‘Great,’ he said, clasping his hands on the table in front of him. ‘So: Benjamin Delaney. As you know, his wife reported him missing on Friday and we’re trying to establish his whereabouts, so thanks for coming in on Saturday to talk to PC Khan and also giving us the heads-up about this morning – much appreciated. I’ve read through your statement, and those made by your wife and Mrs Delaney, and I’ve got a few questions.’

‘No problem.’

‘Mr Delaney’s a friend of yours, correct?’

‘He was.’

‘Past tense?’

‘He’s not a friend any more, no.’

‘But he was?’

‘Our wives went to school together. I’d met him at weddings, christenings, things like that over the years. But I’ve only got to know him more this past year, since he moved to London.’

‘More of an acquaintance, then.’

I shrugged.

‘Through Mel.’

‘How often do you see him and his wife?’

‘Maybe once every six weeks, couple of months, when Mel and Beth organise a get-together – dinner, barbecue or whatever.’

‘You go to the pub with Mr Delaney sometimes?’

‘No.’

‘Never?’

‘We don’t have a hell of a lot in common, to be honest.’

That brought me up short. Except we do now. We definitely have something in common.

‘You mean you don’t have the same interests.’

‘He tried to get me to join his poker night a few months back. Mel wanted me to join in, show willing.’

‘Mr Delaney likes his poker, does he?’

I shrugged.

‘He’s good at it. He knows when to push his luck and when to fold. He’s very good at reading people and he’s got more money than the rest of the players put together. So yes, he likes his poker.’

‘How about you?’

‘I only went once, it wasn’t really my thing.’

‘You lost money?’

‘A bit. I’m not very good at bluffing.’

‘So what is your thing, then?’

‘My wife and I have a four-year-old son, William, he just started last month at St Hilda’s Primary. He gets a lot of my time. And sport – I used to play hockey at county level until I got injured. Now it’s squash once a week with my friend Adam, five-a-side football sometimes. And I’m an English teacher at Haddon Park Academy.’

‘So you’re not friends any more because of this thing he had for your wife?’

‘You’ve read Mel’s statement from Saturday?’

‘I’ve read all of them.’

From the brown manila file DS Redford produced printed forms that looked familiar from my first visit to this police station.

‘Well,’ I said, ‘it turns out there was a bit more to it than that.’

He studied me across the table.

‘In my experience, Mr Lynch, there usually is.’

Chapter 31

31

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.