It’s raining and misty, but I can make out a trail that snakes between the trees. I’m climbing. That’s good. Maybe I’ll get a signal from higher ground.
Every few minutes, I stop and look at the phone, checking the signal. One bar blinks for a moment and then disappears. I wait. It flashes again. I scramble onto a rock and hold the phone above my head. A second bar of signal appears alongside the first. Wider. Stronger.
I dial 999. An operator answers.
“Hello, what service do you require, police, fire or ambulance?”
“Police. I need help.”
“Can I have your name please?”
“I’m Piper. He’s chasing me, please hurry.”
“Hold the line.”
A different voice answers this time. A woman.
“You’re through to the police. Can I have your name please?”
“I need you to come and get me. He’s going to kill me.”
“Please, tell me your name?”
“Piper Hadley.”
“Has there been an accident, Piper?”
“No. He’s coming, please help.”
“Who is coming?”
“I don’t know his name. This is his phone.”
“Where are you, Piper?”
“In a forest.”
“Whereabouts?”
“I don’t know.”
“So you’ve just wandered into nowhere?”
“I was kidnapped. I’ve managed to get away. You have to come quickly. He’s got Tash. I know he’ll punish her.”
“Who is Tash?”
“She’s my friend. We were kidnapped together.”
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Natasha McBain.”
“You’re breaking up, Piper. Can you please repeat the name?”
“I said Natasha McBain.”
“Is this a hoax call?”
“What?”
“Do you know the penalty for making false emergency calls?”
“It’s not a hoax! It’s not!”
“There’s no need to yell, Piper. If you become abusive, I will terminate the call.”
“I’m not being abusive. I’m telling you the truth.”
“I’m going to need a better location. I need a street or a cross-street.”
“There are no streets.”
“I didn’t catch the name of the street.”
“There are none. I’m in a forest.”
“Where is the forest?”
“I don’t know.”
“The nearest road?”
“I don’t know.”
I feel myself beginning to cry. She doesn’t believe me. They’re not going to come. She tells me to hold. She’s getting her supervisor. Another woman comes on the line.
“OK, love, my name is Samantha, what’s yours?”
“Piper Hadley.”
“Where do you live, Piper?”
“I come from Bingham. It’s near Abingdon. Priory Corner. It’s called The Old Vicarage.”
“Listen, Piper, don’t get upset. Stay calm. We’re trying to trace the call. Do you know the name of the nearest town?”
“No.”
“What about the county?”
“No.”
“OK, don’t worry. We’ll find you.”
“Hurry.”
“I will.”
“It’s getting dark and I’m cold.”
“Can you go somewhere warm?”
“I don’t know where I am.”
“Can you see any lights?”
“No.”
“Can you call out?”
“I can only whisper. I don’t want him to hear me.”
“Who will hear you?”
“The man who took me.”
“Who’s that?”
“I don’t know his real name. Please help me.”
“Don’t cry, Piper.”
“I can’t help it.”
“You’re doing really well, Piper. I can see that you’re in Oxfordshire. I’m going to call the nearest police station. I just need you to stay on the line.”
41
There’s an envelope being held for me at the hotel. I ask the receptionist to prepare my bill and I head towards the lift. That’s when I notice Ruiz sitting in the Morse Bar, reading a paper and nursing a pint glass of water.
“Where were you last night?” I ask.
“I caught up with Tom Fryer and some of his old rugby mates.”
“How big is the hangover?”
He points to the water. “I’ve had two bacon rolls, three cups of coffee and a liter of Diet Coke and I haven’t peed once.”
“Congratulations.”
Ruiz has already checked out of his room. He follows me upstairs and sits in the corner as I pack. I’m shoving dirty clothes into a holdall and collecting my toiletries. He notices the envelope and holds it up to the light.
“You should open it,” he says. “It’s from Victoria Naparstek.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m psychic.”
“You saw her deliver it.”
“That too.”
Opening the envelope, I slip the card free and read the short message: I’d like to see you again. Give me a call some time… if you want to.
She’s given me her mobile phone number. I put the card in my pocket and crumple the envelope into a ball. Continuing to pack, I tell Ruiz about the arrests and interrogations, as well as Dr. Leece’s revelations about the tritium in Natasha’s urine.
“So you figure she might have been kept somewhere near this research center.”
“It’s feasible.”
“And one of the guys who assaulted her is probably the kidnapper?”
“Most likely.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’m not.”
“You don’t think they match the psychological profile. Maybe you got it wrong.”
“Maybe.”
I look at my watch. It’s just gone three o’clock. Four of the men will have posted bail by now. They’ll be home for Christmas. Drury won’t have surveillance teams working over the holidays. If one of these men is the kidnapper, he’ll have time to dispose of Piper and destroy the evidence.
Ruiz fills a glass of water from the bathroom and sips it thoughtfully, contemplating the same possibility.
“Capable Jones got back to me,” he says. “You still interested in Phillip Martinez?”
“It can wait.”
Downstairs, I hand my credit card to the receptionist, who hopes I had a pleasant stay. The printer warms up and produces my itemized bill. I glance at the total and hope the chief constable is a man of his word.
Ruiz spreads his arms. “So I guess this is it, amigo.”
We hug. It’s like being squeezed by a bear.
Over Ruiz’s shoulder I see Dale Hadley stumble from the revolving door as though spat out by a dispensing machine. Dressed in baggy trousers and a shapeless shirt, he looks disorientated and hollowed out.
His eyes meet mine. “We have to talk.”
“I’m about to leave.”
Grabbing my arm, he pulls me away, looking for somewhere quiet. Checking doors. He finds an empty lounge.
“I know,” he says, squeezing his hands into fists.
“Pardon?”
“I know what she’s been doing.”
“Piper?”
“No! Sarah. I know she’s been sleeping with Victor McBain. She confessed. She said you knew. How?”
“I guessed.”
He can’t look at my face, cannot speak. He’s not a big man, but he looks diminished. Wounded. It’s like walking past a cage at a zoo and seeing a decrepit lion or tiger that has been imprisoned for too long.
“My father warned me about Sarah. He said that when you marry a beautiful woman, you have to live with the possibility that other men will try to take her away. Do not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Don’t fuck her.”
He’s taken a
seat on a Chesterfield sofa.
“I gave her everything. I bought her the big house, a nice car. Jewelry. Dresses. I’ve never been unfaithful. Never even thought about it.”
“You should go home, Mr. Hadley.”
He doesn’t seem to be listening. “Things used to be all right before Piper went missing, but after that everything changed. Losing Piper crippled Sarah emotionally. She changed. We hardly touch each other. It’s been months…”
I don’t need to know this. I don’t want to know this.
“I gave her time. Space. I supported her.”
“You did the right thing.”
“Really? Do you think so?”
“Yes.”
“Why did she sleep with Vic McBain? He’s uneducated, uncouth, foul-mouthed…”
Because he’s not you, I want to say, but I don’t. When Sarah Hadley looks at Vic McBain, she doesn’t have to soak up anyone else’s pain. She can deal with her own grief, without having to share someone else’s. She can look into someone else’s eyes and feel something other than pain and loss.
I don’t say any of these things because his mobile is ringing. He doesn’t recognize the number. He’s about to cut off the call, but changes his mind.
“Hello?”
…
“Who is this?”
…
“I’m sorry, I can’t hear… can you say that again?”
…
“Piper? Oh my God! Piper!”
…
“We’ve been so worried. We’ve looked everywhere. We didn’t stop looking. I can’t believe it, sweetheart. Where are you?”
…
“Wait. I’m going to put you on speakerphone.”
“Daddy?”
“I’m here.”
“You have to come and get me.”
“I will. Tell me where you are?”
“I don’t know. But he’s after me.”
“Who?”
“The man who owns this phone. I don’t know his name, but he’s looking for me. I called the police, but they wanted me to give them a street or a house number and I told them I don’t know where I am. He has Tash, Daddy. He caught her when she tried to run away. You have to help us.”
“You’re breaking up, Piper. Try to stand still.”
Can you hear me now?”
“Yes.”
“Are you crying, Daddy?”
“I’m just really happy.”
“So am I. It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Yours too.”
“I didn’t run away, Daddy. We talked about doing it, but we didn’t get a chance. A man took us. Can you tell Mum? I don’t want her thinking that I don’t love her. And tell Phoebe and Ben and my little sister. What’s her name?”
“Jessica.”
“That’s pretty.”
“What did you tell the police?”
“Just what I told you. Tash escaped but he caught her again. I couldn’t find her and I’m scared he’s going to do something to her if I don’t go back.”
“Don’t worry about Tash. Tell me where you are.”
“I don’t know.”
“We’re going to find you, baby. They’ll trace the call.”
“He’s still looking for me. I have to hide.”
“Can you wait a second, sweetheart?”
“Don’t go away.”
“I won’t.”
I can hear him having a conversation. Someone is talking about calling the police.
“Are you there?”
“I’m here, Daddy.”
“The police are trying to find you. Stay on the line. Don’t move, Piper.”
“What if he comes? I’m scared.”
“I know you are. I’m with a man called Joe. He’s going to talk to you.”
“Hello, Piper.”
“Hi.”
He has a nice voice, soft but strong, not wheedling like George.
“Where are you right now?” he asks. “Describe it for me.”
“I’m in a forest, standing on a ridge. I couldn’t get any signal so I climbed higher. I don’t have much battery left.”
“Where did you get the phone?”
“I took it from George.”
“Is that the man who’s been holding you?”
“Yeah.”
“His name is George?”
“I don’t know. Tash called him George. She said he looked like George Clooney, but he doesn’t really, not unless George Clooney has put on weight and got ugly. Has he got ugly?”
“My wife doesn’t think so.”
“That’s good.”
“What can you see, Piper?”
“Trees.”
“Anything else—a landmark, a river, or a road or a railway line?”
“No.”
“You said you escaped.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you escape from?”
“It was some sort of factory but it’s empty and everything is broken and overgrown. Are you there, Daddy?”
“I’m here.”
“Please come and get me.”
“I will.”
“It’s getting dark and I can’t stop shivering.”
A bird lifts from the trees behind me. Jerking my head around, I search the shadows.
“Piper?”
“I thought I heard something.”
“Why are you whispering?”
“I can’t talk very loud in case he hears me.”
Joe speaks. “When did you last see George?”
“I don’t know what time it was. He said he was going to get Emily.”
“What?”
“He had a photograph of Emily in his wallet. He said he was going to get me a friend. I told him I didn’t want a friend. You have to stop him. You have to warn her.”
“We will. What does George look like?”
“He’s old and ugly.”
“What color is his hair?”
“Brown.”
“How old is he?”
“I don’t know—thirty or forty.”
“Is he tall?”
“Taller than Daddy, but he has small hands. I’m wearing his coat. It hangs down to my ankles. Are you still there, Daddy?”
“I’m here. The police are tracking the signal. I want you to stay put.”
“It’s getting dark.”
“I know.”
“What about Emily?”
Joe answers. “We’ll make sure she’s safe.”
“It’s starting to rain.”
“Can you find somewhere out of the rain?”
“I don’t know. I just want to curl up and go to sleep.”
“No,” says Joe. “You mustn’t fall asleep. You should keep moving.”
“Daddy told me to stay still.”
“You mustn’t fall asleep. Try to stay warm.”
“OK. I can’t feel my fingers. I’m just going to swap hands…”
…
“Hello?”
…
“Daddy?”
…
“Joe.”
…
“Are you there?”
42
Dale Hadley is cradling his phone in both hands as though he’s dropped a priceless vase and is holding the broken pieces.
“The line went dead.”
“She’ll call back.”
“There’s no number on the screen.”
“She’ll call.”
“What if the battery has run out?”
“They’ll still be able to track the previous signal.”
“She’s cold. I could hear her teeth chattering.”
“They’ll find her.”
“She was slurring her words.” He groans helplessly. “Oh God, oh God, we can’t lose her now.”
I hold his shoulders, tell him to breathe. Relax. Stay calm. Piper is going to need him. She’s going to hang on, but only if he does the same.
Ruiz has DCI Drury on the line. I take
the phone and can hear Drury yelling instructions across the incident room. He’s with me now.
“Piper Hadley called 999 twenty minutes ago but the signal dropped out. She’s on a mobile. We’ve been tracing a second call but lost it two minutes ago.”
“She was talking to her father. The call dropped out.”
“We have the number but the mobile isn’t transmitting any more. The initial call came into the control center at Milton Keynes and was transferred to Abingdon. The number is listed to a pay-as-you-go subscriber. The handset doesn’t have a GPS locator, but the control room has tracking technology. The call was picked up by three towers, which means we can triangulate the signal.”
“What about the nearest base station?”
“It’s a thirty-two-meter tower in a field about half a mile north of Culham Railway Station.”
“Dr. Leece mentioned Culham.”
“Why?”
“They found traces of tritium in Natasha’s urine. It’s a low-level radioactive pollutant—a by-product of nuclear reactors. She must have consumed tritiated water.”
“There are no nuclear reactors in Oxfordshire.”
“There’s a nuclear fusion research laboratory just outside of Culham.”
Drury yells more instructions across the incident room, fortified and energized. He’s on the scent.
“I’m cancelling Christmas leave. Recalling officers. I can put forty bodies on the ground. Civilian search and rescue teams will give us twice that number. We’re focusing on the closest phone tower until we get a more precise location. I’ll send a team to the research center. There are police choppers at Luton and Benson, but the weather is shit and it’s going to be dark in an hour.”
Dale Hadley is listening to the conversation. I don’t want to voice my main concern. Piper won’t survive another night outdoors. Either we find her or she has to find somewhere warm and protected.
The DCI hangs up. He wants us back at the station.
Dale Hadley is still nursing his phone. “Maybe George found her,” he says. “Why else would the phone be turned off?”
“There could be other explanations.”
“Like what?”
“The batteries might be flat. She might be out of range.”
I take him back over Piper’s call, gleaning every detail. She called the man George but said it was just a nickname. He was tall with brown hair, aged thirty to forty with small hands. He had a photograph of Emily Martinez in his wallet.
Say You're Sorry Page 31