Stolen Children

by Michael Wood

  ‘Are you still there?’

  ‘Yes. I’m still here. So, who is this detective?’

  ‘Are you telling me you really don’t know what’s going on in the private lives of your team?’

  ‘Danny, I’m aware this is a multiple orgasm to you, but if you don’t stop pissing about and tell me, I shall have you arrested for wasting police time.’

  ‘Ok. I’ll tell you. Drumroll please,’

  ‘Danny!’

  ‘Ok, ok, just trying to add to the drama,’ the joy was evident in his voice. ‘It is Detective Sergeant,’ he paused deliberately, ‘Aaron Connolly.’

  Matilda’s heart skipped a beat and her mouth fell open. ‘You’d better be one hundred per cent sure about this, Danny,’ she said. Her tone was flat and cold.

  ‘Oh I am. I’ve got the photos to prove it.’

  ‘Photos?’

  ‘Oh, didn’t I mention that?’ he asked, playfully. ‘The woman in question emailed me a couple of snaps of the two of them together. It’s so sweet. Well, it would be sweet if the detective in question wasn’t married with a young child.’

  ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Nothing. I’m just giving you a right of reply before I run the story of a detective abusing his position of power with a vulnerable witness, getting her pregnant, then abandoning her when she needs him the most.’

  ‘Ok, Danny, I need to have this confirmed with Detective Sergeant Connolly. You cannot run this story until I know it’s not a hoax or some kind of revenge attack on my officers.’

  ‘I’m aware of my position on this, DCI Darke. As it’s Friday, I’m going to be generous and give you the weekend to mull it over. If I don’t hear from you, it will be all over the front page of Monday’s paper. Fingers crossed I’ll be working on a national by the end of the year.’

  The line went dead.

  Matilda still held the phone to her ear. She wanted nothing more than Danny Hanson’s testicles as earrings now. She’d rip them off him with her bare hands if she had to.

  She looked out of her office and into the suite. Her team were going about their business with professionalism. Aaron always had the look of a man who had the weight of the world’s problems on his shoulders, but now his frown was heavy, his head was sunken and he strolled around the office like a man heading for the gallows, which wasn’t far from the truth.

  Matilda had no idea what to do. Ideally, she should tell ACC Valerie Masterson, but she had enough to cope with at the moment. Professional Standards would need to get involved and possibly the Crown Prosecution Service. Depending on who the witness was and what input they’d had on the investigation, it could throw the whole case into jeopardy.

  The ping on an incoming email made Matilda turn to her laptop. She didn’t recognise the sender’s name, but the subject line was enough to make her sit up and take notice:

  DNA test results: Carl Meagan

  She clicked open the email, scrolled down the greeting and the waffle to the result at the bottom of the page. Usually, it would take a long time for DNA results to return but as Carl’s were already on file, this was just a case of matching the two.

  Matilda’s eyes ran across the screen and back again like she was engrossed in a tennis match.

  ‘Jesus Fucking Christ,’ she said.

  Chapter 40

  A uniformed PC entered the HMET suite carrying a large bunch of flowers. He looked over to the small group having coffee which comprised Sian, Rory, Scott, and Finn.

  ‘Is one of you DS Sian Mills?’

  ‘One of us is,’ Rory said. ‘That’s all the hint you’re getting,’ he smiled.

  Sian stood up. ‘I am. I’m guessing those are for me.’

  ‘Yes. They were just delivered downstairs.’

  She took the bouquet from him and smiled as she looked for a card among the roses, carnations and lilies. ‘Aren’t these gorgeous?’

  ‘Secret admirer?’ Scott asked.

  ‘I bet they’re from a serial killer taunting you from his prison cell,’ Rory said.

  ‘They’re from Stuart,’ Sian said, reading the card.

  ‘I was so close,’ Rory laughed.

  ‘He hopes I’m ok and not working too hard. He’s pleased he’s married to the most beautiful, understanding, and tolerant woman he could hope to meet, and he’s looking forward to the next twenty-five years together,’ she read with a huge grin on her face. ‘Take a note here, boys. I’ve been married for twenty-five years and my husband can still surprise me with flowers. If you want to keep your partners that long, be attentive, and don’t take them for granted.’

  ‘I’ve been married for four years this November,’ Finn said.

  ‘I can’t believe that,’ Rory said. ‘You’re twenty-four, you look about twelve, yet you’ve been married for four years. It’s like you’ve skipped freedom and gone from college straight to being middle aged.’

  ‘If you find the person you’re meant to be with, does it matter how long you wait before marrying them?’ He said with a smile.

  ‘He’s only jealous, Finn,’ Scott said.

  ‘I’m not jealous. I’m in a very close relationship with Natasha. Or had you forgotten?’

  ‘Difficult to forget when the plaster is falling off my bedroom wall.’

  ‘Well, you won’t have to put up with it for much longer. You’ll be moving out soon.’

  ‘I know,’ he grinned. ‘I can’t wait.’

  ‘You’re definitely moving into the flat above Matilda’s garage?’ Sian asked, cradling the flowers in her arms.

  ‘Yes. We’re going around tomorrow to measure up.’

  ‘Don’t you think it’s going to be a bit weird, trying to have sex when the boss is within hearing distance?’ Rory asked.

  ‘She won’t be able to hear anything. The garage isn’t as close to the house as you think. Besides, DCI Darke’s bedroom is at the back of the house. There’s plenty of distance.’

  ‘I still think it’s going to be awkward. Speaking of DCI Darke,’ he said, leaning forward in his seat, ‘did you see the way she charged out of here earlier with a face like thunder?’

  ‘Difficult not to,’ Sian said. ‘I thought she was going to break the glass in the door the way she slammed it.’

  ‘What’s going on?’ Finn asked.

  ‘No idea.’

  ‘Surely you know, Sian. She tells you everything.’

  ‘Well, she hasn’t told me this time.’

  ‘It must be serious then. I wonder if it’s to do with the ACC and her husband.’

  ‘Could be,’ Scott mused. ‘If it was to do with the case, she would have told us.’

  ‘Sian, have you got any Minstrels in your drawer?’ Rory asked.

  ‘You’re banned from taking anything out of my snack drawer until you put something back in. It’s running empty at the moment.’

  ‘I’ll do a shop at the weekend. I’ll fill it up for you on Monday.’

  ‘Nothing until you do. I’m going to try and find something to put these in.’

  ‘Scott, go and steal us a Toffee Crisp or something,’ he whispered once Sian had left the office.

  The phone on Scott’s desk began to ring. ‘Do your own dirty work,’ he said as he went to answer it. ‘Homicide and Major Enquiries. DC Andrews speaking.’

  ‘Hello Scott, it’s Danny Hanson from the Sheffield Star. How are you?

  Scott pulled out his chair and sat down. ‘I’m ok thank you. What can I do for you?’ He never wanted to stay on the phone long with journalists in case he said something he shouldn’t.

  ‘I was wondering if you could give Aaron Connolly a message for me?’

  Scott looked over to Aaron’s desk. ‘Erm, sure. He’s here somewhere in the building, I can find him for you if you want to hold?’

  ‘No. A message will be fine.’

  ‘Ok.’

  ‘Tell him that Leah Mercer is having a boy.’

  Scott waited for him to elaborate. He didn’t. ‘I
s that it?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Ok. Will he know what that means?’

  Danny laughed. ‘He should do.’

  ‘Fine. I’ll pass that on for you.’

  ‘Thank you, Scott.’

  The line went dead.

  Scott looked down as he pondered the message he had written in his untidy scrawl.

  ‘Rory, where have I heard the name Leah Mercer from before?’

  ‘Bloody hell, Scott, are you losing it? Leah’s family were butchered while she was away on honeymoon earlier this year.’

  ‘Oh yes, I remember now.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I just had a call from Danny Hanson. He’s told me to tell Aaron that Leah is having a boy.’

  ‘What’s that got to do with Aaron?’

  ‘That’s what I thought.’

  ‘Where is Aaron?’ Rory asked.

  ‘I’ve no idea.’

  Chapter 41

  Aaron was in the corner of the car park talking quietly on the phone. Matilda saw him as she headed for her Range Rover. She immediately saw red and shouted his name so loud it echoed. He dropped his phone and almost jumped out of his skin.

  ‘Sorry. I was just … I … I was taking a few minutes. It’s not easy trying to make a private call when you’ve got Sian and Rory glaring at you,’ he said with a strained smile.

  ‘How is Katrina?’ Matilda asked. She walked up to Aaron and, although he loomed over her, the expression on her face, the rage oozing out of her, definitely put her in control of this conversation.

  ‘Katrina?’

  ‘Yes. You know, the woman you’re married to, the mother of your child.’

  ‘Oh,’ he nervously giggled. ‘She’s … she’s fine, yes, everything’s fine.’

  ‘Is it?’

  ‘Of course, yes.’

  ‘Nothing preying on your mind, no other worries I should know about?’ she asked, defiantly crossing her arms.

  ‘No. Not that I’m aware of.’

  ‘So, who’s this woman you’re having an affair with?’

  His eyes widening betrayed any words that were about to come out of his mouth. Matilda raised a hand.

  ‘Before you even start waffling, save your breath. The look on your face has given you away. Come on, get in the car.’

  She pointed the fob to the Range Rover and unlocked it. She climbed in behind the driver’s side and waited while Aaron tentatively walked around to the front passenger seat. He clicked the door closed carefully and sat in silence.

  ‘We have a dead child and a missing teacher to investigate, but I can sit here all day until I get the truth out of you,’ Matilda said, facing forward.

  He took a deep breath. ‘I’ve made a really big mistake.’

  ‘That’s certainly one way of putting it. Are you going to tell me who she is?’

  Another deep breath. ‘Leah Mercer.’

  Matilda turned quickly to look at him. ‘Leah Mercer? You are joking, surely.’

  Earlier this year, while on honeymoon, Leah’s mother, father, and brother, Jeremy, were brutally murdered. Her niece, Rachel, was the only survivor to the massacre, and responsibility for her upbringing rested with Leah. Once the funerals were over, she had moved to Liverpool, where Rachel and Jeremy had been living, to start a new life as guardian to her niece and try to make sense of everything that had happened in recent weeks.

  Leah and Aaron had grown close during the case, and before she left Sheffield, they had shared a kiss. Aaron had asked if he could call her once she was settled in Liverpool and they’d swapped numbers. Within a week of her leaving, she’d called him and invited him to spend the weekend with her and Rachel. He hadn’t given it a second thought.

  The affair had been passionate and intense. Leah had wanted someone to hold her, to make love to her, to want her, and Aaron had been eager to oblige. Back in Sheffield, Katrina had been itching to have a second child. It had taken years for them to conceive and the pregnancy had not been an easy one with Katrina in and out of hospital. His weekend escapes to Leah’s had been explained as training courses which Katrina had believed. He had treated them as mini holidays, and he had looked forward to having Leah in his arms. He had found himself smiling and relaxing in her presence.

  When she’d told him she was pregnant, the life had drained out of him. He’d realised it wasn’t because of the worry of a difficult pregnancy that he’d told Katrina it was a bad idea to have another child, it was because he didn’t want one. He loved the bones of Dwayne, but he hadn’t really developed a relationship with him. Another child would be disastrous, both for him and Katrina, and for him and Leah.

  He had left Liverpool and vowed not to return. He had ignored Leah’s calls, texts, and emails. It was childish, he knew, but he couldn’t face the responsibility of being a father again. He had planned to tell Katrina everything. If she chose to leave him, he would deal with it, but he hoped she’d understand the pressure of his job and how he had succumbed to temptation while caring for a woman who had lost everything. He would also do right by Leah too. He planned to return to Liverpool and state that he would contribute financially towards the upbringing of their child, but he needed to be honest with Katrina first. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

  Katrina was not an easy woman to talk to. If the conversation wasn’t about her, a second child, or a holiday to somewhere exotic in the summer, she wasn’t interested. Whenever Aaron tried to broach the subject – something he spent hours waffling and stuttering about – Katrina interrupted by shoving a holiday brochure under his nose or asking if he liked the names Garfield for a boy and Zandi for a girl.

  He went to bed most nights kicking himself, and while Katrina slept blissfully beside him, he remained wide awake, fretting over how to open his heart to her. The words and the time had never arrived.

  ‘He’s got photos?’ Aaron asked after Matilda had told him all about the conversation with Danny Hanson.

  She nodded.

  ‘They must be from the barbecue we had in the summer.’

  ‘Do you have any idea how stupid you’ve been?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes. I do.’

  ‘Not only have you ruined your marriage, but you’ve put the whole Mercer case in jeopardy. The case is due to start in November. If the prosecution gets hint of a detective sergeant sleeping with one of the witnesses, they’ll do their level best to get this whole case thrown out. What do you think that will do to little Rachel Mercer when she finds out the murderer of her father and grandparents won’t face justice because her auntie shagged one of the detectives?’

  He shook his head in regret.

  ‘Not to mention the stress the case caused your own colleagues and the money South Yorkshire Police paid out in overtime and forensic examinations. The amount of money it cost to prepare the cases …’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he interrupted feebly.

  ‘And look at what happened with Keith Lumb. He sacrificed his life to save me from Ladybower Reservoir. Four people died as a result of that case and it could all be for nothing because you couldn’t keep your dick in your trousers!’ she shouted.

  ‘I really am sorry,’ he said. ‘I know it sounds basic, but it’s the truth. I never meant for it to go this far.’

  ‘Well it did. And the story is going to be printed in glorious technicolour on Monday.’

  ‘Fuck,’ he said as he collapsed, his head landing in his hands. He started to sob. ‘Katrina shouldn’t find out like this.’

  ‘Then you have the whole weekend to tell her the truth.’

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘You have no choice. You’ve fucked up royally, here, Aaron, and you have to face the consequences.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he cried.

  ‘So am I. I thought I knew you better, Aaron. You have no idea how disappointed I am in you.’ Matilda’s voice was calmer, but it was still filled with venom.

  The silence in the car was heavy. A light rain began
to spatter on the windscreen. Matilda had a million and one things to do but she had no intention of leaving the car until she was ready.

  ‘What’s going to happen to me?’ Aaron eventually asked.

  ‘You’re suspended as of now and there will be a disciplinary hearing. Professional Standards will have to be told and they’ll launch an enquiry. You’ll be off the HMET and either be sent back to CID or sacked altogether. I’ll have to inform the CPS and the defence. Leah Mercer’s evidence may be discounted in the case. Your conduct in the whole investigation may be brought into question and if there is any hint that you acted unprofessionally, they may use that to throw the whole case out.’

  ‘But … I—’

  ‘Get out,’ Matilda interrupted. She was staring straight ahead out of the windscreen.

  ‘I …’

  ‘Aaron, I don’t want to hear any more from you. I’m so angry with you right now. The whole of South Yorkshire Police, me and my team in particular, are going to be facing a serious shit storm, and it’s all your fault. Get out of my car and go home.’

  He remained seated for a few more seconds before opening the car door and letting in a cool blast of air. He stepped out and Matilda felt his eyes on her before he closed the door. She couldn’t look at him.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he went to his red Ford Focus, shoulders hunched, head down, dragging his feet against the tarmac. She waited until he reversed out of his space, left the car park and turned right for home before she allowed the tears to fall.

  There were some people within the press who were itching for Matilda Darke to make another mistake. They couldn’t wait to bring up the Carl Meagan case to taunt her. Once this got out, she’d be to blame. Matilda was in charge of the Homicide and Major Enquiries Team and the officers who worked in it. If she couldn’t keep them under control, how could she possibly solve the cases the public were relying on her to investigate?