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at the station.’
    ‘So, another oddity. And where did Shapiro go when he left the hotel at midnight? According to Wilton and Corrigan he left just before them, and they assumed he was coming back here. But he never made it. Why not? From what our couple back at the hotel said, both men were on the lookout for available women. Maybe the double bed was for that.’
    ‘Shows a lot of confidence, doesn’t it? And what does the second one do when the lucky man returns with someone? Stay out until a prearranged time?’ said Marsh.
    ‘Maybe they were hoping for a foursome.’
    ‘I’d imagine that Mrs Fantini would have had something to say about that, ma’am. I can’t imagine a whole lot getting past her.’
    ‘Let’s get back to the hotel. I want to check the times and dates of that booking.’
    * * *
    Jimmy Melsom was taking statements from the staff at the Ballard View Hotel.
    ‘Nearly finished,’ he reported. ‘Nothing unusual so far.’
    Sophie and Marsh visited the manageress in her office and asked to see the booking details for the room.
    It had been booked three weeks earlier by telephone, with Sarah Sheldon’s name on the reservation. Allen stared at the screen, then stood back, puzzled.
    ‘Barry, this booking was made on the same day as the one at the Hawthorns. And there’s less than a fifteen minute gap in the times between them. This one’s at noon, the other one was made at ten past. How likely is that to be a random coincidence?’

Chapter 3: Friction
    Saturday lunchtime
     
    ‘So this might be the last time we’ll be using this place?’ Sophie asked. She stretched out her slim legs under the table and looked up at the high ceiling. She and Melsom were seated in the incident room at Swanage’s Victorian police station. ‘It’s a shame. I’ve grown used to it during the past year. It’s always had a pleasant feel about it. The whole station, I mean, not just this room. What happens now it’s about to close?’
    ‘The uniformed lot are being allocated some unused rooms at the back of the town hall, along with a few car-parking slots. We don’t know what will happen to us. Probably a move to Wareham. There’s quite a bit of bitterness about it all.’ Barry Marsh was preparing an incident board. ‘Maybe this building will be converted into flats. Who knows?’
    ‘It’s not just due to the cuts, Barry. Crime rates are falling and have been doing so for some time now. It’s not been covered in the press because that kind of news doesn’t sell newspapers, but it’s a fact. Petty and opportunistic crime may be a bit steadier, but society is becoming more civilised. What we’re finding is that serious crime is being concentrated more and more into certain pockets of society. And it’s not just in Britain. It’s been happening across the whole of the developed world.’
    ‘So we’ll all find ourselves redundant sooner or later?’ Melsom sounded downhearted.
    ‘No. Crime rates may be dropping, but the population is rising. So the numbers will probably remain steady. There’ll always be a job for you, Jimmy, don’t worry. Anyway, let’s get on with a quick review before I decide on priorities for this afternoon. You first, Barry.’
    Marsh sat down and took a sip of tea before speaking.
    ‘First odd fact. Despite what Mrs Corrigan said, Sarah Sheldon did ask for a family room. One of the receptionists remembers the phone conversation. Second oddity. The bookings were both made within a few minutes of each other. There was an enquiry about the possibility of a neighbouring room only a short while after Sarah had made her booking. Whoever it was claimed to be her brother.’
    ‘Did they ask for those specific rooms?’ Melsom asked.
    ‘Not Sarah, but she did ask for that type of room. The receptionist remembers suggesting that the second caller try the Hawthorns. She always tries to put business their way if the hotel is fully booked or too expensive for the caller, because the