Little Girl Lost (Detective Robyn Carter crime thriller series Book 1)

by Carol Wyer

  ‘Abigail is your friend.’

  Alice laughed. ‘No. She definitely is not my friend. You know that. You’re not dumb. She was part of it all. She didn’t tell her father or my mother that her disgusting, mental nutcase of a brother tried to rape me. I was eight years old!’ she screamed. ‘I was a child. No one, but no one, listened to me. They listened to that lying scumbag and she didn’t tell them the facts. My mother hated me all my life for destroying her relationship with Paul. She believed I made up the story because I was jealous she had found love again after my father’s death. Can you imagine what that does to a little girl? I only ever wanted to be loved and my mother suddenly shunned me. Can you imagine the hurt?’

  ‘No, I can’t but Natasha can. You weren’t the only victim, Alice. I can call you Alice, can’t I? Natasha understands exactly what you were going through. You weren’t the first little girl Lucas had tried to rape. He had already had practice.’ She let the message sink in before continuing, ‘Alice, Lucas raped his sister. Only, unlike you, Natasha didn’t manage to stop him. He didn’t just do it once, either. He did it several times, threatening her if she spoke about it. She was terrified, just like you were.’

  Alice’s mouth dropped. ‘No. That can’t be,’ she mumbled.

  ‘Worse still, Natasha fell pregnant. She became pregnant at twelve years old by her own brother and no one believed he was responsible. Natasha tried to convince her mother of the truth but she refused to listen. Both her parents were convinced their daughter was lying to cover up her promiscuity and Natasha was sent away for an abortion. Her mother became ill soon afterwards. Lucas tormented Natasha with mind games and cruelly blamed her until she actually imagined she was responsible for her own mother’s death. And then, her father became withdrawn and she had no one to talk to. Natasha was so lonely she even considered taking her own life.’

  Alice shook her head from side to side, trying to understand the enormity of what she had just learned. The knife fell on the floor, forgotten in the midst of heavy sorrow. Emotions escaped that had been held at bay for years. She stumbled backwards and sat on the edge of the bed.

  Robyn moved closer to the knife, subtly moving it away from Alice with one light kick. She spotted the cans of petrol lined against the wall and, placing one hand in her pocket for a moment, sent a pre-prepared text to Ross. She kept talking, her voice light and kind.

  ‘Abigail knew what happened the night Lucas attacked you, and she has lived with that knowledge, along with the horror of what she herself went through. She has suffered as much as you have. Her life was destroyed. She left home as soon as she could and she, like you, has been trying to escape her past.’

  ‘Poor Natasha,’ Alice whispered.

  ‘So, please don’t make her life any worse. She’s already suffered the loss of a child and the emotional anguish that went with it. And she lost her mother. She’s like you in so many ways, Alice. She really is like your sister. She was so alone for years until she met Jackson and then you. Don’t harm Izzy. Natasha will look after her and love her and protect her, all her life. She won’t let any harm come to her. She’s already suffered more than she deserves. You can understand that, can’t you, Alice?’

  ‘I wasn’t going to harm Izzy. She’s perfect. She laughs at me and is so happy. I wanted to kill her to make Natasha suffer but I can’t. I love Izzy.’

  ‘Why don’t you hand her over to me and we’ll go downstairs and talk to Natasha? She really wants to make it up to you and you mustn’t forget, she cares about you. She really was your friend when you were Claire and she was Abigail.’

  Robyn edged towards the bed and the child. Izzy gurgled merrily, shook her new toy rabbit several times and threw it on the floor. It landed face down, one leg askew. Alice snapped. ‘No. That’s naughty, Izzy. You mustn’t throw Mr Big Ears,’ she said, her eyes suddenly wild. She leaned down to retrieve the rabbit and Robyn moved closer to get her into a headlock or similar but the woman was too quick and standing again, she moved out of reach, the rabbit in her hand.

  She wagged a finger at Robyn and in a mocking tone said, ‘No you don’t. You’re not taking me anywhere. I’m staying here and I’m going to kill the child.’

  Without warning, Abigail rushed into the room, arms flailing and hurtled towards the bed. Izzy babbled joyfully at seeing her mother. Abigail reached for her and cradled her, rocking her and murmuring, her attention completely on her child. Izzy smiled and wriggled in delight.

  ‘It’s over, Alice,’ said Robyn. ‘The police will be here very soon. My colleague has alerted them. You’ll be charged for abduction and for the murders of Paul, Lucas and Mary Matthews.’

  Alice looked up. ‘She was an idiot to love him.’

  ‘And you wanted to pay Paul and Lucas back for all the hurt they had caused. But why did you kill Geraldine?’

  Alice gazed at the rabbit and stroked one of its ears tenderly. She shrugged. ‘I was in my room preparing for Izzy coming. The old lady came in. I wasn’t expecting her. She was snooping about in Paul’s room and I thought she was going to come upstairs, then she heard me sneeze and I knew she was going to call the police. I couldn’t have her ruin my plans. It seemed like the only way.’

  ‘We have sufficient evidence to convict you, Alice. You have no other option. Someone will listen to you. Someone will try to help, but you will be sent away. Come with me and leave Natasha and Izzy here.’

  ‘I had to kill them. You understand that. I was a child. No one believed me. No one helped me then. Paul could have but he didn’t. He promised he’d look after me and he didn’t. He turned his back on me too.’

  ‘Alice,’ said Abigail in a very quiet voice, ‘I’m so sorry. I did tell my dad the truth about that night. I was scared to death that he wouldn’t believe me and I was terrified of what Lucas would do to me if he worked out I’d spoken to my father, but I still told Paul exactly what happened. He took it badly. Instead of turning on Lucas, he threw you and Christina out. But it wasn’t because he hated you. He was protecting you. He couldn’t control Lucas. He had to get you away from Lucas in case worse happened. Dad wouldn’t talk to me about it afterwards. He shut himself away and sent us back to school. He couldn’t take any more upset. I didn’t let you down, Alice. It just didn’t work out as I hoped.’

  Alice stared at her for a moment. A guttural noise formed in her throat and her eyes became dewy. She held the rabbit to her face. There was a painful silence while she allowed tears to fall onto the fur, then she nodded.

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered to an unheard command. ‘You’re right, Daddy. I need to come and stay with you.’

  All of a sudden, she strode to the door, pushing past Robyn and, still clutching the toy rabbit in one hand, she pounded down the stairs to the galleried landing. Without a word she hurled herself over the banister, landing on the marbled floor below with a sickening thud.

  Robyn raced to the ground floor. It was too late. Alice’s head was turned at an impossible angle, her eyes staring sightlessly at the rabbit that she still held tightly in her hand.

  71

  The men driving the Audi turned into the lay-by and switched off their engine. They waited for a third man to exit his black Mercedes and stand in front of it, arms open wide to show he was unarmed. The men got out, the second one surveying the area all the while, his face menacing, his shoulders and stance that of a man accustomed to fighting. The first man tucked a large brown packet under his arm and casually sauntered towards the Mercedes.

  Robyn had been trailing the car and knew exactly where the Audi was stationed. Her own car was parked further away, next to a field. Robyn climbed the gate into the farmer’s field, with its neatly rolled haystacks. She signalled PC Anna Shamash to follow closely behind. Brambles reached out trying to snag her jeans and her bare arms but she navigated her way past them until she reached a spot where the hedge was thinner, opposite the lay-by. The men might think they’d be undetected in this rural area but they were wrong.
Robyn was in time to witness the exchange. As the packet was handed over to the owner of the Mercedes, she heard a voice in her earpiece.

  ‘Go, go, go!’

  She and Anna rose as one. Opposite them, several heads appeared from behind bushes and officers raced in the direction of the men making the exchange. There was a flurry of activity and shouting. The first thug took a slug at the man receiving the parcel, before swinging at an officer and landing an uppercut blow to the nose, dropping the office to his knees. The Mercedes owner, an undercover detective, grabbed the arm of the first man and a scuffle ensued. Two officers assisted and the offender was soon lying on the floor cuffed and awaiting a caution. The second goon lashed out, floored PC David Marker, and thundered across the road in Robyn’s direction, pursued by a young policeman. She leapt towards him but Anna overtook her, eyes focused on the target. He made it as far as the kerb before the policeman leapt at his legs and rugby-tackled him to the ground. Anna joined him and held the man down while he yelled abuse at them both, bucking like a bronco bull but unable to dislodge either of them. Eventually, with the assistance of others, the man was hauled to his feet and dragged away.

  Robyn applauded. ‘Nice one,’ she shouted loudly to Mitz Patel who was receiving slaps on the back from his colleagues for felling the drug dealer. ‘Great job, Anna.’

  Anna held up a hand in thanks and joined the team who were now herding the men into cars that had pulled up, ready to take them back to the station.

  Robyn’s phone vibrated in her pocket and, moving away from the hedgerow, she answered it.

  ‘I’ve just opened my lunch box and discovered I’ve been given tofu salad for lunch. Want to join me?’ he grumbled.

  ‘What an offer but I couldn’t take away any lunch from a hungry man. Jeanette really is spoiling you. Got any dessert?’

  ‘A fruit thing with seeds in it. If she feeds me any more seeds I’ll start chirping in the mornings.’

  ‘I could make a joke about tweeting but no doubt that wouldn’t amuse you.’

  ‘Too right. I’m starving to death here.’

  ‘Get on with you. You look much better. The diet is paying off. Now stop moaning. Why have you rung?’

  ‘Alice Forman is being laid to rest beside her father’s grave tomorrow at three o’ clock. Thought you might like to know. I spoke to her grandmother, Jane. She’s obviously distraught about the events that occurred and regrets not searching for Alice herself, or insisting on seeing her when Christina took off with her. I told her she had no way of telling that Alice would turn out to be such a mixed-up woman. Jeanette and I are going to have Jane over for lunch on Sunday. I feel sorry for her sitting alone in that home. We’ll try and convince her none of this is her fault. There’s always an “if only”, isn’t there? Persuading Christina to allow Alice to visit might have changed the course of events but we’ll never know for sure. Families, eh?’

  ‘It’s a sad state but at least Abigail is okay and she and Jackson will work through their difficulties. They seem a solid couple.’

  ‘One thing keeps puzzling me,’ he continued. ‘I get the whole Abigail and Claire thing but how come Paul Matthews recognised the photograph of Claire in the magazine? Even Abigail didn’t work out that Claire was Alice so how did Paul Matthews?’

  ‘That particular mystery bugged me too. It was only after I enlarged the photograph in the magazine and studied it carefully that I saw what he saw. Claire is wearing an expensive bracelet with crystals. It seemed incongruous with the rest of Claire’s outfit of jeans and baggy jacket, so I checked it out and discovered it’s a unique piece made by a jeweller in London. It was commissioned back in 1996 for a Mr Paul Matthews who gave it to his fiancée Christina Forman. You can see the same bracelet in the photograph of the pair of them at the awards ceremony. I expect Claire took it from her mother, or was given it. Either way, it was a vital clue. Paul recognised it and worked out it was Alice in the photograph.’

  ‘I’m so impressed I’m going to donate my entire tofu salad to you. Seriously, well done. That’s impressive. Back to normal duty again now. No more juicy cases unless you need any outside help in the future. I have a request to check out a new guy who has applied for a job in a care home and there are quite a few more insurance claims to check out.’

  ‘You’re too generous but I’ll pass on the salad. I’m on a high carbohydrate diet at the moment. Got to get ready for the race in a couple of weeks. I’ll catch you later.’

  ‘Bring me some proper food when you come by next. I’m starting to look like a piece of tofu.’

  ‘No chance. I don’t want to anger the lovely Jeanette. You get your own grub. And remember I have got my secret cameras trained on you.’

  Ross huffed and disconnected.

  Robyn smiled to herself and returned to her Polo. She patted the small parcel beside her on the passenger seat, containing a copy of the brand new Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Brigitte and Amélie were flying to France the next day and she wanted to give Amélie her gift before they left.

  Robyn may have lost Davies but she was still part of a family, albeit a small one. Although she was not a blood relative she had an important role to play. She would stand in for Davies and be there for his daughter. One day the girl might need her and Robyn would be ready for that time. She would look out for her. After all, that’s what family did.

  About the Author

  Dear Reader,

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  I hope you have enjoyed reading Little Girl Lost. It has been so exciting to write about DI Robyn Carter, who has become a huge part of my life this year.

  Ever since I published a series of short stories that focused on the darker side of love, I have been itching to write thrillers. It comes from a childhood being brought up on a literary diet of Agatha Christie and Dennis Wheatley novels (I know, what a peculiar mixture). Whenever I get the opportunity to read now, I always reach for a thriller.

  Having written many comedies, most with twists and plots that will surprise the reader, I thought it was time to scratch that itch and work on the Detective Inspector Robyn Carter series.

  I have always been fascinated by psychology and what makes people tick. Many years ago, I was friends with someone who turned out to have fabricated her entire life. Even when she was found out thanks to an eagle-eyed friend, she denied it all and upped and left. We never saw her again.

  Alice is a character who I have taken to heart. Life, circumstances and a lack of love have transformed her into a confused, hurt woman. I think, in the end, she reveals what she might have been had she lived a different life.

  Robyn is another damaged soul but she buries herself in work and has her friends. Life will not be the same for her now she has lost Davies but there will be many cases for her to solve and a network of allies to see her through. I hope very much you’ve enjoyed Little Girl Lost and will join DI Robyn Carter again on her next case.

  Can I ask one favour? If you have loved this book, would you please leave a review for me? It doesn’t have to be very long but it would mean a lot to me. Thank you so much.

  Carol

  @carolewyer

  AuthorCarolEWyer

  www.carolewyer.co.uk/

  Acknowledgments

  Little Girl Lost has been incredibly exciting to write but it would not have been possible without my wonderful editor Lydia Vassar-Smith who has held my hand throughout the process.

  I must thank Danny Tynen and Kim Nash who rushed to my rescue and helped me understand some of the life of a detective inspector in the police force; they clarified many points and put up with a flurry of manic messages on Facebook when I was unsure of protocols.

  Thanks go to Pauline Yong, an amazing lady who looks incredible for fifty, and who is, in part, the inspiration for Robyn Carter. She provided me with all her gruelling training routines.

  And finally, I want to thank Angie Marsons, Robert Bryndza and Caroline Mitchell for encouraging me to lea
ve the world of sparkles and puppy dogs and join them on the ‘dark side’.

  Seriously, the Bookouture authors are an amazingly supportive bunch. Thank you, guys, for keeping me sane this year.

  Also by Carol E Wyer

  Take a Chance on Me

  Life Swap

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  Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines

  Surfing in Stilettos

  Just Add Spice

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  Grumpy Old Menopause

  How Not to Murder Your Grumpy

  Grumpies On Board

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  Love Hurts

  Published by Bookouture

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  An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.

  23 Sussex Road, Ickenham, UB10 8PN

  United Kingdom

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  www.bookouture.com

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  Copyright © Carol Wyer 2017

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  Carol Wyer has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.

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  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.