‘Carys, have you got your car keys?’
‘Yes.’
‘All right – get me down there. Laura – come with us.’
Carys hurried towards a blue four-door hatchback parked haphazardly behind two patrol cars, and threw it into gear as soon as Kay closed the door and Laura tumbled onto the back seat.
The detective constable passed her mobile phone across, and accelerated past a cyclist.
Kay gripped the hand rest. ‘Laura, can you maintain radio contact with Hughes for me? Let him know I’m on my way.’
‘Ma’am.’
The countryside sped past the window in a blur as Carys steered the car around a sharp bend that curved downwards towards the marshes.
Barked commands amongst the uniformed teams between bursts of static over the radio added to the surge of adrenalin that coursed through Kay.
What if Greg Victor panicked?
What if Alice was sick? Was that why he was giving up?
A flash of blue caught her attention in the door mirror and she angled her head until she could see the patrol car in their wake.
‘Laura? Get them to switch those bloody lights off. There’s no need to announce our arrival.’
The police constable’s voice carried from the backseat as she relayed Kay’s instructions, and then leaned forward.
‘Done. And Hughes says they’ve got a visual. They’re about four hundred metres from them.’
‘Okay.’
Kay hung on tight as Carys took the last bend and slid the car to a halt behind two Kent Police vehicles in a lay-by.
‘The recreation field is just up there to our left, guv,’ she said, and ripped the keys from the ignition.
‘Let’s go.’
Kay kept to the verge on the left of the road as it rose up towards the village, and resisted the urge to run.
She had three teams now encircling Greg Victor, and she had no wish to frighten the man. The hedgerow beside her was a tangle of blackberry bushes, hawthorn and hazel, and, as she hurried towards the footpath boundary that Carys had identified on the map, she tried to peer through the greenery.
It was no use – she couldn’t see a thing.
‘Laura, make sure your radio volume is down, won’t you?’ she said over her shoulder.
‘Yes, ma’am. Hughes says Victor is now two hundred metres away from the road. He’s entered the footpath and he’s moving this way.’
Kay’s stomach twisted. ‘Is Alice still with him?’
‘Yes, he’s carrying her.’
Her attention snapped towards the brow of the hill at a commotion.
A man emerged beside a sign pointing towards the recreation field at the same time as eight uniformed police officers burst from a gate next to a property bordering the road.
Kay could hear Hughes’s voice carrying towards her as he gestured to Alice.
Greg’s shoulders sagged as he lowered the little girl to the ground, and raised his hands.
Alice hugged herself to his side, cowering behind his right leg as he spoke with the police sergeant and the rest of the officers encircled him, cutting off any means of escape.
‘She’s terrified,’ said Kay, and jogged towards them.
As she drew closer, Greg’s gaze moved away from Hughes and he stared at her, his eyes pleading.
‘Don’t scare her,’ he said. ‘Please. She doesn’t understand.’
Kay ran her eyes over the five-year-old, noting the grass stains on her jeans, mud around the hems, and torn threads on the green jumper she wore.
Bright-blue eyes shone out from under a blonde fringe, and Kay forced a smile.
She crouched in front of the little girl. ‘Hello, Alice. I’m Kay.’
‘Where’s my mummy?’
Thirty-Six
Ignoring Greg Victor’s shouts, Kay swept up Alice into her arms and raced towards Carys’s car.
The detective constable had already started the engine and turned the vehicle around, and as Kay secured Alice into the back seat and stuffed her jacket alongside her to fill out the seatbelt, Carys called over her shoulder.
‘I’ve spoken to Barnes – he’s heading over to Kenneth Archerton’s house. Gavin has been in touch with Annette, but her place is still besieged by reporters. She doesn’t want to have the reunion there – she wants to keep Alice away from the cameras.’
Kay moved around to the passenger door and climbed in. ‘Okay, go. I don’t blame her – they’re going to be like vultures now.’
Carys’s eyes moved to the rear-view mirror, and she smiled. ‘Are you warm enough, Alice?’
Turning to face the little girl, Kay saw that she was staring out of the window, her thumb in her mouth.
Her eyes were wide as she watched the landscape flash by, and then she turned her gaze to the front seats.
‘Where’s my mummy?’
‘She’s waiting for you, Alice. We’re taking you to her now. Are you cold?’
‘No.’
‘Okay.’
Carys’s mobile phone began to vibrate in the cradle on the dashboard, and Kay picked it up.
‘Gavin?’
‘Guv – we’ve got the ambulance following you to Kenneth Archerton’s house so they can give Alice a check over. We’ve also got a specialist on her way. I’ve asked Annette to bring a change of clothes for Alice as well.’
‘Thanks, Gav. We’re probably twenty minutes away now.’
‘We’ll be there.’
Carys’s car slowed behind a stream of traffic heading into Maidstone, and Kay battened down the temptation to keep turning around to check on Alice. She didn’t want to give the child cause for concern, and add to what must have been an already confusing time for her.
Despite the little girl’s dirty clothing, she hadn’t noticed any bruises or scratches on her face or hands, but it would be up to the female ambulance officer travelling in their wake to conduct a thorough examination while she was reunited with her mother.
Kay gritted her teeth, unsure what she would do if it transpired that Greg Victor had harmed his niece in any way.
Moments later, Carys slowed the car as the gates to Kenneth Archerton’s house came into view, and Kay breathed a sigh of relief.
There were no reporters hanging around outside, and a patrol car was parked on the verge next to the driveway. The driver raised his hand to Kay and Carys before they passed through the gates.
The front door opened as their vehicle crunched over the gravel towards the house, and Barnes appeared. The older detective turned and beckoned to someone in the house as the gates closed behind the car.
Annette Victor appeared on the doorstep beside him, her hand over her mouth.
‘Mummy!’
Carys braked to a standstill at Alice’s cry, and Kay leapt from the passenger seat. She wrenched open the back door before Annette stumbled down the front steps towards them as the ambulance turned into the driveway. Releasing Alice’s seatbelt, Kay lifted the girl to the ground.
‘She’s here, Alice. Your mum is here.’
She took a step back as a sob escaped Annette’s lips and the woman crouched on the driveway, her arms outstretched.
The little girl tumbled into her mother’s embrace, and Kay blinked away a tear as Annette rose on shaky feet and clutched her daughter to her chest.
She smoothed down Alice’s hair, ran her fingers over her face, and then turned to Kay.
‘Thank you – thank you.’
Her voice broke as tears streamed down her face.
Kay nodded, and took a deep breath. ‘Shall we go inside? The ambulance crew will want to give her a check over to make sure she’s all right.’
Annette turned as the female paramedic crossed the driveway towards them, a canvas bag in her hand.
The petite blonde stopped a few paces away and waited for Kay’s signal.
Alice wriggled in her mother’s arms, kicking out her feet, and Annette lowered her to the ground, keeping a firm grip on her hand.
> ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Everyone else is in the kitchen – your detectives, I mean. And a woman who says she’s a specialist in this sort of thing.’
‘It’s to make sure we do everything in Alice’s best interests,’ said Kay. ‘Is your father here?’
‘He had to go into the office – something urgent came up. He’s on his way back. I phoned him as soon as I heard the news.’
‘Okay, well before Kenneth gets here we’re going to need you to change Alice out of these clothes, so that we can take them into evidence,’ said Kay as she followed Annette through to the kitchen. ‘After that, we’ll need to arrange for Alice to be interviewed tomorrow morning, while her recollection is still fresh.’
‘But – but she can’t. She needs to stay here with me. She needs to recover.’
‘I understand your concern, Annette, but her evidence is vital in our investigation as to why Greg kidnapped her, and what happened while they were on the run.’ Kay caught the ABE officer’s eye. ‘Bethany here is going to conduct the interview with Alice. She’s very experienced in doing this, and your daughter will be in safe hands.’
Alice slipped from her mother’s grip and edged towards the back door, her hands against the panes of glass as she stared at the vast garden beyond.
‘But I’ll be with her too, won’t I?’ Annette looked from the brunette police officer to Kay, then back.
Bethany moved away from the kitchen counter she’d been leaning against, her face passive. ‘We’ll have a specialised suite set up for interviewing Alice, and she’ll be made as comfortable as possible. It’s essential that we speak with her alone because––’
‘But I want to be with her––’
‘Mrs Victor––’
‘Annette.’
‘Annette, I know it’s difficult for you, but there’s a risk that Alice may not tell us everything if you’re in the room with her,’ said Bethany. Her eyes softened. ‘She may feel embarrassed, or want to protect you from hearing something that she’d otherwise tell me without your being present in the room.’
‘It’s very important that we do this the right way,’ said Kay. ‘As Bethany said, you can’t be in the room with her. We’re only allowed to do this once, so we have to make sure we do it right and listen to every aspect of Alice’s story.’
Annette paled. ‘Do you think he harmed her?’
‘If you could let the paramedic here examine her while you’re getting her out of these clothes, I’d be grateful. Bethany will come with you, too, in case she needs to note anything.’ Kay gestured to the ambulance officer who hovered on the threshold, her eyes full of concern for the five-year-old who had turned away from the back door and now gazed up at her mother, silent.
‘Oh.’ Annette blinked, then gave a slight shake of her head. ‘Okay. Shall we go upstairs, Alice? Get you out of those dirty clothes?’
Alice gave a small smile, then slipped her hand into her mother’s and followed her meekly from the kitchen.
‘Gavin, can you go with Lucy and Bethany and wait outside the room to bag up those clothes?’ said Kay.
‘Guv.’
Kay took a deep breath as the voices receded down the hallway and up the stairs. ‘Carys, head back to the station and start making some headway on the formal interview plan, please. Ask Fiona Wilkes to assist – we could use her input on the psychological aspects of this one. I’ll get a lift back with Barnes and Piper.’
‘Will do, guv.’
‘Get yourself home after that – I want you in at seven o’clock tomorrow morning.’
The detective constable nodded, then shot from the room, the front door slamming shut in her wake before Kay turned to Barnes and exhaled.
‘Are you all right?’ he said.
‘Yes, I think so. You?’
The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled. ‘I am now. That was a good result, Kay. Where’s Greg?’
‘In custody at the station by now. Sharp is still there – in fact, I don’t think anyone went home this morning. Once we’ve got Alice’s clothes into evidence, we’ll head back. I’ll interview Greg with Piper, but I’d like you to observe with Carys.’
‘Reckon he’ll talk?’
‘You didn’t see him at the marshes, Ian. He gave up. Five days on the run, and then – nothing.’
‘Maybe he’s feeling a bit of remorse?’
‘I don’t know. It’s why I want Fiona’s input. She’ll think of an angle we might miss.’
The interview specialist had been working with Kent Police for a number of years providing analysis and input into some of the more difficult interviews that had been conducted, and Kay respected the woman’s work ethic. Requesting her help wasn’t an indication of defeat – it was another aspect of ensuring she had the most carefully phrased questions when she began talking to Greg Victor.
She glanced up at soft footsteps padding towards the kitchen to see Alice dressed in fresh jeans and a white sweatshirt, her wet hair curling around her cheeks.
A fresh scent of strawberries and hibiscus filled the air as the little girl meandered across to the kitchen table and climbed onto one of the pine seats beside it, her eyes hopeful.
‘Someone’s hungry,’ said Annette as she entered the room, a relieved smile crossing her lips.
‘That’s great,’ said Kay. ‘Before we go, I think Ian has something for you, Alice.’
Barnes pulled the blue rabbit from behind his back and mimed it bouncing across the table to Alice.
The little girl’s face brightened, a wide toothy smile creasing her features as she reached out for it.
‘Thomas!’
Barnes smiled. ‘Is that his name?’
‘Yes.’ Alice clutched the rabbit to her chest. ‘He escaped.’
‘But now he’s back with you, isn’t he?’
Her face fell, and she nodded. Her bottom lip wobbled, and Annette put her arm around her, pulling her close.
‘It’s alright, my darling. It’s all over.’
Alice wiggled away from her mother’s embrace, and held out the rabbit to Barnes.
‘My daddy said I had to keep Thomas safe, but I didn’t.’
‘That’s okay. You got him back, right?’ said Barnes, his voice thick with emotion.
‘You found him.’ The little girl pushed the toy rabbit towards him. ‘I want you to have him.’
Thirty-Seven
DCI Devon Sharp paused in the corridor outside the interview suites and gestured to Kay to wait.
‘I’ve been here since six o’clock last night, so I’m about to head off and get a few hours’ rest. Before I go, I want you to know how proud of you I am. You’ve only been in this role eighteen months, and yet you’ve proven to me and others that you were the right one for the job. Larch should never have held you back.’
Kay took a step back. ‘Thanks, guv. I appreciate that.’
‘Credit where credit’s due, Kay. You’ve got a great team upstairs, but that’s down to the way you manage them. I know the Chief Super’s impressed, too.’ He broke off as Gavin appeared. ‘All right – see you tomorrow morning.’
The detective constable nodded to the DCI as he left, and then handed one of two manila folders to Kay.
‘Fiona Wilkes had some thoughts about a couple of the questions,’ he said. ‘There’s a summary on the top for you.’
Kay flipped open the folder and ran her eyes over the interview specialist’s suggestions. ‘This is good. Did everyone go home who was working here last night?’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Even Carys.’
‘Thank goodness – she looked dead on her feet at Archerton’s house.’
Gavin pointed towards the interview room. ‘Ready, guv?’
‘You bet I am. Lead the way.’
Gavin pushed open the door to interview room three, and stood aside to let her pass. He waved a uniformed constable from the space, and Kay took in the dejected figure slumped in one of the plastic chairs surrounding a metal table.<
br />
Greg Victor had been reduced to a pathetic creature. Since arriving at the police station, his clothes had been taken for forensic analysis and he’d been subjected to a thorough strip search before DNA swabs were taken.
Now, he sat in a crumpled paper suit and bootees, his wet hair sticking up on end and dark circles under his eyes.
He lowered his gaze to his folded hands when Kay pulled out a chair opposite him, and she noticed his fingernails had been bitten to the quick.
As Gavin pressed the “record” button on the machine next to him and recited the formal caution, Greg winced and shifted in his seat.
Beside him, his solicitor loosened his tie, evidently resigned that he was going to be in for a long day.
‘State your full name and address for the record, please,’ said Gavin.
Greg Victor stuttered his response, then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
‘How long have you lived at that address?’
‘Since the end of May.’
‘And where were you prior to that?’
Greg took a shuddering breath and confirmed his ex-wife’s Nottingham address. ‘We split up. I caught her having an affair. My daughter, Sadie, lives with her.’
‘Let’s talk about what happened last Friday,’ said Kay. ‘What time did you leave Kenneth Archerton’s house with your niece, Alice?’
‘About eight o’clock.’ Greg cleared his throat and lowered his gaze to his hands. ‘Yeah, eight o’clock. I had the boat hired from ten, and I knew traffic would be slow getting through town that time of the morning.’
‘Why was Alice at Kenneth’s house?’
‘She and her mum had stayed over the night before.’
‘Why did you take Alice with you?’
‘I promised her I’d take her out on the river before she started school. She overheard me talking about it at a barbecue a few weeks ago and kept on about it.’ He raised his head. ‘Annette and Robert were fine about it. I’d been babysitting for them on and off since I came down here. She had a life jacket.’
‘Where did you hire the boat from?’
‘Toppings. I saw their advert on social media. They’re based in Tonbridge.’
Cradle to Grave Page 15
