‘You could be right about that. Now I know you told us everything that happened this morning but I wonder if you could go over it again?’ Radford asked.
‘Bloody hell, it was only a few hours ago — there’s nothing more to tell you! Can you tell me what you’re doing to catch these bastards?’
‘We’re still looking for possible suspects connected to your work and also to Mrs Stone’s company. In fact,’ Radford looked at his watch, ‘DS Best should be at your chambers by now, interviewing your colleagues again.’
That certainly wasn’t what Richard wanted to hear.
‘Why the hell do you need to do that? They’ve told you all they know, which is absolutely nothing. Can’t you see they’ve got nothing to do with this and nothing to tell you either? You should be asking some of your criminal informers or whoever — they’ll likely know more than my colleagues will!’
‘Mr Stone, can I ask why you had trouble with raising the money for the ransom? Three hundred thousand isn’t really a huge amount for someone in your position.’ This came from DI Priestly. Richard turned to look at him, enraged by such a personal question from a relative stranger.
‘I’ve told DI Radford more than once, I recently made some investments and therefore don’t have that amount readily available. But what’s this got to do with you anyway?’
‘I’ve been involved in a similar case, as DI Radford mentioned, and I’m just trying to piece together all the aspects of your case to compare with mine. I’m sorry if this offends you, but sometimes it’s the details which give us a break, or a new lead.’ Priestly spoke kindly, but firmly.
‘So what happened in your case?’ Richard asked.
‘The parents paid the ransom and the little girl was released.’
‘And have you caught the kidnappers?’
‘No, that’s the reason why I’m here. Kidnapping is a very serious offence and we won’t let up until these people are caught.’
Radford broke into the conversation again. ‘Mr Stone, is there nothing else you can tell us about the two men you met this morning, or their vehicle? Perhaps something’s occurred to you that you forgot to mention earlier? Naturally you were very upset after your encounter with them.’
‘Don’t you think I’ve been over and over it in my mind ever since? They wore masks; the number plates were covered up. All I can tell you is that it was a Ford Transit, an older model and not in good condition, white but dirty.’
‘You saw the van from the front, but also the back,’ Radford continued. ‘Can you try to remember if there was anything unusual about the back — a bumper sticker perhaps?’
Richard thought for a moment. He’d been in such a state when the van drove past him in the lay-by that he hardly took anything in. Closing his eyes, a mental picture ran through his head of the van accelerating past him and out of the lay-by. ‘Actually, there is something ... the brake light; yes the left rear brake light wasn’t working. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but I’m sure it wasn’t working.’
‘That’s good.’ Radford was already pulling out his phone to get the message circulating. ‘There are hundreds of Ford Transits out there, but there won’t be too many with a broken rear brake light.’ A buzz of excitement filled the room; it was a break, not a huge one, but certainly a significant one.
As soon as DI Radford finished his call, his mobile rang with an incoming call. Radford excused himself and went into the hall. After a few minutes he returned.
‘That was DS Best. He’s spoken to some of your colleagues again, particularly Jamie Handley. His enquiries seem to have raised more questions than they’ve answered.’
‘Like what?’ Richard was anxious.
‘Well, we’re particularly interested in the pro bono work you do in London. How long have you been doing this, Mr Stone?’
‘Not long, about six months, I suppose.’ Richard could feel the colour rising in his face and his hands were clammy.
‘We’d like to speak to someone there who’s familiar with those cases. We’re still following up the possibility that someone who knows you, perhaps someone who’s been dissatisfied with the outcome of their case, might have something to do with the kidnapping...’
‘And I’ve told you that’s a highly unlikely possibility!’
‘Yes, I’m beginning to see that. In fact Mr Handley knew nothing at all about your pro bono work in London. He was surprised to hear of it and therefore couldn’t help us with any of the cases you’ve been involved in there. He was actually pretty certain that you were not working in London at all.’
Richard opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.
Eventually Radford spoke again. ‘You can see my predicament here, Mr Stone, surely? If you’ve been lying about your work in London, lying to me and to your wife it seems, then what else might you be lying about?’
Chapter 17
Martha was aware that Richard was talking to the police downstairs, so she purposefully stayed upstairs. She was confused; angry one moment, then weepy the next. Looking into her wardrobe she found the presents she’d bought ready for Danny’s upcoming birthday. There was a new laptop computer; he had one they’d bought him two years ago but it was bulky and outdated now. The new one was more up to date, smaller but more efficient. He needed it to keep up with his schoolwork; most of his homework involved a degree of research, which the internet made so easy these days.
They’d also bought him a computer game he’d wanted for a while and as Martha picked up the parcel, her tears flowed again. Will there be other birthdays? she wondered. She thought of the surprises they’d planned for him too. A trip to London at half term, with an overnight stay and a visit to the Planetarium, which she knew Danny would love. They’d bought tickets to see The Lion King too, but would they ever be able to use them?
The front door closed rather loudly, signalling the departure of the police. Martha was glad they hadn’t wanted to see her. Although she was fairly confident they were doing a good job, she didn’t understand why they repeatedly asked the same questions. Did they hope for a different answer, to catch them out in a lie, or what?
Martha listened to the ensuing silence, waiting to see what her husband would do next. The sound of footsteps on the stairs told her he was coming up, but thankfully he went into his study and didn’t seek her out.
The doorbell rang again. Martha remained at her desk, assuming it was the police returning with a question they’d forgotten to ask, but Richard made no move to answer it. It rang for a second time and Suni called up the stairs asking if they wanted her to answer it. Martha said she was coming and wearily took herself downstairs to see who was there.
‘Mother! What are you doing here?’
‘Well, can’t I come in? It’s been a long journey?’ Elaine Perry asked her daughter.
Martha stepped aside to allow her mother in and noted the suitcase she was carrying.
‘I only spoke to you on the phone this morning — why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’
‘I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d try to persuade me not to.’
She was right there, Martha thought.
‘Has he been found yet?’ Elaine asked.
‘No, not yet.’ Martha hung her head almost as if she was responsible for not having better news. Her mother’s presence often made her feel that way.
‘But I thought today was the day of the exchange?’ Elaine was visibly disappointed and Martha hugged her mother — a rare occurrence but she knew that Elaine was feeling the same anxiety as she was herself. Her mother had assumed she would be arriving on the day they got Danny back home, a joyous reunion, but the outcome now was anybody’s guess.
‘We could only get so much of the ransom money together and ... hoped they wouldn’t count it, but it didn’t work out for us. They’ve given us another forty-eight hours so we’re waiting to hear from them again.’
‘You make it
sound like a business transaction.’
‘Well, in some ways it is...’ Martha was on the verge of breaking down again and literally bit her bottom lip in an effort to hold back the tears.
‘Where’s Richard?’
‘He’s upstairs. The police have just gone and we’ve nothing to do now except wait until the kidnappers get in touch. I’ll take your case up and tell him you’re here.’
‘Thank you. I’ll put the kettle on.’
Elaine was one of those women who thought that most problems could be solved by a strong, sweet, cup of tea. Martha climbed wearily back upstairs.
Richard wasn’t too pleased to hear that his mother-in-law had arrived to stay. ‘What’s she come for? There’s nothing she can do! It just means we have one more thing to worry about.’ He rolled his eyes.
‘She means well and Danny is her only grandson — she loves him almost as much as we do.’ Martha felt defensive on her mother’s behalf. ‘Come down and see her, then we can update her on how things are going.’
They went down into the kitchen. Suni lifted her head and smiled an acknowledgement to them, then returned to her work. Elaine moved over to Richard and kissed him on the cheek. A tray was set with tea and biscuits and she suggested they moved into the lounge.
‘What did the police want?’ Martha asked Richard, once they were seated.
‘Just checking on a few details, nothing they haven’t asked before.’
‘So what are they doing to get my grandson home?’ Elaine asked.
As they drank tea, Martha tried to tell her mother everything which had happened so far and the different avenues the police were exploring. It was upsetting, reliving it all, and exhausting. Richard mostly remained silent, speaking only when he was directly asked a question and generally giving only one-word answers. Martha could tell he was annoyed at her mother’s presence.
‘So, tell me, Richard, why couldn’t you get the money ready in time?’ Elaine probed.
‘They wanted everything in cash and we simply didn’t have that kind of cash to draw on. Most of our money’s invested, but we’ve got it now, so as soon as the kidnappers get in touch we’ll be able to get Danny back home.’ It sounded so simple when he said it like that, as if no one was to blame. Martha would have liked to scream at him but her mother’s presence made that impossible.
Later when Richard had yet again retreated upstairs, Elaine asked Martha to repeat once more everything she knew about the police investigation.
‘There’s very little else to tell you, I’ve tried to keep you up to date on the phone.’ In truth, Martha couldn’t remember what she had and hadn’t told her mother.
‘So you’re not keeping me in the dark to spare my feelings?’ Elaine asked.
‘No, Mother. I haven’t been thinking straight since this all began — keeping you in the dark never even occurred to me. To be perfectly honest, I hardly know what day it is...’ Once again, Martha broke down. She allowed her mother to hold her for a few moments before she pulled herself together. The two women had never enjoyed a close relationship and the physical contact felt uncomfortable.
It made Martha question her own role as a parent; when had she last held Danny, or told him she loved him and was proud of him? Her thoughts moved into other realms; was she emulating her own mother in the way she treated her son and if so, did she really want to be like that?
Martha closed her eyes and allowed Elaine to lift her feet up onto the sofa and cover her with a throw. Sleep would be so very welcome — she wished she could sleep until this whole affair was over and wake to find Danny safely returned to her.
Chapter 18
Things were going badly for Richard. The police were asking some very awkward questions and he was deceiving them about the kidnappers. He wondered, not for the first time, whether he should admit to still having the mobile phone. He’d even thought about confiding in Martha, two heads and all that, but now his mother-in-law had turned up, he decided not to.
DI Radford had discovered that he didn’t do any pro bono work in London and he could no longer fudge the issue. He was sure the detective had guessed why he’d lied and he would now have to come clean about where he spent his time. He’d have to tell them about Serena.
Martha couldn’t find out the full extent of how badly he’d let her down. The fact that he’d taken the money from their joint account now made him burn with shame. He couldn’t imagine how he would feel if she’d been the one to have been so duplicitous.
Richard tried to remember how his affair with Serena began. How does any romantic liaison start; a look, a smile, an unspoken connection? She had captivated him from the first time he saw her, sitting at the bar of a hotel he occasionally went to for a drink after work and was quite simply the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Serena seemed to be the perfect package, long blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a figure most women would envy. When she smiled encouragingly at Richard, he couldn’t believe she would be interested in him, but she was.
Accepting his offer to buy her a drink, she seemed to hang on his every word, eyes wide at his stories of life as a barrister, as if he was the most entertaining and interesting man in the world. Serena knew he was married from the beginning, but it didn’t stop her from flirting, which at first seemed harmless enough. Richard was flattered, Martha hardly noticed him in that way anymore. He couldn’t remember the last time they had made love; it simply wasn’t on the agenda of their busy lives. Perhaps that was why Serena had succeeded with him. She looked upon him as a man, a desirable one at that and he’d been flattered, going along with the flirting until it became more, much more.
In the early days of their relationship Serena seemed mysterious, exciting even, revealing very little of her own life, past or present, which aroused Richard’s curiosity. The enigma, however, only added to the attraction. It was as if she had materialised from nowhere, coming into his life and adding the excitement and passion which he didn’t even know was missing.
At first she expected very little from him but he wanted to spoil her, to buy her jewellery and clothes. She squealed her thanks for such gifts, like a child at Christmas, and Richard found this endearing. The gifts became regular, but he could afford it and she was always keen to show her appreciation.
Richard couldn’t quite remember how the subject of buying an apartment came about. The thought had crossed his mind that one day he might leave Martha and settle down with Serena, an idea she seemed to like when he voiced such thoughts. Serena never took him to her home; in fact he knew nothing about her living arrangements at all. When he asked questions, her face clouded with sadness, but she remained silent about her life when they were not together, until three months into their relationship when she arrived at the hotel they used, in tears.
Richard persuaded her to confide in him and she related, emotionally, that she was being evicted from her little rented flat. The landlord, she claimed, was forever making lewd suggestions and spied on her at all times of the day and night. Serena sobbed as she told him that the landlord had given her an ultimatum and if she refused to sleep with him, he would evict her.
Richard was livid and in a fit of uncharacteristic bravado, wanted to go round and see the man, but Serena persuaded him not to. It was during that evening, in a hotel room, that buying an apartment became a plan rather than a dream. Looking back, Richard remembered drinking too much and making a promise to Serena which instantly lifted her mood. She assured him she could stay at a friend’s house in the meantime, so she wouldn’t have to face her landlord again and within only two days, Serena had discovered the ‘most perfect little place’, in Portishead. She took to calling it their ‘love-nest’ and was so excited about the prospect of having somewhere for them to meet, other than hotels, that Richard realised he was irrevocably committed.
When negotiations began on the apartment, Serena was the one to suggest he bought it in her name only, pointing out that when he lef
t Martha, his wife would be entitled to a half share of everything they owned. It seemed prudent to buy the apartment in Serena’s name and it would then become something Martha couldn’t touch in a divorce settlement. As property was always a good investment if you bought wisely, Richard went along with the suggestion and the apartment was purchased in Serena’s name.
Richard very soon realised his mistake but resigned himself to living with it and at least he was saving on hotel bills. Ironically, the apartment would have been a good investment in different circumstances. It was convenient to get to Portishead, only a half-hour drive from Bristol and the purchase price had been just under two hundred thousand pounds, an excellent price for the quality of the build in such a desirable area. It was a sum which could be replaced in his savings over time and as he was the one who looked after the household finances, Richard hoped that Martha would never find out. How cruel that Danny should be taken just when their finances were so low and he couldn’t raise the money for the ransom.
It was now obvious to him that Serena was a mistake — a huge and very expensive mistake. Richard was tired of her fawning over him and suspicious that he’d been manipulated, which made him feel even worse. Serena no longer seemed the woman he thought she was. There were times when she appeared to be selfish, superficial and very high maintenance.
He was a bloody fool who had risked his whole way of life, his wife and son, for the passing thrill of an illicit affair. His life was a mess; he despised his own weakness and the consequences it had brought upon him and now also upon his family. If they lost Danny, he would never forgive himself.
The affair had seemed so exciting at the time but now he regretted it bitterly and saw it for what it really was, sordid and cheap.
But before he told the detectives the truth, he needed to talk to Serena, to warn her and ask her to discreetly vouch for him. It seemed preposterous to Richard that the police should examine every detail of his life, as if he was the kidnapper. Surely they knew now that he had nothing to do with it, but he was at their mercy and unsure whether they would keep his affair quiet, or if they would feel obliged to tell Martha.
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