by Karen Moore
“How’s it going?”
“Good. I’m beginning to find my feet now. A lot of the work is to do with sorting out health checks and papers. It takes time to win over the women’s trust. They’ve obviously been through such hardship just surviving the journey, let alone what they went through in the countries they’ve come from and what they’ve suffered and seen en route. We try to give them practical advice and support and help them overcome some of the official hurdles.”
“Do they ever open up about what they’ve been through?”
“Rarely. Maybe with time…”
“I don’t know how you do it.”
“At least, I’m trying to help make a difference.”
“Good for you. I’m sure it’s appreciated,” said Hanna, feeling a twinge of guilt as she remembered the past. She had turned her back on the migrant situation to focus solely on Eva, trying to forget, and distance herself from that world. Had she been selfish? Or was it a normal reaction for a mother with a small daughter who’d once been kidnapped? Yes, she took an interest in the plight of the migrants coming through Sicily, but it was detached and at arm’s length now, rather than anything personal.
***
A curt text from Rhys later that afternoon alerted Hanna to the fact that he was ‘onto something’. No further explanation. Hanna wondered if he’d gone up to the cottage on his own or had taken one of his colleagues with him. Knowing Rhys, he’d be on his own.
Eva was engrossed in watching a TV programme about African wild cats, Bryn curled up asleep at her feet. Hanna turned to her laptop to pick up on the research she was doing for her book. But her heart wasn’t in it. She stared at the contents on the screen, but her mind kept wandering back to Rhys.
As soon as the programme finished, Eva started clamouring for food. Hanna checked her mobile. No further message from Rhys. She shut down her laptop and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. She’d promised Eva bangers and mash, with onion gravy, another of her daughter’s favourite dishes. She made a start on peeling the potatoes.
“Can I help cook the sausages, Mummy? Please?” pleaded Eva, who’d crept up behind her.
“OK,” said Hanna, retrieving the pack from the fridge and setting it on the worktop. “You’ll need to cut the links between them and then prick each of them with a fork a couple of times. Carefully.”
Eva clambered onto the stool she used to reach the worktop. “Why do I need to prick them?”
“Because that way, they’ll lose some of their fat and be healthier for us.”
“Oh, alright,” said Eva solemnly as she began to separate the sausages. “Will they take long to cook? I’m starving!”
“No, we’ll pop them under the grill, and they’ll be ready in next to no time.”
Eva grinned as she brandished a fork and started to stab the sausages.
Hanna glanced at the kitchen clock. Ten past six and still no word or sign from Rhys. Should she text him to see if he’d make it for dinner? No, she thought, I can always cook some more sausages when he gets back.
“Can we have baked beans, too?” Eva asked.
“’Course we can, poppet,” Hanna replied, getting plates out of the cupboard.
It was only when they sat down to eat that Eva noticed Rhys was missing.
“Where’s Daddy? Why isn’t he home for dinner?” she asked, dangling a chunk of sausage from her fork.
“He’s working, sweetheart. He’ll be back soon.”
“Will he be back before I go to bed so I can say goodnight?”
“Yes, I’m sure he will be. Now, eat up your sausages.”
Eva didn’t need much encouragement and soon polished off the lot, leaving smudges of tomato sauce around her mouth. She got down from the table and went off to play with Cosmo in the lounge.
By her bedtime, there had still been no word from Rhys. Hanna was getting really agitated now, sure that something had happened. It wasn’t like him; he was usually so eager to keep in touch, so dependable. It took all her strength to console Eva and reassure her that everything was fine. By now, she’d tried ringing and texting him several times but hadn’t been able to reach him or get any response.
Her mobile rang shortly after 11pm. She snatched the phone from the sofa and stared at the unknown number on the screen.
“Hello, who is this?” she demanded.
“Is that Hanna Sullivan, partner of Rhys Morgan?” asked a gentle female voice with a pronounced accent.
“Yes. Who’s this? What’s happened? Is he OK?”
“This is Staff Nurse Agnes Wysocki from the Accident and Emergency Department at Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor. Rhys has had a bit of an accident. Nothing too serious, just a few stitches and some bruising. He’s been treated and is ready to be discharged. Are you able to come and collect him?”
A cold chill spread through Hanna’s body. “Yes, yes, of course,” she stammered, her mouth so dry she could hardly respond. “I’ll come straight away. Can I speak to him?”
“We’ve checked him over and he’s well enough to go home but he’s still a little bit – how do you say? – woozy? He’s having a lie down at the minute.”
“OK, I’ll leave straight away. I’m only in Abergarron, so it won’t take me long.”
“Thank you. We’ll see you shortly, then.”
Hanna ended the call. She could feel her head hammering and her heart thumping as she gathered her car keys from the coffee table. What the hell had happened, and why hadn’t he called her himself? At least it wasn’t anything serious. What about Eva? She couldn’t leave her on her own; she’d have to take her along. She opened the bedroom door quietly. Eva was sleeping peacefully, but not for long. Hanna bundled her up in the duvet and carried her out to the car.
The little girl slowly opened her eyes. “What’s going on? Where are we going?”
Hanna gritted her teeth. Memories of the day they’d fled Italy came flooding back. “It’s fine, go back to sleep. I’ll explain later.”
Chapter Seventeen
“So, are you going to tell me what happened?” asked Hanna, stealing a sideways glance at Rhys from behind the steering wheel. Livid bruising covered the right-hand side of his face, with several ugly black stitches over one eye.
He winced as he shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat next to her, trying to turn his head to check on Eva.
“Don’t worry about her,” said Hanna, looking in the rear-view mirror. “She’s dropped off to sleep.”
“Think I took a few kicks in the ribs, too,” said Rhys, trying to find a more comfortable position. He let out a faint groan. “The painkillers are starting to wear off.”
“We’ll be home soon. You can explain later if you don’t feel up to it now.”
“No, it’s OK. At least I’m alive to tell the tale.”
His half-hearted attempt at humour didn’t fool Hanna. She could tell he was in quite some discomfort but was trying to put on a brave face.
“Well, I went up to the cottage after work and the white van was parked outside but no one was about. After about half an hour or so, the same two men came out carrying a number of small boxes which they loaded into the van. Then that woman I’d seen up there before came out with a group of girls. She was shouting at them and waving her arms, but I couldn’t understand anything; it was all in some guttural, foreign language. The girls were obviously reluctant to get in the van. I ran back to the pick-up and decided to follow them to see what they were up to.” He paused as if speaking was an effort. “Not the wisest move, as it turned out.”
Hanna shot him a sympathetic smile. “Tell me later, it’ll keep.”
“No, it’s fine,” he insisted, picking up the thread again. “I followed the van onto the A55 towards Holyhead. By now, it was getting dark. I should have called you, but I didn’t want to lose them. The van pulled up near the freight terminal and some of the girls got out, together with the older woman and one of the men. The other guy drove off with the rest of the
girls. It seemed such a strange place to leave the girls. There was hardly anyone about at that time of night.
“I left the pick-up behind a lorry and got out to get a closer look. I could see the girls huddled together under a streetlight. But as I watched, figures appeared from the shadows and approached them. There appeared to be some negotiation with the woman, then the girls would sidle off with the punters behind the containers. It’s obviously an established arrangement.”
“Oh my God,” said Hanna in disbelief. “How old would you say these girls were?”
“Hard to say, but maybe thirteen or fourteen. Fifteen at the most.”
Hanna felt sick, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
“I was trying to capture it on my phone when, next minute, I felt a thump on the back of my head. I remember falling, then nothing more. I must have blacked out. Next thing I know, I’m in a taxi being taken to A&E. The driver found me in the street.”
Hanna sighed and shook her head in exasperation, thankful that nothing more serious had happened. “I told you not to get involved. Did you tell the hospital staff you’d been hit on the head?”
“No, I know the drill all too well. They’d have insisted on keeping me in for observation. I’ve had worse. And if they knew I’d been attacked, they’d have made me report it to the local police. I said I’d fallen in the street, and they seemed a bit sceptical but didn’t question me further. My damn phone seems to have disappeared, so I couldn’t call and let you know what had happened, and no photos either.”
“There’s still time to report it,” said Hanna, stealing another glance at him. His face was contorted with pain, but he kept on talking.
“I know, but there’s no real harm done,” Rhys replied as if he’d already made his mind up. “Better not to involve the local plods at this stage. Is Sergio serious about coming over to investigate?”
“I wouldn’t have thought so.”
Hanna pulled up outside the cottage. Rhys opened the car door and clambered out slowly, moving with difficulty.
“The only problem is that now they know someone’s on to them,” he said. “And what’s worse, they know that someone is me.”
***
The following morning, Rhys tried to get out of bed, but the effort was etched on his face. He begrudgingly admitted that his ribs were sore, and he was still feeling light-headed. Hanna made him stay him in bed to rest up, and called the Park Authority to tell them he wouldn’t be coming into work.
He staggered into the kitchen late morning, clutching his head.
Hanna frowned. “How are you feeling?”
“As if I’ve got a bad hangover,” he said, slumping into the nearest chair.
“Here, take two of these,” she replied, putting a pack of paracetamol and a glass of water on the table in front of him. “I’ll make some coffee.”
He popped two tablets out of the blister pack straight into his mouth, washing them down with a swig of water. Shouts rang from the garden where Eva and Bryn were playing. He grimaced.
“I’ll be fine in a bit,” he said in answer to Hanna’s unspoken question.
She said nothing, knowing her concerned face spoke volumes. She carried the cafetière over to the table with two mugs.
“So,” she said softly, pouring the coffee and handing a mug to Rhys, “it looks like we have a child prostitution ring on our hands. What do you think was in the boxes?”
“Who knows? Drugs, probably,” said Rhys, taking a sip and recoiling as the drink scalded his tongue.
“Christ, this is serious,” said Hanna. “If Luciano’s cousin, Angelo, is involved, there must be a Sicilian connection. With Luciano too, no doubt. I need to speak to Ceri and Sergio first before we even think about reporting it to the police. If we’re going to, that is. There’s no real proof at the moment. But they’d only have to put a watch on the cottage and track the girls’ movements in Holyhead to get the evidence. That’s if they’ve got the resources…”
Rhys rubbed his head and took a slurp of coffee.
“Still sore?”
“A bit, but nothing to worry about. If only I had my phone, we’d have some evidence. I must have dropped it when I was attacked.”
***
An hour or so later, Hanna’s mobile rang. Another unknown number.
“Hello?” she answered, wondering who the caller might be.
“Hello, is that Hanna Sullivan?”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “Who is this?”
“It’s Staff Nurse Wysocki from the Accident and Emergency Department at Gwynedd Hospital.”
Hanna’s heart sank, anticipating a problem relating to Rhys’ injuries. “Yes, what is it? Is anything wrong?” she asked tersely.
“Nothing to worry about. I’m ringing to let you know that the taxi driver from last night found your partner’s mobile in his cab and handed it over to us. If you want to pop over and pick it up sometime?”
“Oh, great, I’ll come over straight away,” said Hanna, feeling relieved. “If that’s okay with you?”
“Yes, I’ll be here – just ask for me when you arrive.”
“Fine, see you in about half an hour then. And thanks for letting me know.” Hanna rang off.
Rhys looked at Hanna, questioningly.
“That was the staff nurse from last night. The taxi driver found your phone in his cab and handed it in. I’ll pop over to the hospital now and pick it up.”
“I wonder if it’s still working.”
“She didn’t say.”
Rhys smiled. “If it is, we might have some evidence after all.”
Chapter Eighteen
Hanna and Rhys drove first to the hospital to pick up the phone, with a reluctant Eva in the back seat with Bryn. After checking that Rhys would be fit enough to drive, Hanna drove on to the freight terminal in Holyhead to collect the pick-up that he’d left there the night before. This gave Rhys a chance to examine his phone. The screen was smashed, but it still seemed to be in working order. He gave a triumphant whoop of joy when he found the photos of the previous evening’s activities. Hanna pulled in at the side of the road.
His joy was short-lived. “Damn!” he said, looking disappointed. “These don’t prove a thing.” He handed the phone to Hanna. “Back to square one.”
The images were hazy, the figures blurred under the streetlight.
“Never mind,” she said. “There’ll be other opportunities. I’m beginning to think we should turn the whole thing over to the police and not get involved any further. Didn’t you have a friend in the force?”
“Yes, but he’s moved down to Aberystwyth. He could always give us advice though, and he’s still got all his old contacts up here.”
“I think it’s unlikely that your attackers could identity you. From what you’ve said, it was pretty dark, and everything happened so quickly. They didn’t get hold of your phone either, so I think we’re safe for the moment.”
Rhys gave her a strange look, as if to question whether she would ever feel truly safe. “You reckon?”
“Not really. It’s just with Angelo being involved, it seems to make it more personal somehow. You think I’m being a bit paranoid, don’t you?” asked Hanna, with a slight nervous laugh.
“Not after everything you and Eva have been through.” Rhys paused. “Weren’t you going to call Ceri?”
“Yes, I… Let’s talk about it later.” Hanna didn’t want to discuss it further in the car, conscious that Eva might be listening.
She drove on, and talk turned to their plans for the trip to Dublin that weekend. Half an hour later, they reached the freight terminal at Holyhead. Fortunately, the lorry Rhys had parked behind was still in the same place and he managed to recognise it easily enough. They returned home separately, Bryn insisting on going with Rhys while Eva stayed with her mum, telling silly jokes all the way home.
***
Once back at the cottage, Hanna heard a thud coming from Eva’s bedroom. She popped her head
round the door and found the little girl looking forlorn, her alpaca bag and its contents strewn across the floor.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I was packing my stuff for our trip to Dublin. The bag fell off the bed and everything’s gone everywhere,” the youngster wailed, her words tumbling out breathlessly.
“Never mind. Nothing’s broken, has it?” Hanna said, going over to help her daughter to pick up the items.
“Don’t think so. We are still going, aren’t we?” asked the little girl anxiously. “Daddy will be well enough, won’t he?”
“I’m sure he’ll be just fine,” said Hanna firmly, putting the refilled bag back on the bed. “We don’t want you to miss out on your birthday treat, do we?”
“And who’s going to feed Cosmo?”
“I’ve arranged for a lady in the village to do that.”
Eva’s face broke into a beaming smile. “We are still going to see the red pandas, aren’t we?”
Hanna hugged her tightly. “Of course, we are, poppet. Can’t wait!”
***
Hanna hovered in the doorway, watching Rhys toss some clothes into a weekend bag. “Feeling better?”
“Yes, much. A few days away will do us good. What did Ceri say?”
She sighed. “More what did Sergio say. He’s convinced that this is all part of Luciano’s operation, and he definitely wants to come over and investigate further. Apparently, he’s uncovered similar operations in other parts of Europe – Germany, France, the Netherlands, but none as yet with a direct link back to Luciano. He’s got his sights on nailing this story. It could be the breakthrough he’s looking for. It’ll stand him in good stead for that job offer on the mainland.”
“But when? The wedding’s only a few weeks away, and we’re not here for the next few days.”
Hanna shrugged. “You know what he’s like when he’s onto a story. He’s talking of coming over for a few days when we get back. Just him, not Ceri.”
Rhys looked thoughtful. “Well, I suppose if he’s got the time. It may be a way to put paid to the whole thing, once and for all. What d’you reckon?”