled the same act on Tina and me the night before. She’s not right in the head, that one, or maybe this is her way of abducting people.”

“That’s a pretty big claim, Megan. We need something more substantial than just your side of events to tackle her.”

“I knew you’d say that. What about the hotel’s cameras? Do you think they’ll help to back up my story?”

“We can certainly look into it. Jack, why don’t you go in and ask for the footage from yesterday and today. Tell them it’s part of our investigation.”

Jack opened the car door and before he got out said, “How, or more to the point where, are we going to check the footage? Back at the station?”

“Hmm... good point. If there’s something on there, then we should act upon the evidence without delay. Maybe ask the reception to show you the footage now.”

“I can try. What’s the betting she tells me the camera is out of action?”

“Just go and see. Deal with anything she flings at you. I need that footage as proof.”

Sally and Megan watched Jack march up the steps and disappear into the hotel before they continued their conversation.

“I have to tell you this, Megan. While I’ve had my doubts about the authenticity of your story, I’ve found myself reconsidering that, especially after the tenacity and bravery you’ve shown by coming back here in disguise. If a person had anything to hide, they wouldn’t do that. If Tina is here, we’ll find her. You have my word on that.”

“Thank you, Sally. It means a lot that you believe me. Do you think they might be holding Tina in one of the hotel rooms?”

“I have no idea. Let’s see what Jack comes up with and go from there. What was Cleo’s reaction when you turned down her advances last night?”

“I’m not really sure. I didn’t stay around long enough to find out. I rushed up to my room, rang you, and barricaded myself in until I came down for breakfast this morning. I didn’t want to meet the same fate as Tina during the night.”

“You did the right thing. Hold on, I’m going to ring the station, see if we can find anything out about Cleo. I wonder what her surname is. My team can find that out.” Sally rang the station. “Stuart, can you do me a favour? Do a quick background check on the owners of the Elsa Lee Hotel, quick as you can.”

Jack rushed across the car park, discs in hand. “I’ve got them. The receptionist seemed pretty eager to part with them, too.”

“Right, where can we watch them quickly, Jack, any idea?”

“We need someone with access to a DVD player. I have one at home of course, but that’s miles away.”

“Can’t we just knock on a nearby house and ask to borrow their DVD player?” Megan asked, trepidation evident in her voice.

“She has a point,” Jack replied.

“Then that’s what we’ll do. Hop in the driver’s seat, Jack. I’m not leaving the car here.”

Jack pulled out of the car park and into the drive of the house a few doors down, which had a car outside the front door. He left the vehicle and returned, wearing a smile. “We’ve struck lucky. The guy is an ex-copper. He’s only too willing to help out.”

The three of them piled into the man’s living room. He shook hands with all of them and left the room to give them some privacy.

“Can we look at the disc from yesterday first?” Megan asked.

“I intend to,” Jack replied.

Sally and Megan sat on the sofa while he inserted the disc into the machine and switched on the TV. He ran through the disc until Megan shouted, “Stop! Go back a bit. There, that’s the man’s car.” She let out a long breath. “Thank God for that.”

“That’s excellent. Well, that’s one piece of the puzzle in place. Jack, can we try and locate the owner’s car? Let’s see if they get in their car at all, if they really did go to Portsmouth.”

Jack whizzed through the disc and eventually spotted a black woman and an older man getting into a car.

“There! That’s her, and that looks like her husband, too.”

“Right, is that yesterday’s disc still, Jack?”

“Yep. Okay, let me search the other one now. There’s no disputing the evidence now, boss.”

Sally nodded and withdrew her phone from her pocket. “Exactly. I’m going to call for backup and obtain a warrant for both addresses, this hotel and the flat in Portsmouth.”

“Can I make a suggestion?” Megan piped up.

Sally nodded.

“If you’re going to swarm the place, do you think you should hit the first hotel in Swaffham at the same time? They’re obviously in cahoots.”

“Good idea. Hey, have you ever thought of becoming a detective?” Sally asked jokingly. The thoughtful expression that appeared on Megan’s face told Sally she had. “We’ll talk after this investigation is over.”

An hour later, uniformed police swarmed the Elsa Lee Hotel. Sally organised the men into teams and told them what was expected of them and who they were looking for. En masse, they entered the reception area. The startled look on the receptionist’s face was priceless. She reached for the phone on her desk.

“Do that, and I’ll arrest you for interfering with an investigation. What floor is your boss’s room on?” Sally asked.

“I’m sorry. I was only going to call my boss down for you. I don’t want trouble. I’m a good girl. I have nothing to do with this. Please, don’t hurt me or deport me.”

“Stop panicking. Let us do our job, and hopefully, no one will get hurt in the process,” Sally instructed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Megan remove her wig.

The receptionist gasped. “You! You come back for your friend?”

Megan shot a glance in Sally’s direction. “That confirms it. Tina was here with me.” Megan turned back to the receptionist and demanded, “Where is she?”

“Please, I do job here. Not get involved in what else goes on in hotel, I promise.”

“All right. Tell me where I can find the owner, now!” Sally ordered.

“Fifth floor. Room 510. She and her husband have a suite. But she also has a room she keeps for herself that her husband knows nothing about.”

“Where? The number, quickly!”

“607. No one else is allowed in there. No cleaners. No one.”

“Right, do you have a key to that room?”

The receptionist shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter. You, stay here. Make sure she doesn’t warn anyone,” Sally instructed a female officer, who shot round the desk and stood next to the scared receptionist.

“Jack, we need to make multiple attacks at the same time, on rooms 510 and 607. You lead the team on 510. I’ll take 607.”

“I’m not happy about this, boss. I should be with you, especially if that’s where you think they’re holding the girl.”

“I’m not having a debate, Jack. Let’s go!”

The group of uniformed officers ascended the stairs. Sally and her team left Jack and his colleagues on the fifth floor as she rushed up to the sixth. She located the room and stood back to enable one of the burly officers to break down the door. He did so without much effort, then four officers rushed into the dark room. Sally switched on the light and followed them. Lying on the bed, bound and gagged, was a young woman, her eyes wide with fear. Sally knelt beside her and slipped the gag over her chin. “Are you Tina?”

“Yes, oh my God. I’m so glad you found me. They said they were going to kill me. Where’s Megan? Is she all right? This wasn’t supposed to happen, not like this.”

“Can one of you untie her?” Sally asked the officers.

The slight female PC began tugging at the ropes binding Tina’s hands and feet together. Once she was free, the woman sat upright on the edge of the bed and frantically rubbed her wrists, trying to get the blood to flow properly.

“What did you mean, Tina?” Sally asked.

“One word. I said one word wrong, and she turned on me. She’s bloody crazy, I tell you.”

Sally frowned. “Who’s crazy? Megan?” She wondered if she’d totally misread the woman who’d instigated the investigation after all.

“No. Cleo. She put me up to this. She forces me to befriend people on Facebook and to bring them here. I owe her a lot of money, a debt I’m paying off for my father. He used to work here as a barman. She’s evil with a capital E, that one.”

“Is this the first time you’ve enticed someone here, Tina?”

Her chin dropped onto her chest. “No, it’s the third time.”

“Where are the other girls? I take it the other two people were also women?”

“Yes, young girls, barely out of their teens. I have no idea what happened to them. My job was to deposit them at the hotel and leave.”

“So, why did that change this time? You booked into the hotel with Megan, didn’t you?”

“Cleo insisted she wanted to change things. She’s a risk-taker, always pushing things to the edge.”

“How do the first hotel owner, Peter, and the driver fit into this? He is involved, isn’t he? The rabbit incident wasn’t a figment of Megan’s imagination, was it?”

“As far as I know, Peter met Cleo at a hotel function, and they hit it off. They found each other attractive and shared their desires with each other. Cleo came up with this plan to entice Megan here once she saw our conversation on Facebook about Megan looking at properties in the UK. It was me who suggested she search in this area. Peter roped his friend, the driver, into the crazy scheme. He thought it would add extra fear value.”

“I see. Did you suggest staying at the first hotel?”

“Yes, I helped Megan search suitable hotels in the area and suggested the country hotel,” she admitted.

“What was Cleo’s ultimate intention? To harm Megan?”

“No. Her intention has always been to strip the girls of their belongings—or in Megan’s case, her money—and then to force them to work as slaves.”

“Slaves? Truly? Where? Here at the hotel?”

“No, she never has the girls close by. They’re transported to different parts of the country. I don’t know where exactly. You’ll have to ask her that.”

“How do you know the other minute details of the plan, Tina? And yet, you don’t know where these girls are now?”

“Cleo likes to brag about things when she’s drunk. I’ve tried several times to get the information out of her, without success. Maybe you should take a look at her apartment in Portsmouth, too.”

“Oh, we are. Don’t worry about that. Can you walk?”

Tina tried to stand up, but her legs gave way.

“Take your time. I’m going to leave you in my colleagues’ safe hands. I need to find out what’s going on elsewhere.”

“Thank you. What will happen to me? Will I be charged?”

Sally nodded. “Yes, but I’m sure in light of the evidence you can give us, a deal can be thrashed out.”

“I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to get involved.”

“On that, we agree. We’ll talk more later.” Sally walked out of the room and trotted down to the room Jack had hit with the other officers. “What do we have, Jack?”

Her partner turned his back on Cleo and whispered, “A mouthy cow who has so far tried to flirt with every officer in this effing room. Christ, she’s turning my stomach upside down. I think we should take her back to the station and let her stew in a cell for a few hours before we question her.”

Sally chortled. “That bad, eh? Let’s see what she has to say for herself first. If she doesn’t respond, then I’ll take you up on your suggestion. Tina is safe, by the way.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Hmm... well, unfortunately, it turns out she was involved in this setup, but ended up being stripped of her responsibility by Cleo.”

“Don’t touch me!” Cleo shouted.

Jack’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “See? Mouthy cow.”

Sally squeezed past her partner. “We’ll see if she’s mouthy after I’ve hit her with what I know about her disgusting setup.” She approached the woman, who had the audacity to look her up and down with interest as if she were a piece of fillet steak. “Hello, Cleo. I’ve been hearing an awful lot about you.”

“All good, I’m sure.” Cleo ran her tongue suggestively across her full lips.

“Not in the least. Tina has been most helpful in disclosing the ins and outs of your scandalous business. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Cleo shrugged and curled the left side of her lip. “She tells a lot of lies, that one.”

“Oh right. Can you tell me why I found her bound and gagged in a room, off limits to everyone else in the hotel?”

“What can I say? That one, she likes kinky sex.”

“Who are you trying to kid? There’s no point denying your involvement in this crime, Cleo. Everyone involved will be throwing the shit your way in order to save their own skin and to bargain a more lenient sentence for themselves. I guess you didn’t account for that when you started abducting these women, did you?”

“I done nothin’. All I guilty of is working my way up around ’ere. I started in gutter, and now look around you, lady—all this is mine.”

“Nothing to do with marrying a wealthy man old enough to be your father, then? I see. Silly me, my mistake.”

Cleo attempted to slap Sally around the face, but the two uniformed officers standing alongside her were quick to react and restrained her. “You know nothin’. I bet when you were little, you never knew any kind of ’ardship. Mummy and Daddy gave you everything you ever needed, yes?”

Sally shook her head. She didn’t feel the need to embark on an unnecessary debate with the woman about her upbringing. Instead, she ordered the officers to cuff Cleo and take her back to the station.

When Sally and Jack returned to the reception area, Megan was eagerly awaiting their arrival. “Well?”

“Tina’s safe, love. But... I’m sorry to have to tell you that she was involved in the scheme from the get-go.”

Megan gasped. “What? I don’t believe you. Is that what that twisted cow Cleo told you?”

“No. Tina told me herself. Look, we’re taking Tina and Cleo to the station for questioning. Why don’t you come with us? You can give one of my team a statement and move on with your life.”

“Just like that, Inspector?” Megan looked appalled by the suggestion.

“Let us complete our job, Megan. We still have people at the other two locations to question yet. I don’t mean to sound blasé about this, but I need to start questioning these people ASAP.”

“What two locations?” Megan asked, clearly confused.

“Cleo’s apartment in Portsmouth and the hotel in Swaffham.”

“I’ve been such a fool. I trusted Tina, despite never meeting her in real life. What a complete idiot I am.”

“Nonsense. You’re not the first, and I doubt you’ll be the last person, to put blinding trust into an online friendship, Megan. Don’t beat yourself up about that. Will you go back to France now?”

“Definitely, I could never imagine this type of thing going on over there.”

Sally smiled. However, she struggled to believe what Megan had said to be the truth. That kind of thing was happening the world over, and there was very little she, or anyone else, could do about that. People would continue to use social networks to build friendships without having any idea whether they would turn out to be good or bad. The world was full to the brim of gullible people, keen to believe in a wealth of kindness in the world, when nothing could be farther from the truth. Vigilance must be the key in a world dominated by evil-plotting bastards.

THE END

Thank you for reading Web of Deceit; we sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this novella as much as we loved writing it.

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Table of Contents

WEB OF DECEIT | M. A. COMLEY | And | TARA LYONS

Web of Deceit | CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN