Cradle to Grave

by Rachel Amphlett

  ‘Ma’am.’

  Kay snatched her mobile phone off her desk as she passed, then held open the door to Sharp’s office for Barnes.

  ‘What are your initial thoughts, Ian?’

  ‘Maybe the two brothers had a falling out,’ he said, perching on the windowsill, his arms folded across his chest.

  ‘Some falling out,’ said Gavin as he joined them and sank into one of the visitors’ chairs opposite Sharp’s desk. He gestured to the less shabby of the two seats and waited until Carys had settled next to him. ‘And it still doesn’t explain why Robert came back to the UK without telling his work colleagues – or his wife.’

  Kay paced the carpet, aware that the hubbub of noise from the incident room had quietened as the rest of the team absorbed Harriet’s news.

  ‘Have we located where Greg Victor used to work?’ she said.

  ‘Yes – Harris and Sons. It’s an abattoir just outside Kegworth,’ said Barnes. ‘I spoke with the bloke who used to supervise him earlier this morning. He said there weren’t any issues with Greg’s work.’

  ‘So, why did he leave?’

  ‘His boss said Greg mentioned something about having some family problems to sort out, and that he had to move south for a bit.’

  ‘Anything from our colleagues in Nottingham to the contrary?’

  ‘Nothing at all. He’s clean as a whistle.’

  ‘Damn it.’ Kay stopped pacing and stared at the threadbare carpet. She checked her watch. ‘Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. Barnes – I want you to head over to Annette Victor’s to break the news. See what you can glean about Greg from her. When we last spoke to her, she hinted that not all was well with Greg staying under her roof – something about only expecting his stay to last a couple of weeks. Find out from her who he might have met with these past few weeks, and whether anyone turned up at the house for him. If he was close to Alice, find out where else he might have taken her.’

  She broke off as the helicopter passed over the town once more and raised her gaze to the ceiling. ‘He’s hiding somewhere with Alice, probably scared. It doesn’t seem as if Robert’s death was planned, so he must have gone on the run with no supplies or any way of camping out.’

  ‘I’ll ask Annette if she’s noticed anything going missing from the house or any outbuildings, too,’ said Barnes. ‘He might have circled back to collect some things before heading off again.’

  ‘Sounds good. Gavin – I need you to liaise with Alistair and Harry and be ready to widen the search area based on what Barnes comes back with after he’s spoken to Annette.’

  ‘Guv.’

  ‘I’ll phone Sharp and let him know we need to convene an urgent press conference to update the media about the latest developments,’ said Kay. ‘With any luck we’ll get it broadcast ready for the radio news to broadcast for the commute home, and then the six o’clock television news.’

  She turned to Carys, who blinked and sat upright under Kay’s scrutiny.

  ‘Miles?’

  ‘Guv?’

  ‘Time for you to head home.’

  ‘But––’

  ‘No arguments. You’ve done some great work this morning, but I need you rested and ready to go again this evening.’

  ‘Okay.’ Carys yawned, and rose from her seat.

  Kay rested her hands on her hips as she surveyed her colleagues. ‘Shit. This changes everything, doesn’t it?’

  Gavin frowned. ‘What do you mean, guv?’

  ‘What she means,’ said Barnes, ‘is that right now, Greg Victor is our number one suspect in the murder of his brother, Robert – and the kidnapping of his niece. And whatever happens, the press are going to have a field day with Annette Victor.’

  Carys snorted as she turned to Kay. ‘Blimey. Rather you than me fronting that press conference, guv.’

  Kay rolled her eyes. ‘Thanks a lot.’

  Twenty-One

  ‘This is outrageous.’

  Annette Victor stood in the hallway of her home, her chin jutting out as a uniformed police constable hurried past with a laptop computer under his arm and a thick leather desk diary.

  ‘You can’t do this.’

  Barnes rested his hand on her arm and gestured to the living room. ‘Mrs Victor, shall we sit down? I’m sorry – I realise this is a terrible shock for you, but we do need to search for anything that might have a bearing on your husband’s death, and where we might find his brother.’

  The woman dabbed at her nose with a scrunched up paper tissue, her shoulders slumping. ‘Oh, this is terrible. I don’t know what to do. Robert was always the one who was good at organising things. He was the one who––’

  She broke off as fresh tears spilled over her cheeks, and allowed Barnes to lead her through the door and to an armchair away from the window.

  Already, a dozen reporters were hovering at the low brick wall that separated the house from the avenue beyond, camera flashes reflecting off the walls of the room as the men and women jostled for space to get the perfect photograph of the grieving wife and mother.

  ‘Bastards,’ Barnes muttered under his breath, and drew the curtains across the front window. ‘Hazel, can you have a word with one of our people and get those journalists moved away? Set up a cordon or something.’

  ‘Guv.’ The FLO rushed out to the hallway, closing the door behind her.

  Dappled light shone through French doors at the far end of the living room, lifting the gloom created by the closed curtains at the front, and for a moment Barnes let his gaze drift over the patio and garden beyond.

  A child’s swing set had been placed in the centre of an immaculate lawn bordered by manicured flowerbeds, a leafy acer providing shade towards the rear of the property.

  ‘She loves playing out there.’ Annette’s voice wobbled. ‘She used to beg Greg to push her on the swings when he came back in the afternoons.’

  Barnes took a seat at the end of the leather sofa nearest to her. ‘Back from where?’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘You said “when Greg came back in the afternoons”.’

  ‘Oh.’ She waved her hand in front of her face. ‘Just a figure of speech.’

  ‘Did your brother-in-law go out much?’

  Annette wrinkled her nose. ‘No, not really. I mean, he’d pop out during the day from time to time – job interviews, I suppose. But even those dried up in recent weeks.’

  ‘Had he registered as being out of work?’

  ‘I don’t think so. He had some savings – the work might have been atrocious, but the abattoir paid well. I think he hoped to find something without having to ask for help.’ A tight smile passed her lips. ‘Robert was the same. He always wanted to do things his own way. Once Alice came along though, he decided he’d take whatever work offers came along.’

  ‘What about you, Mrs Victor? Do you work?’

  ‘Not at the moment – I was working as an admin assistant before Alice was born, but we decided that I’d wait until she settled into school full-time before I go back. It saves on childcare.’

  ‘The owner of the wine merchants’ business – Kenneth Archerton. How did your husband get on with him?’

  Annette shrugged. ‘All right, I suppose. I think they had disagreements from time to time, but everyone does, right? Robert was well looked after there, detective. All the staff are.’

  Barnes looked down at his hands. ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Victor, but I have to ask this next question. How have things been here at home in recent weeks?’

  She sank into the armchair, twisting the paper tissue between her fingers. ‘Like I said to you on Saturday, it’s been strained with Greg being here. I really did think he’d only be around for a couple of weeks. Robert and I––’ She sniffed. ‘Well, we had been arguing lately, I suppose.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Stupid stuff. Money. His work. He’d been offered a promotion – they don’t come up often. After the summer party in June, Robert was asked to take on a new
role. It would’ve meant more money coming in, for a start.’ She wiped at fresh tears. ‘We – I wanted to start saving for Alice’s future. Private school fees around here are going through the roof, and then of course there’s university to think about later on.’

  ‘Didn’t your husband take the promotion?’

  ‘No – and he refused to change his mind. Wouldn’t hear of it.’

  ‘Was he worried about the effect the longer hours might have on Alice?’ said Barnes.

  ‘I don’t know.’ Annette pushed herself out of the chair and wandered across to the window, peering through a crack in the curtains. ‘God, look at them. You hear about this sort of thing on the news, don’t you? You just don’t expect to be the one who’s in the news.’

  ‘Have you heard anything from Greg since Friday?’

  Annette let the curtain fall back into place. ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Any idea where he might be?’ said Barnes. ‘Do you know if he had somewhere he might go if he wanted some peace and quiet?’

  ‘From all the arguing, you mean?’ Annette’s lips twisted. ‘No. He loved the river. Liked fishing. I think he might have been a bit of a birdwatcher in his younger years. I saw some books upstairs – guides, that sort of thing.’

  On cue, the sound of footsteps on the stairs reached Barnes.

  ‘Are they taking everything?’ said Annette.

  ‘Only if it pertains to our investigation,’ he said. He checked his notes, and then stood. ‘Mrs Victor, my colleague DI Hunter and our DCI are organising another media conference for this afternoon to provide updates in relation to Alice’s disappearance. I have to warn you, they will break the news that your husband has been murdered, and that your brother-in-law is now being sought in connection with his death and your daughter’s kidnapping.’

  ‘Oh, God.’

  ‘Is there anything you can think of that could help us find them? Were there favourite places Greg used to take Alice when he was babysitting her for you?’

  ‘I’ve already given Hazel all that information,’ said Annette. ‘I can’t think of anywhere else.’

  ‘Did Greg receive any phone calls or did anyone turn up looking for him while he was staying with you? Anyone that gave you cause for concern?’

  ‘No – not that I know of, anyway. He certainly didn’t have anyone turn up here, and if he did make a call it was on his mobile. He’d either go upstairs to his room or outside.’ She turned to the French doors. ‘I used to see him pacing back and forth with the phone to his ear during the day sometimes. When Robert got home and I told him, he said not to worry about it. Said it was probably just frustration from the lack of work, things like that.’

  Barnes leaned forward. ‘Mrs Victor, one last question. All the time Greg was here, did you have any sense that he might do something like this? Was there any indication that he held a grudge against you or your husband?’

  ‘No. Not at all. That’s what makes it so hard. I didn’t pick up on anything like that,’ said Annette, her slight frame shaking. ‘We were helping him to get back on his feet, and this is what he does to repay us. I should never have trusted him. I should never have let him into my home.’

  Twenty-Two

  Kay held a hand in front of her eyes as a camera flash went off too close to her face, and grimaced as four reporters shoved smartphones under her nose.

  ‘Detective Hunter – why haven’t you found Alice yet?’

  ‘Is the brother-in-law known to police?’

  ‘What is Mrs Victor feeling right now?’

  She glared at the woman who asked the last question, then shoved past her and stalked up the steps to where Sharp stood in front of a wooden lectern.

  A cloth with the Kent Police insignia emblazoned across it had been draped across the lectern, and the detective chief inspector adjusted the microphone as she approached.

  Rather than set the media conference within the same room as they’d used on Saturday, Sharp had taken their communications adviser’s guidance and elected to speak to the press outside the police station.

  ‘It’ll give the impression you’re too busy trying to find Alice to talk to them, but that you need their help,’ said Joanne Fletcher as she’d run through the notes she’d prepared for them.

  We are, and we do, thought Kay.

  Sharp wore a charcoal-grey suit cut perfectly to his frame, and his stern gaze was clear as he surveyed the throng at the foot of the steps.

  They turned to the crowd of journalists as a forest of cameras, microphones on booms and outstretched hands holding phones were thrust upwards in anticipation.

  ‘Thanks for coming at short notice,’ began Sharp. ‘We’d like to take this opportunity to bring you up to date with a series of developments in the hunt for Alice Victor.’

  A silence fell upon the throng on the pavement, and Kay listened as he set out the actions that had been taken to date in an effort to find the missing child. She forced herself not to clench her fists, burying the fear and frustration that threatened, and instead kept a watchful eye on the reporters as Sharp led up to the most recent breakthrough in the investigation.

  ‘We can confirm that the body of Alice’s father, Robert Victor, was found near the scene of her abduction,’ said Sharp, ‘and we are actively seeking his brother, Greg Victor, in connection with his death and Alice’s kidnapping.’

  A cacophony of noise hit Kay’s senses.

  As one, the crowd surged forward, a barrage of shouted questions making it hard to work out who was talking.

  Sharp held up a hand, refusing to speak until the noise had subsided.

  ‘As I was saying––’ he glared at a reporter who opened his mouth to speak and then lowered his head, chastened ‘––we have photographs available of both men, and we ask that you share the image of Greg Victor as a matter of urgency. Given the nature of Robert’s death, we are warning the general public not to approach him, but to phone our dedicated enquiry line, or Crimestoppers if you wish to remain anonymous. Right – questions?’

  ‘Why weren’t we told about the murder on Saturday?’

  Kay stepped forward. ‘Due to the nature of the injuries the victim sustained, it’s taken until now to obtain a definitive identification. As you can imagine, until we had all the information available to us, we weren’t in a position to make that public.’

  ‘Do you think the two brothers argued before Greg was killed?’

  ‘We’re not going to speculate on the circumstances during an ongoing investigation,’ said Kay. ‘Next.’

  ‘How did Robert Victor die?’

  ‘That information is not being made public until our enquiries are concluded,’ said Sharp.

  ‘Does Greg Victor have a previous record of violence?’

  ‘Not to our knowledge,’ said Kay. ‘Again, our investigation is ongoing in that respect.’

  As the questions peppered the air and Kay fielded each answer alongside Sharp, she began to notice a diminishing number of raised hands appearing.

  Sharp raised his voice. ‘That’s all we have for you at this time. I’ll reiterate that Greg Victor is not to be approached by members of the public and that, if you do see him, you should phone our dedicated enquiry line or Crimestoppers. We’re working on the basis that Alice is with him, and may be in grave danger. We’re doing everything in our power to bring that little girl back to her mother. When we have another update for you, we’ll let you know. Thank you.’

  He turned his back and led the way through the doors to the police station, setting a quick pace past the reception desk.

  Swiping his security card across the keypad, he held open the inner door for Kay and then paused at the bottom of the staircase.

  ‘What do you think?’

  Kay folded her arms and leaned against the wall. ‘I think now that Greg Victor’s face is out there, we’ll hear something soon. He’s only been in the area for four months – he’s been out of work in that time, and has no close friends that Ann
ette is aware of. That means he can’t reasonably harbour a missing child, not now. Even if he’s managed to hole up somewhere with Alice, he’s exposed now.’

  ‘Have you heard anything from Hazel? Has Annette made any comments about what could’ve motivated him to kill Robert?’

  ‘Nothing at all. Barnes said she seemed stunned by the news when he went over there earlier today, and she certainly couldn’t offer any answers as to why it’s happened.’

  Sharp began to climb the stairs. ‘We need a breakthrough, Kay. And soon.’

  ‘Guv?’ Kay pushed away from the wall as he paused.

  ‘What?’

  ‘What if Greg panics? What if he finds out we’ve put his photograph out there, that we know what he’s done?’

  ‘Then he’ll make a mistake,’ said Sharp. ‘And if he does that, then he’s going to break cover, and hopefully someone will spot him.’

  ‘That’s not what I meant,’ said Kay. ‘What if he decides that Alice is too much of a risk? What if he abandons her, or––’

  ‘We’ll find her, Kay.’ Sharp began walking again, his shoulders rigid. ‘We’ll find her.’

  Twenty-Three

  Kay kicked off her shoes next to the bar stool at the kitchen worktop, then ran her gaze over the emails on her phone.

  ‘Anything?’ Adam wandered in from the garden, a pair of scissors in his hand that he washed under the tap and placed back in a drawer. He wiped his hands on the back of his jeans and moved until he was standing behind her, and massaged her shoulders. ‘You’re going to need your back seeing to after all this. Your muscles are too tight.’

  ‘I know.’ Kay closed her eyes and tried to relax under his touch. ‘And no, no updates.’

  She had stayed at the police station to watch the six o’clock news with the rest of the team, and then had agreed with Sharp to go home for a few hours’ rest. He’d taken his own advice, instructing Barnes to maintain a watching brief over the team for an additional four hours so he could get some sleep before returning to manage the night shift with Carys.