by Kerry Watts
‘She’s dead, isn’t she?’
Dylan rang the doorbell for a second time. When there was still no answer he moved to the living room window and screwed up his face as he peered in. The room was in darkness. He glanced down at his watch, then jogged back to the front door. He rang the bell again and listened before hammering it with the palm of his hand. Dylan wasn’t giving up. The thought that Calum Bailey might be having a relationship with a fifteen-year-old girl alarmed him. He peered in at the window one last time, frustration coursing through him. He stepped around the puddles and tugged his hood up against the deluge, then headed back to his car. Perhaps Bailey was still at school.
Movement from the car park caught Calum Bailey’s attention and his heart sank. Eric watched the colour drain from his face and turned to look out of the window.
‘What is it?’ Eric asked.
‘You better go. He’s probably here to speak to me.’
Eric’s fingers lightly brushed Calum’s shoulders. ‘Text me later,’ he said, then opened the classroom door to Dylan.
‘Hello, Eric, you’re keen. It’s half past four.’
Eric smiled and walked away without answering. Calum stood up from behind his desk.
‘Come in. Have a seat.’
‘I’m DC Dylan Logan.’ Dylan held his ID close to Calum’s face before he sat down.
‘Of course. What can I do for you?’ Calum’s throat was dry. He took one large gulp from his water bottle on the desk, hoping his nervousness wasn’t too obvious.
Dylan glanced out the window to see Eric Baldwin staring back at him, but when Eric realised he had been spotted, he threw up the hood of his light jacket and hurried out of the gate. He noticed, however, that he was heading in the opposite direction to the Baldwins’ home. Calum’s cheeks flushed when he realised what he was looking at.
‘Is this about Shannon?’ Calum asked.
‘I think it would be best if we come straight to the point.’ Dylan’s gaze bore into Calum’s eyes. ‘We know that you wanted to meet with Shannon the day she disappeared. You sent her a message saying you’d had time to think. What did you mean by that?’
‘It was nothing, detective.’
‘It couldn’t have been nothing. I mean, how common is it for you to send private messages to your students on Facebook? What was the nature of your relationship with Shannon? It was clearly more than student and teacher for you to be contacting each other like that.’
Dylan continued to watch and wait as his words hung in the air. Calum sat back in his chair and considered his next move carefully.
Chapter Thirty
Rob was rinsing the coffee mugs under the hot tap when Cassie wrapped her arms around his stomach from behind. She nestled her head in the lambswool sweater he always wore.
‘I’m going for a lie-down,’ she told him. ‘I’m shattered.’
‘Hey, come here,’ Rob whispered. He gently cupped her face, then kissed her passionately on her lips. ‘I love you.’
‘I know,’ she answered. ‘I love you too.’ She kissed his cheek and walked into their bedroom.
The doorbell rang. He ran to get it before the caller could ring again and disturb Cassie.
‘Hello again, Rob, can we talk?’
‘Of course, detective, but can I come to the station? Cassie’s exhausted and I don’t want her disturbed.’
‘I’ll give you a lift in my car.’
Rob considered her invitation for a moment, then nodded. The sooner he got there, the sooner he could get it over with.
Rob wiped his moist palms across his trousers. His mouth was so dry. The interview room she’d brought him to was cold, yet Rob was sweating. He peeled his sweater off and slung it over the back of the chair. The chair was hard and uncomfortable. Rob wished he’d declined Jessie’s offer of a coffee. The wait for her to return with it was excruciating, although he knew these places weren’t built for comfort.
‘I’m sorry, I got held up. Here you go, milk and one sugar.’
Rob sipped slowly and tried to smile through his anxiety. ‘Thanks.’
He licked his lips and waited.
‘OK, you’re probably wondering why I would want to speak to you.’
‘Well, yes, but I imagine you need to speak to anyone with a connection to Shannon and her family.’ Rob took a big gulp. Keeping his hands busy made him feel less nervous. Jessie placed the evidence bag with Shannon’s diary in it on the table close to Rob. He picked the book up and frowned, then put it straight back down.
‘What’s this?’ Rob pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned.
‘This is Shannon’s diary. This is where she keeps a journal, a very personal journal.’
‘OK.’ Rob spoke slowly, the sense of unease growing rapidly.
‘An entry on page twenty-seven caught my eye, and that’s why I need to speak to you.’
She removed the diary from the bag and turned to page twenty-seven. Rob gulped more of his coffee and felt a drip of sweat gather above his right eye. He was desperate to wipe it away but feared it would reveal his anxiety, so he left it and hoped his eyebrow would absorb it.
‘I’ll read a small extract to you.’
Jessie looked up and noticed a flush of red develop on his neck.
Being with Rob tonight felt so good. I know he feels the way I do. He’s always at the house and I know he wants to be alone with me.
She stopped reading and looked over at the shocked expression on Rob’s face. His eyes were wide and staring.
‘What the hell is she talking about? That sounds like we’re—’ Rob couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing, and a sickening thud slammed into his stomach. Shannon was a clever girl with a fantastic imagination but never, in his worst nightmares, did he expect to hear this.
His hands are strong and powerful, but when he lays them on me I want to cry with pleasure, but I must remain in silent ecstasy.
‘Can I please have a look at that?’
His heart thudded in his chest. Shannon’s words made it look like she and him were in the midst of a passionate affair. He clasped a hand across his mouth and Jessie watched on without saying a word.
He flicked through some of the other pages and another entry caught his eye. Shannon suspected her mother was seeing another man, but didn’t know it was him. Rob inhaled – a huge, deep breath – and handed back the diary.
‘Shannon is an incredibly intelligent and imaginative young girl… Look, Cassie suggested a while back that she thought Shannon had some kind of teenage crush on me. I didn’t believe her at the time, but now…’ Rob pointed to the diary. ‘That is pure fantasy. I can assure you, detective inspector, there’s nothing going on between me and Shannon.’ He gave in and rubbed away the drop of sweat with the back of his hand. ‘Shannon is a child, for goodness’ sake. I wouldn’t do that. I’m not that kind of man. I can’t believe this is happening.’
Jessie nibbled her bottom lip, the way she did when she was thinking.
‘Where were you the night Shannon went missing?’
‘I was in The Black Witch with Jason. There are at least forty people who can confirm that. Ask Maggie Malcolm, she’ll tell you I was there.’
‘And you haven’t heard from Shannon since that night?’
‘Of course not, why would I?’ Rob frowned. ‘If I had, you would be the first to know – I can assure you.’
‘You won’t mind me checking your phone, then, will you?’ She held his gaze, just to be sure.
‘Be my guest.’ Rob grabbed his iPhone from his pocket and slid it across the table. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Jessie scrolled through Rob’s call log and found a large number of calls to and from Louise Ross. She initially wondered if the affair had begun when Cassie became pregnant, until she saw that some of the texts were over six months old.
‘It was you that Louise was having an affair with?’ Jessie asked.
She handed him back his phone. Rob sighed as he pushed his phon
e deep into his pocket.
‘I’m not proud of being unfaithful to Cassie, but what I had with Louise ended before the wedding. And what we did wasn’t a crime. We’re both adults.’
‘Did Shannon suspect the affair?’
‘I don’t think so, but I don’t know anything about her any more, after that.’ Rob pointed at the diary. ‘I just wish she would come home. Jason and Louise are struggling. Neither of them have slept for days.’
‘We’re supporting the family in every way we can.’
‘You think Shannon is dead, don’t you?’
Jessie stood, then held the door open for Rob and allowed his words to evaporate.
‘We’ll be in touch if we need to speak to you again.’
Rob stopped by the interview room door. ‘Cassie doesn’t know, and neither does Jason.’ He searched Jessie’s eyes for reassurance.
‘Let’s hope they never have to find out, then.’
Chapter Thirty-One
1997
Daniel watched Gail Robertson pin her long, mousy-brown hair into a messy bun before she’d noticed him arrive for their session. He liked Gail. He liked her a lot. She’d told him she had been a support worker at Carseview for ten years and had seen lots of boys, just like him, make a success of their time there. She explained that punishment wasn’t the only objective. She wanted her boys to thrive, she said. But that wasn’t what Daniel liked the most about Gail. It was her double-D breasts the majority of the boys loved most of all. Not that she flaunted it, of course. That would be madness in a place like Carseview.
Her modesty was sexy, too. The fact that Gail Robertson was a forty-five-year-old mother of three sons didn’t matter. Maybe it was a maternal attraction the boys had for her. The vast majority of Carseview inmates came from backgrounds without a nurturing mother figure, so it made sense. Although Gail was never alone with her boys, as she called them. Julia would not allow that.
‘Good morning, Mrs Robertson.’ Daniel offered her the widest smile he could manage.
‘Hello, Daniel, come on in. Close the door.’
Daniel nodded to the prison officer in the corner, who reciprocated without smiling.
‘I’ve brought the sheet you wanted me to fill in.’
‘Oh good, let me see.’ Gail reached out and took the booklet from him. She narrowed her eyes as she skimmed his answers. ‘Have a seat, Daniel. I’ll be right back. I need to pop next door to photocopy this for you. This will form the basis for the plan, going forward.’ She turned back to smile at him as she bustled towards the door that separated her room from the administrator’s office. Daniel blushed as he realised he’d been caught staring at her bottom.
‘OK, this one is for you and I will keep this copy in your file.’ Gail handed back his booklet, allowing her perfume to drift into Daniel’s nostrils a little before she sat back down, causing a warmth to grow between his legs.
‘Thanks,’ he said sheepishly.
‘So, have you got any questions?’ she asked.
Daniel shook his head. ‘No, I think the plan is pretty clear.’
‘You’re happy with your next steps?’
He nodded this time. ‘GCSEs won’t be easy, I know, but I’ll give it my best shot and I think choosing five subjects was enough, although I know you wanted me to do more.’
Gail’s smile was infectious. ‘It’s better that you do the five you’re comfortable with this year.’
‘Even that will be a lot.’ He shrugged.
‘Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re a clever lad, and I think you know that, deep down.’ She glanced at the paper. ‘Maths, English, Biology, Art and History. Good mix there.’
‘I’m not looking forward to the maths.’ He grinned.
‘Nobody looks forward to maths.’ Gail laughed.
Daniel stared into Gail’s dark brown eyes and wished his mum had been like her.
‘You’re still enjoying the library shifts, are you?’
The ghost of a smile crept over Daniel’s lips. ‘It’s not exactly a busy place but yes, it’s fine. It’s better than the laundry, I suppose, or the kitchen. Couldn’t stand the thought of washing up every day.’
‘Well, you won’t be able to avoid that kind of thing for ever.’
Daniel shrugged with a grin. ‘I can try.’
The sight of Gail glancing at her watch always created a sinking feeling in Daniel’s stomach because it meant their session was over. It would be another week before he could spend time with her again, and Daniel missed her. Looking forward to their time together kept him going through those long nights alone.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Blair took his seat amidst the throng of television and newspaper journalists. He nodded to those he recognised and switched his phone to silent. There was the usual sense of anticipation, nervous excitement, in the room. The assembled press pack shuffled in their seats and then fell silent apart from the occasional cough, followed by the short blowing of someone’s nose. Louise walked into the room slowly, head down, behind Jessie, wearing the same black jeans and dark blue T-shirt she’d had on since Shannon disappeared. Jessie guided her to the table and pulled out a chair for her before sitting down herself.
Jason wasn’t there. It hadn’t taken much digging to uncover details of Jason’s unpredictable temper. A medical discharge from the army followed an assault on a senior officer during a drunken binge. He was diagnosed later with PTSD. Blair presumed DI Blake didn’t trust Jason to cope with the stress of a public appeal. She was probably right. Blair’s attention switched back to Louise. She appeared so fragile, like a little bird, that his mind was thrust back twenty years to the disappearance of Sophie Nicoll.
Jessie tapped a pile of papers against the table to the chorus of camera clicks. She cleared her throat, then took a sip of water.
‘Good afternoon, and thank you for coming.’ Camera flashes distracted Jessie briefly, but she persevered. ‘Shannon Ross was last seen three days ago.’ She held up Shannon’s most recent school photo. ‘It’s imperative that anyone who knows where Shannon is, or who she could be with, contact the helpline urgently or any police officer. Over these last three days she has not contacted her friends or family. As far as we are aware, she does not have any money or clothes with her. Her disappearance is completely out of character. She hasn’t been seen since half past three on Monday afternoon and, as you can imagine, we are all becoming increasingly concerned for her safety.’
Jessie reached under the table for Louise’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Louise sniffed and straightened up in preparation. The cameras snapped faster as she began to speak. Louise’s legs trembled uncontrollably.
‘Shannon, if you are watching this, please come home to us. We miss you. We need you home. Please, if anyone knows where Shannon is, tell someone. I just want you home. I need my baby home.’
Louise’s words evaporated into a fresh bout of tears until she became inconsolable. Jessie intervened.
‘I’m sorry, we can’t take any questions, but please contact me or one of my colleagues if you know anything that can assist us.’ She indicated to Louise to stand, but her legs collapsed underneath her. Her pain was so raw it hurt to see. Dylan ushered the press out quickly, so that Louise could receive medical attention.
Rob clasped his hands over his mouth and sniffed back his own tears. When he heard Cassie slam the front door shut, he quickly switched off the television and rubbed his eyes.
‘I’m home. Could you get the rest of the bags? My back hurts like hell.’
Cassie was shocked by the state of Rob’s tear-streaked face. She hurried to console him, fearing there had been a tragic development.
‘What’s happened? Is she—’
‘I’m fine, no, there’s no news. It’s the appeal.’
He felt the tears sting his eyes once more. Seeing Louise’s pain, he ached to hold her and tell her it was going to be OK. There was no way he could ever share that with Cassie.
&n
bsp; ‘I’ll call her.’
‘Leave her for now. She’s got that detective with her, and Jason. I’m sure he’s there.’
Cassie scoffed. ‘Aye, and what good is he? He’s probably drunk, isn’t he?’
Before Rob had a chance to contradict her in Jason’s defence, Cassie cursed loudly from the hallway.
‘Shit, I forgot to get your coffee.’
‘It’s fine, I don’t need it that badly. I can wait.’
‘No, I’ll nip back out for it. It’s your favourite.’
She grabbed her car keys and her bag until Rob took hold of her arm and kissed her.
‘Put your feet up. I’ll get the coffee,’ Rob said to her with a smile. He needed to clear his head.
Rob walked to the little shop on the main street in just over ten minutes. As he passed the police station, a group of journalists joined him, taking him by surprise when a camera was thrust close to his face. The female reporter smiled and hastily asked if he knew Shannon and her family, and how the search was going. Rob froze. He wanted to run but his feet held him fast until the woman turned away from him.
‘There has been no news on the whereabouts of local teenager Shannon Ross, and it seems the entire village is out looking for her. Sasha Monroe, ITV news.’ Rob watched the news crew retreat as suddenly as they had appeared, his heart racing.
‘Hello, Rob.’ Maggie Malcolm startled him as she exited the shop. She shook her head. ‘Terrible business. They must be so worried. Tell them if they need anything, to just ask. I’ll be more than happy to help.’
Maggie nodded towards Louise being supported down the steps of the police station with DI Blake and DC Logan on either side of her. Maggie held the shop door open for Rob who frowned, then sprinted over to Louise.
‘Louise!’
Louise looked up at him through the haze of tears. The pair stood silently staring at each other until she grabbed hold of him to prevent herself falling to the ground. Rob took the opportunity to comfort her. He closed his eyes and hugged her close to his chest and she sobbed, soaking his shirt with her tears. She held on so tightly that her nails dug into his flesh.
