Stolen Children

by Michael Wood

  Ellen sat down at the kitchen table and sent a text to her boyfriend. They didn’t live together and as they both worked unsociable hours, they rarely saw each other. Ellen decided that was something that was going to have to change, and soon. When she saw Jodie heading for the kitchen, she quickly squirrelled the phone away and went back to washing the dishes.

  ‘Is there anything I can get you?’ Ellen asked.

  ‘No. I just want a drink of water.’

  The sound of Homer Simpson saying ‘D’oh!’ came from Ellen’s pocket. She’d forgotten to put her phone on silent and quickly grabbed it to silence the embarrassing text tone.

  ‘What was that?’ Jodie asked. There was a hint of a smile on her lips.

  ‘Just a text. Sorry.’

  ‘Was that Homer Simpson?’ The smile grew.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘That’s so cool. Can you Bluetooth it to my phone?’ Jodie pulled her own mobile out of her back pocket. Riley started screaming from his bedroom. ‘We’ll do it later. His nibs has woken up.’

  She went into the bedroom while Ellen turned back to the sink. She plunged her hands into the hot water and quickly pulled them out as a finger ran along the side of a sharp knife, slicing it open. Blood dripped from the shallow cut into the soapy water. She grabbed for the kitchen roll and wrapped a couple of sheets around it to stem the flow.

  There was muffled talking coming from Riley’s room. Ellen edged closer to the slightly open doorway.

  Jodie was holding her brother in her arms and standing in front of the mirror. Riley was reaching out to his reflection and giggling.

  ‘You’ll never know about what happened to Keeley,’ Jodie said. ‘All this fuss, everything that’s going on around you, and you haven’t a clue, have you?’ He was resting on her hip and she was jiggling him up and down. ‘You don’t need to worry about anything, little man,’ she kissed him on the head. ‘I’ll look after you. I’ll always be here to take care of you. I’m not going anywhere.’

  Chapter 28

  Amanda Raine was stood by the bedroom window looking through the small gap in the curtains she’d created. She’d been standing there for a while, watching the Armitage house next door. Ever since she’d heard a blood-curdling scream a few hours ago and seen the police leave it had been deathly quiet. It could only mean one thing: Keeley had been found dead. She hoped to God that wasn’t true.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Grant said, coming into the bedroom and taking off his dressing gown.

  Amanda jumped. She glanced to her husband then went back to glaring out of the window. ‘Nothing.’

  ‘You’ve been unsettled since teatime. Up and down at the slightest noise. Are you going to be like this all night?’ he asked as he looked in the dressing table mirror and removed his contact lenses.

  ‘The police came round this morning,’ she said, fiddling with the crucifix around her neck.

  ‘Well, they would do. They always talk to the neighbours when things like this happen. You haven’t seen my silver cufflinks have you? I need my dress shirt for tomorrow.

  ‘Top drawer. No, the other one. Grant,’ Amanda said, stepping away from the window. ‘Do you think I should phone the police up?’

  ‘Whatever for?’

  ‘Well, this morning they asked me about Keeley and what she was like as a child and if I knew the family, but … I didn’t tell them everything.’

  ‘Found them. What are you talking about?’

  ‘I didn’t tell them about Craig.’

  ‘Look, Amanda, don’t get involved,’ he said sternly, looking up at his wife.

  ‘But we are involved.’

  ‘No, we’re not. I’m not a fan of Craig Armitage, as you know, but they’re going through hell right now and the last thing they want is the police looking into gossip and innuendo.’

  ‘It’s not gossip though.’

  ‘It bloody is,’ he said as he went over to the bed and pulled back the duvet. ‘Are you coming to bed or not because I’ve got an early start in the morning and I’m turning the light out.’

  ‘You’ve heard him through the walls as much as I have,’ she said as she kicked off her slippers and started to remove her earrings. ‘He has a temper on him. What if he’s involved in Keeley going missing?’

  ‘You’ve been reading too many Agatha Christie books.’

  ‘No, I haven’t. When something happens to a child the parents are nearly always involved. That’s an honest-to-God fact.’

  ‘Don’t get involved, Amanda,’ he reiterated, turning over in bed.

  Amanda sat on the edge of the bed. Her face was a map of worry. She could feel herself getting cold as the temperature outside slowly fell. It was too early in the season to turn the central heating on. She climbed into bed and pulled the duvet over her, but she didn’t lie down to sleep. Her mind was spinning with the events she had witnessed through her living room window today.

  ‘Grant,’ she said eventually. ‘Grant,’ she said louder when he didn’t reply.

  ‘What?’ He sounded annoyed.

  ‘The police searched Craig’s van this morning.’

  ‘They would have done. It’s what they do.’

  ‘That means they must suspect him, too.’

  ‘No it doesn’t. It means they’re keeping an open mind.’

  ‘I think I should tell them about him, about what he’s really like.’

  ‘For the last time, Amanda, it has nothing to do with us. Now, please, turn your light out and go to sleep.’

  Amanda acquiesced to her husband’s request. She lay in darkness with her eyes wide open as she contemplated what she should do. Craig was quick to temper – she’d witnessed it many times – but just because someone shouts at his family once in a while, does that make him capable of murder?

  She let out a heavy sigh. It would be a long time before she fell asleep.

  Chapter 29

  Thursday 13th September 2018

  The storm had broken overnight. It was as if nature had been waiting for Keeley to be found before unleashing a barrage of sixty-mile-per-hour winds and a month’s worth of rain in six hours. Had Keeley’s body not been found in time, vital forensic evidence might have been lost, and there was no telling what state the body would have been in when it came to identification.

  Matilda hadn’t heard the storm. The tall trees at the bottom of her garden had swayed in the gusts and shed most of their leaves. Her garden, landscaped to give it an intentionally wild look, had been given a serious hiding; pots had been tossed about and smashed, plants and flowers drowned, and the cushions on the garden furniture were beyond salvageable.

  While the storm was raging, Matilda had been safely indoors with Daniel Harbison. He was knocking on her front door within ten minutes of her calling him. They stood in the hallway facing each other, eyes locked, standing almost toe to toe. Nothing needed to be said. The atmosphere was electric. Matilda made the first move. She grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him towards her, kissing him hard and passionately. She took his hand and led him upstairs.

  Matilda didn’t know if it was finding Keeley’s body, her mood plummeting, the sense she didn’t want to be alone, or the memories this case stirred up of Carl Meagan going missing, his subsequent return (maybe), or remembering the time in 2015 when she was happy, had a husband she loved and someone to go home to. Whatever the reason for calling Daniel, she was pleased he had come around. She’d forgotten how much she loved sex, the feeling of a hard body pressed against her and a man’s huge, callused hands all over her. It was a pleasure she thought she’d never have again. She was happy she’d waited for the right man rather than a casual encounter she’d soon regret.

  As Daniel was showering in the en suite he’d designed, Matilda lay in bed, the duvet wrapped around her. She was smiling. There was a general feeling of bliss and satisfaction about her. She looked across at the framed photo of James on the bedside table. She didn’t feel guilty for sleeping with another m
an; she felt proud of herself for moving on, finally. After months of telling herself that was what she was doing, she’d actually done it, and it felt amazing.

  ***

  Matilda hoped she wasn’t grinning inanely as she entered the HMET suite. If anyone would pick up on the signs something wonderful had happened to her overnight it would be Sian, and once Rory found out, she’d be the talk of the whole station. Fortunately, everyone was occupied with the aftermath of Keeley’s body being found and were all hard at work. Matilda was able to sneak in unnoticed.

  There was a knock on the glass door of her office. She looked up and saw Christian standing on the other side. She beckoned him in.

  ‘Morning. How are you feeling?’ He asked.

  ‘I’m ok.’

  ‘Listen, I hope you don’t mind, but I was talking to Jennifer about you last night,’ he said, referring to his wife. He pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘She can always tell when there’s something niggling away at me. Anyway, we know you’re on your own in that big house, no neighbours around, so, if you want to come over to ours for a meal or a few drinks, you’re more than welcome. Open invitation, that kind of thing.’

  Christian was obviously nervous at breaking down the professional walls with his boss. His moist brow and his reddened cheeks were testament to that. Matilda couldn’t help but smile. She guessed he’d been badgered by his wife all night until he agreed to ask her.

  ‘That’s very kind of you, Christian, thank you. I may do that one day. Thank Jennifer for me, as well.’

  ‘I will.’ He seemed to visibly relax. Matilda hadn’t accepted but she hadn’t said a firm ‘no’ either. The invitation may be left open, but they both knew she wouldn’t act upon it.

  ‘How is Jennifer?’

  ‘She’s doing ok. She’s increased her hours at work. More money coming in, finally.’

  ‘More going out, too, unfortunately.’

  ‘Tell me about it. Anyway, the reason I came to see you is because Jodie Armitage has been on Twitter again.’

  ‘Oh?’ Matilda looked to her computer. She hadn’t turned it on yet.

  ‘Yes. She announced late last night that her sister had been found dead. Then she put up a few photos of Keeley saying what a beautiful girl she was and that she’d miss her.’

  ‘What kind of photos?’ Matilda turned to her computer and logged on to the social networking site. Rather than posting several photos in a single tweet, Jodie had posted them all individually and almost flooded the site with smiling pictures of her younger sister. Matilda looked at the times of the tweets; they were all several minutes apart.

  ‘What’s she doing?’ She asked herself as she scrolled through the teenager’s timeline.

  ‘I think she’s attention seeking.’

  ‘What?’ Matilda looked up.

  ‘I know it’s a horrible thing to say, but her sister has just died; everything will be about her now. Then, after the funeral, when she goes back to school and the dust has settled, all the attention will be on Linda and Craig and Riley. Even then, Keeley will be thought of before Jodie is to keep her memory alive. This is Jodie’s outlet for someone to acknowledge her and her grief.’

  Matilda looked at the DI with a puzzled expression. ‘That’s very deep for you.’

  ‘I think I might be maturing,’ he said with a glint in his eye.

  ‘Well, keep it up. We could do with more maturity around here. I’ll get Ellen to have a word with Jodie about posting online and we need to keep an eye on what else she posts.’

  ‘I can monitor that. Will you be attending the PM?’

  ‘Yes. It’s been pushed back until Linda and Craig have formally identified the body.’

  ‘I can’t begin to imagine what they’re going through. To see your child on a mortuary slab must be the worst image possible.’ He remained in his seat, staring into space.

  ‘Do you want to get everyone ready for the briefing?’ Matilda prompted.

  ‘Sure.’ He stood up and headed for the door. He turned back to Matilda. ‘Have you changed your hair or something?’

  ‘No. Why?’ She asked, pushing her hair behind her ears.

  ‘You look different.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘I’m not sure. There’s something just … different.’

  ‘Nope. Same old me.’

  ‘Must be me.’ He left the room.

  Matilda smiled to herself. She stood up and was about to join the team when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. There was a text and an email waiting for her. The text was from Daniel:

  Can’t believe what we did last night. So happy. Free for dinner tonight?

  She didn’t reply. She didn’t want to seem too eager.

  The subject line of the email was ‘DNA Sample’. She opened it and read that the sample from the boy in France claiming to be Carl Meagan was now in the hands of forensics officers working for South Yorkshire Police. It wouldn’t be long before the truth was revealed.

  Chapter 30

  The viewing room in the mortuary had been designed with comfort in mind but missed the mark on every single level. The windowless room was depressing and oppressive. The cheap sofa was bland and uncomfortable. The decoration was tired and drab and the fake potted plant in the corner of the room had obviously been placed there in an effort to add a note of calm, but the dust-covered leaves made the room even sadder.

  Craig and Linda Armitage sat on the two-seater sofa. Craig was sitting upright, facing the glass viewing window which had a closed curtain on the other side. Linda was leaning against him, sitting on the edge of the sofa, her left leg jiggling involuntarily. She was nibbling frantically on what was left of the nails on her right hand while her left was clinging on tightly to her husband.

  They were both casually dressed – Craig in jeans and a creased rugby shirt, Linda in jeans and a black sweater she’d been wearing for the past two days.

  The door opened and Ellen Devonport came in. She closed it quietly behind her. They both looked up.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Ellen asked, looking at a fragile and pale Linda.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she lied.

  ‘She’s been sick,’ Craig said.

  ‘Have you eaten anything this morning?’

  ‘Jodie made me some porridge to line my stomach, but I couldn’t keep it down.’

  ‘Ok. We’ll try and do this as quickly as possible so you can go home and get some rest. Now, I need to prepare you for what’s behind this curtain,’ she said, pointing to the window. ‘Every effort has been made to make Keeley look as natural as possible. However, there’s some bruising and grazes on her face which the doctor believes are from the surrounding trees and ground. They’ve cleaned them up as best they can.’

  Linda nodded and smiled weakly. Her eyes were filled with tears. Craig remained impassive. They both stood up and joined Ellen by the window.

  Ellen’s hand hovered over a switch at the side. ‘Are you ready?’

  Craig didn’t react. Linda simply nodded once.

  ‘I’m going to open the curtain. I know it will be distressing but I need you to tell me clearly if the girl is Keeley or not.’

  Another nod.

  Ellen pressed the switch and the deep red curtain opened smoothly to reveal a small room behind it in which lay a single trolley. A girl lay under a white sheet which was pulled up to just beneath her chin. She had blonde hair which had been washed and combed. Her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping and her face was pale. Her right eye was slightly bruised and there was a graze on her chin.

  Linda opened her mouth and let out a scream of despair as she clung on to Craig and fell to the floor. Ellen went to her aid and lifted her up. She dragged her over to the sofa and pulled a plastic cup from the water cooler in the corner of the room. She filled it and handed it to her.

  ‘Here, drink this.’

  She couldn’t. She was crying and wailing and gasping for breath.

  ‘No, no, no, no, n
o,’ Linda said over and over again as she hugged her knees and rocked back and forth. ‘No. Not my Keeley.’

  Over at the window, Craig placed his hand on the glass. He was mouthing something to his daughter, but over the sound of Linda’s cries, Ellen couldn’t pick it up.

  ***

  ‘Almond and raisin flapjack? That sounds disgusting,’ Rory said as he squatted by Sian’s desk, rifling through her snack drawer.

  ‘What do you fancy?’

  ‘I don’t know. I want something sweet but I’m trying to be healthy. I’m getting a bit soft around the middle.’ He picked up a Mars bar and contemplated it before putting it back.

  ‘I don’t see how you can be with all the bedroom gymnastics you’re doing lately,’ Scott said from the next desk.

  ‘You’re only jealous because your sex life went from cold to hot to cold again within the space of three months.’

  ‘It has not. Me and Chris are very hot, thank you. We just don’t want all and sundry to hear what we get up to.’

  ‘Unfortunately, all and sundry are listening to every word,’ Matilda said from the top of the room. ‘Now, when you’ve quite finished, Rory, I’d like to get this briefing started.’

  He picked up a Snickers and jogged back to his desk, playfully throwing a small packet of Maltesers at Scott’s head as he went.

  ‘Thank you. Now, I’ve had a text from DC Devonport. Craig and Linda have positively identified the body as belonging to Keeley.’

  ‘How did they take it?’ Sian asked.

  ‘Ellen didn’t go into any details, but I think we can guess. The post-mortem is in about an hour’s time, so, where are we with the investigation? Any news on the whereabouts of Calvin Page?’

  ‘Not yet,’ Aaron Connolly chimed up, rifling through his untidy desk.

  ‘Do you know where Calvin’s living?’

  ‘Erm … no,’ he said, flicking frantically through his notebook.

  ‘Have you considered contacting his parole officer?’ Matilda asked. She looked at Aaron with a heavy frown.