by Karen Moore
“Wow, that’s quite spectacular. It’s like something out of a film set,” said Hanna in spite of herself, peering out of the windscreen at the town ahead.
“Yes, it’s a picturesque little town,” agreed Sergio. “The castle is one of the largest on the island, and one of the oldest – it’s Norman, dating back to the 12th century. We can’t be far from the rendezvous now.”
The road continued to wind round the contours of the countryside, the car just managing to cope with the steeper inclines. After about ten minutes, a battered roadside sign for Scalzano Lake came into view, quickly followed by a sharp right-hand turn into a narrow road. Sergio made the turn, then pulled up on a grass verge.
“Let’s swap places here. It shouldn’t be much further now. Just drive on until it becomes a dirt track…”
“…and continue on foot from there,” Hanna finished his sentence. “You don’t have to remind me. I remember the instructions well enough.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Sergio got out of the car. Hanna shuffled over and took his place behind the wheel while he crouched down in the back of the car, covering himself with the rug.
“No problem,” said Hanna, starting up the car. “No more talking. Just in case…”
Sergio obliged and fell silent as Hanna drove off. The condition of the road quickly started to deteriorate, and she struggled to manoeuvre around potholes and boulders strewn along the way. She could hear Sergio shifting uncomfortably in the back. After just a few minutes, the tarmac ended abruptly, the route continuing onwards as little more than a mule track. Hanna stopped the car and looked around nervously. All she could see were a few clumps of trees nearby and the odd sheep in the distance. She opened the car door and got out. A light breeze rustled through the remaining leaves on the trees. Otherwise, nothing. She slammed the car door shut to let Sergio know that she was leaving.
Trembling, she started to make her way down the track, glancing nervously from side to side. All around her was eerily quiet. There was really nowhere for anyone to hide. Even so, she quickened her pace, eager to get the drop-off over with. She spotted a large tree stump in the track ahead. But when she reached it, it was solid, not the hollow stump that had been mentioned in the instructions. She wondered if this was all just a trick to get her out here on her own and maybe kidnap her, too.
The track was now starting to dip towards the lake, and Hanna could just make out a low dark shape in the grass verge ahead. Maybe this was it? She hurried towards it. Sure enough, it turned out to be a hollow stump, similar in shape to other trees growing nearby. Wary that it could be a trap, she approached cautiously, glancing around for any sign of the kidnappers. But there was nothing, just the wind soughing in the branches.
Hanna slipped the memory stick out of her zipped jacket pocket. She’d put it in a plastic bag to prevent it from getting wet. With trembling hands, she placed it in the middle of the stump, checking that she was alone. Still no sign of any company.
Retracing her steps, she started to hurry back towards the car. Just then, a deafening crack shattered the silence, quickly followed by another, the sounds reverberating across the countryside. Gunshots. Hanna froze, then broke into a sprint. As she approached the car, she could hear the engine running.
“Get in!” yelled Sergio from behind the wheel, flinging the passenger door open. She hardly had time to shut it before he accelerated away at speed up the narrow road.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sicily, Thursday 30th November – Friday 1st December, 2017
“What the hell was that all about?” said Hanna, panting, as Sergio sped down the winding road back towards the coast.
“God knows. It might have been a threat or a warning, or just a way to show their presence. But better not to stick around to find out, either way,” Sergio grimaced, his attention focused on the road ahead. “Did you manage to make the drop okay? Did you see anyone?”
Hanna nodded, then shook her head. “Yes, just hope it… was the right place.” She swallowed, her mouth dry. Sweat trickled down her back and she was still shaking. “No doubt someone was watching from a safe distance, but I didn’t see anyone.”
“Good. We’ll just have to wait for their next move.”
Hanna sat back in her seat, feeling a bit nauseous, clinging onto the grab handle as Sergio hurtled round the sharp bends. Once they’d left the hilly road behind, Sergio turned the car towards Termini Imerese, the nearest coastal town, pulling up at a scruffy-looking bar in the outskirts. Hanna looked at him questioningly.
“C’mon, you need this,” he said, beckoning her out of the car and ushering her into the bar. Three men sat at a table in the corner, noisily playing cards. They’d evidently been there for some time, judging by the empty glasses.
“A coffee and a brandy, please,” Sergio ordered.
“Take a seat. I’ll bring them over,” said the young barman.
They went to sit at a table by the window, away from the other customers.
“I take it the brandy is for me?” asked Hanna.
“Certo, for medicinal purposes. You’ve had a shock. It’ll help to calm you down. I’d have one, too, if I wasn’t driving.”
The barman brought the drinks over and put them on the table with a flourish. Hanna sipped her drink cautiously. Brandy wasn’t a drink that she usually liked, but at that moment it was exactly what she needed. The amber liquid created an inner warmth and a feeling of instant calm and wellbeing.
“Better?”
She nodded, feeling the alcohol begin to work its magic. “Yes, much better, thanks. You were right. I certainly needed something.”
Sergio smiled, drained his coffee cup, and stood up. “I’ll just call Ceri and let her know everything went okay. Won’t be long.” He headed for the toilets, leaving Hanna on her own.
The three card players took advantage of his absence to turn round and stare at her. She avoided their gaze and shifted uncomfortably in her seat, checking her phone for messages. Just a previous message from Rhys wishing her well with the drop-off. Nothing from the kidnappers as yet. Probably much too soon.
She suddenly realised that she’d not sent through the confirmation they’d asked for and and was in the middle of responding when Sergio returned. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m letting the kidnappers know that the drop-off has been made as they requested. I’d forgotten all about it after what happened,” she explained.
“Yes, I’d forgotten, too. Shall we go when you’ve finished?” he said, leaving some money on the table for the drinks.
Back in the car, Hanna felt a little drowsy, which she put down to the effects of the brandy. That, and the trauma of the drop-off. All she had to do now was wait.
Sergio dropped Hanna off at the apartment and apologised for having to go back to work. Over lunch, she told Ceri what had happened.
“Oh, my God!” said Ceri when she related the final part. “D’you think the gunshots were meant for you, or was it just a warning?”
Hanna shrugged. “Who knows? But it scared me shitless. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I feel so desperate, so helpless. And guilty that I didn’t do enough to protect Eva. It’s my fault this has happened. I don’t know what I’d do if they hurt her in any way.”
“Let’s just focus on getting her back now,” said Ceri. She seemed to be struggling to find the right words so as not to upset Hanna even more.
“It’s hell all this waiting for news. I’m still not sure that we should be handling this on our own,” said Hanna.
“Well, we’ve got no choice but to wait now. We can still involve the police if things don’t go as well as we hope. But that should be the last resort. We discussed this with Sergio, remember, and decided that it’d be too risky.”
“That’s true but I’m really struggling to deal with this whole situation. I can’t bear the thought of what Eva’s going through and how she’ll be feeling…”
; Ceri squeezed her arm. “It’ll all turn out okay, you’ll see.”
“I just hope you’re right,” said Hanna, feeling uneasy and unconvinced.
By the time Sergio returned to the apartment that evening, Hanna still hadn’t heard any news from the kidnappers. She was mad with worry, thinking the worst. What had happened? What could have gone wrong? A constant stream of fears flooded through her head. The thought occurred to her that she might not hear anything ever again and that Eva might just disappear. Surely they wouldn’t harm a child? But Hanna knew from previous media stories that it had happened before.
The strain of keeping her emotions and imagination in check was proving unbearable and she could feel her composure slipping again.
“I feel so helpless, just sitting around waiting for news,” she said. “Is there really nothing we can do to get Eva back quickly?”
“I’m afraid not, cara. We have no option but to wait. I know that’s not what you want to hear,” Sergio replied. He looked weary, with dark circles under his eyes
“I need some space. I feel like I’m going mad cooped up in here. I’m going out to get some fresh air,” said Hanna, pulling on her jacket and making for the door.
Ceri and Sergio exchanged worried glances. “Will you be okay on your own? Sure you don’t want any company?” asked Ceri.
Hanna shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry, I won’t be long. Sorry, but it’s all getting too much. I’m just not coping.”
She pecked Ceri on the cheek, hoping her friend would understand. Ceri smiled briefly in response.
Hanna opened the front door and stepped out, her vision blurred by the tears welling in her eyes. By the time she’d reached the street, they were in full flow, falling in silent torrents down her face.
Hanna’s mobile vibrated, accompanied by its usual shrill alert. She didn’t feel as if she’d been asleep for long as she groped around on the bedside table to find it. 6.13am. An incoming message. But there was no message, only a short video clip.
It shows Eva, looking dirty and dishevelled, tied up and gagged. A dark figure approaches and rips the gag off. (Hannah flinched.) A plaintive cry – “Mamma, aiutami, vieni presto! – Mummy, help me, come and get me!” Then the gag is roughly taped back over her precious little daughter’s mouth and the screen goes black.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sicily, Friday 1st December, 2017
Hanna opened her eyes. She was lying in a crumpled heap on the bedroom floor, a nest of mice doing a clog dance in her head. Slowly she tried to focus. Her mobile was lying on the floor next to her. Of course, the video clip of Eva. She must have blacked out for a minute. She sat up and grabbed the phone, playing the clip over and over, looking for any clues as to where it might have been filmed. The only thing she noticed was the camera panning briefly to show a copy of the previous day’s edition of La Gazzetta della Sicilia.
Eventually, she gave up and knocked on Ceri and Sergio’s bedroom door. “The kidnappers have made contact,” she shouted through the door. “They’ve sent through a video of Eva. Come and see.”
She could hear footsteps and Ceri opened the door, Sergio close behind her. They followed Hanna into the kitchen.
“Is she OK?” asked Ceri, her face drawn and tense.
Hanna nodded, tears in her eyes. “She seems to be. Here, watch it. See what you think.”
“Well, it’s good news in a way,” said Sergio, after watching the clip several times. “At least we know they’ve not harmed her. Strange there’s no message, though.”
“But what I don’t understand is why they’ve sent this now,” said Hanna, pacing up and down, her head fuzzy and confused. “We’ve done as they asked and returned the memory stick, so they’ve got what they want. What the hell’s going on?”
“These people, whoever they are, aren’t stupid,” said Sergio. “They’ll be only too well aware that we could have copied the information so we still pose a threat. Maybe this is just a reminder that they’re in control and to warn us off from going to the authorities. There are no clues in the video as to where she’s being held, so I’m afraid we’re back to square one, waiting for news.”
“Poor Eva, God knows what she’s going through. She must be terrified,” said Hanna, wringing her hands. “But it doesn’t add up. I just feel that there’s something else going on here. Not that I’m familiar with these situations…”
“We need to play it carefully by their rules, however painful that may be,” said Sergio gently. “We can’t take any risks.”
“You think that they might still hurt her?” asked Hanna, her heart beating faster.
Sergio shrugged. “We just need to wait it out.”
“I don’t think I can take any more of this.” Hanna’s voice cracked. “My head feels as if it’s going to explode.”
Ceri, who had been listening intently to the exchange, opened a cupboard door and retrieved a box of pills.
“Here,” she said, taking two out of a blister pack and putting them on the table with a glass of water. “Take these – they should help ease your head and calm your nerves. You might want to try and get some rest. We can monitor your phone and let you know as soon as there’s any news.”
“Maybe,” Hanna said reluctantly, “but you’ll let me know as soon as they make contact?”
“Of course we will. We all want this to be over as quickly as possible.” Ceri smiled briefly to reassure her.
“Okay, then,” said Hanna, washing the pills down with several mouthfuls of water. “I could do with some sleep. I didn’t get much last night. Can you wake me in an hour or so?”
“Will do. Try not to worry too much.” Ceri gave Hanna a hug.
“See you in a bit, then. And thanks, both of you, for all your support.”
Hanna went off to her room and laid on top of the bed. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy, drowsiness seeping in, and wondered briefly what was in the tablets she’d just taken. The last thing she remembered before she fell asleep was the murmur of voices from the kitchen.
Hanna awoke to find Ceri standing over her, tugging at her arm
“What the… what’s going on?” she asked, still groggy from sleep and stirring herself to sit up.
“It’s them, the kidnappers, they’ve got back to us with a rendezvous to collect Eva,” said Ceri, her voice animated. She held out Hanna’s phone with the new message displayed on the screen. It was short and clipped, giving a location and a time for the day after next.
Hanna read the message several times before the contents registered. This was it, the end. She was going to get Eva back. Everything she’d hoped and prayed for. She felt elated, giddy with joy.
“Oh, my God. At last! That’s wonderful, I just can’t believe it!” Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“I’m so happy for you,” said Ceri, hugging her yet again. “It’s nearly over. Eva will be back soon.”
“See, it’ll all work out okay now,” said Sergio, who was hovering in the doorway. He seemed hesitant to come closer. “I think this calls for a celebratory lunch, if you’re up to it, Hanna?”
Hanna smiled. “It’s probably a bit premature, but I have to admit that even my appetite is coming back now. I’ll ring Rhys and tell him the good news.”
“And I’ll ring Ciccio’s and see if he can find us a table.”
Ceri laughed. “Typical Sicilian. Everything in life is celebrated with food.”
Lunch turned out to be a welcome distraction for Hanna. The busy little family-run restaurant was a favourite of Ceri and Sergio’s for its fresh ingredients and reasonable prices. Hanna realised how little she’d eaten over the last few days; her stomach was rumbling and she felt hungry for the first time in what seemed like ages.
The waiter ushered them through the bustling restaurant to a corner table. On his recommendation, they opted for pasta with swordfish and aubergines, followed by a large platter of grilled seafood and green salad, washed down by a chilled
Grillo. They talked little as they tucked into the delicious food. Eva’s impending return had restored their appetites. Over coffee, the conversation turned to Sergio’s line of work.
“So, why did you choose journalism?” Hanna asked. “Particularly investigative journalism. It can’t be an easy career to pursue in Sicily.”
“You’re right, in fact it can be downright dangerous. I’ve been threatened and shot at several times. One of my colleagues died in a shoot-out. The newspaper’s offfices have been broken into and trashed several times. So why did I choose journalism? I have memories of my father being involved in the police investigation into the killing of the two anti-mafia judges Falcone and Borsellino in Palermo in the early 1990s when I was a young boy. I guess I grew up wanting to make a difference. You know how it is, you become an idealistic student, get into politics, and think you can change the world single-handedly. The arrogance of youth.”
“You weren’t tempted to follow your father into the police?” asked Ceri, to Hanna’s amazement. Surely they must have discussed this before now?
“To me, the police only ever managed to scrape the surface. If they were lucky, they might end up arresting those immediately responsible but rarely those who were pulling the strings, the ones with real power and influence. I thought that being a journalist would give me the freedom to dig deeper.”
“And has it?” Hanna asked.
Sergio lowered his voice, although the chances of being overheard in the lively restaurant were slim. “Up to a point, yes. We’ve had some successes but they usually come at a price. As I said, one of my colleagues died and another lives on the mainland under an assumed identity with round-the-clock protection.”
Hanna’s eyes widened. “But I thought the mafia years were largely over?”