by M A Comley
“Do you know the boyfriend’s name?”
“Adam Cosgrove. Not sure of his address, though.”
“I hate to ask, but I’m presuming Rachel will have his phone number in her phone. Would you mind taking a look for me?”
“Good idea. He should know about this... Oh my God, you don’t think he’s behind this, do you?”
“I doubt it, but he has a right to know that his daughter has been abducted. It wouldn’t be right of me to keep this from him.”
Sandy looked in Rachel’s handbag and fished out her mobile. “Damn, I have no idea of her password. I can’t help you, sorry.”
Rachel stirred and sat up. She stared at them, her brow wrinkled with puzzlement. “What’s going on? Oh no, I remember. Have you found her yet?”
“No. Look, the paramedics are going to take you to hospital to check you over. We were just trying to find your ex-boyfriend’s number, but your phone is locked.”
“Why? He wouldn’t do this. He might be the biggest shit to ever walk this earth, but he’d never sink that low.”
“I’m not suggesting he would, but we’ll need to make him aware of the situation all the same.” Sandy passed the mobile to Rachel, and she entered her password and located her ex’s number. Then she handed the phone to Kayli to note it down. “That’s brilliant. You take care, and I’ll be in touch soon. Sandy has given me all your details. The quicker we get on with the investigation, the sooner we’ll bring your daughter back to you.”
“Thank you. Do your best, Inspector. She’s all I have.”
“Do you have a picture of your daughter with you?”
Rachel delved through her large handbag and withdrew a slightly crumpled photo of an angelic blonde child. Kayli’s heart sank. For the first time in ages, hopelessness prodded her all over.
Kayli and Dave walked away from the group and took a moment to gather their thoughts by the railings surrounding the play area.
“Let’s hope we get something on the CCTV footage. This girl is getting brazen, snatching a kid in broad daylight—a young one, at that. Damn, a bloody three-year-old!” Her hand swept a stray long hair behind her ear.
“Don’t. It doesn’t bear thinking about. I think you need to get onto the media quickly about this.”
“That’s my intention. First I need to ring the girl’s father.” Kayli punched in the number Rachel had given her and tapped her foot while she waited for the call to be answered.
A man’s abrupt voice answered the phone.
“Hello, Mr. Adam Cosgrove?”
“Yes. Who wants to know?” he said tersely.
“I’m DI Kayli Bright from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, sir. May I ask where you are?”
“At work. What’s this about, Inspector?”
“If it’s all right with you, sir, I’d rather tell you that in person. What’s the address?”
“Now you’re scaring the life out of me. Please, just tell me.”
“Very well. I’m standing in the play area on Cornwall Crescent...”
“I know the place. My ex usually takes my daughter there. What about it?”
“Sir, it’s about your daughter. I’m sorry to inform you that she’s gone missing.”
“What? How? Missing? Wasn’t Rachel with her? How can she go missing?”
“Sorry, not missing exactly. Belinda has been abducted.”
“Jesus Christ! What... I’m coming over there. Is her mother there? Put her on the damn phone.”
“Please, sir. I’m going to have to ask you to calm down. Yes, Rachel is here. Paramedics are with her at present. They’re just preparing to take her to the hospital.”
“What? Is she injured? Just give me the facts, Inspector, for Christ’s sake!”
“Rachel fainted. Look, I need to get on with the investigation. I just wanted to fill you in on what had occurred before I ask the media for their help.”
“I understand. I’m leaving work now. I’ll go to the hospital to see Rachel and go from there. Please do everything you can to get my daughter back, Inspector. I can’t believe this nightmare is happening to us. Why take a three-year-old? Do you know who took her?”
“We have a witness who saw what happened and has given us a statement. We need to press on and deal with the information the witness gave us. I have to ask, Mr. Cosgrove, is there anyone you can think of who might have taken your daughter?”
“What? Are you crazy? You think I hang around with child abductors? That’s absurd!”
“No, not in the slightest. I had to ask, sorry. I’ll be in touch soon.” Kayli ended the call and sighed. “God, I hate making calls like that. Much prefer to break bad news face to face. He’s going to the hospital to be with Rachel, but I’m not about to tell her that. Come on, Dave, we need to get back to the station.”
They rushed back to the car and flicked on the siren to aid their swift return to base.
The rest of the afternoon flew by. Kayli managed to get a few of the more influential media folk in the area gathered within a few hours. She spoke to members of the TV and newspaper media. They were all appalled by what she divulged, and they promised to get the information out there ASAP. In the conference, she revealed not only Belinda Wainwright’s identity, but also the sketch artist’s drawing of the possible abductor.
The waiting game had begun, again. It was gone eight thirty when she finally left work that evening. Her team had offered to stay at the station with her, but she’d insisted they leave hours ago. She was determined to man the phone herself, in the hope that someone might have spotted the mystery woman in the drawing, but no such information came her way.
~ ~ ~
Blackbird arrived at the cottage around five thirty. He picked up the latest Ian Rankin book from the passenger seat, together with the bag with four portions of chips and several pieces of cod, then locked the car door. He heard the laughter of his two partners in crime as he rounded the side of the house and walked through the back door.
The couple had their lips locked in a heated kiss when he opened the door and walked in. “Save it till later, guys. Are you off now?”
“You’re only jealous, lonely old man!” Swift goaded him.
He shrugged and placed the items on the table. “I take it the kids haven’t eaten.”
“That’s right. You’re on babysitting duties tonight. That task is down to you. We’re off. Don’t wait up. We could be late.”
“Hey, not too late. I have to get up early for work. Ten o’clock at the latest—you hear me?”
Swift crossed the room quickly and stood in front of him, a menacing stance that caused him to shrink back a little. “The night is about to get going at ten, man. If you need to leave, then shut the door behind you and place the key under the pot outside the back door. It’s that simple.”
“I have no intention of leaving the kids here alone. That would be dumb.”
“Whatever, man. I’m past caring. The sooner I get my life back, the better. If you go down there, you’ll find an added bonus.”
Blackbird’s eyes widened. “You’ve picked up another kid?”
Swift laughed. “You’ll see. Hey, their dinner is getting cold. We’re off duty now. See ya later—or not, as the case may be.”
He watched the two of them leave, hands all over each other and roaring with laughter. He listened for the van to pull away before he filled three glasses with water and hooked the carrier bag containing the food over his wrist. He walked down the staircase once his eyes had adjusted to the dark. Though Blackbird doubted the veracity of Swift’s plan, it had been agreed that the light should remain off at all times and the bulb had been taken out, to make it more difficult for the kids to recognise them.
He heard subtle sobbing as he approached the cage. The three girls were huddled together, and in the middle was something that caused him to stand still and shake his head as his mouth dropped open. Placing the glasses of water on the uneven floor, he rubbed his eyes, unsure if wh
at he was seeing was correct. “Shit!” he uttered, his anger mounting and making his blood course through his veins like molten lava.
The tiny girl was sobbing and shielding her face in the chest of the girl to her right. What the hell have they done? She’s far too young. She must only be about three, for fuck’s sake!
“Sshh... little one. I won’t hurt you.” He unhooked the key and opened the door after which he deposited the bag of food. None of the girls moved towards the food, which was unusual for them. Keeping one eye on the group, he dipped back outside the cage to collect the glasses of water. He was one short, and there were no more upstairs. “You’ll have to share these.”
None of the girls responded. He stared at the youngest member of the group, appalled and ashamed to be involved in her abduction. This had nothing to do with me. Those morons did this—not me. The bastards. They knew how I would react once I saw how young she was. What the fuck am I doing in business with these idiots?
At a loss for what to say and do next, he backed out of the cage and returned upstairs. His appetite diminished, he turned on the TV screen and switched to the local news. Staring back at him was a sketch of Magpie, alongside a photograph of the little mite he’d seen in the cellar. He paced the floor for hours, formulating a plan. I’ll make them regret taking me for a damn fool.
It turned out to be a torturously long evening. Although he used the time to pull a plan together, he also found himself getting more wound up about his cohorts’ stupidity. He watched the hands on his watch slowly tick over, every minute seemingly stretched longer than the last until twelve fifty arrived and he heard the van pull up outside. The youngsters were noisy in their approach to the cottage. Out in the sticks, they knew they wouldn’t disturb anyone anyway. Both of them sounded drunk, which tipped his mood over the edge, and he let them have it as soon as they entered the back door.
“What the fuck are you two playing at? Drinking and driving? Are you bloody crazy? Do you want to get caught?”
Swift staggered towards him and poked him in the chest. Slurring his words badly, he replied, “Who the fuck do ya think you are? My mother?”
Magpie sniggered, finding the situation amusing rather than dangerous.
Blackbird shoved Swift away from him. “You make me sick. Between the two of you, you’ve managed to screw everything up.” Pointing at Magpie, he added, “Are you aware your picture was all over the news tonight?”
Her eyes widened, and her smile vanished. She dropped into one of the chairs around the table. “What? Is this some kind of joke?”
“I wish it fucking was. What were you thinking taking a bloody three-year-old, for fuck’s sake? Someone must have seen you. The picture was drawn by a sketch artist and on the screen alongside a picture of the girl.”
“Shit!” the youngsters said in unison.
“Help us get out of this fix.” Magpie continued.
Blackbird placed a hand over his chest. “Me? You want my help? It’s a pity you didn’t run the idea past me in the first bloody place. A three-year-old! What the hell were you thinking? My best guess tells me that you weren’t thinking, not in the slightest. I’ve had it with you two.” He flung his arms out to the side, grabbed his keys off the table, and rushed towards the door.
A staggering Swift tried to stand in his way. Blackbird shoved him aside. The drunken man dramatically lost his balance as if he were an elephant on ice skates and ended up in a heap on the floor. “Either you two get your frigging act together, or I’m calling the whole thing off and getting rid of the girls.”
Swift tried desperately to stand up, but the way his eyes moved in his head, Blackbird could tell he was dizzy. “You can’t do that! We got a deal.”
“We had a deal. Until you fuckwits decided to branch out into taking kids barely out of their nappies. I’m done with you. I’m out of here.”
“You can’t leave us like this,” Magpie insisted. She ran at him unsteadily in her heels and grasped the front of his jacket. “Please, please give us one last chance.”
“Why should I? You don’t listen to me. You’re a couple of know-it-alls, when it’s clear you know fuck all. Get out of my face. Sleep it off. I’ll be back tomorrow for the final time. Think on what I’ve said, and we’ll discuss what you’re going to do with the new girl upon my return.”
From his position on the floor, Swift shouted, “You ain’t the boss around here. We’re equals in this, and that kid ain’t going anywhere.”
“Shut up!” Magpie replied, striking him across the face. “Just shut the fuck up!”
Blackbird gave a final shrug then left the cottage. He eased around the side of the building, fearful that the cops might have followed the van to their hideaway, but the coast was clear. On the drive home, he cursed himself for not taking the opportunity of dobbing the youngsters in to the police while they were out. Now he would have to think of another way of getting his own back on them. If they refused to get rid of the new girl, maybe he should suggest he do it instead. That way, he would be assured the job was dealt with properly.
His distrust of the others grew every time they did something wrong. He wanted to end his partnership with them and quickly.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The rain was non-stop, and Kayli’s windscreen wipers worked constantly on her way into work. Kayli dashed across the car park, towards the building. Her mobile rang just as she yanked open the door to the front entrance. “Hello. Kayli Bright.”
“Morning, it’s Naomi. Hope you’re not driving?”
“Morning, Naomi. No, I’ve just arrived at work. What have you got for me?”
Naomi let out a long sigh. “Sorry to drop this on you first thing, but I’m at another murder scene.”
“Don’t tell me, the victim is another child.”
“You guessed right. She was found in a disused warehouse on the old industrial estate on the edge of town.”
“The Hawksby Estate?”
“That’s the one. Do you want to join me? My team have been here all night. I arrived at six this morning, and I’m about ready to pack up and leave. I’ll stick around and walk you through the scene if you can be here within twenty minutes.”
“On my way now. I’ve just spotted Dave arriving. Depends on the traffic at this time of the morning whether we make it in time. Any chance you can extend that twenty minutes?”
“As it’s you, okay. Make is snappy, though.”
Naomi hung up, and Kayli rushed out the building and pointed at her car as Dave swiftly moved towards her. “Get in. Don’t ask. I’ll fill you in on the way.”
“Good morning to you too, boss. Nice weather, if you’ve got feathers.”
“Ha! Morning, Dave, and sorry.” She unlocked the car, and once they were both inside and the car was pulling out of the car park, she recapped her conversation with Naomi.
Dave’s face was etched with fury, and he lashed out at the dashboard. “Fuck! What the heck is going on? Do we know the victim’s identity yet?”
“No, not yet. That’s all we’ve got for now. Naomi was in a bit of a rush to finish up.”
“Why abduct the kids if all they’re going to do is kill them, er... you know what I mean. It doesn’t make sense.”
“The girls outlive their usefulness after a while. I’d rather not say what images that builds up in my head, but at this stage, that’s all that comes to mind. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Naomi didn’t mention any similarities to Jamillia’s case, so let’s leave the speculation until we get there. It’s sickening, either way. If the crimes are linked, then I’m getting the impression that the criminals are frigging laughing at us. We need to find that woman and the van, pronto. Call Donna for me, explain where we’re going, and see if there have been any leads overnight from the media coverage.”
Dave fished his phone out of his pocket and rang the station. “Donna, it’s Dave. We’re en route to another crime scene. The boss told me to ring you, to see if anything surfaced ov
ernight from the appeal.”
Half-listening to her partner’s conversation, Kayli weaved through the mounting traffic until it became gridlocked. Dave prodded her leg and circled his finger in the air. Kayli flicked the switch to initiate the siren. A few of the cars in front squeezed forward a little, but until the lights changed up ahead, there was little Kayli could do to rectify their imprisonment.
Dave ended the call. “Okay, there’s been a very disappointing response so far. Let’s hope people have had the chance to think about the images overnight and they start ringing in later. I was thinking about the case last night, and you know what we haven’t done yet?”
“No, go on.”
“Shown the sketch to Kelvin Watson.”
Kayli’s eyes narrowed. “That’s right. The neighbour opposite showed a glimmer of recognition. We definitely need to run it past him. Let’s deal with this new scene first and then shoot over there to see him.”
Dave gave her a smug smile. “Makes sense to me.”
“All right, don’t rub it in, Dave. It’s not as if we’ve been sat on our arses not doing anything, is it?”
“Granted. Take a left here; it’s a shortcut.”
“Really? I hope it’s not one that will lead us to a dead end. I remember the last shortcut you told me to take when we were in a hurry. We nearly ended up in the dock, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Okay, maybe don’t take this route then.”
Kayli let out an exasperated breath and took the shortcut anyway. It turned out to be a wise move as it led them directly to the location within a few minutes. They rushed out of the car and through the jagged opening in the side of the dilapidated building.
Naomi was instructing her team and glanced up when they approached.
“Sorry for the delay, bloody traffic was chocka. What are we looking at, Naomi? Same MO? Any ID yet?” Kayli said breathlessly.
“I’ll show you.” She took them across the rubble-strewn area and stopped alongside a shape that had been covered with a sheet.
