First One Missing by Tammy Cohen Read Free Book Online Page A

mutilated beyond recognition.
    Suzy wrote about her job as a credit controller (bored-expression face) and how she had thought she’d never want another relationship following the painful break-up of her marriage (crying face) but now she felt she might finally be ready to ‘dip a toe back in the water’ (smiley face). She went on to talk about what she did at the weekend (not a lot). She kept stressing how she went to the gym, obviously because she’d read his profile and knew he liked to keep fit. Jason saw loads of women like Suzy at the gym. They came in wearing their matching pink designer shorts and tops and their trainers that they’d bought because they liked the style not because they actually did the job they were supposed to. They walked on the treadmill for forty-five minutes while watching Loose Women on the TV and barely breaking a sweat. Then they went on the machines to do their abdominals and their biceps. And that was them done. Might as well save their money and their time and stay home and get fat. They would anyway.
    Finally, near the bottom of the message, the name Bethany came up. Jason stopped skimming and began to read more intently. Suzy had already told him how she’d struggled at first with being a single mum and having to make decisions without anyone else to bounce them off, and to lay down the law, even though being strict didn’t come naturally to her. Bethany’s birthday was coming up, Suzy now informed him (smiley face plus scared face). She’d been driving her mum mad coming up with different plans, each one more extravagant than the last. Finally Suzy had had to put her foot down, and it was decided that Bethany would just have a few friends over to the house to watch DVDs and for a sleepover.
    Jason closed his eyes for a moment. Suzy’s words had conjured up an image that he was reluctant to let go of. They’d already exchanged photographs so he knew exactly what Suzy’s daughter Bethany looked like. Suzy had sent him one with her very first message showing the two of them squashed into an armchair together. Jason reckoned it was supposed to show what a fun, ‘bubbly’ mum Suzy was, but it was Bethany who had captured Jason’s attention. Thick, wavy blonde hair, hanging down over her shoulders, big clear-blue eyes gazing out over smooth, rounded cheeks. Jason thought she was younger, but Suzy said she was ten, almost eleven. Though she’d described her as ‘very young for her age’.
    Jason imagined the preparations Bethany would be making for her sleepover, the spare duvets – a heart pattern, he decided, or flowers maybe – the odd pink sleeping bag, a couple of blow-up mattresses, all heaped in a corner of her room, awaiting the big day. He envisaged her labouring over the invitations, the tip of her pink tongue protruding from between her lips. He imagined her friends talking about it at school, shiny heads bent together as they discussed which DVDs to watch.
    ‘It’s still two and a half weeks away, but she’s already counting down!!!!!!!’ Suzy had written. So. He didn’t have long to get his feet under the table and insinuate himself into the lives of mother and daughter. It was doable though, he thought. But he’d have to move quickly. Women like Suzy were ripe for the big dream, the whirlwind romance. They wanted love at first sight – and half the time they’d already decided you were it before even meeting you. Because love at first sight leads to happy ever after. It was amazing how many intelligent women actually thought like that.
    Suzy was in the market for being swept off her feet. You could always tell. Jason glanced at her profile photo again with indifference. She wasn’t bad-looking – teeth a bit too large for her mouth maybe, chin a little weak, but he wouldn’t mind too much, doing what he had to do. He’d done a lot worse, that was a fact.
    Jason clicked open the photo of mother and daughter sitting on the armchair. Suzy was slightly to