Lost Girls

by Angela Marsons

  Bryant shook his head, still reeling from the news.

  Emily was nestled between her mum and dad. The revelation had clearly unnerved her. She stared dazedly to the ground.

  Kim had nothing to say. The actions taken by Julia – moving house, the name change and keeping Emily home from school – had probably saved her daughter's life. Kim couldn’t help feeling a pang that she had accused the woman of stifling her child when her actions had actually been necessary.

  Both parents held on to their child protectively.

  ‘I'd give it all up,’ Alan said, quietly. ‘I'd give my business away and live in a shack to protect my family.’

  Alan Trueman clearly felt responsible. His financial success had brought the attention of kidnappers who felt he was lucrative enough to snatch his child and had been planning to do it a second time.

  Kim couldn't imagine what that would have done to this small family.

  ‘There is no fault here,’ Kim said. ‘The blame lies solely with them,’ she said truthfully. ‘And although I know you have Emily well protected I’d be happier if you would allow a police presence at your home. Just for a little while.’

  The Truemans looked at each other and nodded. Bryant stepped away and took out his phone to make the call.

  ‘Was there anything in there that will help you catch these people?’

  Kim felt the anxiety radiating from them. No level of police presence would make them feel safe until the kidnappers were caught. And even then they would never view the world the same way again.

  Kim nodded to Alan and looked down at Emily. A fresh fear was showing in her eyes.

  ‘Yes, Mr Trueman, your daughter was very brave and we now have additional information.’

  She touched Emily's shoulder. Emily looked up at her.

  ‘I promise you I'm going to find these people and make sure they never hurt you again, okay?’

  Emily nodded and moved closer to her father. ‘And you'll try and bring Suzie back home?’

  Kim met the gaze of the brave little girl. There was no false hope that her friend was still alive. Like Jenny, she just wanted to put Emily to rest.

  Kim nodded. ‘I promise I'll do my very best.’

  She thanked them all again and headed towards Bryant.

  A second person was already standing beside the car.

  And this time Kim knew she was in trouble.

  Eighty-Nine

  ‘I’m running it today, Detective Inspector,’ Tracy said as she approached.

  ‘Tracy, f—’

  ‘Now, now – if I’m not mistaken that was the surviving child of the last abduction you lot messed up,’ Tracy said smugly.

  If ever there was a time that Kim wished Actual Bodily Harm was not against the law it was right this second.

  Tracy’s blonde hair flowed out of a beanie hat, with ears. Kim idly wondered how anyone so heartless could wear a hat with ears.

  ‘I’m thinking this story has got legs …’

  ‘Yeah, use yours and piss off.’

  ‘Guv, let it go,’ Bryant advised.

  Tracy ignored her jibe. The woman was used to it. ‘I’m thinking the first feature would be the fuck-up of the last case, then the fuck-up of this case and end with a feature on you, the star of the show,’ she said, snidely.

  Kim had no problem with a negative news article. If anything happened to those girls she’d write it herself.

  ‘How about you just act like a real person and just leave it alone?’

  ‘That wouldn’t be very reporterly of me, would it?’

  Bryant guffawed beside her.

  ‘Is that even a word?’ Kim retorted.

  ‘Listen, you appealed to my better nature and it worked for a few days, but not any more.’

  ‘You don’t own a better nature. You reacted to my threat to expose what you’re really like and that still stands.’

  ‘Ha, good luck with that one. My editor will forgive me murder if I bring this home.’

  Kim knew her threat had run dry. She opened her mouth to speak but Tracy held up a gloved hand.

  ‘Listen, I’m doing you a favour by letting you know my plans. At least you’ve got a fighting chance.’

  ‘Wow, thanks a bunch,’ Kim hissed.

  ‘You’ve had time, Stone. I’m just doing my job.’

  ‘You intend to defy the blackout?’ Bryant asked.

  She nodded and looked back at Kim. ‘Do your worst, Stone. In the meantime we’ll sell a gazillion newspapers.’

  Kim dared not speak, knowing anything she said would be twisted, turned, quoted and exaggerated. And that was exactly what Tracy was goading her to do.

  ‘That’ll be “no comment” then, Inspector,’ Tracy said before stomping away.

  Kim watched helplessly as the Audi fired up.

  ‘Do you think she means it?’ Bryant asked.

  It was only by default that Tracy Frost had not been responsible for the death of Dewain Wright. Another ten minutes and she would have been.

  Kim took a deep breath. ‘Oh yeah, she means it.’

  And the minute she did the girls would be dead. The kidnappers had done nothing to incite press attention and, just like them, they did not welcome it.

  The Cotton family had been destroyed by the loss of their daughter, Suzie. And Kim had two families about to face the same fate.

  Ninety

  Will put the phone back in his pocket and tried to stay calm. Had Symes not been dozing on the sofa, he would have paced.

  He would have walked circuits of the room until the rage left his bones.

  They'd had a fucking plan and changes were being made to the game.

  It was a game of chess, of strategy, of waiting, of timing, of anticipating every move and having three moves ready for each eventuality. There was a finesse to the game that was to be respected.

  You didn't change the game halfway through and start to play draughts.

  You didn't start jumping each other's pieces in an effort to get to the end of the board and get crowned. There was no finesse, no beauty in what he'd just been told to do.

  And he fucking well hated it.

  Will knew he was still rattled from last night. Waiting at a set of traffic lights he’d turned his head and seen her. The one he’d been searching for since he’d let her go. For a few seconds his mind had muddled and he’d wondered if he was just transposing her face onto another young girl, standing idly in a takeaway.

  And then he’d seen the fear in her eyes and he had known.

  He had jumped the lights and parked the car on the petrol station but when he’d got back she’d gone.

  He had been about to start looking when a silver Astra had screeched to a halt on double yellow lines outside.

  Remaining in the area had almost been worth the risk, but not quite. That one little girl had always been his golden goose. And right now he needed one of his plans to pay off.

  Tapping into her family bank account would have produced millions but the family had hidden well. Finding their new home had not been too difficult. He’d had help. But getting to her had been a more difficult prospect.

  He tried to console himself that he still had his own little game – only that was lunch-money compared to Emily Billingham.

  But the frustration of seeing Emily again was still in his veins.

  ‘Symes, wake up,’ he said, turning.

  The oaf continued to snore loudly, his mouth wide open.

  Will wheeled across and hit him in the arm.

  Symes was upright and awake in less than two seconds.

  ‘The parents need a push.’

  Symes was confused. ‘I thought that was later.’

  The big guy had obviously paid more attention to the plan than he'd thought.

  ‘There's been a change. Parents need a reminder of how much they love their little cherubs.’

  Symes face lit up.

  Will shook his head. ‘No, you can't have them yet.’
<
br />   The plan said the reminder was supposed to be a psychological prompt that would open the purse strings.

  The plan said it was supposed to be their voices pleading with their parents to do whatever the kidnappers asked.

  But the plan had changed.

  There was a sigh inside him. It had been much easier the first time. It had been just him and a simple motive. Make some money.

  Symes wanted them dead.

  The boss wanted them alive.

  And Will no longer cared.

  Symes put his hands together and cracked his knuckles.

  He hated it when the master plan changed. Because now he had to adapt his own, secret little game.

  He turned to Symes and hissed, ‘It’s time to make them scream.’

  Ninety-One

  As Kim returned to the house after the hypnotherapy session with Emily, she almost collided with Helen, who was carrying a tray of cups to the kitchen.

  ‘How's it been?’ Kim asked, walking alongside her.

  ‘Karen's trying desperately not to break down. Elizabeth is busying herself with Nicholas and Stephen's been out of sight all morning.’

  Kim didn't blame him. She was surprised Karen hadn’t physically kicked him off the premises but, unlike Stephen, Karen’s priority still lay with the return of her own child and theirs.

  ‘Anything from Robert?’

  Helen shook her head. ‘Karen's tried to reach him at the office but he's either not there or “not there”,’ she said, making quote marks with her fingers.

  Kim wasn’t surprised. To find out that he was not Charlie's biological father was bad enough, but to find out in front of a room full of people, most of them strangers, was horrific.

  She entered the incident room to a wall of silence. ‘What is it?’ she asked, closing the door.

  All eyes turned to Matt.

  ‘We have the prompt – and it doesn't sound good.’

  Kim's mouth dried as she sat.

  The mobile phones sat on the table.

  ‘Go on.’

  Matt found the message and played the recording.

  Kim stared at the wall as she heard a child's voice crying 'No' repeatedly. The child started to sob and then there was a scream.

  Kim now understood what Matt had known before. The scream was different. This one was pain.

  Kim was incredibly thankful that Matt had taken the phones from Elizabeth and Karen.

  ‘Is it the same recording on the other one?’

  Matt shook his head and reached for the second phone, Karen's.

  He played the message.

  Charlie’s voice instantly filled the room. ‘Get away from me … don't touch …’

  Kim could hear the fear in the voice but there was no crying. Then there was a scream.

  Both messages punched her in the stomach but the second with a little more force.

  Karen's girl was a fighter, obviously holding back tears, determined not to give her captor the satisfaction. Kim liked to think it was what she herself would have done.

  ‘There's something else. A second text message sent to both phones. A demand for two million and no less.’

  Kim raised an eyebrow at Matt. ‘Why?’

  ‘The change in strategy is unsettling. Something's happened to prompt a shift in tactics. It's not a good sign.’

  The rolling in her stomach did not disagree.

  ‘Could there be some kind of problem with where they're holding the girls?’ Stacey asked.

  Kim shook her head. ‘They would have allowed for that. It's more likely been caused by something that's happened here,’ she said, thoughtfully.

  It had been a busy morning.

  Stephen had been a dickhead.

  Robert had walked out.

  And Emily had been to the hypnotist.

  Kim had no idea which of these events had led the kidnappers to panic but there was one thing she knew for certain.

  The hourglass had turned.

  Ninety-Two

  ‘Okay, guys, we learned from Emily the following. When they were taken out of the van it was muddy and quiet. The building had a bad smell – I'm guessing mould.

  ‘On the day of the release Emily heard shouting in the distance and a machine. The van left the property across grass and, from Emily's description of the journey, I'm thinking a dirt track road barely big enough for a vehicle. She heard something hitting the side of the van; I’m assuming it was tree branches.’

  Kim looked at each face in turn. ‘I know it's not a lot but I want you to work backwards from where Emily was dropped.’

  Dawson coughed.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Guv, aren't we taking one hell of a gamble to think that they're in the same place as the last time?’

  She opened her mouth to respond but Matt beat her to it.

  ‘It's a reasonable assumption that if the location was working for them the first time there's no reason to think they wouldn't use it again. They know the area so it makes sense.’

  Kim stared at the dots until they began to fade into the page. She knew the clue was in her own logical mind, if only she could just locate it and throw it to the ground.

  Her gut told her that the kidnappers’ new strategy was a desperate move, one that had been put into motion after the recent developments had occurred here. But last time there had been no changes that could have been the catalyst for Emily’s release.

  Kim was disturbed from chasing her own tail by the sound of a text message tinging to a phone somewhere in the room.

  Everyone stopped and looked up.

  ‘It's me,’ Matt said, lifting a phone.

  Kim recognised it as the old Nokia that belonged to Jennifer Cotton.

  No one moved a muscle as Matt's eyes travelled from left to right.

  ‘He wants fifty thousand, same place as before. At six tonight,’ Matt said, looking directly at her.

  ‘Surely, that's good news?’ Dawson asked, looking from her to Matt.

  ‘It gives us nothing,’ Kim answered. ‘The text could be a hoax. It could even be a diversion to split our resources. The real demand is for the two million. I told you that we had to assume that Suzie Cotton was dead and that has not changed.’

  ‘Guv, are you really saying that we ignore this?’ Dawson asked.

  Kim let out a huge sigh as a picture of Jenny Cotton swam past her eyes.

  Yes, God forgive her, she was.

  Ninety-Three

  Kim could feel the dissention in the room. Secret glances were being shared across the table.

  ‘Focus on the maps, please,’ she said, without looking up. ‘The clock's ticking.’

  Every time she tried to study the map her brain screamed only one question.

  What the hell had occurred to prompt the release of one girl? Something had to have happened where the girls were being held.

  ‘Stace, get me more info on those old news—’

  ‘Marm, got a sec?’

  Helen’s face was peering around the door.

  ‘Come in, Helen,’ Kim said.

  The woman had earned the right to step over the boundary. In another life Kim would have been calling her Marm.

  Helen moved towards the table, a puzzled frown shaping her features. ‘You asked me to let you know if I remembered anything about the day Emily was released; well, there’s just one thing that just came back to me. I mean, it probably doesn’t mean anything but …’

  ‘Go on, Helen.’

  ‘Well, I remember stepping outside for some air and there was an officer standing outside. His radio was on. There’d been an accident. Kidderminster way, I think. It was West Mercia but it must have been bad because we were getting traffic tailbacks and congestion as far back as Lye. I mean it’s probably nothing but …’

  Her words trailed away and Kim could see the anxiety in her jawline. Every one of them knew they were running out of time.

  ‘Thank you, Helen,’ she said, as the woman backed out of t
he room.

  Kim looked to Stacey. ‘The traffic accident report.’

  Stacey started tapping keys. Kim stood behind her as the news article opened.

  The first screen covered the basics. A man injured, etc.

  ‘Go to full report,’ Kim said, feeling an excitement build in her stomach. Stacey opened it and Kim read quickly.

  The half-ton lorry had careered off the dual carriageway, breaking through the barrier. ‘Aah, shit,’ Stacey said, reading along with her.

  ‘Give me an aerial view.’

  Stacey tapped again. The screen zoomed into the area.

  Kim tapped the screen. ‘Right there, look at the terrain. The ground slopes away from the field into a ditch. That means they would have needed a crane to get the vehicle out of the field. And there would have been a lot of—’

  ‘Sirens,’ Bryant answered, joining them. ‘There'd have been fire service, ambulance and police converging. Would've made quite a racket.’

  Alison moved to her left and stole a glance. ‘Subject Two wouldn’t have been spooked by that level of noise. Subject One definitely would have been. It wouldn’t have been part of the plan, and so close to the drop time he might have panicked.’

  Kim agreed with the behaviourist, but it still begged the question of why Emily had been released before the money had been received and why Suzie had not been released at all.

  Stacey busily tapped away, zooming in and out of the map.

  ‘The two closest properties are either side of the dual carriageway. The sounds would have been heard further away but loudest here.’

  Kim knew they were on to something. With so much activity the kidnappers couldn't have run the risk that someone was going to knock on the door.

  ‘Stace, I need you to carry on looking for clues. If we get no joy at either of these two properties we'll need to start working our way out. But it's here. I know it.’

  ‘Got it, Guv.’

  It felt like someone had injected a shot of adrenaline into the whole room.