like I said before, the lady has a short fuse, and I wouldn’t like to be caught on the end of it.’
‘Give me a scenario when you have seen Tina angry.’
Kiara suddenly didn’t want to answer any more questions, shaking her head and backing out.
‘Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of anything here. I know she’s got a temper and we’ve all had to bear the brunt of it sometimes, but she’s good to work for if you treat her right. Ask someone else, okay?’
Kiara left them and Anna helped herself to some of the fresh coffee Kiara had brewed, but not drunk. The next moment they got their own experience of Tina Brooks’s temper. She almost kicked the screen down as she faced them.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ she demanded, hands on hips. ‘Why are you asking my staff about my relationship with Alan? It’s none of their fucking business.’
‘We are just interviewing everyone who might give us some indication as to where he could be.’
‘Anybody working for me would know we kept our life private. I told you this—in fact, I’ve been fucking accommodating to you two whenever you turn up, and from now on if you want to see me again, you ask to do so through my lawyer. Now get out of my salon.’
Anna put her coffee down, and Paul drained his mug.
‘Now—I want you out of here
now
.’
‘You know, Tina, this isn’t the best way—’
The young woman pushed Anna in the chest, interrupting her.
‘It’s
my
way. I’ve got enough pressure trying to deal with the fact he’s walked out on me. I don’t need this aggravation. I don’t need it!’ she yelled.
Anna walked out first, and Paul followed quickly as they heard a crash of breaking china in the staff room. They both hurried through the salon, passing Donna blow-drying a customer’shair. She gave them a smile, but wiped it off her face fast as Tina strode after them.
‘You want to talk to any of my staff, you ask me first.’
Anna opened the salon’s door. Felicity at reception looked terrified as Tina told her, ‘You hear me, Felicity? You don’t let anybody in here without my permission—and that includes the police.’
She slammed the door after them so hard, Paul was worried it would shatter the glass.
Anna whistled and then smiled. ‘Mmm, that was nice.’
‘You look as if you are starting to enjoy yourself,’ Paul said.
She laughed. ‘I wouldn’t exactly describe it as enjoyment, more like interesting.’ Paul didn’t say anything, but it was the first time he had heard her laugh properly. It perplexed him because he had not found the interaction with Tina in any way amusing. On the contrary, it disturbed him.
‘Next port of call?’ Anna asked as she started the engine. They were using her Mini rather than a patrol car.
‘City banking company over by Liverpool Street,’ Paul replied promptly.
‘What’s his name?’ Anna asked.
Paul pulled out his notebook and flipped over a page to a name he’d taken down; the occupant of flat one.
‘Michael Phillips.’
The journey took some time from Hounslow, so Anna put the radio on. They sat listening to classical music on Radio 3. Paul’s hangover was still resting like a low dull thud, so he closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn’t get any worse.
They parked and headed toward an impressive building close to the station. It had taken a while for Anna to get the doorman toallow them to park in the small private parking area. She showed her ID and said she was there on business, and he gave her a sticker to place on the windscreen.
By this time Paul had asked a receptionist seated behind a large curved desk to contact Mr Phillips. She placed a call to the company of Aston & Clark Merchant Bankers and at the same time wrote down on two visitor’s cards his name and Anna’s. She slipped them into plastic covers with the phone hooked under her chin, repeating that she had DCI Travis and DS Paul Simms waiting.
‘Mr Phillips is in conference room three. If
‘Give me a scenario when you have seen Tina angry.’
Kiara suddenly didn’t want to answer any more questions, shaking her head and backing out.
‘Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of anything here. I know she’s got a temper and we’ve all had to bear the brunt of it sometimes, but she’s good to work for if you treat her right. Ask someone else, okay?’
Kiara left them and Anna helped herself to some of the fresh coffee Kiara had brewed, but not drunk. The next moment they got their own experience of Tina Brooks’s temper. She almost kicked the screen down as she faced them.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ she demanded, hands on hips. ‘Why are you asking my staff about my relationship with Alan? It’s none of their fucking business.’
‘We are just interviewing everyone who might give us some indication as to where he could be.’
‘Anybody working for me would know we kept our life private. I told you this—in fact, I’ve been fucking accommodating to you two whenever you turn up, and from now on if you want to see me again, you ask to do so through my lawyer. Now get out of my salon.’
Anna put her coffee down, and Paul drained his mug.
‘Now—I want you out of here
now
.’
‘You know, Tina, this isn’t the best way—’
The young woman pushed Anna in the chest, interrupting her.
‘It’s
my
way. I’ve got enough pressure trying to deal with the fact he’s walked out on me. I don’t need this aggravation. I don’t need it!’ she yelled.
Anna walked out first, and Paul followed quickly as they heard a crash of breaking china in the staff room. They both hurried through the salon, passing Donna blow-drying a customer’shair. She gave them a smile, but wiped it off her face fast as Tina strode after them.
‘You want to talk to any of my staff, you ask me first.’
Anna opened the salon’s door. Felicity at reception looked terrified as Tina told her, ‘You hear me, Felicity? You don’t let anybody in here without my permission—and that includes the police.’
She slammed the door after them so hard, Paul was worried it would shatter the glass.
Anna whistled and then smiled. ‘Mmm, that was nice.’
‘You look as if you are starting to enjoy yourself,’ Paul said.
She laughed. ‘I wouldn’t exactly describe it as enjoyment, more like interesting.’ Paul didn’t say anything, but it was the first time he had heard her laugh properly. It perplexed him because he had not found the interaction with Tina in any way amusing. On the contrary, it disturbed him.
‘Next port of call?’ Anna asked as she started the engine. They were using her Mini rather than a patrol car.
‘City banking company over by Liverpool Street,’ Paul replied promptly.
‘What’s his name?’ Anna asked.
Paul pulled out his notebook and flipped over a page to a name he’d taken down; the occupant of flat one.
‘Michael Phillips.’
The journey took some time from Hounslow, so Anna put the radio on. They sat listening to classical music on Radio 3. Paul’s hangover was still resting like a low dull thud, so he closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn’t get any worse.
They parked and headed toward an impressive building close to the station. It had taken a while for Anna to get the doorman toallow them to park in the small private parking area. She showed her ID and said she was there on business, and he gave her a sticker to place on the windscreen.
By this time Paul had asked a receptionist seated behind a large curved desk to contact Mr Phillips. She placed a call to the company of Aston & Clark Merchant Bankers and at the same time wrote down on two visitor’s cards his name and Anna’s. She slipped them into plastic covers with the phone hooked under her chin, repeating that she had DCI Travis and DS Paul Simms waiting.
‘Mr Phillips is in conference room three. If
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