‘Adam,’ she exclaimed, surprised and pleased to see him. ‘How on earth …?’
‘I was due to visit today, remember? I got a phone call telling me what had happened and I was desperate to see you. I managed to persuade the wing governor to let me visit you here.’ He looked around the room. ‘I thought your mum was with you?’
‘She’s gone out for a cigarette.’
‘Wow, you’d think she’d make the most of your time together.’ He moved closer to the bed. ‘Oh, poor you,’ he said, taking in the drip and the bandages. Tina’s hand lay on top of the bedspread and Adam covered it with his. ‘I wish you’d called me,’ he said. ‘You can, anytime, day or night.’
‘I didn’t like to.’
Adam took hold of Tina’s hand, gave her fingers a squeeze. ‘I don’t want to lose you, Tina. I care about you. You’re precious to me.’ He brushed a tear from her cheek then raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.
‘Who are you?’ Penny asked, coming back into the room and seeing them together.
Adam laid Tina’s hand back on top of the covers. ‘You must be Mrs Snowdon,’ he said, standing and holding out his hand. ‘I’m Adam Masters, I’m Tina’s friend.’
Penny shook his hand more out of habit than anything else. ‘I’ve never seen you before. She’s been locked up in a women’s prison for years. So how did she meet you?’
‘I’m a volunteer prison visitor,’ Adam said, giving Penny his best smile. ‘But more than that, Tina and I have become good friends.’
‘I see. Well, it’s probably a good thing you’re here. I have to go now and the company will be good for her.’ Penny went over to the bed and pecked her daughter on the forehead. ‘I’ll call you when I can,’ she told Tina.
‘Thanks for coming, Mum,’ said Tina. She took hold of her mother’s arm. ‘Mum, I get out soon.’
‘I know, dear,’ said Penny.
‘Well, where will I go?’
‘You’ll find somewhere. The prison said they’ll help you get sorted. Maybe a little flat or a bedsit. I can give you some money.’
‘Can’t I come to you, Mum? You and James?’
‘Get that out of your head, Tina, it can’t happen.’ Penny looked at Adam. ‘I see what you’re doing, trying to embarrass me in front of your friend, but it simply won’t work. “No” means “no” in this case.’ She looked down at her daughter’s stricken face. ‘You’ll be okay, you’re strong.’ She buttoned up her coat. ‘I’ll visit you when I can. And there’s Ruth, she’ll help.’
By now, all Tina just wanted was for her mother to leave. ‘You’re right, Mum,’ she said, ‘I’ll be fine. You go now, before the traffic gets too bad.’
Penny took a step away from the bad. ‘Right, good thinking. Take care.’ She turned to Adam. ‘Nice to meet you, Aidan.’ Then she was gone.
Adam sat on the edge of the bed and held Tina until the tears stopped. Her throat was raw and crying just made it worse. When she was quieter, Adam took her face in his hands. ‘Don’t you worry,’ he said. ‘You’re not on your own. You have me, now, and I’m going to find you somewhere to stay when you’re released.’
‘How?’
‘The church has somewhere that will be just perfect. We’ll organise it so that you come to us. You’ll be safe and cared for.’ He smiled at her. ‘And loved,’ he added, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek.
***
That evening, Ruth visited Tina. She turned up with chocolate and magazines and couldn’t help remembering the visit to Tina she’d made with Karen Fitzgerald after her previous suicide attempt.
‘I won’t do it again,’ Tina promised.
‘Oh, I hope you mean that, Tina,’ Ruth said, hugging the girl. She looked so small and vulnerable, bandaged, tubes going in and coming out again.
‘Is there any news about Karen?’ she asked, her mind going back to the previous time, too.
Ruth plonked down in a chair, took in a breath and blew it out. She was exhausted. ‘That’s one of the reasons I’m here this evening and not this afternoon, as I’d planned,’ she told Tina. ‘We’ve been keeping an eye on Karen’s house and we caught a couple of kids going in.’
‘Who are they?’
‘They’re from the church.’
‘Mr Cotter’s church?’
Ruth nodded. ‘That’s the one.’
‘What’ll happen to them?’
‘Right now, I’m not sure.’
‘Will they go to prison?’ Tina asked.
‘No, love, I shouldn’t think so. Unless we can prove they’re involved in Karen’s disappearance, all they did was let themselves into her house with some keys they claim they found, after which they took a couple of paperback books. What did your mum have to say for herself?’
‘Oh, not much. I was surprised she came, to be honest. I think she was shamed into it.’
‘Did you discuss your release with her?’
Tina picked at the bedcover. ‘She doesn’t want me messing up her life, Ruth,’ she said, eventually, then she looked up and met Ruth’s eyes. ‘But I’ve got somewhere to go. My prison visitor, Adam, knows of a place for young people where I’ll be welcome. He’s putting things in motion for me to be able to go there.’
‘Well, that sounds promising,’ said Ruth. ‘Let me know how it all works out, won’t you.’
***
On the drive home, Ruth thought about the youngsters that had been caught in Karen Fitzgerald’s house. Cheeky little beggars had shown up with a key, strolled up the path and let themselves in through the front door. The surveillance team had given them five minutes then gone in after them, caught them looking through Karen’s bookshelves, a couple of paperbacks already stashed in the younger lad’s backpack.
The older lad had handled things reasonably well, but the younger one had got the fright of his life. By the time they’d been bundled into a car and driven to the police station he was white and shaking.
‘Not a career criminal, then,’ Rob Winter had observed as they watched the duty officer process the lads.
Ruth had snorted. ‘No, but you’ll never guess whose name has already been mentioned?’
‘John Surtees?’
‘Close. Jason Christopher. They were whispering about him in the car on the way over here. Now we need to get them to name him in the interview, then we can pull him in.’
‘That should make DSI Hardcastle happy.’
‘What should make DSI Hardcastle happy?’
Ruth turned to see Hardcastle standing there. ‘Oh, hello, sir.’ She filled him in on what she knew.
‘Well, now, that is promising,’ he said. ‘You reckon the younger one is the weak link?’
Ruth nodded.
‘Right, in that case get the older one into the interview room and leave the little ‘un to sweat in a holding cell. That should loosen him up even more.’
‘Sir.’
Ruth managed to get the younger lad to name Jason Christopher in the interview, after which he’d been arrested and pulled in for questioning. But with Christopher denying all knowledge and the older lad insisting he and his friend had found the keys and let themselves in for a laugh, there was nothing they could do. The story was full of holes, but hard evidence was non-existent. Jason Christopher and the two boys had been released.
***
‘Have you got my books?’ Karen Fitzgerald asked when the man came into her room.
‘No, I’m sorry, there was a problem.’
‘Well, then, you’d better give me a lift into town so I can pick something up at Waterstone’s.’
‘Highly amusing. Here, I brought this for you.’ He put a book on the small desk in the corner of the room.
‘What is it?’ Karen asked, moving to the desk top and picking it up. ‘“First Steps in Christ”,’ she read, before throwing it at him, angry. ‘You can take that shit out of here right now,’ she told him, her voice rising. ‘I’ve told you, I don’t believe in that bolloc
ks. I’ll tell you what I do believe, though. I honestly believe you’re mentally ill, you sick fucker.’ She lunged at him, but the chain attached to the manacle round her ankle was now too short to allow her to get anywhere near him.
‘Well, it’s all there is for now.’
‘Go back to my house. Bring me my fucking books.’
‘You’ve been told about that sort of language.’
‘Bring me some books.’
‘We aren’t going back to your house.’
‘Buy me some, then. I’ll give you titles, authors, just bloody get some. I’m going crazy here just staring at the walls.’
He picked the book up and flipped it back onto the desk. ‘You have that and the Bible. That’s all you need.’ He left the room, had just got the door closed when he heard the book thud against it. As he turned the key in the lock, Karen Fitzgerald treated his ears to some words they had never heard before.
***
‘It’s all being arranged,’ said Tina, eyes shining. ‘It looks like it’s going to work out. I’m going to have my own room, and friends, and support … everything I need.’
‘And this is what your prison visitor suggested?’ Ruth asked. ‘How does your mum feel about it?’
‘I think she’s relieved. She didn’t want me, that’s for sure.’ Tina frowned. ‘Not that it’s any of her business. Adam says I only have to see her if I want to.’
‘Well, think long and hard before you cut her out of your life,’ Ruth counselled. ‘She is your mum, after all.’
‘I know, but let’s face it, Ruth, if she ever loved me, it stopped when Annie and I got in that car. Or rather, when I got out of it and Annie didn’t.’
‘So where is this place you’re going to?’
‘It’s in Northumberland. They’ve got a house there.’
Ruth’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Is it in Otterburn? Tina, is Adam from the Ebenezer Tabernacle?’
Tina shook her head. ‘I don’t know exactly where it is, but it’s not the Tabernacle. It’s a young people’s Christian group, they call themselves the Christian Band. They’ve taken me under their wing.’
‘The Ebenezer Tabernacle has a house in Northumberland, Tina. It’s a hell of a coincidence. Just remember, that’s the church George Cotter and John Surtees are involved in.’
‘I don’t think it’s them, Ruth, Adam would have said. There must be hundreds of houses in Northumberland, thousands, probably.’
‘I know, but be careful,’ said Ruth. ‘If at any time you feel uncomfortable or you change your mind, ring me. I’ll organise something. It might just be my spare room, but don’t feel backed into a corner.’
‘I don’t, at all. I’m looking forward to it.’ Tina smiled, but Ruth didn’t feel reassured.
***
Things ticked over for the next couple of weeks. Tips came in on the hotline. Leads were followed up and led to dead ends. Investigations into Jason Christopher and John Surtees came up with nothing. Then one afternoon as Ruth walked over to her desk after another fruitless encounter, this time with someone whose neighbour had pointed the finger at him to get his own back after a row about a barking dog, Rob Winter shouted over to her.
‘Ruth! Come and look at this!’ He was practically jumping up and down and Ruth ran over to see what the excitement was all about.
‘Look. Fran’s got a match on Jason Christopher.’
Ruth looked. Sure enough, the images on Fran Turnbull’s screen looked like they could be the same boy. One was an artist’s impression Hardcastle had requested showing Jason Christopher as he might have looked at around ten years of age, the other was a photograph of a child who had been reported missing at the age of eight, some seventeen years previously.
‘Thomas Brown,’ Ruth read from the screen. ’What else have we got?’
‘Well, we got a DNA sample from Jason Christopher when we arrested him the other week. If we’ve got anything on file for Thomas Brown, we can do a DNA check.’
‘Right, get on it. See what we can prove. Nice work.’
***
Tina had taken care styling her hair and putting her make up on. She wore her favourite top with jeans and trainers and she was excited as she waited in the visitors’ room for the two people who were coming to see her.
As she saw Adam’s familiar figure heading towards her, her heart leapt. She smiled and waved and he smiled back. The man with him was older; Tina had never met him before, but he returned her smile, too.
‘Hi,’ she said as they took their seats opposite.
Adam squeezed her hand. ‘Tina, I’d like you to meet Matthew. He manages the house where you’ll be staying.’
‘Hello, Tina,’ said Matthew, shaking her hand. ‘I’m so pleased to meet you.’
‘Everything should be sorted out now,’ said Adam. ‘We’re certainly well prepared at our end.’
‘Yes, I’ve been told that everything’s organised. The paperwork is all done. It’s just a matter of waiting now.’
‘It’s not long, though. Just a few days.’
‘I know,’ said Tina. ‘I can hardly believe it. It’s so exciting to think I’ll be … I’ll be …’
‘Free,’ said Adam, squeezing her hand.
‘And with somewhere to go. I honestly thought I’d be in a bedsit on my own somewhere. I was almost dreading it.’
‘We have your room ready for you,’ Matthew told her. ‘It’s on the first floor and there’s a big window looking out over the gardens and the moors beyond. You can see for miles, and you can walk for miles. You’ll know you’re free when you’re there, I promise you.’
‘Thank you,’ whispered Tina. Adam was still holding her hand.
‘And your new friends are looking forward to meeting you, too,’ said Matthew. ‘Jason and Neah are especially looking forward to it. I can sense that you’re going to be the best of friends.’
‘Family,’ said Adam, and Tina wept tears of happiness and relief.
***
‘Jason Christopher and Thomas Brown are one and the same. We have a positive match between DNA samples, there’s absolutely no doubt.’ Hardcastle was beaming, pleased to have finally identified the elusive Jason Christopher.
‘So he was an abductee as well?’ asked Bester.
‘Looks like he could have been the first,’ Ruth told the assembled officers. ‘Then he joined in.’
‘That’s pretty sick, isn’t it? I mean, it must have been terrifying for him. Why would he do it to somebody else?’
‘Has anybody told his mum and dad?’
‘DI Webb and DS Evans are off to see them when we’re done here,’ Ruth said. ‘And Rob and I are going to pick up Jason Christopher.’
‘It’ll be a hell of a shock for the Browns, getting their lad back after this long.’
‘It’ll be quite a reunion when it happens. Wouldn’t mind being a fly on the wall for that.’
Chapter 20
‘Morning, sleepyhead.’
Tina blinked in the sudden bright light as Adam drew back the curtains and opened a window. ‘What time is it?’
‘Almost eleven.’
‘No way! I haven’t slept that late in years.’
Adam chuckled. ‘That’s what I reckoned. I insisted you were left to sleep.’
‘Thank you.’ Tina yawned and stretched, luxuriating in the soft, fragrant, clean sheets and the space in the double bed. ‘This is wonderful.’
Adam sat on the edge of the bed. ‘I’m glad you feel so at home here. I’m going to leave you to get up and get ready, then I want you to come downstairs to where we had dinner last night. Okay?’
‘Okay.’
He kissed her cheek, then stood up and left the room. Tina knew she had to get up soon, but just wanted to enjoy the moment. She spread her arms and legs out in the bed, revelling in the space, the fresh sheets, the lateness of the hour. The freedom. The curtains were moved gently by a slight breeze which carried the scent of lavender. Even if she hadn’t ju
st been released from prison, this place would have been something special.
Reluctantly she left the comfort of the bed, wrapped herself in her dressing gown, and went to look out of the window. Matthew hadn’t exaggerated: Tina really could see for miles. She smiled as she took in the view: she hadn’t been able to see so far in years.
Conscious of the time and keen to see the others, she went into the small en suite bathroom, turned on the shower and tied up her hair. As the water started to run warm, she took off her dressing gown and hung it on the back of the door, then stripped off her pyjamas, folded them neatly, and put them on the closed lid of the lavatory. She took a moment to squeeze the soft towels hanging from the heated rail between her fingers before, smiling, she got in the shower. Tina sighed audibly as jets of warm water hit her body and massaged her skin with their firm but gentle touch. She squeezed a generous amount of body wash onto the wash cloth and began to move it in lazy circles over her arms and shoulders.
While she showered, Tina reflected on the previous twenty-four hours. She had gone from being a prisoner to being a free woman, had been met by Adam and Matthew on her release and driven into Durham, first for coffee and cake, then to buy some of the things she would need, clothes and toiletries and some magazines and books. After that, they piled into the car once more and drove up to Northumberland.
‘Just as soon as you’re ready to face it, we’ll go into Newcastle,’ Adam had told her. ‘But I figured Durham was a better option for when you first got out. Less big, less busy.’
Tina had been overwhelmed by his kindness, by the thrill of freedom, the joy of shopping, of choosing from more than a small, familiar selection of uninteresting things.
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