I did. I can’t get hold of him.’
‘That’s unusual?’
‘Very. We speak every day. I’m in Scotland you see. I don’t see that much of him. So we talk. We talk every day.’
‘We’re at his flat now. There is no sign of him. Was he planning to go anywhere?’
‘Only to the hospital. He doesn’t get out much. He had a gall bladder problem. He was going for an appointment this morning. I’d expect him back by now. I did call the hospital. They said they hadn’t seen him. That he had missed the appointment. That’s why I’m so worried. Where is he?’
Shirley gulped.
‘We’ll check all the hospitals. We’ll make sure he didn’t have an accident on the way.’
‘But, he doesn’t live far.’
‘Which hospital was his appointment at?’
‘King’s. It’s not far. He would have got the bus there.’
‘OK. Try to keep calm. We’re going to have a look urgently. It is our priority and we’re not taking this lightly. We will need a photograph of your father. Is there a recent one in the flat?’
‘I saw him a month ago. I have photos on my phone.’
‘Can you email them?’
The daughter took the email address.
‘Thank you. I’ll come down. I’ll come down tonight with my husband. Can I give you my mobile number in case you find him.’
‘Certainly.’
Shirley took the number and hung up.
‘We’ve wasted a lot of time,’ said Dave. ‘Mrs Mckinckley was not killed by her family.’
‘Can we call the station and put them on alert?’ said Shirley.
‘Done,’ said Dave.
In the car, Dave put the lights on and they sped to the hospital.
‘We need CCTV,’ said Dave.
The receptionist sniffed.
‘Can we speak to security?’ said Dave.
‘Yes, alright, I’m phoning through now. Take a seat and wait.’
Shirley walked off and Dave followed. They looked around the entrance area. It was wide and open. Shirley counted the ratio of staff to patients. Staff came in and out in uniform. A cleaner pulled along a yellow mop bucket.
‘Excuse me,’ said Shirley.
He turned and stopped, surprised.
Shirley got out her phone with the picture of Mr Thompson.
‘Have you seen this man?’ she said.
He looked at it closely.
‘Don’t think so. But I see hundreds of men in here. I don’t pay much attention.’ He waved a hand at the many people walking through to appointments.
Shirley nodded. ‘Thanks anyway,’ she said.
She watched a man with a hospital gown show his boxer shorts as he walked. The cleaner seemed not to notice. Anyone could walk in here.
‘Shirley,’ said Dave.
He beckoned her. She saw a man in security uniform shake hands with him.
‘Hi,’ she said as she walked over.
‘You’ll have to ask at reception for appointments,’ said the security guard.
‘I’m a police officer,’ she said. She smiled politely and held out her hand.
‘Oh,’ he said. He shook her hand. ‘CCTV you want? Well, we’ve got a lot of cameras here. It’ll keep you busy.’
He took them to a room of screens showing many angles of the hospital.
‘Which do you want?’
‘Reception first,’ said Dave.
They went through footage of the hospital entrance. They looked for elderly men arriving alone. There were a few.
‘I’m thinking white van,’ said Shirley.
Dave nodded. He requested the car park CCTV.
‘Look,’ said Dave.
They fast forwarded a white van arrive at 7am, and they saw it leave an hour later.
Shirley took the footage and zoomed in.
‘Let’s take this back to the station and see if we can get the number plate,’ she said.
She felt adrenaline run through her. She’d never been on a case like this before. She wondered if Dave had.
‘Oh my God,’ she said. ‘I think the white van driver might have got to Mr Thompson in the hospital before he got to his appointment. How did no one see?’
Her mobile rang. She answered it without looking.
‘Sergeant Palmer,’ she said.
‘Shirley, it’s your father here. Are you at work still?’
‘We’re