The Missing Children

by M A Comley

  Sighing, she looked through the other messages and rang another four people who had reported witnessing something odd—and that included seeing a strange van lingering around places where kids usually played. She arranged for uniformed police to drop by during the day to take down a statement from each of them.

  Kayli looked at her watch. It was almost eleven thirty. Dave had popped into the office now and again to top up her coffee. Apart from that, he’d kept his distance, until she looked up and saw him standing in the doorway, fidgeting.

  “Something wrong?” she asked.

  “I thought you said you wanted to take a trip out to the school this morning.”

  “I know. Time just passed me by. Hey, it’s not as if I’ve been sat on my arse doing bugger all, mate. What time do schools break up for lunch? Any idea?”

  “Negative. Used to be around twelve when I was at school, as far as I can remember.”

  “It’ll probably be better to go during the lunch hour. Turning up at that time might piss the head and the teachers off, but that’s tough. We need to interview everyone on the premises who were there when Jamillia went missing.”

  “Good thinking. Want to set off now then?”

  “Why not? You can fill me in on what the team have been up to during the morning on the way.”

  Dave nodded and left the room.

  Kayli decided she had time to make one final call, to her brother. “Hello, Giles.” He was thirty-four, her senior by four years.

  “Sis? What’s up? Unusual for you to ring me during the day.”

  “Just a quickie as I have to go out. Have you spoken to Mark lately?”

  “Not for a few weeks. Why?”

  Kayli sighed heavily. “I’m worried about him. I thought you could either take him out for a pint or drop round to see him. I think he could do with a manly chat with someone right now. Any chance?”

  “Of course. How about this evening? Still no good on the job front I take it?”

  “Would you? That would be great. No news yet. It’s getting him down now. Listen, he’d do his nut if he thought I was playing nursemaid to him.”

  “You can count on me to be discreet. Don’t worry about that. Any chance of some tea if I drop round this evening?”

  She laughed. “I knew there would be a catch. Okay, it’ll just be a makeshift meal, though. There’s no telling what time I’ll get home this evening, as it depends how things go during the day. I’m working on that child murder case that is all over the news. Thankfully, I’ve managed to keep out of the media’s way up until now.”

  “Damn, I saw that. Must be a terrible case to work. Don’t envy you there. I’ll drop round about six then, while Annabelle is bathing Bobby. See you later.”

  “Bye for now, hon. Just make sure you come up with a reasonable excuse for dropping round unexpected.”

  “You worry too much. Leave it with me. Bye for now.”

  Kayli hung up and left the office in search of her partner, who was leaning against the desk by the door and jumped to his feet when she walked towards him. “Holding you up, was I, Dave?”

  “Just eager to get over there, boss.”

  “Me too. Let’s go.”

  Kayli drove as Dave filled her in on what Donna had found out about Jamillia’s parents. “Nothing much to be honest, boss. Clean as a nun’s panties. I left Donna dissecting the uncle’s background.”

  “I think we’re barking up the wrong tree looking at the family if Jamillia’s murder is linked to the other three missing girls. However, it’s better to cover our backs. I’ve arranged for uniform to take statements from the four people who rang in to report suspicious behaviour near schools and play areas. I also rang Mrs. Smalling and Mrs. Dolan to assure them that we’re doing everything we can to find their daughters.”

  “I bet they’re pissed off about how the investigations have progressed so far.”

  “You could say that. Who could blame them?”

  “I guess. But you know as well as I do, it’s hard to track these kids down if someone is intent on hiding them... if they’re not dead by now. If those two kids hadn’t stumbled into that building a couple of days ago, who knows how long Jamillia’s body would have remained there undiscovered.”

  “You’re right... Maybe we should get uniform to check every derelict building in Bristol.”

  “Christ, that would take them years. I could get a team to check the other wrecks in that row, though.”

  “Yep, can you sort that out for me, Dave? Let’s hope we get somewhere with the school. I think we’re in for an interesting few hours.”

  “You reckon?” Dave replied, his words laced with sarcasm.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  As they pulled up outside the school, kids erupted into the playground, joyful to be let loose from the confines of their classrooms.

  “We couldn’t have timed that any better if we’d tried,” Kayli said, switching off the engine after parking the car in the school’s car park.

  “Screaming kids. It’s like being at home,” he joked, light-heartedly.

  “Oops! Hey, you’re the one who wanted the child, I seem to remember.”

  “Actually, it was a joint decision. I love Luke to bits, but sometimes wish that we could have rented a baby for a week to know what we were letting ourselves in for. I guess all parents think that, don’t they?”

  She laughed as she exited the car. “Probably. Crikey, Luke’s only sixteen months old. He’s not likely to get up to much at that age, is he?”

  “You’d be surprised.” He laughed. “I caught the little tyke having a swig out of my beer the other day... well, let’s say he tried. Suranne prevented him from lifting the can to his mouth. She had a right go at me as if it were my fault.”

  “Oh dear. You’ll need to be more vigilant. I hear you have to have eyes in the back as well as the front when they start crawling. It’s even worse when they reach puberty.”

  “It’s certainly been an eye-opener so far. Wouldn’t change it for the world, though. He has us in fits of laughter most of the time.”

  After Kayli and Dave had identified themselves through the intercom system, the door buzzed open. They walked through the main entrance of the school and into a long narrow corridor, where the walls were covered with crayon drawings the kids had obviously created.

  Dave stopped to study a group of pictures and whispered, “Do you think some of these children are aliens?”

  “Huh? How do you make that out?”

  He puffed out his cheeks and looked at her. “Because some of these pictures are out of this world.”

  Kayli dug him in the ribs and sniggered. “Wise arse. I wouldn’t let the head hear you speaking so disparagingly about his or her pupils’ masterpieces, matey.”

  “Seriously though, how can you make out some of these... er pictures?”

  “Leave it, Dave. It’s not worth using your brain power to figure out one of life’s mysteries, I promise you.”

  They continued on their journey to the end of the hallway, where a door was labelled Reception. Kayli pushed open the door to find two secretaries tapping away on their computers.

  The older of the two ladies smiled and approached the counter. “Hello there. What can I do for you?”

  Kayli flashed her warrant card. “Hi, thanks for letting us in. Is it possible to have a word with the headmaster or mistress please?”

  “I don’t see why not. I’ll check if Mrs. Laughlin has time to see you.” The chubby woman bustled out of the office and returned a few moments later. She raised a flap in the counter and invited them to follow her through to another office.

  A grey-haired, bespectacled lady welcomed them with an outstretched hand. “Hello, I’m the headmistress here, Mrs. Laughlin. I presume this is about Jamillia Watson?”

  “Hi, I’m DI Kayli Bright, and this is my partner, DS Dave Chaplin.”

  Dave shook hands with the headmistress. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “W
e’re the investigating officers dealing with Jamillia’s tragic case. Do you have ten minutes for a chat?”

  “Of course. Please, take a seat.” Mrs. Laughlin slid behind her desk, and Kayli and Dave sat down opposite her.

  Dave took out his notebook, ready to jot down any significant information.

  “Such a terrible situation, and the outcome was totally unexpected,” Mrs. Laughlin said. “I hope the poor child didn’t suffer too much before her death.”

  “Unfortunately, she did suffer. However, I’d rather not go into details about that.”

  Her hand swept over her face, and the colour drained from her cheeks. “Oh my... that poor child. She was such an adorable little girl. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am that she was taken from the premises. I’ve barely slept a wink since the incident occurred.”

  “Maybe you can tell us how she was taken? I thought schools had safety procedures in place to prevent this type of thing from happening.”

  “We do. Usually, those procedures are tight and work really well, but this was one of those times when procedures let one of our pupils down. The children were out in the playground with one of the teachers and one of our teaching assistants, awaiting the parents to pick them up. The teacher had to deal with an incident—one of the children had fallen over and grazed his knee. She brought him inside to bathe the wound and patched him up with a plaster, and when she returned she found the young teaching assistant going frantic in the school playground.”

  “Did the assistant see who took Jamillia?”

  “Yes, a young woman dropped by, said Jamillia had to go home quickly because her mother had been injured in some kind of accident. It wasn’t until the assistant saw the van drive away at speed that something clicked and she realised she’d made a dreadful mistake.”

  “I see. Is the teaching assistant around now?”

  “She only came back to work this week. She’s been distraught since Jamillia went missing. I told her to take a few weeks off to get her head straight. She’s been in the staffroom this morning, sobbing her heart out. I tried to persuade her to go home, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Naturally, the guilt is weighing heavily on her shoulders, and there isn’t a thing anyone can say or do to make her feel any better.”

  Kayli could understand the assistant feeling guilty, but as far as sympathy went, she couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry for the young woman who’d failed so miserably in her responsibility to care for Jamillia. “Do you think she’ll be up to speaking to us?”

  “Only if you tread carefully, Inspector. I fear that any more pressure from the police might send her over the edge. I’d hate to have her death on my conscious, as well as little Jamillia’s. I would like to help in any way we can, going forward with the case.”

  “We’d like to question your staff. If that’s okay. Did Jamillia have one main teacher, or was she taught by all the teachers in some kind of rotation? I don’t have children, so I’m unfamiliar with the workings of modern-day schooling. I’m sure things have changed drastically since I was at school.”

  “She had one main teacher, Mr. John Briggs.”

  “Is he at work today?”

  “Yes. Would you like me to send for him?”

  “Perhaps we can conduct the interviews in a quiet corner in the staffroom, if there is one.”

  “Of course. Do you want to start now?”

  Kayli nodded. “The sooner, the better. Will your staff mind their lunch being interrupted?”

  “I hope not. This is important, after all. I’ll show you through to the staffroom.”

  The three of them left the office, followed the corridor past the main entrance, and veered off to the right at the end. The staffroom was smaller than Kayli had anticipated, and she glanced around the room at the six people eyeing them with interest. She tapped Mrs. Laughlin on the arm and asked in a hushed voice, “Maybe we can interview them in a classroom instead?”

  “Very well. Will next door do?”

  “Perfect.” The only man in the room caught Kayli’s eye. He was tall, slim and around forty. He paused as he filled his cup with coffee granules, smiled at Kayli before returning to complete his task.

  “Can I have your attention please?” Mrs. Laughlin addressed her staff. “These are DI Bright and DS Chaplin. They’re here to interview you all about Jamillia Watson. I expect you to give them your full cooperation. We all want the suspect who snatched Jamillia caught, don’t we? Well, the police can’t do that without our valuable help.” She pointed at the youngest person in the room. “Samantha, why don’t you go first?”

  The startled young blonde stared at the headmistress in disbelief. “Me? Why me?”

  “Come now, that’s obvious... at least it should be. Time is wasting. Off you go with the detectives.” Mrs. Laughlin beckoned her with her hand and a reassuring smile. “I’m sure there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Mrs. Laughlin pointed to the right. “First door in the hallway, Inspector. There shouldn’t be anyone in there. Samantha will be with you in a moment. I’ll just have a quiet word with her first. Then I’ll send the next person in once you’ve finished interviewing her.”

  Kayli and Dave left the room and waited patiently next door for Samantha to join them. Nearly five minutes later, Samantha appeared in the doorway, fresh tears in her eyes and mascara staining her cheeks.

  “Do you need a moment to compose yourself? I want to assure you that you’re not in any trouble, Samantha. We’re simply here to gather all the facts of what happened that day.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just so upset by it all still. It’s hard to handle when something horrendous like this happens when you’re supposed to be watching out for the children. I’ve barely closed my eyes for weeks now, and when I do drift off, all I see is Jamillia crying out for help. Seeing the news last night... you know, that Jamillia’s body... had been found, murdered...” She pulled a tissue from her sleeve as the sobs overwhelmed her again.

  Kayli left her seat, slung her arm around Samantha’s shoulders, and guided her to the chair. “Take your time. Can you tell us how the incident occurred?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Callard had to deal with one of the children who had injured himself in the playground. She’s our designated first-aid expert at the school, although there are plans to ensure we all attend a course in the near future.”

  “I see. Then what?” Kayli asked, aware of the young woman’s nervous waffling.

  “I was outside, waiting for the parents to show up to collect their children, when this young white woman came up to me and said that Jamillia’s mother had been injured and had sent her to collect her daughter. She sounded genuine enough, and Jamillia recognised her. I know I shouldn’t have let her take Jamillia, and I’ve regretted my actions every day since, I swear. It wasn’t until I saw this woman bundle Jamillia into the waiting van and speed off that I realised what had happened. I ushered the other children into the school and ran to tell the head immediately. I was devastated—still am. Knowing that I’ve caused that little girl to lose her life is something that will crucify me for the rest of my life.”

  “It’s hard to give you words of sympathy when I know it would be pointless. You need to accept that there are dangerous people out there and the school has put certain rules in place to ensure that this type of thing doesn’t happen. I don’t think anyone blames you personally for this, Samantha. If they had, you would have lost your job there and then.”

  “I know, and Mrs. Laughlin has been so kind, giving me a couple of weeks off, but when I returned and learned that Jamillia had died... well, everything came flooding back—the memory of that day and the guilt I’ve felt in the past few weeks. I’m just beside myself. I can’t stop crying. I feel so responsible and keep going over and over the what-ifs in my head. Do you think it will be all right with the parents if I attend her funeral? I’m desperate to pay my respects but fear they will have a go at me.”

  Kayli chewed her lip. “If I were in your
shoes, I’d give the funeral a wide berth. Let the family grieve in peace. It might agitate them if you turn up for the service. Perhaps light a candle at home or here at the school and hold your own vigil for her.” Kayli hadn’t a clue where that idea had come from, but it sounded a plausible alternative even to her ears.

  “I’ll do that, thank you.”

  “A few more questions, and then we’re done. Did you notice any signwriting on the van or happen to see any of its registration number?”

  “No, it was too fast for me to see, and it weaved between the parked cars, so the plate was hidden most of the time. The van was plain white. I know that’s not very helpful, sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Would you recognise the woman again? I know it’s been a few weeks.”

  “I think I’d recognise her, but I’m not sure. I told the policeman dealing with the case back then the same thing, but nothing came of it.”

  “That’s strange. Would you be willing to work with a police sketch artist now, or is it too late?”

  “I could try. I’m willing to do anything to help you find the abductors.”

  “In the weeks leading up to the abduction, did you notice any strange vehicles in the area? The van perhaps?”

  “I don’t think so. It was quite a long time ago now, sorry.”

  “Never mind. Okay, if I send an artist around to see you, would you prefer that was at school or at home?”

  “Either, I’m easy. Maybe it would be better at home. Mrs. Laughlin has been so understanding about things up until now, but I’d hate to overstep the mark. Saying that, my home is a tip, a one-room bedsit in the attic of a house. That’s all I can afford around here on my wages. Teaching assistants are only paid just above the minimum wage, you see.”

  “I’ll run it past Mrs. Laughlin before we leave then. Thanks for your time, and try not to beat yourself up about this too much. I know that’s going to be difficult, but try.”

  “I will. Thank you. I hope you find that woman and her accomplice quickly before they try and take another child.”

  “So do we. Can you ask Mrs. Laughlin to send Mr. Briggs in next, please? Oh, and here’s my card. Ring me day or night if you remember anything that you think we should know.” Kayli handed her a business card and watched her leave the room. Once Samantha was on the other side of the door, Kayli turned to Dave and said, “Crap, I really would hate to be in her shoes. Poor girl must be going through hell. I didn’t think I’d have much sympathy for her, but my heart went out to her in the end.”