Sleep Tight

by Rachel Abbott

  I try to sit up, and a strong arm goes round my shoulders.

  ‘Olivia, can you speak?’ I try to nod my head, but it hurts so much. In an instant, it all comes hurtling back at me at such great speed it nearly knocks me over with its force.

  ‘Robert’s got my babies,’ I murmur almost to myself, trying to remember if it’s real, or I just imagined it. But I know it’s real and my voice gains strength.

  ‘He’s taken them – he’s taken my children.’ The last word comes out as a sob.

  ‘We know, we’re going to find them.’

  ‘Somebody said “more bodies” – what did he mean?’ I hear a gasp of shock and my eyes focus on a pretty young woman with dark hair and tired eyes.

  ‘No, no – we haven’t found more bodies. I think the sergeant was trying to get some reinforcements – people to come out and look for your children.’

  Thank God. But how long have I been unconscious?

  As if reading my thoughts, the other man – the one with the strong arm – starts to talk.

  ‘Do you know what time it was when Robert arrived here? We need to get an idea of how far he may have gone so we can organise the search properly.’

  I don’t know. I can’t think – but I know I’ve got to.

  ‘Check my phone. Sophie called me, and I got the children up from the beach. Then he was here. It all happened quickly – fifteen minutes, twenty at the most.’

  The young woman was already on to the task.

  ‘Shit. We missed him by about three minutes, Tom – worst case, eight.’

  I recognise the policeman in uniform. He’s the island sergeant, but I don’t know who the other two are. I know they’re here to help me, though, and there’s no time for introductions.

  ‘I know where he’ll have taken them.’ My voice cracks with emotion, but I have to keep it together. ‘He’ll have taken them to a cliff – somewhere high above the sea.’ The sergeant is listening, waiting to issue his instructions.

  ‘Why, Olivia? Why would he take them to a cliff?’ the man called Tom asks.

  I can barely speak. The images flashing before my eyes are too horrific. But I can remember that day at South Stack. And the last words he said to my children: ‘Say goodbye to Mummy.’

  ‘He’s going to jump off – and he’s going to take my babies with him.’

  *

  ‘Becky, you need to stay here with Olivia. Olivia, Becky is a detective inspector, and if your husband returns, she’ll look after you, okay?’

  No, it is certainly not okay.

  ‘I’m coming with you,’ I say. I can see that the man is going to argue. There’s something about him that I think I vaguely recognise, but I can’t place it. ‘I don’t know who you are, but I do know that those are my children. I’m coming with you.’

  I struggle to my feet and nearly keel over when the pain in my head hits a crescendo. My skull feels as if it needs physically holding together or it will shatter into pieces, but I can’t let them see that.

  ‘You’ll slow us down, Olivia. Stay here.’

  ‘No. If Robert sees you and he’s anywhere near the cliff, he’ll jump. I’m the best chance you have of talking him out of it.’

  I’m sure I hear him mutter some expletive, but I don’t care. What are we hanging about for?

  Tom Douglas looks at the local sergeant. ‘What’s the plan, Ray?’ he asks.

  ‘The good news is that there are no steep cliffs nearby, and his speed will be hampered by three children. I’ve got the local fire brigade boys rallied – they’ll go out in civvies so they won’t spook him. And the lifeboat’s on its way out to sea. They’ll head out and circuit the island. They’ll call if they spot him. Do we still want the ambulance here?’

  I try to shake my head, but it’s not a good idea. ‘No,’ I say. ‘I’m not going in any ambulance. I’m coming with you.’

  The police officers all look at each other, and the local sergeant shrugs. ‘No time to argue. In my view if Brookes left here through the back gate, he would have turned right on the path. Turning left would just take him to the beach, with no cliffs for a couple of miles. My constable has just let me know he’s joined the cliff path about 250 metres along. There’s no sign of Brookes yet.’ Ray was edging towards the door. ‘I’m going to follow him now, make sure he hasn’t stopped anywhere in between. I’ve got your number.’ And he’s gone – out of the door and running.

  ‘What are we waiting for, then,’ I cry, frustrated by the apparent lack of action.

  The young woman puts her arm round me. ‘We need to be near a car so when they find your children we can get there as quickly as possible. Ray’s left us the police car and it’s a four-wheel drive so we’ll be able to take it over the rough paths.’ She takes my arm and guides me to a chair. ‘Let me look at your head,’ she says kindly. But strangely I don’t mind the pain. It’s just a reminder of what I have to do.

  I stay seated for about thirty seconds and then leap up, a corresponding pounding in my head reminding me to go steady or I might pass out again.

  ‘Can we just go – head off in the right direction? Please. I can’t sit here and do nothing.’

  I intercept a look passing between the police officers, and sense that they feel the same frustration.

  Tom gives a slight nod. ‘He’s been gone about fifteen to twenty minutes now. Average walking speed is roughly five kilometres an hour, but with the children?’

  I know Robert would have carried Freddie and Jasmine could keep up with him. Only Billy would slow him down, and probably not for at least the first kilometre. I tell them, and Tom seems to agree.

  ‘Becky, you drive and I’ll navigate,’ he says, earning him a surprised look from Becky that I don’t understand. ‘Where’s that map you had?’

  ‘In the car,’ she answers, picking up her bag. ‘Are you going to tell Ray?’

  But Tom already has the phone to his ear, walking towards the front door.

  ‘Ray, we’re going to head for a point about one and a quarter kilometres along the cliff path from the house. Yes, we’ve got a map. We’ll catch you there.’

  58

  Becky didn’t know what to say to Olivia. It was two hours since Robert had taken the children, and nobody had seen them. Olivia was sitting in the back of the car, her head resting against the window, tears running down her cheeks. But she wasn’t making a sound.

  ‘Olivia, I can’t imagine how you feel, but at least we can be fairly sure that nothing has happened to the kids. We would know if that was the case. The cliffs were crawling with people looking for them within minutes of Robert taking them. We’re going to find your children.’

  Becky glanced at Tom, knowing that he hated people giving promises that they didn’t know they could keep. But he simply nodded to her, his top lip clenched between his teeth.

  Just ahead, Becky caught signs of movement, and sat up straighter in her seat. They were parked on the grass, as close to the cliffs as they could safely get. Olivia must have sensed something, because her head came off the window and she leaned over Becky’s shoulder.

  ‘What’s up?’ she asked, her voice ringing with hope.

  ‘I thought I saw something, but it was probably a rabbit,’ Becky said. But it wasn’t. She could just glimpse the top of a head as somebody wove up the cliff path from below.

  Olivia jerked backwards and went for the door handle.

  ‘Whoa,’ said Tom. ‘Stop, Olivia. If this is Robert, we have to take it calmly. Don’t make him jump or react quickly. He’s much closer to the edge than we are.’

  The path that was winding up towards them from a lower level had bumps and turns, and all they saw was a tantalising glimpse of the top of a head every few seconds.

  A groan from the back of the car and sounds of held breath being finally exhaled signalled their recognition of Ray, heading towards them at a half-jog. Not fast enough for it to be good news, not slow enough for it to be bad.

  As Ray app
roached the car, flushed from his exertion, Tom and Becky opened their doors and got out, turning to let Olivia – who was hemmed in by the safety lock – out too. Becky was glad of the fresh air and the opportunity to stretch her legs. A blustery wind was blowing clean sea air into her lungs and she took a deep breath.

  ‘Any news?’ Tom asked. An anxious Olivia peered up at Ray through eyes swollen with weeping and, Becky suspected, from the continued pain in her head.

  ‘He’s nowhere on the cliff paths. We’re as certain as we can be. We can only think he’s gone into hiding somewhere.’

  Becky looked around her. All she could see was open countryside.

  Ray interpreted her look correctly. ‘It’s not quite as simple as it seems. The place is riddled with bunkers from the war, and then there are the old forts. The first bit of Brookes’ escape was past a few houses that are probably empty at this time of year, so he could have broken in. They might not even be locked. We’re starting a systematic search of the obvious places, but I’m sorry; we’re just going to have to be patient. Can you tell me what the children are wearing, Mrs Brookes? Knowing what colours we’re looking out for might help.’

  While Olivia was describing Jasmine’s blue T-shirt and matching stripy shorts, Becky turned back towards the sea. What would Robert’s next move be? How could they flush him out? It wouldn’t be dark for hours, so what was he hoping would happen?

  There was a crackle from Ray’s radio behind her, and he grabbed it.

  ‘What?’ Ray shouted, and Becky spun round to look at him. Worry lines were creasing his brows. ‘How the fuck did he get there?’ Ray was already jogging towards the car, and they all followed. ‘Call Ed and tell him to redirect his men – but be subtle. No charging in. Got it?’

  Ray headed towards the driver’s side, and Becky jumped in the back with Olivia. Nobody spoke, scared to distract Ray from his manoeuvre of the car so close to the edge of the cliff. Becky felt Olivia reach out towards her, her hand like a block of ice, and she squeezed the bones of Becky’s fingers until they felt they were going to break. Ray swung the car on to the track and switched his siren on.

  ‘Don’t worry – I’ll turn this off once we get close. We were wrong. It seems he turned the other way out of the garden, not knowing the island I suppose. It’s pretty flat for a mile or so – mainly beaches. We sent a couple of people out that way, but he must have hidden for a bit because nobody saw them. The lifeboat has just spotted him over beyond Fort Clonque.’

  Olivia seemed to breathe out. ‘I know the fort. It’s in the sea, isn’t it? Just a causeway to it, so it’s at sea level.’

  Becky suddenly understood Olivia’s thinking. If it was at sea level, it was safe.

  ‘The fort’s at sea level, but that’s not where they were. They were up above it. On the cliffs.’

  59

  I’m holding on to Becky’s hand for dear life, but when Ray explains where my children are, the blood rushes to my head and the pounding intensifies. I think I’m going to pass out again, and I will myself to hold it together. The children must be exhausted. They’ve been walking for hours. Freddie will be crying, and Billy will be dragging his feet and complaining. And Jaz? She will be saying nothing, trying to understand what’s going on, and worrying about me. The last image she has of me is one of her father smashing my head against a radiator.

  I’m relieved when Ray turns off the siren. If Robert hears it, he’ll know we’ve found him. I need to get to him first.

  Ray races the car up a steep hill, past another huge old ruined fort, lights flashing and drawing looks of surprise from the few people and cars that we pass. He pulls over at the side of the road where there is a narrow footpath.

  ‘Becky,’ he says, ‘why don’t you stay in the car with Olivia. Tom and I have got this.’

  Not a chance.

  ‘I’m coming,’ I say, praying they won’t keep me locked in the back.

  Tom turns round to look at me, his face sympathetic but serious.

  ‘Olivia, your children are going to need you, so you can come. But it’s essential that you stay down and out of sight. If he sees you, it may all be over. Do you understand?’

  I agree, not knowing if I will be able to keep my promise when I see my babies.

  Ray has already set off across the field at a run.

  ‘What’s Ray doing?’ I whisper urgently, afraid that Robert will hear me.

  ‘He’ll have gone to check if he can see Robert. Don’t worry. He won’t approach him if the situation is dangerous.’

  We hurry along the path, trying to keep our eyes on Ray ahead of us. The ground is uneven, with bright yellow gorse and pale lilac crane’s bill trying to encroach on the narrow trail. I have to keep looking down to avoid stumbling, but I don’t want to take my eyes off Ray. Suddenly he crouches down and turns towards us to hold up a hand in warning. I can’t see Robert, but I know Ray can. He signals us to get down low, especially Tom who is taller than the rest of us. We bend at the waist and the knees and quietly make our way forwards.

  I have this mad notion that I can communicate with Jaz. I’ve always believed that telepathy is a skill or a sense waiting to be discovered, and now I am going to give it my best shot.

  Jaz, darling, can you hear me? I repeat in my head. Get on the ground, Jaz. Get the boys on the ground and wrap yourselves together in knots, arms and legs, so he can’t separate you. It will make it harder. Do it, Jaz. Just do it, sweetheart.

  We reach Ray and finally I can see Robert and the children just below us. I swallow a sob of relief that they are still alive. Robert is standing, but Jaz is already on the ground, probably exhausted from the walk, and she is leaning forwards with her head down. Freddie is beside her, trying to snuggle closer to her, and without looking up she reaches out an arm to wrap around him. Billy is on his feet, staring at his dad but I’m too far away to read the expression on his face. I imagine he is totally bewildered.

  Everywhere is quiet, and I try to separate out the sounds, so that I might hear the children’s voices. The intermittent crashing of waves on to the rocks at the base of the cliff and the shrill, piping call of an oystercatcher mask the sounds I am listening for. But faintly I think I can hear the gulping noise Billy makes when he is trying not to cry, and his big sister saying, ‘Shh, shh.’ Or perhaps I’m imagining it.

  Then I hear the low growl of Robert’s voice, more distinct, because he is facing us. The wind is whipping some of his words away, but I know what he’s saying.

  ‘Stand up, Jasmine, and pick Freddie up.’ I can see from his hand movements what he wants her to do. He wants her to hold Freddie because he can’t hold them all at once. But Jasmine isn’t moving. She’s pulled Freddie close to her, not quite doing what I implored her to do in my thoughts, but she’s making it difficult for Robert.

  Tom and Ray are whispering, trying to decide what to do. Robert is too far away, and if they rush him now, he still has time to grab my babies – or at least two of them – and jump. I can’t hear what the police are saying, but I edge closer to the front so I am level with Ray.

  Suddenly, Robert reaches down and snatches a handful of Jasmine’s hair to drag her to her feet. She cries out in pain. A knife pierces my heart, and I lose all sense of reason. He is hurting my baby, so I stand up and run. A hand reaches out to grasp my ankle and pull me back before I’m seen, but I kick it away and I’m free.

  ‘Jaz!’ I scream. ‘Lie on the ground, lie on top of Freddie. Billy, Billy – lie down.’

  Jasmine’s head whips round and her silky hair slides out of Robert’s hand. She pauses, but just for a second, then flings herself to the ground, knocking a screaming Freddie over, covering his little body with hers. But Billy stands still, staring at me. Robert reaches out for him, but Jaz is too quick and Billy’s hand is nearer to hers than it is to Robert's. She grabs him and yanks him off his feet. He tumbles to the ground with a shout of surprise.

  I pray that the policemen will stay down. If Ro
bert sees them before I get to him, he will snatch one of my children, and take them with him into the hell of churning water below. I daren’t take my eyes off Robert’s now, but I can see in my peripheral vision a bright orange boat, bobbing just off the shoreline. The lifeboat. But it will be useless if Robert takes one of them over the edge with him. The rocks will get them before the sea.

  ‘Robert!’ I yell, with all the accumulated pain and anguish spilling out in those two syllables. He is crouching down, trying to disentangle the children, but also watching me as he does it. He can’t get a hold though. As I run, I can see that as soon as he grabs one child’s arm, the other is wrapped round a leg, and he can’t tear them apart. At least, not before I get to him.

  Or that’s what I’m thinking. But I’m wrong.

  In his fear of everything that’s happening, and because he has heard my voice, Freddie has managed to crawl out from under Jasmine, who is so intent on saving Billy that she hasn’t noticed, and Robert plucks Freddie up and holds him in his arms.

  He backs towards the edge of the cliff as Jasmine cries out, feeling that she has failed to protect her brother. I am desperate to comfort her – but not yet. I stop dead.

  ‘Robert,’ I say, trying to keep my voice level, ‘stop this. Please. Put Freddie down.’

  Jasmine and Billy are crawling away from Robert towards me, and with one hand I signal them to get behind me. Jaz understands, and pulls Billy with her. But I never take my eyes off my husband.

  ‘You never understood, did you Olivia,’ he says. ‘Do you know what I had to do to win you, to make you mine? Do you know how much love it takes to do all the things I had to do?’

  I do know. I’ve worked it all out for myself, but there was never anybody to tell, and no proof of anything but a life of love and devotion. What can I say to make this right?

  ‘I understand, Robert. I know how much you love me and I know how good you’ve been to me. I’m so sorry I hurt you.’ I start to walk towards him slowly. Perhaps I can still convince him that what he feels is a love that is pure, and not tainted by his acts of evil. Can I convince him there is still a chance for us?