Dead of Winter

Chapter 60

‘He bought three tickets.’

‘Did you check it?’

Carter and Ebony parked up outside the Tapps’ house.

‘Yes, Sarge, ticket sales confirm it. It was tagged going into the grounds. I’ve sent you a text with the details. Aaron said the seat was empty next to them. Whoever used it didn’t get as far as the seat but they did come into the grounds. They did go through the gates.’

‘And it wasn’t the father?’

‘Unless he changed his mind, went in but didn’t go up to the stand. He could have waited at the bar.’

‘Except he wasn’t going to meet them there. He waited for them at the Tube station.’

‘We haven’t found him on the CCTV footage yet.’

‘Right, let’s sort this out,’ said Carter, getting out of the car.

‘Mrs Tapp. . sorry to bother you again,’ Ebony apologized as she smiled. Carter was looking down the street. He hadn’t slept well. He’d drunk too much. Now it fought with his brain. The conversation with Cabrina the other night still bothered him. He had analysed it so many times. He could see what he said wrong. What did he say it for? He had sounded like he was ‘putting up with’ the baby for the sake of having her home. Well, maybe it had been like that at the beginning but it wasn’t intentional. It was alright for her — she had something growing inside her, changing her hormones, making her ready. He just had blind panic growing inside. But he would be alright. They would be alright, and the baby would fit in. He better think of some way to get her back before she became settled where she was. He better make it good.

They followed Mrs Tapp inside. ‘We need a quick word. . is your husband in?’

‘Mike’ll be home in a minute. What is it you need to see him about?’

They took a right into the lounge. The room held oversized tapestry sofas in a reasonably small space; there were stripped pine floors and white walls with arty posters.

Ebony and Helen left Carter looking at the book collection as Helen picked up Alfie, who was whinging half-heartedly, and they made their way towards the kitchen.

‘How are things?’ Ebony asked.

Helen Tapp obviously hadn’t found the time to brush her hair that day. She looked like she was nursing a hangover. She put Alfie into a highchair, put a plastic pelican bib around his neck and went to fetch him a biscuit from the cupboard.

‘It must be very difficult for you? Does Alfie go to nursery?’ Helen shook her head. ‘It must be hard work being the one who stays at home for the kids.’ Helen didn’t answer; she bent down to give Alfie his biscuit.

‘I chose it.’ She kissed his head

‘What did you do before you had kids?’

‘Years ago, before Alex came along, I was in publishing. After he went to school I went to work for a literary agent, handled their foreign rights deals. It was really interesting, going to the book fairs, talking to authors.’

‘Did you ever think of going back to it?’

‘I haven’t since Alfie was born. . Alfie wasn’t planned. . a miracle baby. .’ She smiled and then turned away and began cleaning the work surface.

‘You’ve been married for a long time, haven’t you?’

‘Eighteen years.’ She didn’t turn around as she answered. She was searching for sugar to put in Ebony’s cup.

‘You must have been very young when you married.’

‘I was twenty.’

She turned around and leant her back against the counter, staring out at the garden, the low winter sun in her face, her eyes pools of sadness. Her face was dry and grey. Through the bay window the day was not getting any lighter and it was only just past eleven. Freezing rain hammered against the windowpane. ‘I suppose I was young, but I was sure. . then. .’ She turned back from the window, close to tears.

They heard the sound of the front door opening, the noise of traffic driving through the rain.

‘Michael?’

They heard him throw his keys on the hall table. ‘Who else would it be?’ they heard him say.

Michael Tapp stopped at the lounge door. He wasn’t expecting to see Carter. He looked embarrassed at first and then indignant.

‘Any news?’

Carter shook his head. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you. Do you have the afternoon off?’ Michael Tapp was dressed in a suit.

‘No.’ He blinked a few times, gave a look that said: what business is it of yours? ‘Excuse me. .’

They heard his footsteps going up to the bedroom. Ebony watched Helen as she stopped what she was doing, frozen with one of Alfie’s toys in her hands, listening to her husband. She knew every meaning of hard or soft feet on the stairs, quick or slow pace, whistling to himself or breathing through his nose. His disappointment in her had a language all of its own.

Ebony saw Carter looking at her from the hallway. He nodded, flicked his head towards the stairwell. ‘Helen. . can you just tell your husband that I need to ask him a couple of questions? I’ll look after Alfie for you. .’ said Ebony.

Helen didn’t need asking twice: she was itching to go to him, he had a magnetic pull for her, but it brought her nothing but pain.

Ebony listened to their words coming from upstairs. She heard the heated exchange that was squashed into a loud whisper.

Helen walked down the stairs, blowing her nose. She came back into the kitchen, bent down and picked up Alfie’s dropped biscuit from the floor.

‘He’s coming.’

After five minutes Michael came downstairs. He had changed into T-shirt and tracksuit trousers.

‘My wife says you want to talk to me?’ He went into the lounge where Carter was looking at the bookshelves.

‘Is she alright?’ Carter turned back from the bookcase and nodded in the direction of the kitchen.

‘She is finding this a great strain, as we both are. It’s not easy for any of us at the moment. What do you need to know?’

‘I need a DNA test from you.’ Carter took one out of his pocket, cleaned his hands with a wipe and tore off the top then handed it to Tapp. ‘Swab it around the inside of your cheeks for a minute. Make sure it’s good and coated, turn it as you press; we need the cheek cells not saliva.’ Tapp handed it back when he had finished. ‘You been a Gunner all your life?’ Carter picked up the picture of Michael Tapp standing with David Seaman outside the old Arsenal stadium.

Michael nodded. ‘Since I was a boy and used to live near the Arsenal. My dad had a season ticket.’

‘I support Spurs.’

Michael Tapp grinned and groaned. ‘Someone’s got to.’

‘Yeah, I know. . wish I could go more often; I’m always working and you know how expensive tickets are these days, don’t you?’ Michael Tapp’s face registered that he knew when he was being led. His smile disappeared; he began tidying up Alfie’s toys. ‘You must have paid a lot for three tickets.’ Carter got out his phone and checked a memo. ‘Upper tier, block 102, Row 11. Three seats — 310, 311, 312. . very nice.’ He looked up at Tapp. ‘You bought yourself a ticket but you didn’t go to the match with the boys?’

‘That’s right.’ He stacked Alfie’s toys into a corner.

‘But you intended to?’ Tapp started shaking his head. ‘You bought three tickets.’

Tapp stopped what he was doing for a moment then renewed his tidying at double the speed. ‘That’s right. I bought three tickets but I changed my mind.’

‘Why was that?’

He shrugged. ‘I intended to go at one point, bought them way in advance, but things changed. Alex asked me not to go with them. I thought about it, and decided the boys were old enough to go on their own. I was going to suggest another friend have my ticket instead of me but Alex didn’t want that.’

‘Aaron’s mother said she thought you would be going with them. She had no idea.’

‘Really? I thought Alex and Aaron had agreed to it between them.’ He made an unconvincing attempt to look surprised. His face turned red.

‘What did you do while they were at the match?’

‘I don’t know. . had a coffee somewhere, did a bit of window-shopping. . what is this. . do I need to account for my every move? Why don’t you put the energy into finding Alex instead of harassing us. . you can see the state my wife is in. . she’s very brittle at the moment.’

‘Did you change your mind and go in after all?’

‘No.’

Michael Tapp looked towards the door of the lounge. ‘Where’s your colleague?’

‘I expect she’s chatting with Mrs Tapp. How do you think she’s coping with all this?’

‘The same way we both are. We’re devastated, what do you expect?’ He looked at Carter accusingly. ‘Someone’s walked away with our son in broad daylight.’

‘Not just someone. .’

Tapp gave a small intake of breath but kept his eyes glued on Carter.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, she wasn’t just someone, was she?’

‘Sorry?’

‘She was the person who had the spare ticket.’

Tapp tilted his head to one side, but his face became darker. His eyes narrowed onto Carter’s face as if trying to read every expression.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Can you show me the ticket?’

‘I looked for it before; I must have thrown it away.’

‘That’s the only way she got near enough to Alex to take him. She gained access to the ground that way. She met him on the way to the toilet, but then he knew her, or he trusted her implicitly. She arranged to meet him at half-time. Why was that?’

Michael Tapp shook his head. ‘I remember now.’ He looked relieved. ‘In the end I gave the ticket away to one of the people at Alex’s school, one of the dads.’

‘Did he pay you? It’s what fifty pounds? It’s a lot of money to right off.’’

‘I don’t remember. I owed him maybe. I just don’t remember.’

In the kitchen Ebony was watching Helen with concern.

‘Are you okay?’ she asked, seeing her shoulders bow and begin to tremble. ‘You and your husband. . everything alright, Helen?’

Helen Tapp turned and looked at her: her face was flushed; she wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand.

‘Bound to be difficult. He doesn’t like showing his feelings. He’s in denial.’

‘Is he home a bit more to help you?’

‘The last few days he hasn’t been.’

‘Helen, I’m sorry to ask you, but do you have a strong marriage? Have you been having problems?’

Helen Tapp nodded wearily. ‘He has had affairs.’

‘Has?’

She nodded again. ‘I thought about leaving, but with Alfie so small — and I don’t have a job. I don’t have my own money. I wouldn’t even know where to go or how to look after the kids on my own.’ She clasped her hand over her mouth to suffocate the scream about to explode. Ebony went over to her and put her arms round her but she stopped, backed away, swung her head back and forth. ‘No. . please. . he mustn’t hear me cry.’

‘We’re going to do our utmost for Alex, Helen. I believe he is still alive. I believe we will find him. When we do. . you and I will talk again and I will put you in touch with women who can help you in whatever you decide to do.’

Helen grabbed more tissues from the box on the side and buried her face in them and sobbed silently as she nodded. She looked up at Ebony, her eyes swimming with gratitude.

‘Now stay strong, stay optimistic, because we have a team out there working twenty-four seven just to find Alex and we are going to do it. You have to do your side of things and be ready for him when he comes home.’ She nodded. ‘Any woman in your husband’s life right now?’

Helen nodded. ‘This one’s special. I think it’s been going on for a while.’

‘Have you seen her?’

She shook her head. ‘I’ve smelt her on him.’