by S. C. Daiko
“That’s the reason why I wanted to meet you. I was hoping you’d be able to call them off my back.”
“I don’t have enough influence in the UK, bro’.” His mouth twists grimly.
I feel my shoulders droop.
What a clusterfuck!
Suddenly, my phone pings.
I pick it up.
Catrin.
It’s the first time she’s called me; I’m the one who initiates our conversations.
Something’s wrong.
“Hi, darling,” I say, my mouth dry.
A sob catches in her throat. “You need to come home.”
My blood turns to ice.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Catrin
Three hours earlier
Eleri called me yesterday; she’d just returned to the UK from her European tour. “Please say you’ll come to lunch tomorrow. I’m longing to see you.”
I’d been missing Daniel and Ben so much, as had Becca. She’d been nagging me to go back to Northamptonshire early. I wouldn’t have considered it if it wasn’t for the fact that Josh’s parents had both come down with the flu. We hadn’t even been to see them for a couple of days; they didn’t want us to catch it off them.
The idea occurred to me that we could surprise Daniel and Ben. My parents didn’t mind us cutting our visit short by a few days. Mum said she ‘understood’ and gave me a knowing look. They’d been good about not pressing me for information about Daniel, fair play, but I felt relieved about not having to keep my feelings hidden from them much longer.
Last night, on the phone, I’d said to Daniel we’d be ‘playing’ in three days and I hadn’t lied; we don’t ‘play’ on the weekends when the kids are around. But just the thought of seeing him any minute now is making my heart beat like a drum.
I pull up in front of the cottages.
Daniel’s car isn’t there.
Crap!
I scan the drive to be sure, but it’s definitely not there.
All I can see is Eric’s Audi parked to the side.
Becca unclips her seat-belt. “Can I go find Ben?”
“I’ll come with you, poppet.” I swing my legs from the car.
Maybe Daniel’s car is in the garage for servicing?
I take Becca’s hand.
Leaving Toby in the garden to do his business, we walk up to Daniel’s front door.
Eric lets us in with a smile that doesn’t come close to lighting his pale eyes. “Eleri called by and said you were arriving.” His voice is smarmy. “She’s invited Ben and me for lunch at Aldridge House as well.”
My bestie and her damn match-making. I remember her insinuating I had the hots for Eric.
As if!
Just looking at that man makes my flesh crawl.
“Catrin!” Ben runs up to me and puts his arms around my legs. “Daddy has gone to London.”
Strange he didn’t mention it to me last night.
But I didn’t tell him I was coming back, either.
I lower myself to Ben’s height and give him a hug. Becca squirms her way between us. “I want a hug too.”
Eric towers over us and checks his watch. “Perhaps you should go and get ready?” He stares down at my scruffy jeans. “Eleri wants us there at one.”
Becca and I go and freshen up. I change into a tunic dress and leggings, then put on some lip gloss and mascara. I brush my daughter’s hair and braid her tangled ginger curls.
“Can I have some lip gloss, too, Mum?” she pleads.
I smile my agreement and hand over the tube.
Toby bounds up, whining and thumping his tail against my legs. “We’ll take you for a walk this afternoon, boy,” I tell him, scratching the rough fur behind his ears.
He flops down on the floor with heavy, disappointed eyes.
Eric is already waiting for us in his car as we step outside. Becca gets into the back with Ben, and I ride shot gun. I keep my eyes fixed on the road ahead while Eric speeds towards Aldridge House.
Why is he in such a damn hurry?
Before I can even ask him to slow down, Eric is already parking in the courtyard, opposite the oak front door. We get out of the car, and gravel crunches under our feet as we make our way towards the house.
Eleri ushers us in and gives me a hug. “We’re eating in the kitchen,” she says with a smile. “Gabe and Luke are at a meeting with the estate manager. They’ve taken Matt with them.” She beams at Eric. “I hope you don’t mind.”
I notice a slight look of annoyance in his expression, and then it’s gone.
After lunch, during which we were mostly occupied with the kids, we go through to the living room for coffee while Rosie takes Becca and the rest of the group upstairs to the playroom.
Eleri sits Eric between herself and me on the sofa and starts to chat. I’ve got to hand it to her; she’s trying her hardest to get us to like each other.
“Catrin loves gardening. Do you like gardening, Eric?” she turns and flutters her eyelashes at him.
“Can’t stand gardening,” he grunts. “I’m a city boy. Always lived in flats.”
“What are your interests in music?” she tries again.
He admits to liking electronic dance. I catch Eleri’s look of disgust and giggle to myself. She sings soul; we both loved it as teens and were never into electronic. I hope she realises there isn’t a chance in hell Eric could even feature on my remotest radar.
His pale blue eyes are starting to give me the creeps.
I surreptitiously check the time. Maybe I can explain I should go back home and do some work? I’ve been neglecting my clients all week…
Suddenly the door bursts open, and Rosie erupts into the room. “Sorry,” she gasps, “but I need your help. The children have been playing hide and seek, but we can’t find Ben and Becca anywhere.”
I clutch my arms to my chest and let out a gasp. Then I tell myself I don’t need to worry. They’ve hidden before, they’re good at it, but we’ve always found them.
“They can’t have gone far.” Eleri puts down her coffee cup. “I know it’s a big house, but they’ll still be inside.”
We get to our feet, ready to start searching. Luke and Gabe appear with their eldest son, Matt, and we fill them in on what’s happened.
“They’ll be hiding in one of the storerooms, I expect,” Luke grins. “Little tykes.”
Eric rubs his hands together. “Let’s fan out and take a different area each. We can meet back here if one of us comes across them.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I say.
I search for what seems like ages, running through so many rooms calling their names that I lose count. Eventually, I find myself in the picture gallery on the first floor of the west wing. I stop, my breathing ragged.
I can hear the echoes of the other kids’ voices shouting for Ben and Becca.
They should have been found by now.
Fear clutches at my heart.
Something is seriously wrong.
I bump into Eleri, Gabe and Luke as I leave the room. “I wish Toby was here; he’d sniff them out in no time.” My voice has gone shaky.
The minutes tick by and we keep looking.
Where the hell are they?
Then Rosie rushes up to us. “Eric’s gone!”
We ask her what she means, and she says his car has disappeared from the courtyard.
“Maybe he’s driving around the grounds looking for them?” Eleri suggests.
“I’ll go and take a look.” Keep calm and carry on is his archetypical motto.
“I’ll come with you,” Luke says to him firmly.
Eleri and I sit and wait for what seems like hours. She tries to keep me positive. “We’ll find them,” she says, squeezing my fingers.
Sudden footsteps sound in the hall outside.
My heart hammers in my chest.
The door flies open.
Gabe and Luke pace across the room.
“There’s no sign of the kids.
And no sign of Eric, either.” Luke runs a jerky hand through his hair. “We even checked the cottages. No one there except your dog.”
A cold shiver runs all the way down my spine. “Do you think Eric has found them and taken them somewhere?” I speak the words that have been whirling through my mind ever since he disappeared.
“I can’t think of any other explanation.” Gabe’s face has gone ashen.
I grab my phone.
A sob strangles in my throat as I key in Daniel’s number.
“You need to come home.” My fingers tremble.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Daniel
“You need to come home,” Catrin says.
I’m slightly confused. “Where are you?”
“At Aldridge House.”
“What are you doing there?”
Through heart-wrenching sobs she tells me she arrived back in Northamptonshire late this morning… so she could surprise me… and then goes on to tell me what happened afterwards.
Cold drops of dread run down my spine.
Keep calm, Daniel. Don’t panic.
But fear has turned every muscle in my body rigid.
“I’m on my way.” I pause, attempt to come up with something to console her. “Try not to worry.”
Gleb quirks a brow and gives me one of his intense looks.
He doesn’t say a word.
Jesus, is he involved in this train wreck?
I bunch my hands into fists.
I’ll fucking kill him…
I snatch up the phone that Eric gave me.
First things first…
“Come on Eric… pick up.”
Just when I think the call is about to go to voice-mail, he answers. “Daniel,” he says, as if this is just a regular chat.
“Have you got Ben and Becca?” My heartbeats thump in my chest.
“They’re safe with me.”
“What the fuck’s going on?” I snap, spittle building up in the corners of my mouth.
“I’d like you to transfer a million pounds to my bank account or I’ll hand your son and the girl over to the mobsters.”
“God almighty, Eric…” My voice is a guttural roar.
What a fucking cunt to take two innocent children…
“I’d like to speak to my son,” I say, with false calmness.
“I’ll put him on speaker phone. Don’t ask him where I’ve taken them, or I’ll cut you off.”
“Just put him on.” I want to jab my finger in his fucking face.
“Daddy,” the sound of Ben’s little voice wrenches in the pit of my stomach. “Eric promised me a new game if I told everyone to play hide and seek. He said he’d find me behind the curtains in Gabe’s library, so that’s where I hid.”
“I didn’t expect the girl to be with him,” Eric butts in.
“Becca won’t stop crying,” Ben says pitifully.
As if to confirm his statement, she sets up a loud wail in the background. “I want my Mum…”
Her words almost break me into little pieces.
“Listen, sweetheart.” I try to keep my tone measured. “Your Mum and I will be with you as soon as we can. Please don’t cry.”
“Eric won’t let us play in the ball pit.” Ben’s voice trembles.
“That’s enough,” Eric says harshly. “I’ll email you my account details. As soon as the transfer goes through, I’ll let you know where you can pick up the kids. The sooner the better… they’re getting on my nerves.” He pauses for a beat. “Don’t even think of contacting the police. I’m giving you twenty-four hours to get me the money. That’s do-able.” He lowers his voice. “Otherwise, I’m handing over your precious children to the Brotherhood. Rest assured, they won’t treat them as kindly as I’ve done.”
The line goes dead.
I sag into an armchair and Gleb perches on the seat opposite while I fill him in.
He reaches across, and now I don’t recoil when he touches his hand to my shoulder. “Eric can’t have taken them far from Aldridge. I mean, your girlfriend has only just called you.”
I shoot him a glance. “What do you know about Catrin?”
“I’ve been searching for you for three years, Alexei. Tom found you about a month ago and has been keeping watch on my behalf. That damn dog of hers…”
“She knows nothing about my past.” The words scrape in my throat. “I wanted the mafia off my back before I told her anything.”
“You’d better call her and let her know what’s gone down with Eric.”
Fuck, he’s right.
She picks up as soon as I tap the green button.
“The kids are safe, Cat.” I go on to explain about Eric’s demands. She’s full of questions, like will I be able to raise the money, but I tell her there’s no time for explanations now. I’m on my way to Aldridge and will explain everything as soon as I get there.
She hands me over to Gabe, and I ask him not to call the police… which he hasn’t done yet, thank God. “They’d stop me from paying the ransom, and there’s no way I want them freezing my bank accounts,” I clarify.
“Only if Catrin agrees,” he says, putting her back on the line.
“What guarantee do you have that Eric will release the children once you’ve transferred the funds?” she asks.
It’s a good question, and I tell her so. “He’s a money-grabbing wanker. Once he’s got the cash in his filthy hands, he’ll release them.” I instil a note of confidence into my voice. “I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t trust him, Daniel. Please get here as soon as you can.”
We sign off and I log onto my internet banking. Then I pull my car keys from my pocket and get to my feet.
“I’m coming with you,” Gleb says briskly. “You might need me and Tom for backup.”
We take our leave of Diana, who has left us on our own this past half hour. She has no clue what’s gone on and we don’t enlighten her. We thank her for having us, and act like nothing out of the ordinary has happened. She’s been a good sport, I’ll give her that… and I hope I’ll be able to let her see Ben when I get him back.
And I will get him back.
I won’t even consider any other outcome.
It takes an hour to get out of London, due to the ever-present traffic congestion, and a further two hours to reach Aldridge. During the drive, Gleb fills me in on his life in the USA. He’s set up a business in New York, apparently… some sort of club. He’s cagey about it and I don’t ask for details.
It’s his shit, not mine.
He, in turn, asks me how I got involved with Eric. I explain it was through the bureau, after I’d blown the whistle on the money laundering fiasco.
“If I were you, I’d have nothing more to do with that organisation,” he says. “You can’t trust spies.”
“Eric got me my new identity, at least. The background checks Gabe ran on me were water tight.” I shake my head. “Why the fuck has Eric turned on me?”
“He’s a spook. They’re the lowest of the low.”
“Lower than mobsters?” I can’t resist the jibe.
He ignores the dig, and asks, “What are we going to tell everyone when we get to Aldridge?”
“I want to come clean.” I release a long, slow breath. “I’m fed up with lying.”
We lapse into silence for the rest of the journey and soon I’m navigating the narrow country roads leading to the stately home. It’s raining, and the windscreen wipers beat a steady rhythm, the wheels of the car churning up muddy spray. All the while, my thoughts are focused on Ben, Catrin and Becca. I feel sick with worry and regret, my belly tied up in knots.
I pull up in front of the mansion. Catrin flies down the steps, straight into my arms. I hold her close, breathing her in and taking comfort from the feel of her body. “Thank God, you’re here.” Her voice trembles. “I’ve been out of my mind.”
“I talked to Becca,” I reassure her. “I told her we’d come and get her as soon as we could.”<
br />
No point in adding that her little girl was sobbing as if her heart would break.
I introduce her to Gleb, and if she’s surprised by his accent she doesn’t say so. She simply stares at him wide-eyed. Her fear-filled eyes widen even further when I present his bodyguard.
We go into the living room. Gabe is there with Luke and Eleri. “Catrin has already told us you’ve grown close,” he says. “She’s also said she knows little about you. And, to be honest, I think you owe both her and us an explanation.”
“I agree. I’m sorry I’ve kept you all in the dark up to now. I did it with good intentions, to keep everyone safe.”
He quirks a dark eyebrow. “Doesn’t seem to have worked…”
“How long have you known Eric?” I interrupt him.
But Luke answers. “I met him in London a few years ago, when I was working in the film industry. He was an agent for a couple of artists.” He tilts his head. “Why?”
“That’s his cover. He’s also been working for the European F.B.I.”
All four of them stare at me open-mouthed.
I carry on my explanation, giving them as much information as they need at this stage. I fill them in on my background, including my original surname Sokolov, and reassure them I have more than enough money to pay Eric’s demand. Catrin is sitting next to me on the sofa, but with every question I answer, she draws further away from me until she’s perched at the far end, her body rigid with apparent shock.
She glares at me, her eyes angry, and she gives a little shake of her head.
Fuck!
Chapter Twenty-Four
Catrin
Daniel’s brother calls him Alexei.
He’s involved with the Russian mafia.
He put me and Becca at risk.
The words ring in my head as my world starts to fall apart.
I stare at the man I thought I knew.
I don’t know him at all.
