Pretty Little Things

by T. M. E. Walsh

  I come crashing down, my world, my everything, coming down with me.

  CHAPTER 41

  It was nearly eleven at night and still there was no sign of Elle Monroe or Kenzie Dalton. Madeleine and Charis sat opposite Charlotte and Iain in their living room, surrounded by photographs of happier times.

  Savannah came in with a tray of hot drinks. She set the tray down on the table.

  Madeleine noted the ice-cold look Charlotte exchanged with her best friend. Conscious she was aggravating the situation, Madeleine cleared her throat.

  ‘Savannah?’ she said, as she picked up her mug of tea. ‘Perhaps it might be best for you to go home now.’

  Savannah looked surprised, her eyes flicking to Iain’s.

  ‘I think I need to speak to both Charlotte and Iain alone for a bit.’

  Iain stared at Savannah and then gave her a small nod. ‘Get yourself home. I’ll call you if there’s any news,’ he said.

  Charlotte shook her head.

  Madeleine couldn’t be sure if this was aimed at her husband or whether she was just playing the situation they both now found themselves in back and forth in her head.

  ‘OK,’ Savannah said. She pressed her hand on Iain’s shoulder then went to Charlotte. ‘We’ll find her,’ she said. ‘We will.’

  Charlotte didn’t look at her.

  Savannah looked unsure what to do. Then she bent to kiss the top of her friend’s head. ‘I’ll see myself out,’ she said.

  Madeleine heard the front door go a minute later.

  ‘It’s not her fault,’ Iain said to Charlotte then. ‘She’s trying to help.’

  ‘Our daughter wouldn’t be missing if I’d been picking her up.’

  He scoffed. ‘Don’t be stupid, you know that’s rubbish. Whether we want to admit it or not, they both walked out of school after afternoon registration.’

  ‘She wouldn’t have gone anywhere if she’d known I was going to be picking her up,’ she snapped, turning on him. ‘It’s not right the kids in sixth form are still allowed off-site for free periods either.’

  ‘All right,’ Madeleine said. ‘Let’s calm down. This won’t help us find Elle or Kenzie.’

  ‘We have a Family Liaison Officer with Kenzie’s mother right now,’ Charis said. ‘We’ll get one organised for you, too, and their job will be to keep you informed of things as and when they progress. But right now we have to assume both girls have run off.’

  Charlotte turned to face her.

  ‘Run off? My daughter wouldn’t just run off.’

  Madeleine cleared her throat. She tried to be tactful. Mindful. ‘First Jade Reid and now Elle and Kenzie.’ She let the statement hang in the air. ‘It can’t be a coincidence.’

  ‘It isn’t,’ Charlotte said. ‘Someone has them.’

  ‘Maybe they met up with Jade? Have you considered that?’

  Charlotte shook her head.

  Madeleine waited until Charlotte made eye contact with her again. ‘Elle’s run off before, hasn’t she? It’s not completely out of character.’

  ‘We should take heart from that,’ Iain said.

  Madeleine wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Charlotte or himself.

  ‘She ran off once, five months ago.’

  ‘Just after you had your accident.’

  ‘When I was released from hospital,’ Charlotte said. ‘And that was different. That was then and this is now.’ Charlotte’s face was serious. ‘This time it is different, Inspector.’

  Iain sighed heavily. ‘Is it? Char, you need to stop putting Elle on a pedestal. She has done this before.’

  ‘This is different!’

  ‘OK,’ Madeleine said. ‘Let’s look at what we know. Both Elle and Kenzie took a change of clothes with them to school today. They took phone chargers and their respective bank cards. They were seen by several people walking out of school together. They were laughing, talking. Nothing out of the ordinary.’ Madeleine paused, treading as carefully as she could. ‘We have them both on CCTV as far as Walken Road, and that’s logged on the tracking app you put on Elle’s mobile. Elle and Kenzie’s mobiles were then both switched off at this time. This was a deliberate act. We think they were heading into Church Lane. We have a witness who saw Kenzie with her thumb out when they passed them in their car . . .’

  Charlotte raised her face so she could look Madeleine square in the eye.

  ‘You can’t seriously believe my daughter was hitch-hiking? That’s complete rubbish and you know it.’ She paused. ‘He has her. He has them both.’

  Iain sat forward then. ‘Charlotte, enough!’

  ‘What other explanation is there?’

  ‘I don’t know. That maybe she’d had enough of you, of me, of us both. They both switched their mobiles off for a reason.’

  Charlotte immediately recalled the bits of conversation she’d overheard from outside Elle’s bedroom. Elle had said things Charlotte would rather forget. Putting together the snippets of conversation she’d heard, taking into account this disappearance . . . to anyone else it would make sense, add up.

  Charlotte knew that if she were an outsider looking in, and this were happening to someone else, she’d be of the same mind. Elle had run away.

  She still couldn’t accept this.

  ‘Her phone is off,’ Charlotte said and it sounded feeble even to her own ears.

  ‘Out of battery?’ Charis said.

  ‘That’s total shit.’

  A silence fell on the room and Charis gave her a disapproving look.

  ‘Apologise,’ Iain said, looking embarrassed.

  ‘Her phone is off because the killer has switched it off,’ Charlotte said.

  Iain looked her hard in the face. ‘Apologise.’

  Charlotte looked between the two police officers and her face softened a little. ‘I’m sorry. I just can’t accept she’d do this to us both. To run away when these girls her own age have been . . .’ She trailed off, shaking her head. ‘I just can’t see it. I can’t accept it and I want you to treat this like you have Jade Reid’s disappearance. This can’t be a coincidence. First Jade and now Elle and Kenzie? This isn’t different.’

  Madeleine had to agree with her on that, but so far they had no indication of any foul play. ‘You said yourself that clothes are missing from her room? This could further point towards some premeditation on Elle’s part.’

  Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. ‘If Elle was planning on running away with Kenzie, if that’s why they left school early, that doesn’t mean they weren’t picked up by someone.’

  Madeleine bit her lower lip, paused before considering her response. ‘We have her laptop and we can access her social media accounts, emails, and we’ll get access to her mobile records,’ she said. ‘Any activity with her bank?’

  ‘I checked online. No,’ Charlotte said.

  ‘Do you think she maybe has money already?’

  Iain sat forward in his chair then. ‘I gave her some yesterday. She asked for some money for some clothes to top up her birthday money.’

  Charlotte looked at him. ‘I didn’t know that.’

  ‘It was only twenty pounds, Char.’

  ‘If she’s carrying any money, it’s not much?’ Madeleine said.

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Have either of you noticed any money missing lately?’

  ‘No,’ Charlotte said.

  Iain nudged her leg with his. ‘Yeah, I said earlier the joint account was down.’

  ‘I have to chase Harry on my pay, you know that.’

  ‘Is it possible Elle might have been able to sneak money?’ Madeleine said.

  Charlotte looked affronted. ‘My daughter is no thief, Inspector.’

  Iain pushed himself off the sofa and paced the room. ‘This is crazy,’ he said to himself.

  ‘Ask Savannah,’ Charlotte said.

  Madeleine noted a spiteful edge to her tone.

  ‘Your friend?’

  Iain stopped pacing and stared
at her. ‘Why would you say that?’

  ‘Savannah’s been trying to play happy families. Why wouldn’t she try and bribe my daughter?’

  ‘Have you heard yourself?’ Iain said, exasperated. ‘Why the hell would she? And even if she did, why not say anything?’

  Charlotte shrugged. ‘You know her better than I do, apparently.’

  Madeleine exchanged a look with Charis, but neither spoke.

  ‘She’s your friend, Char.’

  Madeleine cut in then. ‘Have you spoken to Elle about the missing money?’

  ‘We didn’t get a chance to,’ Iain said. ‘Charlotte found Bryony and . . .’ He looked at Charlotte. ‘It didn’t feel like a priority at the time. Not given the circumstances.’

  Charlotte didn’t respond. She sat there, legs crossed, head now in her hands. ‘I just want her back,’ she said to herself and started to sob.

  Iain looked to Madeleine and Charis. ‘What do we do?’

  ‘Let us do our job,’ Madeleine said. ‘An appeal has been put out in the media. We’ll find them.’

  *

  Madeleine sat in her car and waited for Charis to get in the passenger seat.

  ‘Thoughts?’ Charis said, as she closed the car door after her. ‘Do we think Elle and Kenzie have just run away?’

  Madeleine pushed her hair back from her face and looked back at the Monroes’ house. She saw Iain’s silhouette in the living room window.

  He was watching them.

  ‘Honestly?’ she said. ‘I’m not sure. Elle’s done this before, albeit not for this amount of time, and she still had her phone on and was active on her social media accounts.’

  ‘Feels fifty-fifty to me.’

  ‘I wonder if they were planning to go and find Jade and something stopped them?’ She paused. ‘Like Charlotte suggested?’

  Charis looked around the street. ‘Charlotte found Bryony. Could that be a reason to target Elle and Kenzie?’

  ‘Trouble does seem to find them,’ Madeleine said. She turned to Charis as she started up the car. ‘I want a FLO assigned to them ASAP and I want someone to go and speak to Savannah Burr.’

  ‘The friend?’

  Madeleine gave her a wry smile. ‘I’m not sure I was feeling much friendship in there, not on Charlotte’s part anyway. That’s a relationship broken down. I’m interested to know why.’

  A sudden banging on the car window startled them both.

  Madeleine turned to see Charlotte’s desperate face. Madeleine wound the window down.

  ‘Ruby Tate,’ she said, breathless. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.’

  ‘Who is Ruby Tate?’

  After Charlotte had filled them in on everything, she looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

  ‘We’ll certainly contact her,’ Madeleine said.

  ‘You need to go around there now.’

  ‘Mrs Monroe, we’ll handle this.’

  ‘She’s a bloody nutcase. She attacked me in front of my daughter. Elle could be round there right now.’ She stepped back from the car. ‘I’ll go there myself.’

  Madeleine got out of the car. ‘You will do no such thing. Look,’ she said, her voice softening, ‘I know you both must be going through hell right now, but stop and think rationally for a minute. I get Elle, but why would Ruby Tate have anything against Kenzie?’

  Charlotte’s face fell.

  ‘It’s me she’s trying to hurt. She knows going after Elle would all but finish me,’ she said, tears rolling down her face. ‘You have to find my baby, Inspector. Please, I can’t go on without her. I need to know she’s safe.’

  Madeleine felt her heart breaking for her. She couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to lose one of her boys. The thought was almost too much to bear.

  She placed her hand on Charlotte’s shoulder.

  ‘I’ll find her. I’ll do everything in my power to bring her back to you, I promise.’

  CHAPTER 42

  CHARLOTTE

  I throw the glass of water at the wall. ‘This is so fucked!’

  I’ve just told Iain what I ran to tell DI Wood and he’s not buying into the fact that Ruby Tate could have had something to do with this.

  Iain stands there mouth open, gawping at the shards of glass on the kitchen floor. ‘What’s the matter with you? First, you’re talking about Savannah and now Ruby? I can’t see it, Char. Kidnap is a big step up from writing notes and throwing something at you.’

  I turn on him, hands up in frustration. ‘Elle’s been gone nearly nine hours now! Anything could be happening to her!’

  Nine hours. Nine hours to break our life apart and raise the stakes.

  ‘Kenzie,’ he said. ‘She’s with Kenzie, like DI Wood said.’

  I point at him, anger ripping through my body. ‘That’s crap and you know it. He has her.’

  Iain snapped. ‘Who has her, Charlotte? Elle’s done this before, like I keep having to remind you. Our daughter is capable of doing this; the sooner you start to accept that, the better.’

  ‘Before, she was home come dinner time!’

  ‘So, she’s finding new ways to punish you? You kept pushing her and pushing her. I told you to give her space but you wouldn’t listen. I mean, she went to that party you wanted to ban her from going to and she came back safe and sound.’

  I’m exasperated. ‘So, she thinks running away is the best way to make me give her space? Bullshit!’

  ‘Look, Kenzie is missing too. That should tell you something. This was planned, as much as you can’t bear to see that. I mean, you put a fucking tracking app on Elle’s phone. That’s really intrusive, Char . . . and what’s with mentioning Savannah? She’s your friend. And Ruby? She’d be jeopardising Paul if she did anything like this. She’s crazy but not that crazy. Think about what you’re insinuating.’ He runs his hand back through his hair, his face red. ‘You’re all over the place, Char!’

  ‘Don’t you dare start blaming me.’ I just want to scream at him. ‘You can’t seriously be buying into that crap that they hitched a ride somewhere?’

  Iain looks ashen, like the weight of that possibility is only just sinking in. ‘It’s killing me too, Char. Tearing me up inside but I have to see the good in this.’

  ‘Good?’

  He shakes his hand, dismissing his own words. ‘That’s not what I meant, it came out wrong. I mean she’s alive, she’s with Kenzie and she’s in a shitload of trouble when she’s back. But that’s just it, Char . . .’

  He looks at me then, eyes dead serious.

  ‘… She will come back. Safe. She’ll come back. That money I thought she’d been taking, it might have been in preparation for this.’

  My stare matches his. ‘No . . . and Elle would never hitch-hike.’ The words leave my mouth but I’m not sure I believe them, not really, not deep down. I mean, how well do I really know my daughter? I mean, really know her?

  Iain’s eyes seem to soften. His arms flop at his sides. ‘What other explanation is there? The police have nothing to suggest they did otherwise, do they? Some of Elle’s clothes are gone, she took her bank card, she took her phone charger—’

  ‘A phone that’s switched off and she’s not used her card,’ I spit, anger swelling inside me again. This constant mix of emotions is eating away at my insides with a fever-hot rage.

  ‘Maybe she’s not been able to charge it yet.’

  ‘And maybe she’s been taken!’ He looks at me, wide-eyed. ‘You’re her father. Act like a father.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean? What would you have me do?’

  ‘Get out there and bloody find her! Take the van and go out searching all night if need be. Do something!’

  I slam my hand down on the work surface and let the tears come now, fat and hot, rolling down my cheeks. Iain pauses, staring at me like I’m a stranger before seeming to zap back to life and reaching a hand out to mine. I shrink back from his touch, let my body slide down the worktop.

&n
bsp; I sit among the broken shards of glass, not caring when I feel a piece dig in at the back of my thigh, through my thin trousers.

  ‘Charlotte,’ he says. ‘Please, get up, let’s get you to bed, you’re exhausted.’

  I shove him away. ‘I’m going to look for her.’

  ‘You’re in no fit state to be driving anywhere. Look at you.’

  ‘I’ll walk then. I’ll walk all night if I have to.’

  ‘Walk where, huh? Where the hell are you going to go now in the dark? On these country roads, you’ll get yourself knocked over.’

  I push myself up from the floor. I grab my phone and start scrolling through the phonebook. I limp to the stairs, the cut on my thigh stinging with each step.

  ‘Who are you calling? Let me speak to Savannah,’ he says.

  ‘I’m not calling Savannah.’ I spit her name out like it’s something foul in my mouth.

  Iain calls after me. ‘Who are you calling? Charlotte!’

  Iain comes after me, tries to wrestle the phone from my hand, but I shove him away and grab my car keys and head out to the garage.

  I press the fob to open the garage door and get in my car as Iain appears. I hit the central-locking system as he tries to open my door.

  He stares at me, face serious. Angry.

  It unnerves me.

  ‘Get out of the car.’

  I shake my head, too upset to speak.

  I start the engine.

  ‘Get out of the car, Charlotte. You’re in no fit state to drive.’

  The garage door is almost fully raised and I edge the car forward, jumping when Iain slams his hand down on the bonnet.

  I brake hard, let out a cry of shock and fear.

  Tears are streaming down my face now and I can’t control the sobs that wrack my body.

  ‘I’ll call the police,’ he says.

  From somewhere within I find the strength to speak.

  ‘Call them! Get them out there looking for her!’

  Iain shakes his head and stands in front of the car, eyes never leaving mine.

  ‘What? What are you . . .?’ My breath catches in my throat.

  ‘Turn the engine off and get out of the car, Charlotte.’