‘Do you think Russ is in trouble? Do you think he’s done something he shouldn’t have?’ Adrian asked.

‘He’s a good kid, he’s just been … Different lately. Whatever he’s done is not his fault, someone must’ve made him do it.’ Judith seemed to have changed her tune since yesterday.

‘So, you do know something, something you haven’t already told us?’ Imogen said.

‘Please know that I was completely honest with you yesterday, but …’

‘But you got some new information?’ Adrian said, his voice softer than Imogen’s. Adrian was always the good cop.

‘My parents knew I’d been having problems with Russ and so they didn’t tell me that he’d taken their car again. It’s been missing for over a week. I phoned them last night to tell them you had been. They just didn’t want to get him into trouble either. I was going to call you first thing this morning, I swear.’

‘You said yesterday that he had taken the car before?’

‘Him and that girl had taken it and driven out to the reservoir at Kennick. I think they went skinny dipping in there.’

‘Caitlin Watts? The girl we showed you the picture of?’

‘Yes, her.’

‘Did Russ have any male friends? Do you know who this boy is?’ Imogen pulled out her phone and pulled up the picture of Finn Blackwell.

Judith Beacham looked at the picture for a good few seconds before shaking her head. ‘No, I don’t think I ever saw this boy with my son.’

‘Just the girl?’

‘What is all this about? What do you think he’s done?’ she said, her eyebrows knotted in confusion.

‘We’re just trying to eliminate him from our enquiries,’ Imogen said.

‘Do you know the registration number of your parents’ car? Do you think you could write it down for us?’

Judith leaned forward and scribbled on a notepad that was on her coffee table. She tore the page out of the book and handed it to Adrian. Imogen had noticed plenty of times before how women much preferred dealing with Adrian than they did with her. She had never particularly got any feelings of solidarity from any females in her life. She didn’t even have a best friend, never had done, unless you counted Adrian. Which she did.

Five minutes later, they were stood outside the Beacham flat, the door firmly closed.

‘I think I can get more out of Finn Blackwell. We already know they knew each other. I don’t know what it is that bothers me about that Blackwell kid, but there’s definitely something. I think I should talk to him again,’ Adrian said.

‘Are you sure? What about this Beacham lead?’ Imogen said.

‘Call DI Walsh and ask what he wants to do. If we find the car we will probably find Russ Beacham.’

Chapter Forty

Adrian and Imogen got back to the station just as Gary was arriving. They all walked straight in to see DCI Kapoor to let her know what they had learned. DCI Kapoor was putting the phone down as they entered. She had the look of someone who had just been reprimanded. Adrian was all too familiar with that feeling.