had once managed a branch.
‘So the contractors, Shane Edmunds and Tim O’Neill, you don’t think they could have simply put in extra hours?’ asked PC Harris, reviewing his notes.
Alexia shook her head. ‘Not to remove items we’d agreed to store, and there’s no valid reason I know of for them to strip the slate from the back of the building. Neither Shane nor Tim are answering their phones and Shane’s not with my housemate, though they’re in a relationship.’
PC Harris nodded, making new notes. ‘Any other contact details? An address, maybe?’
Alexia felt sick. ‘My friend should know. I’ll ask her.’
‘No rush for the moment. Let’s deal with what we’ve got. You’re clear that the money should be in the bank accounts?’
‘Crystal clear.’ Gabe began to detail the access arrangements on each account.
Finally, PC Harris arranged that a detective constable would ring Gabe on Monday then departed to knock on the doors of the neighbouring houses in case the occupants had seen anything useful.
‘We mustn’t jump to conclusions.’ Gabe’s face was furrowed with worry as he watched the police officer leave.
‘No. But I’d feel a lot more comfortable if Shane hadn’t disappeared.’ Alexia paced nervously.
Gabe nodded. ‘Especially as we have to accept that the money and the materials are likely to have been taken by the same person. It would take a massive coincidence for it to be otherwise. And experience in banking tells me that when money vanishes from accounts there’s usually someone involved who’s connected to the account holders.’
Alexia couldn’t have looked much more miserable without bursting into tears. ‘Do you mean you know how it happened?’
Gabe blew out his lips. ‘I have a few ideas but fraudsters have a lot of weapons in their armoury. We’ll have to see what the police turn up.’
Alexia passed a shaking hand over her eyes. ‘Why didn’t I just stick to one of my normal contractors?’
‘It’s not your fault.’ Gabe’s gaze flicked to Ben, though he continued to address Alexia. ‘Shane was Jodie’s boyfriend so we took her personal recommendation. I had no misgivings about it and she’s a partner in the business side.’
Alexia hugged her arms around herself. ‘When Dion’s finished, I’ve got to go home and talk to Jodie.’
‘I think we ought to go together. I’ll ring Christopher and advise him of the situation while we’re hanging about.’
As Gabe stepped away to make his call, Ben cleared his throat. ‘Alexia, please let me apologise—’
Alexia didn’t even look at him as she turned and strode into the Public. If her nose had tipped any further in the air she would have given herself a crick in her neck.
Then Gabe ended his call and returned. Ben turned to him. ‘She won’t let me apologise.’
The older man sighed. ‘She probably isn’t too bothered about your feelings right now because she’s facing the prospect of confronting her best friend about the boyfriend going missing at the same time as money and valuables. And when bad things happen to Jodie she can find it hard to cope.’ After a pause for this to be digested he added more gently, ‘You get off home, Ben. Give her time to calm down.’
Dismissed, Ben had little choice but to trail off in the direction of Woodward Cottage, zipping up his hoodie against the evening wind that had an edge on it for September, crossing Port Road and entering the quietness of the bridleway under the familiar weight of negative emotions.
But this time he knew exactly where his guilt and regret lay.
Alexia’s feet felt like lead weights, heavier with every step she took towards home.
Gabe seemed in no more of a hurry, scuffing gloomily through drifts of golden leaves. Alexia tried to rehearse what to say to Jodie but her thoughts kept flying back to the rage on Ben’s face as he’d questioned her. Though he’d tried to back up, her anger and disappointment had refused to let her listen.
When they reached the cottage she silently unlocked the glossy blue door, finding Jodie, still in her dressing gown but looking less hungover, lying on the sofa, tucking into what she always termed her ‘poorly food’ – salty crackers and Pepsi. She looked up from the TV as Alexia trailed into the room, Gabe on her heels. ‘So what’s going on with the roof?’ She was grinning, obviously ready to be told some funny story about why Gabe had phoned Alexia with news of missing roof slates.
Falling into a chair, Alexia was no nearer knowing how best to approach Jodie than when she’d left The Angel.
Thankfully, Gabe took the lead. In his deep, precise tones he explained to Jodie what had happened at The Angel.
Slowly, Jodie sat up, belting her dressing gown more tightly, frowning. ‘So someone’s broken in and stolen the old radiators and tiles? They’ve taken the slates off the roof?’
‘We can’t tell if they broke in, or whether they had a key, as the door’s gone.’ Gabe’s voice held the cautious note of someone pussyfooting about a subject.
Jodie’s gaze flicked between Gabe and Alexia. ‘What do Shane and Tim say? Have they seen anyone lurking around?’
Gabe fidgeted. ‘We haven’t been able to contact them. Have you heard from Shane?’
Jodie shook her head, but slowly, as if moving it too decisively might disturb something delicate.
Gabe glanced at Alexia but Alexia felt frozen, as if she were watching an oncoming car speeding towards them and was unable to suggest they jump out of the way.
Gabe turned back to Jodie. ‘I’m afraid there’s worse to come,’ he said gently. And he told her about the missing money. ‘I take it you have no knowledge of these transactions?’
Jodie gasped, clutching at the neck of her dressing gown as if holding herself together. ‘I haven’t had any reason to look at the accounts for days. How can the money have gone? Who’s taken it? It’s nearly £30,000 altogether. It can’t be gone!’ She scrabbled in her pocket for her phone and began to stab wildly at it.
Slumping more deeply in her chair, Alexia watched hopelessly, letting Jodie have her moment of denial but miserably aware that no amount of checking the bank balance was going to make the money miraculously reappear. She felt exhausted. It wasn’t until Jodie lurched into a high, keening sobbing as she tried fruitlessly to ring Shane once more that Alexia dragged herself over to the sofa to slide her arm around Jodie’s quaking shoulders.
‘What are we going to do? How can it have happened?’ Jodie wailed.
Alexia felt hot tears ooze from her own eyes. Whether they were for Jodie, Gabe or herself, she couldn’t have said. But, used to Jodie’s emotional reactions, Alexia patted her back while Gabe made hot drinks
