The Missing Marriage Read Online Free

momentarily, in a precipitous place.
    â€˜I heard you’d come back. I’m sorry about Erwin.’
    â€˜And I’m sorry – about Bryan.’
    The two women stared at each other, without sympathy, aware that the only reason Anna was here, inside number two Marine Drive, was because Bryan Deane wasn’t.
    â€˜How did you know – about Bryan?’ Laura asked calmly.
    â€˜Nan phoned. Your mum’s been round to see her.’
    â€˜Well, we’ve got the police here already,’ Laura carried on, still calm – articulating each word carefully in an ongoing attempt to eliminate any traces of accent in her voice.
    â€˜Actually I came to give a statement – I saw Bryan on the beach this afternoon.’
    A sense of movement passed through Laura’s body that made the Spaniel look up.
    Anna swung round to the officer behind her. ‘But maybe not here,’ she added, taking in Martha who – distraught, tearful and enraged – was displaying all the by-products of shock Laura wasn’t.
    â€˜Here’s fine,’ Laura said.
    Martha said nothing.
    Glancing at Laura, the officer hesitated before sitting down on a footstool covered in the same fabric as the sofa.
    â€˜I’m Detective Sergeant Chambers,’ he said, getting out a notebook, ‘and this is Constable Wade.’
    He indicated the woman in uniform on the sofa with Martha, coughed and said stiffly, ‘Excuse me,’ then, ‘which beach was that?’
    â€˜Tynemouth Longsands.’
    â€˜What time?’
    Anna still wasn’t sure about doing this in front of Martha. ‘About half four. He was about to go out in a kayak – a P&H Quest kayak – red and black.’ She paused. ‘But you’ve probably got that already.’
    She felt Martha watching her as Laura said, ‘That kayak’s been in our garage for months and I couldn’t even have told you what colour it was.’
    The officer was silent for a moment. ‘Were you in a kayak?’
    â€˜I was surfing.’
    â€˜Had you arranged to meet?’
    Laura’s head was balanced on the Spaniel’s head. The Spaniel was whimpering.
    Anna wondered – briefly – what the dog was called, before turning back to DS Chambers. ‘No. It was a chance encounter.’
    â€˜Did you speak to him?’
    â€˜Not in the water, no.’
    â€˜On the beach?’
    â€˜Not as such. Just about the weather.’
    The first time she saw him that day, outside number seventeen Parkview with Martha, he looked and felt like somebody’s husband . . . somebody’s father. Standing beside her on the beach, he didn’t. They’d just looked at each other; taken each other in, and here – in front of Bryan’s wife and daughter – the recollection felt like a transgression.
    There was a silence.
    Laura didn’t take her eyes off Anna, who was about to speak when the silence was broken by the front door bell ringing. Checking her watch, she saw that it had just gone one. She moved position so that she could see up the hallway as Constable Wade went to open the door and a man in a Barbour jacket, soaking wet, stepped into the house.
    He flicked a quick look down the corridor and it wasn’t until then that Anna became aware of Martha, standing beside her.
    â€˜Who is it?’ Laura asked.
    â€˜The Inspector from before,’ Martha mumbled, dis appearing back onto the sofa again.
    Everyone in the room became suddenly more alert – even Laura, Anna thought, turning round. No – especially Laura.
    â€˜Mrs Deane said just now that you last saw her – was it sixteen years ago?’ DS Chambers, speaking loudly now, swung politely towards Laura, who nodded. ‘When did you last see Mr Deane? Before today that is.’
    â€˜It would have been around the same time – sixteen years ago.’
    DS Chambers nodded heavily and looked at her.
    They were