Cradle to Grave

by Rachel Amphlett

  ‘Anything on the system related to the address?’

  ‘Nothing. It’s clear. No issues.’

  Kay was already moving towards her desk. ‘Get on to Tonbridge station, and ask if two of their officers can meet us there,’ she said. ‘I’m coming with you.’

  ‘Guv? Before you go…’ said Gavin, craning his neck from where he sat at his computer.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘There is another possibility. The people who took the missing child, I mean. If they didn’t use one of those footpaths to escape with her.’

  ‘Spit it out, Piper,’ said Barnes.

  Kay raised her hand to silence him. ‘What is it, Gav?’

  ‘What if they made their escape by boat, not on foot?’

  Kay took a step back, her insides twisting as if someone had punched her in the stomach.

  ‘Bloody hell, Gav. You could be right.’

  ‘I’ve got this,’ said Sharp. ‘You two head over to Tonbridge. Gavin – start looking at what other boats have been hired on the River Medway this past week. I’ll get some more officers to help with the house-to-house enquiries and update them to start asking whether any other boats have been seen on the river with a little girl on board.’

  ‘Ask if anyone’s hired a boat in the name of Greg Victor as well, Gavin,’ said Kay, ‘just in case they’re posing as him to escape.’

  She waited until Barnes had returned to his desk and began stuffing his pockets with car keys, mobile phone and a notebook, then turned back to Sharp. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can. You need to get some rest if you’re working tonight.’

  He waved her out the door. ‘I can always rely on coffee later if I need it. Go.’

  Eight

  Kay flipped down the sun visor over the windscreen and squinted against the late afternoon glare.

  A haze cloaked the fields to her left as Barnes guided the pool car past a stream of traffic on the dual carriageway past the large hop farm outside Paddock Wood, and as she watched families play in the landscaped recreation area on the opposite side of the road, she wondered at the sense of normality in the world around her.

  Somewhere out there was a frightened child, who had no idea what was happening to her.

  She swallowed, and turned her attention back to the road while her detective sergeant sped past a roundabout, the car surging forward as soon as he had space to overtake the vehicle in front of them.

  Kay resisted the urge to check her watch – Barnes was doing the best he could with the late-season tourist traffic.

  Finally, they reached the outskirts of Tonbridge and he slowed the car to a standstill on a tree-lined avenue. A large four-bedroom house was partly hidden behind a tall privet hedge and a pair of fir trees, the driveway bereft of any vehicles.

  A little further up the street, a liveried patrol car had been parked next to two wheelie bins, its occupants elsewhere.

  ‘This is the place,’ he said. ‘Looks like uniform got here first.’

  Kay led the way up the driveway and rang the doorbell, her shoulders relaxing when PC Ben Allen answered.

  ‘Afternoon, guv. We got here about ten minutes ago. Mrs Victor is in the living room. Nigel’s broken the news to her.’

  ‘Thanks, Ben.’

  Both Ben and his colleague, Nigel Best, were Tonbridge-based police constables who Kay had worked with before, and she was grateful that the two experienced officers were on hand.

  ‘Before you go in, guv – there’s something you should know.’

  Kay paused, her hand on the door handle. ‘What?’

  ‘Greg Victor was her brother-in-law,’ said Ben. ‘Annette’s husband, Robert Victor, is Greg’s older brother. Alice – the kid who’s gone missing – is their only child.’

  ‘What else do we know about Greg?’

  ‘His ex-wife and daughter live in Nottingham. We’ve asked our colleagues up there to liaise with the family and keep us updated with any developments from that angle.’

  ‘Okay, good work. Thanks, Ben.’

  Kay’s first impression of Annette Victor when she walked through the door was that the woman appeared to be almost translucent.

  A slim form rose from a sofa next to the window, pale-green eyes peering out from a long fringe of golden hair that brushed across the woman’s shoulders. Her alabaster skin was a striking contrast against the black short-sleeved top she wore over skinny jeans, worry lines ageing her beyond the mid-thirties Kay guessed her to be.

  Her hand shook as she held it out. ‘You must be Detective Kay Hunter.’

  ‘Mrs Victor. This is my colleague, Detective Sergeant Ian Barnes.’ Kay nodded to Nigel Best. ‘I’m sorry if my questions are going to seem a little harsh and to the point, but it’s a process we have to follow in the circumstances. I understand my colleagues have let you know that we have reason to believe that a man by the name of Greg Victor was the victim of a murder late last night. Please can you confirm he was your brother-in-law?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right. Where’s Alice? She was with him. He said he’d look after her.’

  ‘We don’t have the answer to that at the moment, Mrs Victor. We––’

  ‘It’s Annette. Call me Annette.’

  ‘Thank you. We’ve only identified Greg through the boat hire company within the past hour, and we’re moving as fast as we can on the information. When was the last time you saw your daughter?’

  ‘Yesterday morning.’

  ‘Why was she with Greg yesterday?’

  ‘She’s been going on and on all summer about a boat trip with him after she heard him talking about it at a barbecue we had earlier in the summer. He’s taken her fishing down by the river here before. They’re very close, and so when he suggested an overnight trip, we agreed. He babysits for us when we have the occasional night out in London or whatever, so there were no problems.’ A sob escaped her lips. ‘He bought her a life jacket and everything. I thought she’d be safe. I-I can’t believe he’s dead. Who would do this?’

  ‘We’re doing everything we can to find that out. Does Alice have any medical issues we should be aware of? Any allergies?’

  ‘No. She’s a very healthy child.’ Annette reached out for a box of tissues, and gently blew her nose. ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’

  ‘I have to ask – have you received any ransom demands for Alice’s return?’

  The woman paled further. ‘I— No, no I haven’t. Oh my God. Do you think–– Why would someone kidnap her?’

  ‘That’s what we’re trying to ascertain, Annette. It may be that she left the boat of her own accord. It was located near East Farleigh lock – on the Medway Path heading towards Tovil. Does Alice know anyone along that route?’

  ‘No. No – she’s never been along that part of the river. She’s only five years old, and I’ve only ever walked her along the towpath near the park here. We sometimes stop to feed the ducks.’

  ‘Did your brother-in-law live here with you?’

  Annette dabbed at her eyes. ‘Greg was staying here for a while, so he could find his feet. He moved down from Nottingham a few months ago after his marriage broke up – he’s been looking for work. He has an eight-year-old daughter, Sadie, and I know he misses her dreadfully so he’s been spoiling Alice rotten since he’s been with us.’

  ‘How old is he?’ said Kay.

  ‘Thirty-four last month. He’s a bit younger than my husband, Robert.’

  ‘Where is Robert at the moment?’

  ‘France – he had a business meeting in Orléans on Tuesday and then another meeting somewhere near Chartres on Wednesday morning, so he left on Monday. He was planning to stay there tonight as well on his way back from some other meetings.’

  ‘Have you spoken to him?’

  ‘Not since the police arrived here, no. And I couldn’t get a signal for him earlier. That sometimes happens.’

  ‘What does he do for a living?’

  ‘He’s a wine merchant, specialising in boutiqu
e vineyards on the Continent. That’s why I can’t always reach him on the phone – he’s often traipsing around in the middle of a field somewhere.’

  ‘How did he get there – did he fly?’

  ‘Yes, from Gatwick. He hires a car at the other end – Paris.’

  ‘And you, Annette – do you work?’

  ‘I did before Alice was born. I’m waiting until she’s settled into her new school before I take on anything again.’

  ‘Were you close to his brother Greg?’

  Annette shrugged. ‘I suppose so. I mean, obviously it’s been a bit strained around here with him living here and all that.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘Well, when I first offered, I imagined it’d be for a couple of weeks. Not four months.’

  ‘What sort of work does he do?’

  ‘To be honest, I’m not sure. He was applying for work in warehousing, forklift truck driving, that sort of thing. Anything, I guess, to get a foothold down here.’

  ‘Why did he leave Nottingham?’ said Barnes.

  ‘I don’t think the marriage split was amicable. I overheard him tell Robert that his wife cheated on him, and he couldn’t bear to be near her.’

  ‘Did he give you any indication he might have had any other problems there? Through work, I mean, or other people he knew?’

  ‘Why? Do you think that might be why Alice has been taken?’ Annette’s eyes opened wide. ‘Oh my God. I don’t know.’

  ‘What did he do in Nottingham, work-wise?’ said Kay.

  ‘I think he was working in an abattoir,’ said Annette. ‘Part-time only, mind, and I know he hated the work. Couldn’t wait to get out of there.’

  ‘Have any friends or ex-work colleagues been in touch from that time?’

  ‘Not to my knowledge. Although, we don’t have a landline, so if they did, they would have phoned his mobile.’

  ‘May I take a look at his room, Mrs Victor?’ said Barnes.

  ‘Why would you want to do that?’

  ‘It helps us get an idea of what Greg was like, and he might have left something behind that will help us locate your daughter,’ said Kay.

  ‘Oh. All right.’ Annette waited until Barnes had left the room. ‘What are you doing about finding Alice?’

  ‘We’ve currently got four search teams working between East Farleigh, where Greg’s boat was found, and Tovil. Until we were able to identify your brother’s body, though, we couldn’t expand the search. Do you have a photograph of Alice you could give to me? We’re going to have a media conference as soon as I get back to the station, and we’ll put out an alert for her.’

  ‘Is that it? Just a press conference?’

  ‘No, it’s not,’ said Kay. ‘While that’s taking place, my team and I will be working around the clock until we find her. As we speak, those search team members are coordinating with my colleagues back at the police station, and we have another team of officers monitoring CCTV cameras around the area to see if we can locate her.’

  ‘I want to help with the search. I should be out there, looking for her.’

  ‘It’s better if you’re here, in case she finds her way home,’ said Kay. ‘We have trained specialists doing the house-to-house enquiries and area searches, and they’re liaising closely with my investigation team on a regular basis.’

  She paused at the sound of the doorbell.

  Moments later, Nigel opened the living room door and ushered in a petite brunette officer.

  Hazel Aldridge was a police constable with West Division and specialised in family liaison duties when required. Right now, she was dressed in a smart trouser suit, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail.

  Kay made the introductions, and indicated to Hazel to sit in the armchair facing them. ‘Annette, Hazel is going to be your point of contact throughout this investigation, so if you have any questions about what we’re doing, she can be on hand to help you.’

  ‘Okay.’ Annette had paled further, the reality of her situation beginning to sink in. Her hands shook as she eased herself from the sofa and scrutinised the contents of a bookshelf at the far end of the room, before returning with a silver-framed photograph. ‘This is the most recent one I have of Alice. It was taken at her fifth birthday party in June.’

  Kay swallowed as she looked at the girl in the picture.

  Blue eyes stared out at her, a face of innocence framed with blonde hair in pigtails. Alice wore a cute smile and with a button nose that sat perfectly in the middle of her face, it was all Kay could do to batten down the emotions that were tearing through her.

  ‘It confused our team for a while – they found toy cars and things like that on the boat.’

  Annette sniffed, and folded her arms across her chest. A faint smile passed over her lips. ‘She wants to be a racing driver when she grows up.’

  ‘Can I take this?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Kay slipped the photograph from the frame, and tucked it carefully into her bag. ‘Hazel will stay with you this evening, if that’s okay? Or would you prefer that we find her a hotel nearby?’

  ‘Please, stay here,’ said Annette, turning to the family liaison officer. ‘I’d rather know the moment you have any news. You can have the guest room at the back of the house. At least then, you can help me explain to Robert what’s going on when he gets back.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Hazel. ‘That’ll be just fine. If you could let us have a note of Robert’s mobile number and travel itinerary, we’ll work to get in touch with him for you.’

  ‘I haven’t got his itinerary, but I can give you his mobile number.’

  Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Kay rose from her chair and held out her hand to Annette. ‘We’ll head back to the station now and get the media conference on the way. As soon as we have any news, I’ll be in touch. In the meantime, if you hear from anyone – anyone at all – about the whereabouts of Alice, please tell Hazel.’

  ‘I will. Thank you.’

  Kay left the living room, and found Barnes in the hallway talking to Ben. ‘Anything?’

  He shook his head, and opened the front door for her.

  ‘Ben, ask Robert Victor to phone me the moment he gets back from France tomorrow, just in case we miss him at the airport.’

  ‘Will do, guv.’

  ‘Okay, let’s go.’

  ‘There was no mobile phone, no wallet, and no laptop computer in his room. Harriet’s team didn’t find them on the boat, either,’ said Barnes as they walked back to the car. He paused, tossing the keys from one hand to the other as he stared over the car roof towards the house. ‘I don’t like this, Kay. I don’t like this one at all.’

  Nine

  Kay tied her hair back into a bun and checked her face in the rear-view mirror before pursing her lips.

  Dark circles had formed under her eyes since the morning, and she fished in her handbag for her emergency supplies of make-up.

  That done, she scowled at her reflection, then stuck out her tongue.

  She didn’t care what the waiting cameras thought of her looks. She needed them to focus on the fact they had a missing five-year-old, and she had precisely ten minutes to get to the media conference room before the appeal went out live.

  Snatching her bag from the passenger seat, she climbed out and aimed her key fob over her shoulder at the car.

  The car park was already full of vans and cars emblazoned with the familiar logos of the local television, radio and newspaper companies, while a lone cameraman paced back and forth next to a black four-wheel drive vehicle, a cigarette in his hand as he spoke loudly into a mobile phone.

  Kay stalked towards the front doors of the red-brick building that housed Kent Police headquarters, and jogged up the steps.

  Sharp met her at the entrance to the conference room as she was clipping her credentials to her lapel, and steered her through the throng of journalists that cluttered the space.

  ‘The Chief Superintendent can’t make this one,’ he cal
led over the noise. ‘She’s in the middle of a budget meeting with the Commissioner, and trying to find us some more people to help us.’

  Kay nodded in response, but said nothing.

  Reaching a long table draped in a blue cloth at the end of the room, Sharp pulled out a chair for her facing the cameras and gestured to a woman who hovered at a door to his right.

  Joanne Fletcher, the administrative assistant who worked for media relations, turned to the throng of journalists and camera operators and raised her voice.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, that’s five minutes until we go live. Five minutes, please.’

  Kay took a briefing folder from Joanne and flipped it open, scanning the text of the press release within.

  ‘We’ve kept it focused on Alice at the moment,’ said Joanne, her voice low. ‘Until we have more information about how Greg Victor died and we have a positive identification, we felt it would have overshadowed the fact that his niece has been missing for almost twenty-four hours.’

  ‘This reads fine to me,’ said Sharp. He tossed the folder onto the table in front of his seat and surveyed the room as reporters began to take their seats.

  Kay watched him, taking her cue from her senior officer. Buttoning up her jacket, she rested her hands on the table and focused on what was to come.

  ‘Two minutes,’ called Joanne.

  As the press officer took her seat in the front row, Sharp lowered himself into the chair to Kay’s left.

  He reached out and filled two glasses with water from a jug that had been placed on the table between them and passed one to her.

  ‘All set?’ he said.

  ‘Ready when you are. Looks like we’ve got some familiar faces.’

  She ran her gaze over the people in the first three rows, instantly picking out Jonathan Aspley from the Kentish Times. She looked away before he could catch her eye, and instead found Suzi Chambers from the local television channel staring at her.

  ‘The vulture is here, too,’ said Sharp under his breath. ‘We’ll have to watch that one.’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Kay.

  A media conference for a missing child was a delicate balance – they had to get the word out that Alice was missing in order to rally members of the public to be vigilant and to keep watch for the little girl, but they also had to be careful that the reporters didn’t sensationalise the story in any way.