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She found Melanie Scott’s house with the help of her A to Z, only about five minutes’ walk away from the Hounslow West tube station. Cars filled every available parking spot on both sides of the street, sun glinting on their windscreens, so she was glad yet again that she wasn’t driving.
The woman who answered the door looked to be in her late twenties, the same age as Je
“You said it’s about Je
“I’m afraid Je
Melanie just stared into a far corner of the room and her eyes filled with tears. Then she put her fist to her mouth and bit. A
No flies on Melanie, thought A
“Oh my God. It’s the woman they found in the car in Yorkshire, isn’t it? The one in the papers and on TV. You said you were from Yorkshire.”
“North Yorkshire, yes.”
“They wouldn’t give her name out on the TV.”
“No,” said A
“I can’t believe it,” Melanie said. “Who’d want to kill Je
“There was no sexual assault,” A
“Me? No, I can’t think of anyone.”
“When did you last talk to Je
“A few days ago – Wednesday, I think – on the phone. I haven’t actually seen her for two or three weeks. Both too busy. We were going to the pictures next weekend. Chick-flick night. I can’t believe it.” She dabbed at her eyes again.
“Do you know if there was anything bothering her, anything on her mind?”
“She did seem a bit preoccupied the last time I talked to her. But I must admit, Je
“She was worried about work?”
“Not specifically. It was just someone she mentioned. One of the late girls, she said. She worked at a family-pla
“I know,” said A
“I’ve no idea. That’s just what she said.”
“A workmate? Late shift?”
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think they worked in shifts. It’s not a twenty-four-hour center. But sometimes she has contact with the clients, through paperwork and billing and what have you, or if there’s a problem or something. There was some woman…”
That was how Je
“I’m trying. Give me a moment. She spoke it very quickly, so I can’t be absolutely sure, but it was a rather odd name.” Melanie paused and gazed out of the bay window. A white delivery truck passed by, blocking the sun for a moment. “Carmen, I think.”
“That was her first name?”
“Yes. Carmen. I remember thinking at the time that it sounded like an actress’s name, but that’s Cameron, isn’t it? Cameron Diaz. Hers was Carmen, like the opera. Her last name was Petri, or something like that. I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right.” A
“No. I’m sorry. Just that it was something this Carmen said.”
“Was Carmen at the center to arrange for an abortion?”
“I assumed so,” said Melanie, “but Je
“Did Je
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think she’d advise clients against it, suggest they keep the child and put it up for adoption instead?”
“Oh, I see. No, not really. Je
“But she did have contact with the girls?”
“Sometimes. Yes.”
“But you’ve no idea why Je
“Je
“Did Je
“You mean because she dealt with abortions?”
“Yes. There are a number of groups actively against it, some of them violent.”
“She never mentioned it to me. I mean, I think there was a small demonstration once, but nothing came of it. Certainly no violence, anyway. Groups like that would tend to ignore the center itself because abortions aren’t actually performed there, and many of the clients go on to have their babies and give them up for adoption, so I don’t think that’s a very real possibility.”
A
“Ever since primary school. We only lived two streets away from one another. And we have the same birthday. Her poor mum and dad…” Melanie picked up a packet of cigarettes from the arm of her chair and lit one. “Sorry, you don’t mind, do you?” she asked, blowing out the smoke.
“It’s your house,” said A
“We both did our postgraduate degrees at Birmingham. I took international business, and Je
“What about your undergraduate degrees?”
“Je
“You kept in touch?”
“Of course. We were practically inseparable in the hols.”
“I understand that just last summer the two of you went on holiday together to Sicily?”
“Yes.” Melanie frowned. “Look, may I ask just what you’re getting at? Are you suggesting there was anything… unusual… about our friendship, because if you are-”
A
“That’s hardly surprising,” said Melanie. “Je