Kate was pleased to hear the buzz of conversations in the incident room as she returned. Unable to see Laura, she called Freeborn over. ‘Ewan, Dr Temple is going to send over a digital image of what he believes is a tattoo removed by laser from our victim’s foot. When it’s in, I want everyone’s eyes on it, and for you to contact local tattoo parlours and see if anyone remembers removing it. Dr Temple thinks it came off in the last week, so maybe someone remembers doing it.’

Freeborn nodded, and headed back to his desk.

Patel slid his chair over to Kate’s desk. ‘I have Daisy’s boyfriend, Alfie Caplan, in Interview Room Three downstairs. Do you want to sit in on it, or should I take one of the DCs?’

Kate was about to tell him to proceed without her when she thought better of it. ‘I’m sure he knows more than he’s told us so far. I want to ruffle his feathers and see what he spills. Can you dig out the witness statement that waitress gave us yesterday? I want to know what he has to say about it.’

---

Looking like a member of a boyband, Alfie Caplan straightened his sitting position the moment the door to the interview suite was opened. Kate allowed Patel to enter first, giving her extra time to really look at the young man who might hold the key to exactly where Daisy had run off to on Friday night.

Wearing a red and navy checked shirt, with the top two buttons unfastened, she could imagine his slight frame belied his physical strength. With a mane of dark brown hair pushed back and to the side, and hanging over the edge of his collar, he was clearly an individual who took time sculpting his appearance. He had two piercings in his left ear, and a chain of some sort hanging around his neck. He exuded confidence, but Kate had also spotted the rough edging at the tips of his fingers where he’d been chewing at his nails.

Taking the seat next to Patel, Kate offered Alfie a drink.

‘I’m fine,’ he grunted.

‘Are you sure?’ Kate pressed, rubbing her hands together and then holding them over the steam of her mug. ‘The heating’s not up to much in this place at the weekends.’

He folded his arms. ‘I’m warm enough.’

Kate nodded at Patel. ‘Start the recording when you’re ready, DS Patel.’

Alfie suddenly sat forward. ‘You’re recording this? Wait, do I need a solicitor?’

Kate waved away his concern. ‘You’re not under arrest, Alfie. You’re welcome to call a solicitor if you really feel you need one, but we’re just going to chat to you. That’s all.’

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ‘Why are you recording it, then?’

Kate took a moment before replying, allowing his imagination off the leash a little. ‘In cases like this, we like to keep an orderly account of all interactions with key witnesses.’

He leaned forward slightly further. ‘Witness? Witness to what? I already told you people I don’t know where she went.’

‘You’re a witness to what Daisy was like as a person. I mean, you were her boyfriend so you’re probably the best person we can ask about her state of mind on the day she disappeared.’

Patel pressed record and the machine buzzed in to life. Kate introduced the three of them for the recording, emphasising that the interview was voluntary. ‘You met up with Daisy on the Friday afternoon, didn’t you, Alfie?’

He looked from Kate to Patel, and then back again. ‘Yeah, I saw her.’

‘What time was that?’ Kate asked.

He puffed out his cheeks, relaxing slightly. ‘It was after she’d finished school for the day, so maybe around four.’

‘Did you collect her from the school in your car?’

‘Nah, traffic around there is a nightmare at that time. She caught the bus to Portswood and we went for a coffee.’

‘What car do you drive, Alfie?’

‘It’s a Peugeot 307.’

‘A black one, right?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Is it your first car?’

‘Yeah, used to be my brother’s.’

‘Does your brother live with you?’

He smiled proudly. ‘Nah, he’s the brains of the family, he’s at uni up in London.’

‘Yeah? Which one? I used to work in London.’

‘Richmond.’

‘I remember my first car. A little Fiesta. I miss that car. It wasn’t particularly fast, and it only had a cassette player so I had to copy all my favourite CDs onto tapes, but… I don’t know, there was something about it. You know what I mean? It was mine, and it was my first.’

He smiled as his shoulders relaxed. ‘Mine’s got a banging stereo system.’

Kate smiled. ‘I’ll bet it has.’ A pause. ‘Was Daisy your first girlfriend?’

The smile vanished from his face. ‘No.’

‘So, you’d been out with other girls before Daisy?’

‘A couple. Nothing serious.’

‘Was it serious with Daisy?’

His shoulders were tensing again. ‘I suppose.’

‘She thought it was serious, didn’t she? Her Facebook page showed her “in a relationship”. That was with you, wasn’t it?’

‘I guess. I don’t do Facebook.’

‘Where did the two of you meet for coffee?’

‘What?’

‘On Friday afternoon. You said the two of you met in Portswood for a coffee?’

He frowned, trying to determine whether she was aiming to somehow trick him. ‘We was at that place that sells ice cream. Can’t remember its name.’

‘The gelato place, right? The one with the pink neon lights?’

‘Yeah, that’s the one.’

‘We know which one you were in, Alfie, because a witness says they saw you and Daisy in there. But what I don’t understand, is why that witness says they saw you and Daisy arguing about something. Why would they say that?’

He shrugged his shoulders, attempting nonchalance, but coming across as defensive. ‘Depends who says they thought we was arguing.’

‘Oh, so you’re saying you weren’t arguing?’

Alfie glanced nervously at Patel, who had been scribbling notes since the conversation had started. ‘No, that’s not what I’m saying… What I mean is, we was talking, but not arguing.’

Kate didn’t miss a beat. ‘That’s not what our witness says. They said Daisy ran out of the place in tears.’

‘No, that’s not what happened. Sh-she was upset, but that has nothing to do with this.’

‘Why was she upset then?’

‘She just was—’

‘Did you upset her?’

‘No, I mean, yeah, I mean… I don’t know. I can’t remember. It was just a silly disagreement.’

‘What were you disagreeing about?’

‘I can’t even remember.’

‘Did you go after her when she left?’

‘No.’

‘That’s what our witness said, too. They stated you just sat there while your girlfriend ran off in tears. Why didn’t you go after her?’

His hand shot up to his mouth as he chewed on a nail. ‘She was upset… she was angry—’

‘Why was she angry?’

‘She was angry with me… I thought she just needed a bit of time to cool down.’

‘Why, Alfie? What had you said that made her angry and upset? What aren’t you telling me?’

‘It was nothing.’

‘What wasn’t?’

‘I just… I-I-I told her I couldn’t see her at the weekend because I was going to my brother’s.’

Kate wasn’t buying it. The phone vibrated in her pocket. ‘There’s something you’re not telling me, Alfie, and I will get to the bottom of it. You saw Daisy that night too, didn’t you?’

‘What? No.’

Kate monitored his reactions closely. ‘Yeah, you did. You’d been together for months, and there’s no way you would have left things like that. Did you go to her place? Is that what happened?’

‘No.’

‘No, of course, because she wasn’t at home, was she? She was over at Georgie Barclay’s house. Did you meet with her there?’

‘No, I didn’t see her. I swear to you: I haven’t seen Daisy since the ice cream place. I swear to God!’

The phone vibrated again. Kate nodded at Patel to continue as she excused herself and left the room.