by J. P. Carter
‘I’ve got a couple of updates for you, ma’am,’ Forbes said. ‘First, Holly’s ex-boyfriend no longer lives at the address you gave us. We’re still trying to find out where he moved to.’
‘Noted. What else is there?’
‘I’ve just received a call from DC Sweeny at Barnes Common. Holly’s body has been removed and the search team will arrive at dawn. Forensics have called it a night and they’ve found nothing significant.’
‘OK, we’ll be back in a couple of hours,’ Anna said. ‘Call me if there are any developments.’
Next she rang Nash and told him what Wolf had said.
‘But I’m not convinced he’s innocent, sir. We need to put him through the ringer. I’ve asked the team to chase up a warrant and court order.’
‘I’ll do what I can to make sure nothing holds up the process. Meanwhile Media Liaison are already taking calls from the press and the TV stations about the body. And there must have been a leak somewhere along the line because they’re asking us to confirm that it’s Holly Blake.’
‘So now we can expect the pressure to really build,’ Anna said.
‘We can indeed,’ Nash responded.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The sound of a gunshot rang out just as Anna let herself into the house. But instead of being alarmed she just smiled.
‘He’s done it again,’ she mumbled to herself as she closed the front door behind her.
A few moments later she saw that she was right. Tom was fast asleep on the sofa and the light from the TV flickered across his face.
More shots rang out and on the screen Anna saw Bruce Willis firing a round of bullets at a bunch of bad men. It was an old movie and one that Tom had seen a couple of times already.
He was an action movie fanatic but when he sat up late watching them by himself, either here or at his own flat, he invariably dropped off. His job as a social worker was pretty demanding, and he got up early most mornings so that he could spend an hour in the gym before going to work. It meant he was tired for much of the time. And he failed to appreciate that at forty-seven enough sleep was as important as enough exercise.
Not that Anna was complaining about the effort he put into keeping in shape. Just looking at him lying there now in nothing but a pair of jockey shorts, she realised how lucky she was. Tom Bannerman had a body that was lean, beautiful and black. And for her that was the icing on the cake. He was thoughtful and gentle and had helped her to overcome the depression that she had lived with for so long after Matthew abducted Chloe.
He was nothing like the man she had met and fallen in love with fifteen years ago. Her ex-husband had been selfish, controlling and short-tempered, traits she had chosen to overlook back then. He had also had an inflated opinion of himself, and had frequently reminded her that his own career as a financial adviser brought in far more money than her job as a copper.
She discovered too late that the marriage didn’t mean as much to him as it did to her. It was his five-month affair with a work colleague that caused the break-up, but Anna strongly suspected that he’d been unfaithful with more than one woman.
She’d met Tom at the gym a year and a half ago. Like her he was divorced, and he had a nineteen-year-old daughter who lived with her mother while attending university in Portsmouth.
The big issue between them was whether Tom should give up his rented flat and move in with her. He wanted to but she was happy with the existing arrangement. It meant she was able to dedicate much of her free time and evenings to searching for Chloe without feeling she was being unfair to Tom. She did accept, however, that it was probably time she got over her fear of commitment and invited him to move in. The last thing she wanted was for Tom to get fed up waiting and end the relationship. That would be devastating.
She debated whether to wake him and decided to wait until after she had showered and changed. It was unlikely he would wake up before then since he looked to be in a deep sleep.
She went upstairs and stripped off her clothes. While waiting for the shower to heat up she checked herself in the mirror. Not bad for a forty-three-year-old, she thought to herself. She was only slightly overweight, and the hour-glass figure was still clearly defined. But she did acknowledge that it was time to return to the gym to tone up her muscles.
After showering, she dried her hair and pulled on black trousers. Then she tucked a blue blouse into them and applied a little make-up.
Before going back downstairs she popped into the study, which used to be Chloe’s bedroom. The cot and baby stuff had been replaced by a desk, chair and computer. But the walls were covered with photos of Chloe taken during the first two years of her life before Matthew took her away.
Even now, after all this time, she found it hard to believe that he could have done it to her. Before their divorce she had believed they would grow old together. But after his affair and his lies came to light she knew that she could never trust him again. When she refused to have him back he decided to inflict on her the most unbearable pain, and for that she would never forgive him.
Entering the study always brought a lump to Anna’s throat, but it was here that she had spent much of her leisure time during the past ten years. Night after night she had searched the web and monitored the social media sites she had set up in the hope of finding clues to her daughter’s whereabouts. But it had been soul-destroying because she had got nowhere despite all her appeals and the scores of leads she’d followed up.
It had almost reached the point where she was forced to accept that she would never see Chloe again. But then everything changed when she received the message from Paul Russell, the ex-forger who was in a hospice dying of cancer.
If you can find the time to come and see me I can tell you what I know about your daughter and her father. And I can apologise for the part I played in what happened ten years ago.
Thanks to him Anna went on to find out that Matthew had died three years ago after returning to the UK. And thanks to him her story was back in the spotlight – first the two-part feature in the Evening Standard, and next a true crime documentary on Channel Four.
Anna was once again full of hope that soon she and her beloved daughter would be reunited after a decade apart.
She was about to sit at her computer to check her emails when she heard her name being called. It seemed that Tom had woken up and she suspected it was down to her showering and stomping about in the bedroom.
He was standing at the bottom of the stairs, a confused look on his face.
‘You gave me a fright,’ he said. ‘I thought for a second that someone had broken in while I was sleeping.’
She walked down and straight into his arms.
‘I decided not to wake you until after I’d showered and changed,’ she said. ‘You were out to the world.’
They kissed and she smelt the beer on his breath.
‘I didn’t think you were coming home,’ he said.
‘Neither did I, but I won’t be staying. I just needed to freshen up. Max is picking me up shortly.’
‘It sounds like another big case,’ Tom said.
She rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not kidding. You can either go straight up to bed or I can give you a brief summary over coffee.’
He yawned. ‘Coffee it is. But before you tell me something that’s bound to give me nightmares I’ve got a surprise for you.’
The surprise was on the kitchen table and it was wrapped in colourful paper.
‘Happy birthday, sweetheart,’ Tom said, stifling another yawn. ‘I’m so sorry we didn’t manage to go out and celebrate.’
She unwrapped it while he put the kettle on. It was a short-break gift voucher from Debenhams entitling them to two nights at a choice of luxury hotels across the country.
‘I had a hard time deciding what to get you,’ he said. ‘Then I remembered you saying that it was about time we had a weekend away.’
‘It’s lovely,’ Anna said. ‘I can’t wait to look at all the different
hotels.’
He picked up an envelope from the worktop and handed it to her. Inside was a birthday card with the words: To the woman I love.
During the last few hours Anna had completely forgotten that it was her birthday and she felt the emotion rise up inside her. Tom gave her a cuddle and then poured the coffees.
While they drank she told him about the body on the common and how it had led them to Nathan Wolf, MP. Although Tom was keen to hear the grim details he could barely keep his eyes open.
‘I think you need to go to bed,’ Anna said. ‘I’ll fill you in tonight, by which time I’ll know a lot more.’
‘I apologise, hon,’ he said. ‘I had a rough day at the office and then made the mistake of stretching out on the sofa.’
She walked up the stairs with him, waited for him to empty his bladder and then pulled the duvet up over him when he was lying down.
‘Love you,’ he said, his eyes half closed.
‘Love you too,’ Anna said as she kissed his forehead and slipped out of the room.
She wasn’t expecting Walker to turn up for another half hour so she returned to the study. She checked her Facebook and Twitter pages and the FindChloe website. Nothing new had come in, which was disappointing. Then she opened up her personal Hotmail account and noticed that she had received two messages earlier in the evening.
The first was from a guy named Eric Ramsay at Channel Four.
Just want to touch base with you, Detective Tate. I was delighted to hear that you’re happy for us to produce a programme on your search for your daughter. I’ll be in touch soon and we can set up a meeting.
The second message was from Anthony Liddle, the Evening Standard journalist who had interviewed her.
I’m pleased to inform you that the second instalment of the feature that appeared tonight generated some responses. Two people have phoned the special number we put in the paper to say that the age progression image of Chloe that we published reminds them of someone they know or have seen. As you requested I passed on the details to the private investigator who is working on your behalf. FYI it’s believed that one lives in Lewisham and the other in Shoreditch. If we hear from anyone else I will let you know.
Suddenly Anna’s heart felt fit to burst. Could it really be that one of these people had seen Chloe?
She told herself not to build her hopes up. It seemed far too good to be true. They could have made a genuine mistake or they could be pranksters.
She looked up at the photo on the wall above the desk. The age progression picture that had been computer-generated by a forensic artist. It was supposed to show what Chloe probably looked like now at the age of twelve.
Anna had no idea if it was a true likeness, but she wanted to believe so. And she was glad that Chloe’s baby features had been retained – the dimpled chin, button nose, bright blue eyes.
Anna felt the prickle of tears so she stood up, switched off the light and went back downstairs.
As always it was hard not to be distracted by every twist and turn in the search for Chloe. But she knew she had to resist because once again she needed to give her all to the job.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Sophie was having another dream in which she saw herself as she was a decade ago. She was still pretty and vivacious then despite the hell that she’d been through. It was no doubt why James Miller had been attracted to her in the first place.
She’d had the same dream before. It was one of the good ones. A vivid snapshot of those glorious times the three of them spent together on Spain’s Costa Calida.
James and Alice and Sophie. A family unit in all but name.
They were on the beach, soaking up the morning sun. It was a month after they had first laid eyes on each other and Sophie already knew that she was in love with both of them. James was so warm and kind and generous, and when she was with him it was like a light was shining on her world.
He didn’t pry into her past like she feared he would. He believed the story she told him that she had moved to Spain after divorcing her husband in order to start over.
It was too late by then to tell him the truth. Too risky. She was terrified that, if he knew, it would scare him away.
After a picnic lunch on the beach, James said he wanted to go and view a bar along the coast that was available to rent.
‘I made an appointment with the owner of the lease,’ he told her. ‘But there’s no need for all of us to go, and it seems a shame to spoil Alice’s fun.’
‘Then go by yourself and I’ll stay here and take care of her,’ Sophie said. ‘She’ll be fine, and I promise not to lose her.’
His face lit up. ‘Are you sure you’re OK with that?’
‘Of course. It will be my pleasure. She’s a little darling and no trouble at all.’
Alice was ignoring them both as she ran around on the sand in her full-body swim suit and sun hat.
James picked up his daughter to give her a kiss and she shrieked in protest. Then he bent down and planted a kiss on Sophie’s mouth.
‘I won’t be long and later I’ll treat us all to a nice dinner,’ he said.
It was the first time James had left her alone with Alice and the fact that he entrusted her with his most precious possession meant so much. And what a wonderful experience it was. Her first taste of what it would be like to be a mother.
Alice clearly enjoyed it too. She was well behaved, funny, excited. For almost two hours the pair of them played on the sand and bonded. And that was when Sophie realised that at last her luck had changed and that she had a bright future to look forward to after all.
When she woke up her heart was beating rapidly and her face was coated in sweat.
The images from the dream faded the moment she opened her eyes, but they left a warm feeling inside her.
She had replayed that day on the beach a thousand times in her mind because it was the first significant milestone in her relationship with James.
Seven weeks later she moved in with him and three months after that she gave up her job at the restaurant so she could take care of Alice while he got his new bar off the ground.
They were great times, full of joy and laughter, and the best sex she had ever had. And they lasted for seven wonderful years before the past eventually caught up with her and wreaked havoc.
She blamed herself for what happened, and for the fact that James was so brutally murdered when they returned to the UK.
The guilt was something she had struggled to live with, and it had been compounded by her unwavering belief that he’d been a good, honest man, a man with no faults and no secrets, a man who had been forced to make a new life for himself after the tragic death of his wife.
She’d been drawn in by his charm and charisma, and the way he had made her feel so very special. He’d been an easy man to fall in love with, and she had fallen hook, line and sinker.
But now she knew that he had been living a lie. What he had done to his wife was both despicable and unforgivable. Sophie couldn’t begin to imagine the pain he had inflicted on her.
If she’d found out the truth during the seven years they were together she would have left him, reported him, told him in no uncertain terms that he deserved to be locked up.
He would have known all along that Anna Tate had continued to search for her daughter. He had probably monitored her online efforts, the appeals, the news stories, the interviews she would have given to the papers.
Sophie wondered if she should have guessed that he wasn’t the man she thought he was.
There were clues, after all. The fact that he never wanted to talk about his ‘late’ wife Anna because he found it too upsetting. The fact that in the few photographs of her with their baby she always had her face turned away from the camera. And those photos of her by herself were taken from a distance so her features were ill-defined.
But Sophie couldn’t bring herself to hate James for making her part of his callous deception, for the simple reason that sh
e had lied to him as well.
All the while they were together she had hidden her own wretched secret. It was why she had persuaded him that they didn’t need to get married after he proposed to her two years into their relationship.
‘Well, if you change your mind and decide you want to tie the knot then just say the word,’ he’d told her.
But as much as she wanted to be his wife back then, she’d known that it could never happen so long as she stayed married to someone else.
She was glad it was Saturday and she didn’t have to go to work. She was planning to spend the day alone while Alice went to her friend’s house. Then on Sunday they were going shopping for a new backpack and winter coat for Alice, ready for the start of the autumn term next week.
The digital clock on the bedside table informed her that it was only seven a.m. She thought about staying in bed for a while but decided not to as she knew there was no way she was going to fall back to sleep. Too many thoughts and fears were crowding her mind, and there were things she wanted to do.
It wasn’t until she pulled back the duvet and sat up that she realised she had slept in her clothes. But at least she didn’t have a headache, which was a big relief. However, she was still weighed down by dread and felt emotionally bereft.
She opened the bedroom curtain and looked out on a moody grey day. Dark clouds were amassed above the city and it looked like it might rain for the first time in over a week. Their rented flat was just off a main road and the sound of traffic was loud and constant.
She had a quick shower, ate a bowl of cornflakes in her dressing gown, and then gulped down a mug of black coffee that was so hot it scalded her throat.
She remained seated at the kitchen table and re-read both parts of the Anna Tate story in the Evening Standard. It was an act of self-harm but she wasn’t able to resist. She just couldn’t reconcile the words and pictures with the dream she’d had and with the fragments of memories that were constantly slipping in and out of her mind.
There were references to dates and events that she wanted to find out more about, so she flipped open her laptop and began searching online.