Her huge pleading eyes were fixed on him and Grant nodded. He needed to keep her focused for just a few moments more.
‘When it went out of the drive, which direction did the car take?’
‘It turned right.’
‘And at the end of the road?’
‘A right turn again.’
‘Did you get a look at the registration?’
Grant held his breath. If she’d got something it would be a miracle.
‘I tried but I can’t see as well as I used to.’
‘Like I said before, don’t be hard on yourself, you did well to notice the colour and type. If you think of any other details please let me or one of my detectives know straight away.’
‘Of course. Can I go to my husband now?’
‘I’ll get a patrol officer to take you there.’
As Joan Hardman went to open the door, she winced.
‘Is there something wrong with your arm?’ Grant asked.
She pulled up her sleeve. Underneath was a red and purple mark on her forearm, roundish in shape. It looked suspiciously like a bite mark.
‘When did you get this?’
‘It must have been in the scuffle with the intruder. With the children taken and then Ronnie collapsing I forgot about it.’
‘Did the person who took your grandchildren bite you?’
‘I don’t know. I remember we were both pulling at Emily and I was determined to keep hold of her but now I think about it, maybe you’re right and perhaps that’s why I let go of Emily’s arm. I felt a sharp pain and I lost my grip. It must have been because he bit me.’
Grant was careful not to touch her. Bite marks were discredited as evidence in a courtroom because experts couldn’t link them to dental records with any certainty. But it was possible traces of saliva might be present in the wound. And that was important because then they’d have a DNA sample from the abductor.
‘Did the ambulance crew disinfect the wound?’ he asked.
‘It went clear out of my mind and I didn’t tell them about it, so no. And Ronnie was their priority.’
Excellent. He would get it photographed and have swabs taken.
‘I want to have your arm inspected and I’ll get that kicked off as soon as possible. And we’re going to need recent photographs of Emily and Lisa and information about what they were wearing.’
‘I’ve got photographs on my phone, and the children were in their sleepover pyjamas. Ronnie spoils those girls silly and they’ve got special pyjamas. Emily’s have yellow elephants on them and Lisa’s have little p-pink fairies.’
Searching through her phone, she started crying. ‘It’s terrible. I can’t think about it or I won’t be able to hold it together. When my daughter hears she’ll go to pieces. How am I going to tell Alice her children are gone?’
‘My team are locating the children’s parents,’ Grant said. ‘Leave that to me.’
Breaking the news would not be a pleasant task but the good thing about being the one to do it was Grant would have the opportunity of scrutinising the parents’ reactions.
Joan Hardman bit her lip as she showed Grant a picture of two adorable blonde children. They were hugging each other and smiling and Emily had a front tooth missing.
‘This was taken last week. We went out for t-tea and cake.’
There was a box of tissues on the front seat and he passed it to her. ‘Once we’ve finished with your arm, you’ll be free to go to your husband.’
A uniformed officer hustled over when Grant beckoned and Joan Hardman was led away. Grant turned his attention to the activity near the house.
‘Right,’ he said to himself. ‘Let’s see what the crime scene can tell us about the perp. Let’s see what mistakes you’ve made, you bastard.’
Grant shouted for Delaney and his DS was soon at his side. Delaney swiped at the screen of his phone and Grant stared at the high-resolution photographs of the inside of the house.
‘Well done,’ Grant said. ‘Quick work is exactly what we need. Give me the rundown.’
‘Here’s what you should know, boss.’ Delaney pointed to the first photograph. ‘This is the back door which goes out to the garden.’
‘And?’
‘It leads into the kitchen. It seems our perpetrator came in here and he went out the front. The important thing is, the back door wasn’t forced.’
Grant grabbed the screen. ‘You’re sure?’
‘Certain. The Crime Scene Manager and I are in agreement.’
‘No sign of forced entry? That means the door wasn’t locked or he had a key,’ Grant said.
If it hadn’t been locked had it been left open by accident? Or deliberately? And if the perpetrator had a key, how did they get it?
Grant called over his shoulder to a uniformed constable. ‘Bring Mrs Hardman to me before she leaves for the hospital please. I need to speak to her again.’
Delaney swiped to a second photograph. ‘This is the other important one.’
It was a red handprint smeared on a white wall.
‘They found this at the bottom of the stairs.’
Grant squinted. ‘From the size I’m guessing it’s from Emily or Lisa. What did the SOCOs say?’
‘They thought so too.’
‘It’s blood,’ Grant said. Did it mean one of the children was injured? A potential injury to a kidnap victim was the last thing they needed, especially when the children were so young.
‘The SOCOs confirm it’s definitely blood. Whose is another matter.’
‘Shit. I want to know as a priority if this blood comes from one of the children. Delaney, contact the hospital to find out if Ronnie was bleeding. Joan had a bite mark on her arm though I don’t think it bled and she said she was bitten outside. Which means this print is either the perpetrator’s blood, or Ronnie’s, or from the children.’
Mrs Hardman didn’t mention a weapon, so how had someone been injured?
‘Mrs Hardman told me she threw a vase,’ Grant said. ‘Could someone have been cut by a shard? Check it out with the SOCOs. It smashed against the wall next to the front door after the abductor got out. Ask the SOCOs about the shatter pattern and see if there’s a possibility it caused someone to bleed on the stairs.’
It seemed unlikely because the vase would have fallen after everyone passed the stairs, but Grant wanted the opinion of the experts.
‘Good work, Delaney,’ Grant said, and he meant it. Delaney had flagged up the two most significant elements of the crime scene. His DS’s clear thinking had bought them valuable time and it was more proof of Delaney’s talent. Delaney could go far.
Diane was coming back and she brought Joan Hardman with her.
‘You want to know about the doors, Inspector Grant?’ Joan said. ‘Why? That’s my husband’s domain. Ronnie takes care of locking them and he checks front and back and the lounge patio windows every evening before he comes upstairs.’
‘And did he do the same last night?’
‘Of course. Ronnie doesn’t leave things like that to chance.’
‘It’s very important. Do you know for certain he did? And what about a burglar alarm? I see you have one installed and it didn’t go off.’
Joan hesitated. ‘I didn’t see him do his nightly check if that’s what you mean yet I know my husband, and Ronnie was thorough and systematic. There’s no way he would have forgotten to lock up, especially not with the grandchildren in the house. As for the alarm system, it went off once by accident and frightened the grandchildren so much they always ask Ronnie to disable it and h-he’s such a softie with them…’ Joan swallowed and dabbed at her eyes, ‘…he agrees. Every time they’re here, against all reason, he turns it off.’
Grant made sure he gave no reaction because he was here for the facts, not to blame people. So, the alarm had been conveniently disabled. Who might know this and use it to their advantage?
Delaney was a few steps away talking on the phone.
‘I just checked wit
h the hospital and they say Ronnie Hardman had no bleeding,’ Delaney said.
Grant was running through a checklist in his head. One perpetrator, no forced entry, dark car heading into town, one victim possibly injured. The first priority is sending out a Child Rescue Alert and then– He stopped because Delaney had a strange expression on his face, sort of fixed and strained. Grabbing Delaney’s elbow, Grant pulled his DS out of hearing range.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘There’s bad news about Ronnie Hardman.’ Delaney glanced back in the direction of Joan Hardman. ‘Mr Hardman’s injuries from the tussle were minor but it seems he had a heart attack when he accosted the intruder. Then he had a second major one in the ambulance. Mr Hardman didn’t make it, boss. He died on arrival.’
3
Those little blonde-haired brats are my golden ticket to success. It’s a wonderful feeling having them under my control. They’ll give me the leverage I need. Once I’m through with that family, they’ll wish they’d never been born. I hum a little tune to myself and tap my fingers on the steering wheel.
The snatch almost went to plan, marred only by the intrusion of the bloody interfering grandparents. Who’d think two old people could be such a pain? I didn’t expect them to weigh in like they did. In fact, they were a bloody nuisance, throwing shit and shouting, and the old man got in a couple of punches. He had some serious power behind his fist except not much stamina. Fancy him trying his luck. Still, he keeled over without me hardly trying. Stupid bastard.
And all the racket they made. I was lucky those houses are so far apart, otherwise it might have woken some nosey parker.
Once I was standing inside their room and looming over them, the kids were easy to control. The younger one grabbed onto some stupid stuffed toy and I snatched it from her. After I took a couple of slashes at it their imaginations started working overtime. The bigger one only half-believed me when I told her I’d cut her sister the same way if they didn’t co-operate. To fully convince her, I put my knife to her arm. It was only a nick, nothing serious. Then they followed me down the stairs like lambs to the slaughter.
They’re quiet in the back, lying in the footwell like I told them. It means I can concentrate on the driving – not going too fast and making sure I stick to the route I’ve planned. The idea is to not draw any attention. That’s why I chose a dark-blue family car because it blends in.
Meticulous planning is something I’m good at. I know the location of the security cameras along the high street and I’m taking a route which bypasses most of them. If the cops catch me on the town surveillance, it either means they’re lucky or it means they’re better than I think they are. Anyway, with what I have planned, stupid information like that won’t help the police. I’m far too clever.
I arrive at the lock-up site. This place used to be private storage units before it got abandoned. The company went bankrupt and the metal containers were left to rust. The tarmac is pitted with potholes and grass has taken over which makes it an ideal place for me.
When you scope out a job it’s all about preparation. As I already told you, one of my tasks was to survey the area and that’s how I know there’s only one camera on the approach road and it’s outside a fish and chip shop. I took care of it yesterday.
I chose the unit a long time ago and I’ve prepared it inside. The metallic door opens with a squeal and, yeah, I should have taken care of that too, only it’s not important because there’s no one around to hear. Once we’re safely in, I open up the back.
The kids are shit scared. I think one of them has vomited. They’re grabbing onto each other and I drag the oldest one out by her hair.
‘You.’ I point to the smaller one who’s snivelling in the footwell. ‘Get out. Make a noise and I’ll kill you both.’
I can see from her face she believes me and her compliance makes me smirk. The older one is a different story. She’s got a sullen expression, sort of defiant. It’s the same look I spotted on her at the house and the reason I had to use the knife. Well, her poor attitude will be disappearing soon enough.
I’m feeling good. For the first time in ages I feel on top of the world. I’ve done it. I’ve got the family by the balls.
Emily took hold of Lisa’s hand and squeezed it. Lisa’s hand was cold.
‘I want Mummy,’ Lisa said.
‘Sshh. Don’t let him hear you. He doesn’t like us talking.’
‘I’m scared.’
‘I know you are, Lise, but we’ve got to be brave.’
The man said horrible things and he shouted. He wore a mask and underneath it, Emily knew he was nasty. At preschool, Emily had learned about strangers who take you. They were dangerous. If one of them got you, bad things could happen. And they were well and truly gotten.
‘Mummy is going to find us,’ Emily whispered.
Lisa whimpered. ‘I want to go home.’
‘Sssh. We just have to wait a little while and then we can go home. Mummy is going to find us.’
‘How can she find us if she doesn’t know where we are?’ Lisa buried her face in Emily’s shoulder and she was clutching on so tight it hurt.
‘It’s all right. Hold on to me, Lisa,’ Emily said.
Emily promised herself she wouldn’t cry. She would be strong and she would look after her little sister as best she could until help came.
4
Grant broke the news of Ronnie’s death to Joan Hardman himself, with as much compassion as he could. His words fell like a body blow and Joan staggered. When she righted herself, the colour had drained from her face and she seemed to have shrunk. DS Collins put her arm around Joan Hardman’s shoulders and Grant called over one of the paramedics.
Joan closed her eyes. ‘No, I don’t need help. Forget about me. We have to concentrate on the children. That’s what Ronnie would have wanted. Please, when is my daughter going to arrive?’
She stuck her chin out and Grant caught a glimpse of a steely determination. He admired her for being able to face the horror. He had met all sorts in his long career and Joan Hardman had a lot of guts.
Joan’s decision not to go to the hospital had been the right one because it had given him a head start on the details. Though likely the decision would haunt her for the rest of her life because it meant Ronnie Hardman had died without a loved one by his side.
Grant felt sad for her but he could not let his sympathy get in the way. He must stay focused. That was what he was good at and it was the only way to help this family.
He was about to leave Joan Hardman when a taxi pulled up and out spilled a man and a woman. Grant could hear the woman panting as she ran towards them. From the terror on her face, Grant felt sure she was the children’s mother. She was dressed in an emerald-green evening dress, with a coat draped around her shoulders. It fell onto the dirt and she trampled over it, then one of her high-heeled shoes came off and she almost fell.
Grant went to help.
‘Oh God. My children.’
The woman clutched at him, her eyes desperate. Her voice came out like a croak, which sometimes happened when people were in shock. He could hardly understand a word she said.
Grant put his hand over hers. ‘I’m Detective Chief Inspector Grant and I’m in charge of this investigation.’
The woman stared at him, her eyes two dark pools of fear.
Diane Collins picked up the woman’s coat and Grant encouraged her to put it on.
The man, who was presumably the father, was wearing a dinner jacket. A waft of alcohol came Grant’s way. The father’s eyes were wide and bulging, as if he’d just had the fright of his life – which, of course, he had. Grant watched them both very carefully. Harsh though it might seem, family members always had to be in the frame.
‘Inspector Grant, we got a call,’ the man said. ‘We were told Emily and Lisa have been taken.’
‘I’m afraid that’s true. And you are?’
‘Jack and Alice Glover, Lisa and Emily’s parents. My w
ife and I were out for the night and Joan and Ronnie were looking after the children…’
‘Alice,’ Joan Hardman said, and her voice broke.
‘Mum!’ Alice shrieked.
‘It’s so dreadful, I’m so sorry, my darling.’
‘It’s h-horrible.’ Alice was embracing her mother when she seemed to suddenly sense there was more. She pulled back and stared at Joan. ‘Mum, you’re shaking. You’ve gone white. Is there any news? What’s going on! Somebody tell me!’
Alice Glover grabbed at Grant again and she shook him by the shoulders. Grant let her.
‘For God’s sake tell me!’
‘Oh Alice, it’s your father…’ Joan said.
Grant cleared his throat. ‘There’s no easy way to say this. I’m sorry to tell you there’s been terrible news from the hospital. Ronnie Hardman has passed away. He suffered a major heart attack on his way to Himlands General.’
Alice’s mouth dropped open then she tipped back her head. Out came a high-pitched scream of pain. It whipped through Grant, and nearby crime scene personnel stopped to stare in their direction before getting back to their tasks. Well, Grant thought, either that’s genuine or she’s one hell of a good actress.
‘Alice,’ Joan said in a firm voice. ‘I want you to concentrate on Emily and Lisa. Are you listening to me? They are the priority.’
‘Your mother is right,’ Grant said.
Alice’s head flopped down, her blonde hair hanging in a mess. She was struggling for breath and on the verge of hyperventilation. ‘I can’t, I can’t… Please h-help me. Y-you’ve got to find them.’
‘That’s my job, ma’am,’ Grant said and he used his voice to help anchor her. ‘I need you to think very carefully because I’ve got important questions to ask, can you do that?’
‘I’ll try.’
‘Good. And you, sir, look dressed for an occasion, was it something special?’
Deadly Lies Page 2