I limped to the bedroom, unzipped the black case and extracted the mobile. It felt light in my hand without the missing battery. When I re-entered the hallway, Nick was already waiting by the door to the corridor, the small rucksack slung across his back.
“You go first,” he said. “Keep your head lowered. Can you remember how to get to where I parked the car?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Wait for me when you arrive there.”
I pulled the handle and slipped out. The swish of my feet on the blue carpet sounded incredibly loud in the hushed silence of the corridor as I hobbled towards the lifts. I stabbed the down button. The red digits above the right lift counted backwards from twelve. The left indicator displayed a G. Behind me, I heard the rattle of a key in a lock. My eyes stayed fixed on the decreasing numbers, praying that nobody would join me.
The doors glided apart, and I hurried inside. Immediately, I prodded the green G on the control panel. I took a step to the side and risked a glance along the corridor. As I watched, the woman from flat 813 dropped her keys into a large beige handbag and set off in my direction.
“Can you hold the lift please?” she called.
In a rising panic, I jabbed the button for the ground level repeatedly. After what seemed an age, the doors slid closed. I half expected them to reopen, but instead, the floor sank down as the metal chamber glided into motion. I emerged into the foyer. Limping towards the exit, I glanced back at the numbers above the lifts. The left display was set at two. As I watched, it changed to a one.
“Shit,” I muttered, breaking into a half run that sent daggers of pain shooting through my injured calf. The sound of the lift sliding open followed me as I pushed through the swing door into the stairwell. I grabbed the handrail with one hand and rushed down the steps. Two flights from the bottom, I stumbled, my grip on the cold metal rail the only thing preventing me from tumbling the rest of the way. The sudden pressure twisted my wrist, adding a second painful item to my list of injuries.
I barged through into the parking area. My addled brain refused to cooperate as I tried to remember where Nick had parked the car. The muffled sound of heavy footsteps came from the closed door behind me. Mere seconds remained before the woman emerged. My frantic gaze darted about the underground space, searching for the red Ford Focus.
Time had run out. My only option was to hide and wait for her to leave. I hobbled around the back of the closest vehicle, a black estate, and ducked down just as the neighbour appeared in the open doorway. If the car was hers, I was sunk; there was no way she could fail to notice me if she approached the driver’s door. I inched my head above the bottom of the window, trying to block out the pressure building in my bladder while I waited for her to make a move.
She stood panting for a moment before turning in the opposite direction. The chirrup of a vehicle anti-theft system came from somewhere outside my line of sight. I sighed in relief and sank back onto the rough concrete. The distant clunk of a car door opening echoed through the cavernous area followed moments later by the cranking of the starter motor. The sound increased in volume, and a wash of bright light swept over my hiding place.
Instead of carrying on past, the whine of an electric window reached my ears.
“Going out, are you?” the woman called above the rattle of the diesel engine. “Do you need a lift anywhere?”
For one terrible moment, I thought she was addressing me.
“I’m nipping into town to do some shopping.” Nick’s voice came from the other side of the bodywork. He must have had the misfortune to emerge through the doorway as she was passing. “I’ve got my own car, thanks.”
“Where’s your friend?”
“He’s still in the flat.”
“Oh. I could swear I saw a man I didn’t recognise come down here. I guessed it was your colleague, but it seems it was somebody else. You can’t be too careful, what with all the thieving and vandalism around these parts—not that there’s much of that goes on in this building.”
“Right. I’ve got to be going. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. Have fun with your shopping.”
The pitch of the engine increased again as a blue saloon rolled past me. I pressed myself against the driver’s door, trying to make my outline as small as possible. Luckily, she didn’t glance in my direction.
When I was sure she had gone, I uttered a sigh of relief and rose to my feet. Nick spotted me almost immediately.
“Christ, that was close,” I said as he approached. “Why is it that nosey neighbours seem to have a thing for me?”
“Your suggestion of kidnapping her is sounding more sensible by the minute,” he replied. “Let’s get going.”
Chapter 32
Twenty-five years ago:
Wednesday, 8th February, 1995
My father arrived home half an hour later. I was still awake, lying under the sheets in my school uniform. As soon as I heard the sound of the engine, I threw back the covers and rushed to the window. The police car sat in the same place on the drive, and by now, the forensic technicians’ van was parked behind it, so he left the Golf on the road.
I didn’t seriously expect him to return with my sister, but it was still a disappointment when he walked up to the house alone. The clunk of the front door rose from below, followed a short while later by the sound of voices. I crossed the room and edged out into the hallway. Creeping to the top of the stairs, I strained my ears to overhear the conversation.
I sensed somebody behind me and whirled around to discover Cathy emerging from her bedroom.
“Did Dad find anything?” she whispered.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I’m trying to listen to what they’re saying.”
Both of us inched forwards. Downstairs the discussion came to a halt, and two men wearing white plastic coveralls and each carrying a small case, came into view. Cathy and I watched in silence as they trudged upstairs.
When they reached the top step, one of them pointed to the doorway of Elena’s room and said, “Is that your sister’s—”
“Have you found anything yet?” Cathy interrupted.
The two men exchanged a glance. The man who had asked the initial question shook his head. “I’m sorry, no. We’re just here to collect evidence.”
We stood back and stared at them as they made their way along the hall and through the open door.
“I’m going down to ask them what’s happening,” I announced.
Cathy followed me as I descended the stairs to the lounge. Low voices came from the other side. For a moment, I considered knocking. In the end, I barged inside.
My mother sat perched on the edge of the sofa. The two policemen stood together a few feet away. My father, who had been standing beside the men and facing me, whirled around, turning his back. He pulled something from his pocket. When he raised his hand, I identified the object as a handkerchief.
Up to that point, I had been confident they would find my sister. My father had always been the stronger of my parents; in my nine years of life, I had rarely seen him flustered, let alone crying. Observing him now as he dabbed at his face brought home the severity of the situation.
“I thought I told you two to go to bed,” my mother said. “And why are you wearing your school uniform instead of your pyjamas?”
My father sniffled and turned back. The blotchiness of his cheeks confirmed my initial suspicions. “It’s alright, Mary. Let them stay. Alex, Cathy, I need you to sit quietly while we talk to the policemen. Okay?”
I huddled beside my sister at one end of the sofa.
“Is there anyone you can think of who might have shown an unnatural interest in your daughter?” the officer with the stain asked. “Maybe a member of the family, a stranger hanging around the neighbourhood, or a workman?”
I couldn’t remember what my sister’s abductor looked like, but I did know I had never seen him before.
Chapter 33
The journey
started in the same way as the last one when Nick opened the hatchback for me to clamber inside.
“Is this really necessary?” I asked.
“It is if I say so. Just remember who’s in charge here. Now get in like a good doggie.”
The brief spell of sensitivity Nick had demonstrated when revealing the details of my mother’s death seemed to have deserted him. I scowled but did as instructed. He still hadn’t explained his plan, informing me he would reveal all when we reached our destination. When I asked how long the journey would take, he told me approximately half an hour.
The ride was as uncomfortable as the first time, but on this occasion, thoughts of my family provided a distraction. If Nick’s theory was correct, I was the reason my mother had died. I was realistic enough to accept her days were limited, but somebody had stolen what remained of her life. In the darkness of the cramped space, I clenched my fists as I envisioned what I would do to the people responsible if I ever laid hands on them.
My reflections switched to my sister. There had been no mention of her in the news reports. Surely that must mean she was okay. My stomach churned at the possibility she too had come to harm. Even if she hadn’t been hurt, what was she going through right now? And what about my nieces? How would they handle the murder of their grandmother?
My conversation time would be limited; Nick had told me I would have one or two minutes at most. That meant I needed to plan my words carefully. No doubt she would be aware of the accusations laid against me, but I was sure she wouldn’t believe them. However, she had to be wondering why, if I was innocent, I hadn’t turned myself in. I would have to explain that I was in mortal danger, and by inference, that she was too. Perhaps she had already come to the same conclusion, especially if Jamie had passed on the same message he gave me. It was clear he was involved in this mess, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how.
There was a strong possibility the police would listen in to my call. I would have to be careful that whatever I said to my sister, I wouldn’t be making the task of locating me any easier. One consequence of that decision was that I had to ensure I made no mention of Nick. There was little doubt in my mind that Nick was not my guardian’s real name, but even the confirmation that somebody else was helping me would aid them in tracking me down.
A large jolt sent me airborne. I landed with a thud. Nick’s voice filtered through from the front seat. I didn’t pick up everything he said, but the meaning was clear and included several swear words. The ride became bumpier, and I found it hard to concentrate.
Eventually, the car stopped moving, and the engine turned off. I pressed the button on the side of my watch to illuminate the dial; a little over thirty minutes had passed since the start of the journey. I waited patiently for Nick to release me. A click originated from the back of the rear passenger seat. The barrier separating me from the rest of the car’s interior folded down. I blinked at the sudden burst of daylight. Nick leaned into the vehicle through the open door.
“Sorry about the bumpy ride,” he said. “There are damn potholes everywhere. Stay there until I give you the all clear.”
He straightened up. Moments later, he ducked down again. “Right, you can get out now.”
I rolled sideways and clambered over the coarse, black material. Holding the roof for support, I clambered out onto the kerb. Nick had parked at the end of a residential street of terraced and semi-detached houses close to a busy T-junction. Cars lined both sides of the road.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“We’re on the outskirts of Reading,” he replied.
“Are you going to tell me the plan now?”
Nick studied me for a second. “Are you sure you want to do this? The police will know we’ve been here.”
“I need to talk to my sister.”
“Alright. Let’s get back in the car, and I’ll explain how this will work.”
Nick gestured to the front passenger door and climbed into the driver’s seat. I limped around the side of the vehicle and lowered myself into the soft fabric beside him. He turned sideways and explained what he wanted me to do.
“Is that all clear?” he asked at the end.
I nodded.
“And no more than two minutes after you turn the phone on.”
“You already said that,” I replied.
“I’ll be waiting here. Good luck.”
I raised my hoodie, pulled the handle towards me and lowered my feet to the ground. One hand held my mobile, the other clasped the battery. I nudged the door shut with my elbow and made my way to the end of the street. There, I headed left and hobbled along the pavement. Ahead of me, I recognised the sign Nick had described. As I drew nearer, the sound of building work increased. Every few seconds, an empty lorry emerged from the entrance to the site, leaving tracks of brown mud on the grey tarmac. Two trucks loaded with heavy machinery sat at the side of the road, their hazard lights blinking.
I approached the large billboard showing pictures of neat houses with tree-lined gardens. It was hard to equate the greenery of the image with the muddy landscape of the construction site. Glancing at my watch, I slid the battery into place and pressed the power button on my phone. At first, nothing happened, but a few seconds later, the body vibrated, and the manufacturer’s logo scrolled across the display.
By the time the lock screen materialised, nearly half a minute had passed. With trembling fingers, I tapped in the passcode. Finally, it was possible to make the call. I pressed the dial button and selected the contact list. My sister’s name appeared at the top of the recent contacts.
A flurry of pings announced the receipt of numerous email and text messages. They would have to wait. A prod of the finger and the trill of a ringtone sounded down the line. Another quick glance at my wrist: forty seconds gone already. I pressed the phone to my ear, trying to block out the background noise all around me.
Then my sister’s voice: “Alex, is that you?”
I could barely speak, my throat choking up with emotion. Eventually, I forced the words out. “Cathy, thank God you’re alright.”
“Hang on a sec.” The faint sound of children’s television faded, followed by the thud of a door closing. “We’re fine. Where are you?”
A hot feeling spread over my face. “I’m sorry, Cathy. I can’t tell you. You know I had nothing to do with ...”
“It’s okay. I knew you could never have done that to Mum.”
“The other thing with the children—that’s a lie too.”
“I believe you. You’re my brother. You’re not capable of doing anything like that.”
A tear trickled down my cheek. Despite what the press was saying, I could always rely on my sister. I brushed it away with the back of my hand. “How are you holding up?”
Silence for a few seconds. A choked sob. “It’s been awful. The hardest thing has been telling the girls. They’re aware their grandmother is in heaven, but they don’t yet know how. So far, I’ve hidden what the reporters are saying from them, but they can’t stay with their friends in case ... Anyway, it’s not as if any of the parents have been asking for play dates recently.”
“Where are you staying?” I asked.
“We’re in a hotel for the moment. I’m not sure I can live in the house again after what’s happened there. I’m only glad we were out at the time. God only knows what I’d do if somebody harmed the girls.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but an incongruous sound made me hesitate. Was my imagination playing tricks on me? The longer I listened, the surer I became; another person was whispering in the background. I held my breath, trying to pick up the words above the clamour of the building site behind me. “Is somebody there with you?”
After a pause that extended down the line like a blast of icy air, my sister replied, her voice muted. “Yes, there’s a police liaison officer here. They’re worried in case ...”
I glanced at my wrist again. Two and a half minutes had passed since the star
t of the call. Cathy was still speaking.
“Look,” I said interrupting her, “I’ve got to go. I love you.”
My finger stabbed down on the disconnect button. My breathing was uneven, rasping through my throat in stuttering gasps. The blood rushed through my veins as if I had recently completed a marathon. Remembering Nick’s words, I tried to focus on the job at hand. I limped forwards until I stood at the edge of the pavement where the service road entered the site.
The rumble of an engine signalled the approach of another empty lorry leaving the area. I waited until the vehicle drew alongside, then after a furtive inspection of my surroundings, tossed the phone into the cargo bed. It landed with a metallic clang.
I swivelled on the spot and headed back towards Nick’s car. I had covered about ten yards when a voice came from behind me.
“Oi! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
I risked a backwards glance. A man was leaning out of the window of one of the parked trucks. I had failed to detect him during my hurried check.
“They’re not fucking bins, you know.”
I turned my back on him and lengthened my stride. The clunk of an opening door reached my ears. “Hey! I’m talking to you. Get over here.”
In the short glimpse I took when I twisted my head, I could see the man had stepped down from the cab. Even beneath the baggy blue overalls, I could tell he was several pounds overweight. If he gave chase, it would be a close-run thing given the state of my injured calf.
“Wanker!” he called after me.
Pain shot up my leg as I staggered away from him. When I reached the street on which the car was parked, I flashed another glance behind me. The man stood beside a similarly attired colleague, pointing in my direction. As I watched, the second worker hurried back towards the cab of a lorry poking out from the site entrance.
I covered the last few feet to Nick’s car and hauled the front passenger door open.
“Not so fast,” he said, grinning. “It’s another ride in the boot for you, my canine friend.”
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