The Forgotten Child

by D. E. White

  She leant forward now, her dark hair swinging off her shoulders in a shiny curtain. ‘I’m so sorry, Holly. About Milo I mean.’ Her brown eyes held Holly’s for a second. She had very big eyes, a beautiful shape and the same colour as her dark brown leather boots.

  Holly didn’t bother to answer, and they sat in silence, Tom clearly still simmering with rage at what he saw as an injustice towards himself. But Holly caught his eyes straying towards Milo’s pictures on the wall, lingering on the box of Lego on the coffee table.

  The clock on the wall was showing that it was just past midnight. Milo had been gone for at least three hours. Holly stuffed a fist into her mouth to stop herself from crying out, and quickly got up. Lydia was making bacon sandwiches and more cups of tea. In between this domestic efficiency she was scribbling on a list in her rose-patterned diary.

  The house phone was propped between her chin and shoulder, and as Holly watched, distracted for a moment, she snapped goodbye and hung up. ‘Any news?’

  Holly shook her head, and her aunt’s mouth trembled, but then set in a hard line. ‘I’ve got a few more to go, but that’s everyone I know as far as Panfield, Gothfield and Havering. Most of them are family. I got hold of Joey’s wife, you know that tart Sammie …’ Lydia paused for breath and Holly saw she had swapped her patent heels for the fluffy mules she kept around the house. ‘Anyway, the Nicholls are right sneaky fuckers, but Sammie understands that there’s a kid missing and it’s one of ours, so they’ll put the word out to their drivers.’

  ‘Do you think she’ll even tell Joey?’ Holly tried a slurp of tea, almost retched and hastily put the mug back down on the table.

  Lydia fixed her with a gimlet eye. ‘Course she will. There’s some things that cross the lines and this is one of them. Oh, I know Joey and Gareth and that won’t care about Milo, but they’ll have to do something, ’cause most of their drivers have got family on the Seaview and if word gets around they did nothing … Well, they won’t want trouble will they?’

  Holly knew what her aunt meant. This wasn’t just a bit of trouble, this was something that mattered. Oddly comforted she checked her phone and found a message from Shoey:

  Heard what’s happened. Call you tomorrow if I get anything. Don’t trust the coppers, babe x

  Steph came back in from the garden, but quickly shook her head when Holly looked a query at her. They went back into the living room, where Tom and Beth were huddled over cups of tea.

  A uniformed police officer was in the hallways, relaying information as it came in from the search teams, and an incident van had joined the cars and journalists outside. Steph pushed back a strand of grey hair and addressed them. ‘We can’t find Sara Michaels at her address. Her landlord says she’s often out and he thinks she stays away with family when she’s not working.’

  ‘I don’t really think she’s taken Milo,’ Holly said, frowning. ‘She’s so little and nervous, but it does seem weird about the back door keys.’

  ‘Okay. We’ll keep trying to find her. I’ve just asked your aunt to keep the landline free in case this is a kidnapping, and you get a call confirming that the kidnapper is looking for a ransom. Try not to keep your mobile busy either.’

  Tom moved convulsively, his hands, shaken free of Beth’s and clutching at the sofa cushions, his eyes bright. ‘Do you really think that might be what’s happened? That someone has kidnapped my son for money?’

  Karen came into the room, speaking quickly into her phone, and disappeared into the kitchen, while Steph answered carefully, ‘We have to keep our options open at this stage. Because there is money owed, we have to keep an open mind, but if we don’t hear anything, we will treat this as an abduction.’

  Beth was nudging Tom, who was shaking. He shook his head, and mumbled, ‘I can’t …’

  ‘Mr Kendal? Tom?’ Karen came back into the living room, a cup of tea in one hand, her iPad in the other, her eyes flicking from one person to the next. As before, Holly could almost feel the electricity crackling from her perfectly pressed suit. ‘Do you have something to tell us?’

  Tom said nothing, but Beth coloured slightly, and then nodded. ‘Tom has admitted to me that he has been taking drugs.’ She paused to moisten her lips. ‘He uses cocaine occasionally and …’ She looked at her boyfriend but he just shook his head, shrinking back into his tweed jacket. ‘Tom owes his dealer some money.’

  Holly stared at them both. Beth knew? Since when? Surely she was far too calm to have been let in on Tom’s dirty little secret just a few hours ago.

  ‘That’s useful information,’ Karen said, exchanging quick glances with her colleague. ‘Tom, I need the name and contact details of your dealer. You might find it easier if we go through to the hallway and have a chat.’

  Tom shuffled away, whilst Holly fought an impulse to leap up and scratch his eyes out. Instead she turned to Beth. ‘How long have you known about this?’

  Beth took a shaky sip of tea and put the mug down carefully. ‘A few weeks. I knew that Tom did a line occasionally. I met him at SugarFree in Addington, and everyone does a little bit at a party, don’t they?’

  Holly knew SugarFree was a club along the coast, well known for its celebrity and upper-middle-class clientele. If wasn’t somewhere she would dream of going. In the same way that polished Beth, would probably never want to see the inside of Shoey’s gym.

  Tom slid back into the room half an hour later and Holly glared at him. ‘Who’s your dealer, Tom?’

  ‘I already told DC Marriot. I don’t need to go over it again,’ he said defensively, but she pressed him.

  ‘It might help to tell me because I might know something about them,’ Holly snapped.

  ‘I thought you’d left all that behind? Christ.’ This as she lifted and arm and her loose top slid back, exposing her artwork. ‘Have you gone and got yourself another tattoo?’ He blinked at her.

  ‘No, it’s always been there, you idiot. Who’s your dealer, Tom?’

  But it was Beth who spoke. ‘His name is Rohan Nicholls, and Tom meets him behind The White Dragon in the kids’ playground when he wants to buy some gear.’ She ignored the furious look on her boyfriend’s face and added, ‘Just in case anybody is wondering, I don’t take drugs. I might smoke and I like a bit of a drink, but I’ve never taken drugs, not even a few pills.’ Her dark eyes were steady, and although she was a bit pale now, she was calm and resolute.

  Holly was clutching her mobile phone, glancing down every time a message came in. A Nicholls player. Well, that wasn’t really a surprise. The police would never get hold of them, so that would be down to the strength of the rest of Seaview to find out if the Nicholls had her boy. Cath might be able to help there too … Holly sent her a quick text about Rohan.

  ‘I would say that this Niko Balinta seems the obvious choice. Has he been arrested yet?’ Tom asked, exchanging unfriendly eye talk with Beth, and clearly rallying slightly.

  ‘I have officers at his address now,’ Karen said, smiling thinly at Tom’s look of surprise, ‘A missing child is a major incident and we do have some expertise in these matters.’

  ‘And Jayden? What did you mean when you said that the boy from the crash is Jayden’s son? Your brother is still alive?’ Tom rubbed his face. His eyes were sore and tired, and Beth, beside him was pale. She was picking at a sofa cushion with nervous fingers.

  Lydia came in, notebook in hand, her own eyes red from crying. She sat next to her niece, pulling her close. ‘They’ll find him, Holly. I know they will.’

  ‘They never found Jayden,’ Holly pointed out. She felt strangely cold and drifting, as though she was observing the drama from some lofty point on the ceiling.

  ‘That was different. He was an adult. Milo is a little boy.’

  ***

  Later, as the clock ticked towards five in the morning, and the police operation continued, more press were gathering outside Holly’s house. Her phone rang.

  ‘Holly! Jesus, has Milo really gone missing? I
just got a call from a mate who works for the Echo and he filled me in.’ Devril’s voice seemed genuinely anxious and Holly decided she had no reason not to give him the benefit of the doubt. ‘I haven’t had a phone signal all night so I only just got your messages.’

  ‘Someone took him from the house while I was having a bath. The police are searching; the whole of Seaview seems to be out …’ Her voice trailed away, because she was afraid she was going to cry again. Time was slipping away, and she watched enough TV to know that the precious Golden Hour had been and gone. Milo had been missing for over nine hours now.

  ‘I’ll come over …’

  ‘You don’t have to. Where have you been anyway?’ Holly was aware that Lydia had roused herself from dozing on the sofa and was listening to her conversation.

  ‘Tell you when I see you. It was just to do with what we were discussing earlier this week. I’ll come over now. I can help you anyway, because the press, my mate included, are camped outside your house.’

  Holly peered out the window and saw with a stab of fear that he was right. But her mind also told her that this was a pretty good story for Dev to get the inside scoop on too. ‘Okay.’

  Lydia staggered into the kitchen. ‘Sorry, love I heard the phone ring and thought maybe it was news of Milo.’ She flicked the switch on the kettle and squinted at her niece. ‘You had any sleep yet?’

  ‘No chance.’

  ***

  Dev arrived within half an hour and she watched as he pulled up and exchanged a bit of banter with the other journalists, before running up to her front door.

  ‘Jesus, Holly, I’m sorry. I got back to the flat late last night and saw blue lights all over the estate. Then when my phone had about ten voicemails including one from Casey at the Echo and those texts from you … Niko was on the phone asking me what the fuck is going on, and saying to tell my girlfriend he hasn’t got her bloody kid. The police have been round at my place too, just before I left. Barry at Mason’s garage was up, and he said they’ve been out looking for Milo. Reckons the police have taken Niko for questioning, and there was a stabbing at the Nicholls’ yard last night too.’ Devril ran a hand over his shaven head. ‘So what can I do? Tell me what will help get Milo back.’

  Holly was watching him closely, but he seemed totally genuine and Christ, she could do with his extra help. ‘Who got stabbed?’

  ‘Rohan, I think.’

  Holly was about to dismiss this, except that Rohan had been Tom’s dealer … Was he stabbed before or after Milo went missing? Her dad would be another inside link to the estate, but he hadn’t answered his phone when she called earlier. Hopefully he hadn’t gone missing too. ‘Niko knows I’m not your girlfriend, doesn’t he?’ She could do without any added complications.

  ‘Yeah, he’s just pissed at being hauled in so soon after he got out, the stupid wanker. No news then?’

  ‘No.’ Briefly, she told him what had happened. As Lydia fetched the inevitable cups of tea Holly realised what was making her stomach roll uncomfortably. It wasn’t the fact Dev might be sucking it up to write a story on Milo, it was that Devril had been just like this when Jayden first went missing. He had asked what he could do to help.

  And now? Her own child was gone, and she would do anything to get him back. She would form an alliance with whoever offered it if it meant Milo came home safe.

  Holly registered the noise of the search outside as the helicopter flew overhead again and told herself every effort was being made to find her boy. They were looking for him, and that was all she needed to know. Milo’s disappearance was trending on social media. The more people who knew the more likely he was to be brought home soon.

  Dev was tapping away on his iPad. ‘Here. You need to speak to DC Marriot, but I’ve done a quick story on Milo’s disappearance …’ He studied her face. ‘You don’t have to do this but it will help if the facts are correct. They’ll write something anyway, but this way you can control it to a certain extent.’

  Holly scanned the story. It was the usual tabloid style and it make her sick to her gut buts she nodded. ‘I need to find him, Devril, and I’ll do whatever it takes. If Niko wants money I’ll get it somehow. If it’s Jayden, I don’t know what he wants, but I’ll find out.’

  ‘You said your ex was getting gear off Rohan Nicholls? He’s not dead, by the way. You never asked when I told you, but he’s in hospital. I can chase that up if I ever find Bailey.’

  ‘Is he still missing too?’ But she wasn’t really interested. Her world had narrowed to Milo being found and any tiny bit of energy not concentrated on that seemed like a waste.

  ‘Yeah. That’s where I was last night, down at his wife’s sister’s place. I finally tracked her down, and she’s freaking out. Bailey told her to get out if he didn’t come home one day, that she needed to just go, no questions asked, but she’s been dithering, staying with her sister, hoping he’ll turn up. I told her to go, so she’s packing up and driving to her dad’s in Bradford with her kids today.’

  ‘Did she tell the police he was missing?’ But Holly knew the answer even before he shook his head.

  ‘He told her not to. Said it would get him into worse trouble. Of course, once she’s gone I’m going to tell DC Marriot what was going on. It’s gone far enough that it’s the lesser of two evils.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Holly dropped her eyes, fiddling with the cuff of her hoodie. Her phone buzzed with another message, but it was just Cathryn telling her that her brothers and their cousins were going over to St Peter’s dock to search the warehouses. ‘Where the hell is my son, Dev?’

  ‘I’ve been thinking, Niko’s old man still owns a load of lock-ups near the station where he used to stash gear. I really can’t see that it would be Niko but you did say he’s been on at you about Jayden’s debt again? You haven’t had any ransom demand or anything?’

  Holly shook her head, thinking about the old lock-ups. The same warehouses they had played in as kids, on the same industrial estate where Jayden and Cathryn had torched one of the buildings. ‘You think he might have taken Milo there?’

  ‘We can try.’ He flicked a glance at the kitchen, where Lydia was sitting at the kitchen table concentrating on her phone, texting with great efficiency. ‘You going to tell the police about the lock-ups?’

  Holly hesitated. ‘Yeah. Anything that might help. I’ll tell Steph now. She’s out the back. I need to go out too, I need to be searching …’ Her voice cracked and Dev pulled her close.

  ‘Wait till it’s light. Look, two hours’ sleep and we can go anywhere you like,’ he suggested.

  ‘I can’t sleep.’

  ‘Watch TV then, just get some rest.’

  ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Okay, okay, we’ll go now. You got a torch?’

  Holly got up and went to the drawer in the hallway, thinking hard. When she turned she went into the kitchen, told Steph about the lock-ups and then ran upstairs to where Lydia was crouched on her bed, phone in hand, muttering as she checked off a pile of lists with her pencil. ‘Lydia, I’m going out looking for Milo with Dev. I’ll take my mobile so you can call me if there’s any news.’

  The older woman nodded, without any hesitation. ‘You go. Look anywhere you think the police won’t.’

  ‘We’re starting up near the station.’ She turned towards the hallway, ready to yank her trainers on, when Dev put a hand on her shoulder.

  Steph tried to persuade her to stay at home, but Holly was determined. She was not staying inside when her child was missing.

  ‘Holly?’ Dev said gently.

  ‘What?’

  ‘You might want to put some clothes on. It’s fucking freezing outside, not to mention those journos are camped on the road, and all you’re wearing is pyjamas and a hoodie.’

  Chapter 28

  The blackness of the night was punctuated by the odd police car screaming past. Holly was comforted to see uniformed police patrolling the street, near the house, and to note a dog unit van
at the entrance to the woods. Surely Milo was somewhere nearby. She strained to sense him, to comfort him. Mother and child had an invisible connection, she was sure. She would know if he was dead. The tearing, clawing pain inside hadn’t lessened since she found him gone, and she fought to keep her thoughts in check, to stop her imagination from flinging darker thoughts into her consciousness. His pain. Her pain. Any mother would kill to protect her child, and Holly knew she was no different.

  This present evil had come from the estate, and with all the puzzle pieces she had, it made sense that Milo had been abducted for use as a ransom token. With this, negotiation was possible, a tiny chink of light. Whoever had him wouldn’t hurt him whilst he had this value. Jayden, Gareth, Niko? The names danced in her head, branding the night sky in front of them. What a bloody joke that her own ex-husband had been buying gear from them.

  Dev drove to the station and pulled over. ‘We can just cruise around if you like? Unless you want to go somewhere in particular?’

  She shook her head. ‘I just need to be out looking.’

  ‘Okay, that’s fine.’ He was about to pull out when his phone buzzed with a message. ‘It’s Bailey!’

  Holly watched with dull eyes. The pain in her chest, the horrors flickering through her mind, did not allow for distractions.

  Dev studied his phone, and turned to her, brows knitted. ‘Bailey says he’s got everything ready for us and to meet him behind Kelly’s Transport Café. Thank Christ for that. No mention of the disappearing act or his family … It’s only two roads down, and he says he’s out the back parked up for the night with one of the Nicholls’ lorries. What do you think?’

  ‘Yeah, whatever. Tell him we’ll come over.’ Holly tried to work up enthusiasm for the Nicholls’ take-down, but all she could think of was that Bailey was safe and Milo wasn’t. What would Gareth do to a child to torture his mother?

  Donnie sent a text to say he was still looking, and to let him know if there was any news. It was so weird having him act like a dad again, but the only emotion she could summon up was passionate relief that one more person was out searching for her boy.