Finn’s face contorted into a snarl. ‘Don’t think you’re the first to come sniffing around her,’ he said, flinching when Sam took a step closer and then hiding behind his hands which were shaking badly.
‘I’m not interested in your wife, Finn,’ Sam said, hoping the drunkard would believe him, despite the lack of conviction in his words, ‘but I can’t for the life of me see why she would want to stay with someone like you. She deserves better.’
Through splayed fingers, Finn’s unfocused eyes flitted between the door, Sam’s face and hands that were still ready to take a punch. He balled up his own fists as if preparing for a counterattack, but then his sneer began to disintegrate and his lip trembled. ‘I don’t want to lose her. She means everything to me and I don’t need you telling me she deserves better.’
The pitiful sight in front of him wasn’t enough to take the heat out of Sam’s fury. He had seen the bruises clearly enough and the marks on Laura’s neck and he had no sympathy for any man who could hurt someone he proclaimed to love. He didn’t know what to do for the best but he suspected that whatever was going on between Finn and Laura was nothing new and he could only intervene so far.
‘Why are you doing this, Finn?’
‘I don’t know.’ Finn rubbed his face, hiding the tears he would never admit to shedding. ‘I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t know!’
‘Well, you’d better find out before it’s too late.’
The two men didn’t move for a moment. Sam was desperately trying to think of something that would bring Finn to his senses and magically transform him into a decent husband and father, but words failed him. Finn, meanwhile, had come up with his own plan.
‘Did you get the ale I asked for?’ When Sam looked ready to launch into a tirade, he lifted a palm towards him. ‘I was only going to ask that you keep it away from me.’
He groaned as he got to his feet. ‘It’s the drink that does it, Sam,’ he said, as if the answer was not only that simple but excusable too. ‘I don’t know why I let it control me. I’ll be fine once I’ve slept it off, honest.’
Watching Finn stumble towards the bedroom, Sam wanted to say he wasn’t interested in Finn’s welfare, only in his family. And with that thought prominent in his mind, he picked up Laura’s cardigan and stepped out onto the balcony, taking a deep breath of fresh air before making his way to the far end of the garden where he knew instinctively he would find a little girl who still believed in fairy tales and happy endings. Anna and Laura were there too, but neither was looking for a magic solution to their problems.
Laura stood with her arms wrapped around each other to cover her bruises. Her eyes looked hollow as she turned towards Sam. ‘Where is he?’
Sam handed her the cardigan. ‘He’s gone for a lie down. He wants to sober up.’
Laura covered herself up and didn’t show any emotion when she said, ‘Good.’
Anna was standing next to her, close enough to put her arm around Laura if necessary. ‘See, I told you it would be all right,’ she said. When the smile she offered drew no response, she looked to Sam. ‘We thought there was going to be a punch up.’
Sam’s body was still taut with anger and he couldn’t deny that he had come close to releasing it on Finn but with Jasmine crouching only feet away, he chose a more diplomatic answer. ‘There wasn’t.’
‘You certainly moved quickly enough,’ Anna continued. ‘I hope you’d come to my rescue like that.’
‘I hope I never have to. Violence doesn’t solve anything,’ he said, looking to Laura and holding her gaze. ‘It never does.’
She blinked, nothing more, but it was as if she had passed on a secret message that only he could read and it filled him with dread. Finn didn’t share his view on violence.
‘It’s been a hard week for all of us,’ Anna was saying. ‘And he’s worried about losing his job again.’
‘It won’t be the first time my husband has lost a job and it won’t be the last.’
Anna refused to read between the lines. ‘While you were out yesterday, he was telling me how hard he’s been trying to impress Jack. Maybe you could work your magic again, Sam’s, and then Finn won’t be so stressed?’
Jasmine had been focused on the deepest shadows of the undergrowth but her head tilted oh so slightly. Sam had no doubt that she had picked up on the remark and could only imagine what she was thinking. But some things were beyond his power and even that of the Wishing Tree.
Taking her daughter’s hand, Laura began to move away, slipping past Sam like a ghost that no longer wanted to be seen. ‘You’ve done more than enough already and I’m really grateful,’ she said. ‘But there are some things that Finn has to do for himself.’
Sam watched as they disappeared. His hands were balled into fists again and he tightened them. How could Finn be such a fool not to see what he had?
Anna cleared her throat. ‘The sooner we can get those plants in the ground and the rope swing up, the sooner we can go home.’
‘We’ll have it done by tomorrow,’ Sam promised but then added a note of caution which had nothing to do with the gardening. ‘As long as Finn is up to the job.’
24
Sunday 23 August 2015
Other than the distant hum of traffic and the occasional barking dog, Sam was enveloped in complete calm as he lay prostrate on the wooden floor of his apartment. His running vest was damp with sweat and his chest was heaving, but with his eyes closed, his mind was blissfully empty of the thoughts that had kept him awake for the last two nights.
The garden had been finished off on Friday as planned, with Finn emerging revitalized after sleeping off his hangover. His anger had passed like a storm and if any dark clouds remained, he hid them well and their last day together was reminiscent of the first; everyone putting in a concerted effort while trying to get the measure of each other.
Anna and Sam were home in Liverpool by that evening and it was a foregone conclusion, in Anna’s mind at least, that she would stay the night. Sam didn’t think she wanted to leave at all. She wanted to be held and loved, and while his arms could oblige, his heart was incapable of closing the deal. Anna’s love wasn’t enough to drive away guilty thoughts of another woman; for that, it had taken a two-hour run, and even then he had come temptingly close to the family he was trying to banish from his mind.
There had never been a set route for Sam’s runs and although they often took him through Allerton, he had never before zigzagged up and down side streets. He had crossed the top of the road where the Petersons lived and searched for a glimpse of their car as if that alone would tell him that Laura and Jasmine were safe.
It hadn’t, and Sam had faced the prospect of running until sheer exhaustion gave him the peace he was seeking, but he had been holding out for one final hope. Continuing his run through Calderstones Park, he eventually found solace in a single sheet of pink paper.
Lying on the floor now, Sam could smell the aroma of Selina’s Sunday lunch coming from downstairs. He had been instructed to join her later and would no doubt share with her the latest of Jasmine’s wishes, but for now he stayed where he was. The room was bathed in intense sunshine that stained his closed lids ruby red. He fought to keep his mind clear but it was a losing battle and when his thoughts pulled him back much further than he had wanted to go, his stomach did a somersault.
The sunrays dancing across his eyelids shifted, creating rippling shadows that deepened towards the edges of his vision to create a distinct oval of dappled light. Two sparkling orbs began to form, captivating him as they developed into unmistakeable eyes. A thin shadow picked out a button nose and below there was the gentle curve of lips. The child’s smile broadened, sending a shudder down his spine. He had trained himself not to recall those achingly familiar features, knowing that her cherubic face could so easily crush the air from his lungs and leave his body as broken as his heart. Except it didn’t, not today. Today he was enjoying a rare sense of calm and he allowed himse
lf to focus on the image that had been gifted to him by the afternoon sunshine. Her face rippled in the tears that gathered across his tightly closed eyelids before slipping down the sides of his face.
‘Ruby …’ he whispered.
Dear Wishing Tree
It’s me again. Did you miss me? I missed you. I went on holiday with Mum and Dad and Miss Jenkins and Sam who looks after you. We saw lots of trees but Sam said none of them were as old as you.
We had a nice time at the caravan. There were lots of nice people there and Mrs Hayes has a dog called Nando who barks a lot and wouldn’t stop licking me. I think dogs make you so happy that it hurts but not in a bad way. I wish Dad would let me get a dog but he won’t and I am not asking you for one by the way.
My wish is for Dad to keep his job. He got really sad while we were on holiday and then he got angry. So did Sam. Miss Jenkins thought they were going to have a fight. She thinks it’s romantic when men fight over you but it was horrible and scary. Mum was scared too but then Dad got better and I really, really wish that he would stay like that and that no one is frightened ever again.
I am soooo sorry for making more wishes and if you can just manage to help one more time then I will love you forever!!
No! I’ll love you forever anyway!
Your friend,
Jasmine xxx
25
Sam’s flat: Wednesday 7 October 2015
Sam was still wearing his running gear and the smell of body odour was getting stronger. ‘Would you mind if I changed?’ he asked.
‘I’d rather we finished up the interview first, if you don’t mind,’ Harper said as if the choice was still Sam’s, which they both knew wasn’t true.
‘OK, what else do you want to know?’
‘Was Mrs Peterson visiting you while you were dating Miss Jenkins?’
‘No, and she only visited once. It wasn’t like that,’ Sam said.
‘What was it like, Mr McIntyre?’ Harper said in a soft tone that was meant to lull Sam into a false sense of security but had the effect of opening relatively fresh wounds that hadn’t had the chance to heal yet.
‘I was just there when she needed someone to turn to,’ Sam said. Jasper was still on his lap, curled up with his bony legs digging into his flesh, but Sam didn’t object. He ran his fingers through the dog’s fur, which brought him some much-needed comfort.
‘Tempting her away from her husband? Just like you were tempting Jasmine away from her father?’
‘You’ve met Finn and you’ve probably met plenty of men like him. I wasn’t tempting anyone – I didn’t have to. Finn pushed his own family away and—’ Sam stopped before he said too much.
‘And?’
‘And all I wanted was to keep them safe,’ he said bitterly. ‘But I shouldn’t have had to. I don’t understand the man, really I don’t. He made their lives a misery.’
Harper frowned. ‘You wanted to protect them and yet you were about to head off into the sunset. What changed?’
‘Nothing changed,’ Sam said, and was tempted to smile but under current circumstances even his cynicism couldn’t raise the corners of his mouth. ‘And that’s why I had to get away. It was driving me crazy not being able to stop Finn from destroying his family.’
Harper surprised Sam by nodding. ‘I can understand that, but whatever Mr Peterson’s faults, he was at home with his wife this morning when Jasmine left the house, and there’s absolutely no evidence that he is involved in her disappearance.’ He took a moment to check his notes and review the evidence before quickly concluding that his current lines of enquiry were the right ones to focus on. ‘So your idea of helping was to give Jasmine’s dad a job, take the family on holiday – and then what?’
Sam didn’t offer an answer, but the way Harper was looking at the dog suggested he knew exactly what had come next.
‘What child wouldn’t love a puppy, Mr McIntyre?’
‘He’s not my dog.’
‘The Petersons seem to think he is. You were the one inviting Jasmine to take him for walks, weren’t you?’
Jasper must have known they were talking about him, or perhaps it was hearing the little girl’s name that made him whine softly, and the sound was mournful. Jasmine had believed a dog could bring happiness into the world, but Jasper had brought a measure of pain too. In hindsight, the puppy had been a step too far and had only helped in bringing his relationship with the family to a climactic conclusion. ‘It’s my landlady’s dog; I just helped take care of him now and again.’
‘When you needed a prop to get Jasmine on her own?’
Sam’s face twisted in disgust at what Harper was suggesting, but the detective wouldn’t be thwarted. He sighed and pushed away his notes. ‘Come on, Mr McIntyre, let’s stop playing games. What was really going on between you and the girl? And more importantly, what happened today that tipped you over the edge?’
Sam’s jaw started to ache with the effort of containing his anger and frustration and Harper was only saved from the abuse Sam was about to hurl at him by the return of the detective’s partner. He beckoned Harper to the door where there was a whispered exchange. When silence fell, the detective’s shoulders sagged as he turned back to Sam.
‘Mr McIntyre, has Jasmine ever been to the house? I caution you to consider your response carefully before replying.’
The sense of dread was ice cold and made Sam shiver. ‘My previous answer stands,’ he said. ‘She has never been here.’
‘Are you aware of any other children who may have visited? Does Mrs Raymond have grandchildren?’
‘No, she doesn’t have any family.’
‘Then can you think of any reason why there would be a child’s footprints in the front garden? Footprints that match the shoes Jasmine was wearing this morning.’
‘No, no I can’t,’ Sam said, feeling nauseous. ‘Not unless she came here while I was out running.’
The theory didn’t ease Harper’s mind. ‘But I thought she didn’t know where you lived?’ Before Sam could answer, he added, ‘I think I’d prefer to continue this interview down at the station, if you don’t mind, Mr McIntyre.’
‘You’re arresting me?’
‘No, this is purely voluntary, but I would like you to make a formal statement under caution. The interview will be recorded and you have the right to free legal representation. Of course, if you refuse to co-operate …’
Fresh beads of sweat pricked Sam’s brow. ‘I don’t know how you think I can help you. You were here when I came home and Selina’s been out the entire time too. The house would have been empty and I have no idea how Jasmine found the house or where she might be now. I swear, if there was anything I could tell you that might help …’
But Harper wasn’t listening to Sam. His attention had returned to the bookcase. He walked over and this time not only looked at the shoebox, but picked it up. He stared for a moment at the letters cut out from contrasting pieces of coloured paper and pasted onto the lid. There were four letters. One name.
‘We know about Ruby, Sam,’ he said.
26
Thursday 27 August 2015
When Sam returned to work after their week in Wales, there were plenty of chores to catch up on which meant he hadn’t managed to get home before eight o’clock most days, but that suited him fine. Being busy meant he had a clear conscience each time he turned down Anna’s suggestion about coming over. And it was a suggestion she made on a daily basis. School was about to restart and she was desperate to make the most of what time was left. He promised to make it up to her at the end of the week, but for Anna the weekend wasn’t soon enough. As he turned into the drive on Thursday evening after another exhausting day, he found her sitting on the steps waiting for him.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
Anna offered a guilty smile. ‘Nothing, I just missed you, that’s all.’
‘You didn’t have to wait out on the step. Selina would have let you in.’
‘I woul
dn’t have had to wait outside if I had a key,’ she replied. ‘I did knock but she’s not in.’
‘Oh.’
‘I know it’s late,’ she said when Sam continued to look underwhelmed by her surprise appearance, ‘and you probably just want to crash out, but I bet you’ve been too tired to feed yourself properly this week which is why I brought this.’ She lifted up a large paper bag. ‘If we’re going out tomorrow night, then I don’t want you flaking out on me. You need to keep your strength up, Sam McIntyre, because I can be very demanding.’
Sam reluctantly accepted the proffered bag without a word but even the sweet, spiced aromas of the takeaway couldn’t mellow his mood.
‘Chinese,’ she confirmed. ‘Enough to feed an army – but don’t worry, I’ll finish off whatever you don’t want.’ There was only the slightest pause. ‘I don’t mean now. I know you’re tired so I won’t bother you. I’m not even going to come in, assuming you were going to invite me.’
‘Sorry,’ Sam said by way of an apology for his unenthusiastic welcome.
Anna gave him a forgiving smile but it was the pause she left in the conversation that allowed Sam’s sense of guilt to build. He was about to give in and ask her to stay when Selina’s old Mini pulled into the drive.
‘Hello, you two,’ she said. She had a giddy expression on her face that immediately made Sam suspect she had been up to something. ‘We weren’t expecting a welcoming committee.’
‘We?’ Sam asked.
Selina had left her car door open and leant inside. There was a bit of a scramble and then she clicked her tongue. ‘Come on, boy.’
When Selina stepped away from the car, she had hold of a leash that was attached to something still inside. A moment later, a head poked out and a pair of beautiful brown eyes fixed on the old lady. They could hear the sound of a tail thudding against the car seat that could just as easily have been the quickening of a little girl’s heart. The puppy shuddered with excitement but it took another tug on the leash to encourage him out of the car. His long, silky coat shone despite the waning light; a chocolate mixture of bright orange and deep russet.
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