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place was refitted the previous year. She placed her drink carefully on a mat on the surface which was just the right height for an elbow and awaited her friend’s arrival.
    Alison was in her mid-thirties with shoulder length dark hair and dressed in a smart two-piece suit over a sheer white blouse. It was warm in the bar so she unbuttoned her jacket, drawing admiring glances from a group of business men standing nearby. As an attractive woman, she was used to that. However, taking account of their initial reaction, she decided against making any attempt to sit on one of the high bar stools, realising her tight skirt would ride up to reveal what many considered her best feature, a shapely pair of legs.
    Just then, Gillian appeared in the doorway, looking flustered, caught Alison’s eye and mouthed an offer of some drinks. Alison gestured that she was fine, so Gillian made her way to the bar.
    “God, I need this,” Gillian said, after weaving her way through the throng to join her friend and taking a sip of her lager. “What a morning.”
    “You sounded up against it when I called. Are you sure you can afford the time?”
    “Oh no, don’t worry about that. I just had to get out of there. I’ve finished what I had to do for that cow anyway.”
    Alison smiled. “Which ‘cow’ is that?”
    “Sally ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ Dobson, that’s who. The boss’s PA. PA, phfaa! That’s a laugh. Supposed to be his personal secretary, the only things she’s ever filed are her nails. Everybody knows she’s shagging him but boy, has she mastered one snooty, aloof expression.” Gillian stopped her rant suddenly. “Oh, sorry, Alison, just ignore me. Like I say, it’s one of those days.”
    “No, that’s all right,” she chuckled, “Don’t hold back on my account, you just tell it like it is.”
    Gillian smiled briefly before looking serious. “Well never mind that, there’s something else I want to talk to you about.”
    Alison leaned forward. “You’ve got my full attention.”
    “I’m worried,” Gillian began as she related her fears about her sister, Susan. “It’s just so out of character,” she concluded, “I’m going to have to go round there after work to see what’s wrong.”
    “I’m sure there’s nothing wrong.”
    “But not to visit Dad? That was the clincher for me when I found that out this morning. She’s never missed a Sunday.”
    “Well maybe she’s out with a new boyfriend or something.”
    “No, not Susan.”
    “It’s not so far fetched. She’s just about to start a new life with her university course, so why not new friends too?”
    “No, I’m telling you, if there was anything like that, Susan would have told me, she wouldn’t just disappear.”
    “Listen, if she’s had an accident or something, you’d have heard by now. There’ll probably be some simple explanation.”
    Gillian grew agitated and gulped the rest of her drink. “No … no, there’s definitely something not right, I can sense it.” She began to shake slightly.
    “Well there’s no point getting all worked up about it.” Alison took hold of her friend’s hands in hers. “I’m sure everything’s fine.” It was no good, despite holding her gaze, she could see Gillian wasn’t persuaded. “I’m talking cods aren’t I?” she sighed.
    Gillian’s expression said it all, a slight laugh and then her eyes moistened.
    “OK,” Alison said, “This is what we’ll do …”
     

 
    5
     
    Souter was intrigued. The call from Alison that afternoon only requested the pleasure of his company at an unfamiliar address just off Flanshaw Lane. There was no explanation as to why she needed him but, no doubt, she had good reason. He’d met Alison Hewitt earlier in the year whilst writing a major story. Despite the circumstances surrounding their first meeting, his relationship with Alison had blossomed.
    He was sitting in his car, parked on the fringes of the sprawling council estate, listening to the