by Anita Waller
Grace.
Mark Carter arrived exactly on time; he was immaculately dressed as always, his hair still as thick as ever, his dark brown eyes now helped by glasses and sporting one of his never-ending source of silk ties, this time in red. By nine o’clock, they had a plan in place to protect the close-knit family. It was clear Mark enjoyed being back at Hillside. He had spent many years working as personal assistant to John Thornton, years that in the main had been good ones, marred only by Amy Thornton and yet made extra-special by Amy Thornton.
He allowed a glimmer of a smile to cross his features as he remembered her; she had possibly been the only truly wicked person in his life until Treverick had taken top billing, and yet he had loved Amy. The last few months of her life when he had taken on the role of personal assistant to her had been good months, mainly because she had softened as she enjoyed what she perceived as love from Treverick in his guise of Brian Lazenby. He shook his head trying to dismiss the memories. They wouldn’t help in the current situation.
Lauren and Pilot were clearly in danger, their children even more so. Until Treverick was either dead or back behind bars, they could never be complacent, never relaxed.
Mark left and went back to his small office building in Padstow. It was discreet. The signage said simply Carter Security and yet he had access to twelve highly-trained, efficient male operatives and five female ones. His business had grown by word of mouth, not by open advertising, and he was the planner. He knew exactly which skill sets were needed and once ensconced behind his desk, he had begun to contact the right people.
Once he felt happy with every aspect of the cover required, Mark detailed the security plan into the computer and then checked in with all the associates he had already notified. Without exception, all were already in place.
DI Dunbar arrived at Hillside Cottage unannounced. He hadn’t intended to call but felt he needed to see what Pilot had done about security. Within two minutes of his arrival, he realised that his worries and concerns were groundless. Mark Carter was living up to his reputation.
‘So, is there any news of Treverick?’ Pilot asked quietly. Lauren had disappeared into the kitchen to make them all a drink.
‘Not yet. We are going on television tonight with a ten-mile radius map of the Wainwright’s home, although that won’t be mentioned of course, asking everyone to check if they have had a neighbour move out in the last twenty-four hours. I don’t care how many legitimate leads there are, I’m just hoping there will be that one that will show us where he’s kept Grace for seven years.’
‘And Grace? How is she?’
‘No change. She’s still sedated and until they bring her round properly, we can’t move forward. Pilot, it’s not going to be a quick return home to you. You have to accept that.’
‘I do. I’m not sure my wife does.’
As if on cue, Lauren walked in carrying a tray of drinks.
‘How is my daughter?’ she asked, handing round the cups.
‘No different. I was just telling Pilot that it’s going to be a long slow journey. There is a lot of healing to do, both physical and mental, of course.’
Lauren smiled.
‘I can wait. Nothing matters at all now that I know she is alive and that one day she will be here, at home with us.’
Chapter 7
Dawn and Josh arrived at Moorgate Manor in the early hours of Friday morning. Pat and David had risen early in order to welcome their guests and after the greetings were over, the topic of conversation became Grace.
Pat filled them in on all the details as far as they knew them and explained about the stringent security measures put in place by Mark.
‘Josh, no going off-piste with this one. Treverick is dangerous, we have no idea what he looks like, where he is, what car he has. The only thing that we do know is that he’s going to be in a murderous rage and that we have to be careful.’
‘Lauren is my step-sister. Grace is my niece. Pilot is my brother-in- law.’ Josh’s words were measured. ‘I hope I meet Treverick.’
Dawn reached for his hand.
‘Leave it to the police, Josh.’
‘And what have the police done so far, Mum? He killed Dad’s wife and calmly walked out of the picture, set up a new identity, abducted my niece. Tell me, what have they excelled at in that scenario? He needs to be dead.’
Dawn nodded. ‘I know. Josh, you’re so like your Dad. He would have used the same words. But there’s a possibility of underestimating this evil man. We have to be so careful. He’s clever and I don’t want to lose anyone else to him.’
David interrupted.
‘Listen to your Mum, Josh. We have so much security in place now but I do feel that if he wants to get to any one of us, he will be able to do it. Don’t rely on your youth, your strength. He’s a seventy-year-old man now and he’s clever and probably very angry. Be aware. Now, do you need some sleep? We’ve put you in your usual rooms and we can go over to Hillside later.’
Dawn had changed very little; the attractive face that John Thornton had seen the first time he had met her in David’s office was still beautiful. She still wore her hair long and would have easily passed for ten years younger than her true age of fifty-two. Having a son of thirty years gave her age away but she didn’t care about such a trifling matter. She was inordinately proud of Josh. He was his father’s doppelganger. He shared John’s blonde hair, his blue eyes, his sense of humour and his sheer love of life.
As she closed her eyes, her thoughts were on John; she had loved him so much, too much. If she hadn’t loved him, she wouldn’t still be feeling this pain...
Dawn slept sparingly. Josh didn’t even close his eyes. He tried to picture where Treverick could have kept Grace for all those years but came up with nothing. His anger was boiling just below the surface and sleep was out of the question. He wanted to see Lauren and Pilot, renew his acquaintance with Olivia and meet his brand new nephew for the first time.
He took one of John’s books out of his bag, rolled into a comfortable position on the bed and began to re-read the words he knew so well. The world had lost a great writer with the early death of his father and Josh was never without one of his books nearby. He read until he heard a gentle knock at the door from Pat telling him that it was ten o’clock and that she’d made breakfast.
The drive over to Hillside was short but Josh was aware of David constantly turning his head, checking who was on the road, who was in the fields bordering the road, monitoring that their security operative was still behind them in his car; it was unnerving.
Their arrival at Lauren and Pilot’s house gave both Josh and Dawn a feeling of tranquillity. This had been where John lived when he wasn’t at the home he had shared with Dawn and Josh. Dawn knew she would never stop missing him, would never stop loving him and to be where he had been, was something she craved. She had sold their home in Delabole, wanting to make a complete break when she had escaped to the States and sometimes she regretted letting it go.
She walked into what had been Josh’s office and simply stood, drinking in the atmosphere that still held something of John. He had completed twelve books in this room, sharing it first with Linda Chambers and then with Mark Carter and she glanced around the room, taking in the ambience. His desk was still in the same place, his bookshelves still held his research material used in pre-computer days and if she closed her eyes...
Lauren entered the room and closed the door softly behind her.
‘I know. He’s still here, isn’t he? It’s why we’ve never done anything with the room. We occasionally just come and stand in it, but it’s never used properly.’
Dawn nodded. ‘You should, Lauren. It’s only a room. John is in here,’ and she touched her heart.
‘We are going to use it. We’ve persuaded Brenda and Ken to stay with us. They’re selling up at Stonebrook and it’s finalised in a couple of weeks. We’ve asked them to stay with us to make security easier instead of them moving into a h
otel as they had originally planned. They haven’t found their new home yet. I want to try and persuade them not to bother buying another one but to stay with us permanently. This room would be their sitting room and we can turn the other two rooms on this side of the house into a kitchen and bedroom. They then have the option of a family life with us or they can close off their wing and be alone.’
‘You’re a good girl, Lauren. I hope Brenda and Ken agree to the plan. At their age, they need help on hand. If you need anything doing while we’re here, just shout. We’re staying for about a month or more; we have to be home by the end of May at the latest.’
‘Then let’s hope that Grace is back home with us before you have to leave. It’s so scary, Dawn, but I never thought we’d ever see her again. I always knew he’d taken her, but she disappeared so completely, I thought he had killed her. I’m going to ask Jake Dunbar if we can have a photo, even if it’s just taken on a mobile phone. It will give me something to hold on to while we wait for the real face to arrive here.’
Dawn gently touched her arm. ‘Do you have any idea of the difficulties in front of you? Can I make a suggestion? Talk to Pat. Talk to David. They know more about what your mother went through after Treverick had finished with her. They know how she was mentally. Brenda tended not to see bad things until they became impossible to ignore but Freda is also very knowledgeable about Amy. She saw so much. David and your Dad were the ones who protected Amy at school. David can tell you stuff. Forewarned is forearmed, sweetheart. Talk to all of them. And just maybe your Grace will become whole again.’
The door opened and Pilot said the local news was just starting and to come see it. Dunbar was putting out his appeal for information.
They all sat on various chairs and chair arms in the lounge and watched as DI Dunbar began to speak. He did not mention Treverick by name, merely said that they were investigating child abduction. A map appeared on the screen with a large circle drawn on to it.
‘We are looking for anyone who has moved out of a property very hurriedly within the last week. We believe that person will have lived there for a few years but has now moved on. Any names and addresses given to us will be in confidence. Thank you for listening. Please look closely at this map. These are our parameters. Think, and ring us.’
The picture disappeared and the presenter came into view. She repeated what had been said and moved on to the next news item.
They looked at one another and collectively began to breathe again.
‘Let’s hope something comes of it,’ David said. ‘We know Treverick won’t be there, but he’ll have left DNA, possible clues to where he is...’
‘You think?’ Pilot shook his head. ‘Dad, he completely fooled Amy. She actually fell in love with him and she had no idea he was the person who had destroyed her life. He’s far too savvy to have left anything behind that will tell his whereabouts.’
Brenda joined in.
‘He fooled us all. On the night he killed Amy, I actually remember saying what a beautiful couple they were. He is a very frightening man indeed and the more we think about it, Ken and I are very grateful for your offer of temporary accommodation here. We are too old to be running scared from a monster like Treverick.’
Lauren flashed a smile at Dawn. Temporary accommodation indeed. She leaned over and kissed Brenda’s head.
‘Nan Brenda, we wouldn’t want you anywhere else but here. Tomorrow we make you comfortable in your own set of rooms and leave the clearance of Stonebrook to the furniture removers. I’ll ring them in the morning, explain that you’ve moved out and you want everything packing up and bringing here. We can store it until you decide what you want to do.’
‘You’re a good girl,’ Brenda patted her granddaughter’s hand. ‘Am I being manipulated?’ They all laughed waiting for a response from Lauren who managed a grin.
They decided not to cook or eat out that night but to have a takeaway. Everyone felt on edge and they all felt better for being together. The delivery driver was a little put-out at being stopped by a police car and then stopped at the door by a man in a suit who was clearly in a position of authority, but it gave him something to talk about for a couple of days.
Lauren fed Noah in the master bedroom, as the house was so full. Dawn accompanied her.
‘It’s best that nobody is alone,’ she said. ‘That’s a little bit of security we can organise on our own.’
Pilot was making tea and coffee for everyone downstairs when the telephone rang.
He said ‘Oh, hi,’ and listened patiently for a while.
‘’Thanks for letting us know,’ he responded and replaced the receiver.
Several quizzical pairs of eyes looked at him and he confirmed that the caller had been Jake Dunbar and that they had had around twenty calls offering information. Two had looked promising and he would ring as soon as there was further news.
The evening ended soon afterward and their visitors departed for Moorgate Manor. Lauren and Pilot made hot chocolate and biscuits for their own visitors and as Brenda left to go to the temporary bedroom that was
oh-so comfortable, she turned to her granddaughter with a twinkle.
‘I could get used to treatment like this. Is that the plan?’
‘Nan Brenda, Granddad Ken, go to bed. Love you.’
Chapter 8
The next morning heralded the start of an eventful day. Lauren arranged the moving company to go straight to Stonebrook and empty it. She explained that it was an elderly couple that could do nothing for
themselves and that they would need to take packing cases. It would all need delivering to Hillside by nightfall. Brenda smiled as she listened to her granddaughter tell the person on the other end of the phone how infirm she was. She then knelt on the floor to play dolls house with Olivia. Infirm indeed!
Lauren smiled at Brenda.
‘It will all be here and unloaded into the big garage by tonight. I’ll get Pilot to move his car and get it cleared but there’s not much in it. It will easily take all your stuff.’
‘You’re wicked, Lauren. We could easily have packed everything ourselves...’
‘No!’ Lauren sounded angry. ‘You take no chances, Nan. I want you to be safe. You cannot go back to Stonebrook. He knows it too well.’
‘As well as he knows Hillside, would that be?’ Her tone was dry.
‘We can protect you here. No arguments, Nan, you’re safer here than at Stonebrook.’
* * * * *
Grace stirred for the second time in as many minutes and the nurse checked the machines that were connected to her.
‘Sweetheart,’ she whispered. ‘Can you hear me?’
Grace’s eyes fluttered open momentarily and the nurse hit the buzzer on the wall. Within seconds, several people entered the room.
‘She’s coming round,’ she said. ‘Without our help.’
Slowly, over the next two or three hours, Grace began to wake up. They made her comfortable, packing pillows around her to support her frail body, and giving her tiny sips of water.
She didn’t smile, didn’t try to speak; she just looked at everyone who was there as if weighing them up.
As soon as Dunbar received the call that she was waking up, he left the office where they were still taking phone calls after his television appeal, and headed off down to the hospital.
The young PC on duty outside Grace’s door made him show his identification badge and Dunbar commended him.
‘There’s been no trouble then? Nobody trying to get in here who shouldn’t be here?’
The PC shook his head.
‘Nobody, sir. It’s been busy since the little girl woke up, but I’ve checked everybody as they went in.’
‘Good. Don’t stop doing that, no matter what.’
He entered the room and looked at Grace. She was clearly awake and clearly saying nothing at all.
‘Has she...?’ he asked.
‘Not a word,’ said the nurse.
He moved t
o the side of the bed and reached for Grace’s left hand. She flinched as soon as his hand went near her.
‘Don’t be frightened,’ he said. ‘All of us are here to help you, and nothing bad can happen to you ever again. Do you know where you are, Angel?’
She held his gaze for a long time and he was just about to ask her again, when she nodded.
‘Good. A hospital is a place where they make you better, and you will get better now.’
She stared at him solemnly. She hurt and she was uncomfortable. He was talking rubbish whoever he was.
In the peace of the side ward, the chime of his ring tone sounded and he quickly went outside the door to take the call.
‘We think we’ve found it, sir.’
He could hear a degree of excitement in the voice speaking into his ear.
‘Found it? The house?’
‘Yes, sir. It’s a detached place, quite small, and he’s clearly left in a hurry. Didn’t have close neighbours but he did have a dog-walker going past when he was loading up a van with everything he could get in it. Luckily, this dog walker saw your appeal and thought it might be worth ringing it in. His name’s Jim Tandy. We suited up and two of us have been in the house. The back door was wide open and the window is broken. The room where he kept the little girl...’
‘Angel,’ Dunbar interrupted. ‘Her name’s Angel.’
‘Oh, right. Sorry, sir. Angel. Anyway, Angel’s room is at the back of the house, which overlooks fields. The chain he used to secure her is still attached to the bed. We’re just waiting for forensics now, so we’ve come outside. Don’t want to contaminate anything more than we already have, but I felt we needed to make sure we had the right place. We do, sir, I’m sure of it.’
‘I’ll be there as soon as I can. Give me the address.’
He went back into the room and took the doctor to one side.
‘I’m sending a WPC, name of Sarah Miller, to stay with Angel. I have to go. It looks as though we may have found the property where he kept her hidden for seven years. If she speaks, says anything at all, I need to know what she says. Once Sarah is here she’ll not leave her side, but until then...’