Chapter 2 – Names

Shaking her head, Ashurst opened the folder which the Boss had plopped on her desk. "Jenny Browning," she read aloud. "Thirty-one. Caucasian, blonde hair, blue eyes, fair complexion. Five foot six, one hundred twenty two pounds, slender build. No distinguishing marks or scars. Perfect teeth and no children. Married to Barry Browning; and he's got money; in oil. Reported missing on the 12th of this month."

Scribbins went around the desk to peer over Ashurst's shoulder. She saw a picture of an attractive woman clipped onto the manila. "Pretty." She pointed to the picture. "Freckles." She turned to face the wall calendar. "Ten days gone. Why?"

Ashurst nodded. "She went to market and never came home. Her car, a rather nice BMW, was found in the local car park. Near as the husband could figure nothing was amiss with the car or her."

Scribbins grinned. "But they all say that don't they?" She sighed. "Everything is perfect in the 'burbs. Not a care in the world."

Ashurst plucked the picture from the folder and held it up for closer inspection. "So why would this one," she tapped the picture, "disappear?"

Scribbins looked at the photo again. The woman was smiling at the camera and there wasn't a line of worry on her smooth oval shaped face. "Money trouble?"

Kate shook her head. "The husband is doing very well, he said, and the bank records show that. No money missing either from their joint accounts. Her cash card has not been used and her mobile goes straight to voice mail."

"How old is the hubby?" Scribbins nodded.

Ashurst bent over the papers in the file. "He's forty-seven."

Grinning once more, Emma answered, "So… I think we should talk to Barry, don't you?"

Ashurst bowed her head. "I was thinking the same. Meet you at the door. Loo break."

Scribbins watched her new posh and trim police partner walk down the hall and around the corner. "Emma," she said to herself softly, "this one may be hard to get to know. All business."

She turned her head to see DI Anders inspecting her closely. "You got a problem, mate?" she asked him pointblank.

Anders shook his gray head at her. "Not me."

Emma smiled at the man, who was a good thirty years her senior. "I'm just the new girl. Don't mind me."

"I was just thinkin'," he said, "back when I was a young pup on the Force we didn't have women. Leastwise not as detectives – not in Middleford."

Emma gave him her best smile. "It's 2004 Anders, better suck it up."

His face blanched. "I'm just sayin'… things are…"

Emma shrugged into her coat. "Modern."

Anders pursed his lips. "Oh I know."

Emma signed out the car from Services and was holding the keys when Ashurst met her. "You'll drive?"

"No, no," Ashurst replied. "You signed for it. You bash a wing panel it's on you."

Scribbins made a face. "You don't want me to drive."

Ashurst held up her hands. "Go for it."

Outside they got into a small black Vauxhall Vectra, which was actually an Opel, and Ashurst watched while her partner carefully adjusted the seat, the steering column angle, and then the mirrors. Kate crossed her arms. "Finished?" she asked.

Scribbins nodded. "My dad always said to check your mirrors. He was a lorry driver so he knew." She started the car and the pulled out onto the street.

After a few blocks, Scribbins turned to her car mate. "So…"

"So?" Ashurst responded.

"Yeah, we gonna be DI Ashurst and DS Scribbins? I don't expect we'll be best mates – nothing like that. But names? But you can call me Emma, if you like."

"Uhm fine. Kate," Ashurst responded. "Kathryn, with a Y."

"Ah. My granny was Catherine with a C."

Kate grunted, "I've spent my whole life correcting people who want to spell my front name with a C."

Emma laughed. "Oh I know! That's the way with my middle name."

"Oh? Something ghastly? Matilda?"

Emma shook her head when she stopped at the next light. "Mum was a reader, far better than me I'm afraid and she was in love with this one Brit author…"

Kate turned to look at the driver when she got an inkling of what she meant. "No!"

Emma laughed. "Yep. Mum's fav writer is Jane Austen."

"And she didn't! She named you?"

She cast a clever look at Kate. "And her maiden name was Woodhouse."

Kate laughed aloud. "Oh my God."

"Yeah, it's a hoot. Emma Woodhouse Scribbins. I got into more fights than I care to remember with kids who found out my middle name," she sighed.

Kate laughed then shook her head. "Sorry. Maybe I'll just call you Scribbs."

Scribbs nodded. "I'd like that. Then I'll you Ash."

"Fine," Ash replied. "Scribbs and Ash. Good."

Scribbs looked at her new partner. "I think we'll get along just fine."