Chief Superintendent Innocent frowns a little when she notes that, for once, Hathaway is not in the office ahead of her. The room shared by her two top detectives is dark. And she is not particularly early this morning, having had to stop on her way in to drop her dachshunds off at the veterinarian for deworming and their annual checkup. Odd that they're both so late.
She tends to her paperwork for about a half an hour before a sharp knock sounds on her door. Now what?
"Come."
The door opens, and Doctor Hobson enters, with that typical air of hers: bossy with a generous helping of impatience at others' ineptitude.
"Ah, Doctor Hobson. How may I help you this morning?"
She is shocked when the doctor bites her bottom lip before responding. She has grossly misread Hobson's attitude. Something is very wrong.
Laura exhales and then inhales deeply. "Jean, I'm wondering where Lewis and Hathaway have gotten to. I haven't been able to reach either one since I started trying their mobiles around eight last night. Both of their phones said they were out of range." The worry in her voice is obvious.
Rather than question why the detectives need to be checking in with the pathologist, Innocent suggests what seems like the obvious next step. "Did you try them this morning?"
"Yes, about an hour ago."
Impatient with the doctor's lack of diligence, Innocent flips open her phone and clicks a few buttons. Then she frowns and clicks a few more. Scowling more deeply, she turns to her computer.
"Let me check with dispatch and see what is their last reported destination." She taps a few keys. Hobson comes around the desk to look over her shoulder, making Innocent scowl ever further.
"Okay, here. Yesterday, 18:10, going to the Ugly Duckling near Sunningwell. And that's it, nothing is logged after that."
Jean purses her lips, thinking. Then she does a quick search online, pulling up the telephone number for the Ugly Duckling. A few taps on her mobile and she has the landlord on the line.
"Yes, good morning, this is Chief Superintendant Innocent of the Oxfordshire Police. I need to know if two of our detectives came 'round your pub yesterday, around six o'clock?"
She listens for a moment. "Yes, two gentlemen, one quite tall . . . Mmm-hmm, I see . . . And that car is still there?" She gives Laura a nod and a hopeful expression. "Okay, we'll send someone out immediately. No need to have it towed. Thank you very much, Mister Leonard."
She rings off, but pauses before explaining, thinking about what she has—and hasn't—learned.
"Well, they were there last night, asking about their case. Then they were gone, and no one noticed when or how they left. But their car is still in the car park. What do you make of that?"
Laura puzzles. "Well, maybe they left something in the car that will give us an idea. Can you put some officers on it?"
The other woman shakes her head. "Without some evidence of criminal involvement, I can't make it an official police search until they've been gone at least twenty-four hours."
"That's ridiculous! Obviously, something has happened to them. They wouldn't both just disappear and not report to work."
"I totally agree with you, Laura, but I can't put officers on the search. You don't understand how important proper procedure is in police work." She ignores the doctor's eyeroll. She even empathizes: it would be unheard-of for both of these men to be out of contact overnight. But procedure is procedure. "What I can do is grab the key out of the motor pool and you and I can go out there as soon as I finish up this paperwork. Maybe an hour or so from now? That is, if you're not doing anything more important."
A slight smile of relief crosses the blond woman's face. "Oh, that would be brilliant. I can't bear just waiting around, doing nothing."
Soon they are at the Ugly Duckling and it is indeed the detectives' car abandoned in the car park. Innocent clicks the locks open and they climb inside, one in front and one in back, looking for papers, notes, anything that might give them a clue as to the men's whereabouts. Subconsciously, Laura notes that the car's interior bears the faint scent of both men, the way their office smells: a mix of soap and cigarette smoke, with hints of male sweat and fried food.
This reminder of them gives her a sense of urgency. Innocent, too, is beginning to panic a little at their unexplained and uncharacteristic disappearance.
But the search of the car yields no clues.
"Why not go to talk to Lord Monteith and see if he can give us an idea of where they might have gone?"
Innocent stares at Laura with incredulity.
"Oh, and let him learn that not only can we not find his wife but we've also misplaced the detectives who are supposed to be finding her? The force would look completely incompetent!"
Now it's Hobson's turn for disbelief. "And that's more important than finding James and Robbie?"
"We can find them without humiliating the entire Oxfordshire police force."
Laura resolves to refrain from arguing for now. It's not going to help them find the two men. But they have no idea of where to look next.