"Will that be all, Mrs Bloomfield?"

"Yes, thank you Nellie. We'll serve ourselves."

The woman departed as silently as she'd come and Daisy leaned forward and picked up the silver pot.

"Coffee, anyone?"

"Yes, thanks," Riley replied and Kate murmured her a.s.sent. They'd been on the road most of the morning and it had been hours since he'd quaffed a short black at the station.

As soon as Daisy had dispensed cups of steaming black coffee and offered slices of tea cake, Riley got to the point.

"It's clear from your emails Rosemary confided in you about her desire to leave Darryl. Do you know why she wanted to leave?" He heard Kate's indrawn breath and knew she was as anxious for the answer as he was.

The older woman set her cup down on the coffee table with meticulous care and drew in a deep breath.

"It's a long story, Detective."

Riley's gaze didn't waver. "We have all day."

Daisy shot a hesitant glance in Kate's direction and then gave a brief nod. "Okay, but the longer I don't hear from her, the more worried I become. Once you listen to what I have to say, you'll understand what I mean."

Riley flipped over to a fresh page, his pen poised in antic.i.p.ation. "Let's hear it."

Daisy straightened her spine and eyed both of them. "Rosie hated her wheelchair. Her multiple sclerosis had turned her limbs useless, but it had left her brain fully aware of her predicament." She turned to Riley. "Do you know she was already in the wheelchair when she met Darryl?"

Riley nodded and waited for her to continue.

"She's been a burden to Darryl their entire married life. At least, that's how she sees it. And from what she's told me, Darryl's made sure she knew that...with everything from what he termed the exorbitant cost of her many prescription medications to the physical burden of taking her anywhere. Though he appears to be the doting husband prepared to shoulder the burden with humility and grace, let me tell you, he's far from that when he's away from public scrutiny."

"When did Rosemary tell you this?" Riley asked.

"About six months ago." She grimaced and ran a hand through her perfectly coiffed hair. "I'd already begun to suspect all was not quite as rosy as it seemed."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, Detective, let's just say there were times Barry and I would have them over for dinner and during those occasions, cracks in Darryl's polished veneer would show through." She shrugged. "I don't know if he felt comfortable enough around us to drop the pretense or if he'd imbibed just enough alcohol not to care, but on more than one occasion I saw him treat Rosie abominably."

"Like how?" Riley shifted forward on the sofa, his eyes intent on Daisy's face. Kate sat motionless a short distance away.

"It's not what you're thinking. I never saw him hit her or anything like that. It was more verbal and psychological abuse. Making fun of her disability or refusing to help her when it was obvious she needed it. Nothing so bad that we thought we should intervene, but it was definitely a different side of Darryl than the one he shows the world."

"How did my mother react?"

Riley swung around. Kate's voice was scratchy with emotion and her eyes glittered with unshed tears.

Daisy's attention also shifted to Kate. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you she stood up to him, but she didn't-none of us did. When I expressed my concern to Barry later, he told me to stay out of it, that it wasn't any of our business."

Kate's jaw tensed. Riley's gut clenched when a single tear traced a slow and silent path down her cheek.

He reached out to her. "Kate-"

"No, I'm all right," she muttered, swiping at her face. She lifted her coffee to her mouth with a shaky hand and took a sip. Her eyes implored Daisy. "Please, go on. I want to hear the rest of it."

"It was after one such evening when I found the courage to ask her about it. We'd become really good friends by then and I hated to see her treated that way. A couple of months ago, she told me about their life and how far removed it was from the image of the loving couple they showed to the world. She told me even her housekeeper didn't know the full truth."

"Who raised the question of leaving?" Riley asked.

"I did. I couldn't bear to hear any more stories about how she was treated-or mistreated. I couldn't bear to see her so unhappy." Daisy drew in a deep breath. "So, I told her to leave him."

"What was Rosemary's reaction?"

"Well, Detective, the truth is, she wasn't at all keen. I guess I can understand it. She's in a wheelchair, barely able to do anything without help and then there was the cost of her medications. She didn't have much money of her own. She couldn't see how she'd survive without him."

Kate inched forward on the sofa, her gaze fixed on Daisy. "What changed her mind?"

Daisy clenched her hands together, mirroring the distress in her eyes. "The thing is, I don't know. She never told me. We went from having conversations about all the reasons why it was impossible for her to leave him, to all of a sudden, her quizzing me about how soon we could organize it."

Kate stiffened. "Did you ever ask her why? I mean, you must have found it a little odd, her sudden change of heart?"

Daisy nodded. "Yes, honey. I did find it odd and I asked her about it. All she'd tell me was that something had happened and it was imperative that she leave."

Riley's eyes narrowed. "Did you take it to mean she was leaving permanently, or was it more like-I can't take it anymore, I need to get away for a while?"

Kate stilled. Riley's hands tightened into fists.

"You know," Daisy responded slowly, "I think whatever it was that happened, it finally triggered the courage and motivation she needed to leave forever. I don't think she had any intention of coming back."

"When did this conversation take place?" he asked.

"July second."

"You sound very sure of that," Riley said.

Daisy smiled sadly. "I ought to be. It's my birthday. Rosie had invited me to her place for lunch. When I got there, she surprised me with a bouquet of my favorite flowers and a huge chocolate cake. She's always been thoughtful like that."

Riley flipped back through the pages of his notebook until he found the notes he'd made when he'd spoken to Darryl. Darryl had said he'd driven Rosemary down to Sydney on July tenth, a week after Daisy's visit with her.

He eyed Daisy again. "It appears from your emails, you and Rosemary had agreed on a leaving date. Is that correct?"

"Yes, although I said we needed more time to put everything in place, Rosie was insistent she had to go as soon as possible. She didn't even want to wait for an upcoming doctor's appointment, despite the fact she needed to have some of her prescriptions renewed."

"Do you remember what date you decided upon?"

"Of course, Detective. It was July tenth. Rosemary was anxious to be gone by then."

The date hit him like a physical blow. The coincidence was too obvious to ignore. He glanced over at Kate. Her gaze remained fixed on Daisy. He kept his thoughts to himself and asked another question.

"Where did you agree to meet for the final parting?"

"We were supposed to meet in the car park outside the medical center. She's caught a cab there on numerous occasions in the past. She felt it was a place where she could be seen without attracting suspicion and if Darryl phoned the cab company to ask where they'd taken her, it would seem like a legitimate journey."

"So, you were going to collect her from the car park and take her somewhere?" he said.

"Yes. She was supposed to go to the Grafton Airport. When we'd made plans earlier, she asked me if she could borrow the money for a plane ticket. Of course, I agreed. I wanted to do everything I could to help her. I-I made the reservation online. She was going to catch a plane to London."

Kate gasped. Riley turned to her. Her face had turned white and she held a trembling hand to her chest, as if trying to calm her heart.

So, this news was a surprise to her, too.

Determination surged through him and a sense of urgency flooded his veins. "I take it you printed the ticket to give to her?"

Daisy nodded. "Yes, but of course, I-I still have it."

He stared hard at the woman. "Why didn't Rosemary show, Daisy?"

She shook her head and her eyes closed tight. Despair deepened the wrinkles on her face and the grooves around her mouth. When she opened them, tears crowded her eyes.

"You already know from my emails that I don't know, Detective. Everything was in place; we were all set to go. I'd done everything she'd asked-new clothes, new shoes. She couldn't take anything from her home. She said Darryl would notice. Besides, she would have needed help retrieving a suitcase from where they were kept upstairs and she didn't want anyone else to know."

The tears spilled over. "She even asked me to buy her some black hair dye," she choked. "She couldn't do anything about the wheelchair, but at least from a distance, she was hoping to fool the casual observer."

Riley's voice gentled. "When did you last have contact with Rosemary?"

Daisy unfolded a small, lacy handkerchief and dabbed at the moisture in her eyes.

"She rang me on the fifth. She wanted to confirm everything was ready. She told me not to call her again in case Darryl was there. She didn't want to have to watch what she said. He'd discovered she'd been to a lawyer and had changed her will. He'd started to keep a closer eye on her and she was scared he might have realized what she was up to."

"What about emailing her?" Riley asked.

Daisy nodded. "I sent her a message the day before we were due to meet. She confirmed everything was ready and she would meet me as arranged. The email gave me no cause for concern. I left for Watervale early on the morning of the tenth, believing I would find her waiting for me outside the medical center."

"How did Barry feel about you being involved in all this?" It was a stab in the dark, but Riley took a punt.

Daisy's eyes widened. "He was a little upset," she admitted quietly. "He heard me speaking to Rosemary that night she called, a few days before she was due to leave. He said it wasn't any of our business and I shouldn't have stuck my nose in."

"How does he feel about Rosemary?"

Daisy shrugged. "He thinks she's okay, I guess. He's never really expressed an opinion about her one way or the other. He was happy enough about our friendship, though. And of course, he always enjoyed Darryl's company." Her lips tightened. "Men seem to be able to overlook more than women can."

"Do you think he would have told Darryl about what Rosemary was planning?" Riley probed.

Daisy's jaw fell open. She shook her head vehemently. "Never! Barry is a good and decent man. He may not have been willing to get involved in the Watsons' personal affairs, but it didn't mean he agreed with the way Darryl treated Rosie. There's no way he would have told him she was leaving."

Riley remained silent, unwilling to speculate, despite what his gut was telling him. He didn't even know the man. It was Barry's friendship with Darryl that was clouding Riley's judgment. He couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere near the p.r.i.c.k if he didn't have to be.

Another thought occurred to him. "Have you spoken to Darryl since Rosemary failed to show? What has he said about her disappearance?"

Daisy looked away, uncertainty flooding her face. "H-he hasn't returned my calls. I've left a number of messages. When I asked Barry to call him, he became quite cross and told me to stay out of it. He told me I'd only end up getting caught in the middle."

She shifted her gaze back to Riley's. "Barry thinks Rosemary's changed her mind. That she's decided to stay with Darryl after all and she's too embarra.s.sed to tell me. That's why she's ignoring me. At least, that's what Barry thinks."

Riley drew in a deep breath and shot a look at Kate. She sat still, her hands clenched in her lap, her mouth tight.

"I'm afraid Rosemary's not at home, Daisy," he said. "Whether she changed her mind about leaving when she said she would, we don't know, but she's definitely not at home. Darryl told us she's gone on a holiday."

Confusion clouded the pale blue eyes. "Really? That's so strange. All those plans we made... When she made up her mind to do it, she seemed desperate to leave him." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. A holiday? I don't believe it."

Dread tightened Riley's gut. "I'm not sure if she is on a holiday, Daisy. Certainly not the one Darryl told us about. The truth is, we don't know where she is."

CHAPTER 21.

Kate watched the blood drain from Daisy's face. The woman leaned forward, her head hung low. Her hands clutched at her perfectly coiffed hair.

"Oh, my G.o.d, he's done something to her! The minute I saw you in the security camera, I knew something was wrong."

Kate's heart stopped. The fear that lurked inside her sprang to life and hurtled through her chest, seizing her throat in a stranglehold. She tried to speak. The words came out choked. "Wh-why do you say that, Daisy?"

Riley's gaze shot to hers, the brown depths full of concern. It warmed her to know he cared, but even that couldn't infiltrate the icy dread that had turned her limbs to lead. It was one thing for her to think Darryl could be capable of making her mother disappear, but to hear it from somebody else-the reality of that was almost unbearable.

Daisy's hands dropped to her sides. Her face remained pale. She squeezed her eyes closed.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling I've had almost from the beginning-especially when I couldn't contact her. She wasn't answering her phone and she didn't return my emails. And then when Darryl didn't return my calls..."

She lifted her head, devastation plain on her face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, honey. I should have called the police myself weeks ago, when she didn't show. But Barry said-" She broke off abruptly and hiccupped on a sob. Tears coursed down her cheeks.

Kate's heart hammered. She didn't want to hear any more, but she didn't have a choice. If they were ever going to find her mother, she had to know. Leaning forward, she took hold of one of Daisy's plump, be-ringed hands.

"Please, Daisy. Finish what you were going to say. What did Barry say?"

A deep breath shuddered through the older woman's body and her fingers tightened around Kate's. Tears continued to spill over her cheeks, leaving damp trails through her foundation. Kate held her breath.

"I waited nearly three hours. When Rosie didn't show, I drove to her house. If Darryl answered, I was going to make up some excuse that I was in town and thought I'd surprise Rosie." Her breath hitched.

"I knocked on the door, but no one answered. There didn't seem much point waiting around, so I went home. I was so upset. I couldn't believe she'd changed her mind and not told me. I'd driven two hours to collect her and another two hours home again. It wasn't so much the inconvenience I was upset about, but that she hadn't told me she'd changed her mind."

Daisy swiped at her tears with a trembling hand and continued. "B-Barry was here when I arrived home. He asked me where I'd been and why I'd been crying. I-I told him what had happened."

Dread settled heavily in Kate's stomach. She glanced at Riley. His face was dark and sober as he watched Daisy fall apart.

"What did Barry say, Daisy?" he asked slowly.

She seemed to take courage from his implacable att.i.tude and drew in a deep breath. She looked him squarely in the eyes when she replied, "He told me I was being silly. That I'd watched too many episodes of CSI. He told me Darryl would never do anything so stupid."