‘So where has this story come from?’
‘In this day and age, I suppose there are no secrets, what with social media, and the internet. Nobody’s safe.’
‘But if you were never charged, there shouldn’t be a record of your involvement in a common assault.’
‘It’s probably the skank who’s phoned them to cash in on my temporary fame. For all I know Hussein put her up to it. I can’t fucking believe they’re suggesting I could have anything to do with…for fuck’s sake. They should be looking for the son of a bitch with the beard. This is yet another waste of ink and time.’
‘Have you heard from Durand today?’
‘I think he’s avoiding me. I tried phoning him a couple of times, but they keep saying he’s busy. I guess the British press are doing one good thing: they’re keeping up the pressure on the investigation.’
‘But even if you were a violent person – and of course I know you’re not – but even if you were, how could they think you had anything to do with Noah’s disappearance?’
‘That’s the best part of the whole fucking story. The newspaper alleges that you and me -’
‘Wait! They think I’m involved too?’
‘You haven’t heard the best bit yet. They think you and me killed Noah and buried him over here.’
‘That’s ridiculous. How do they explain the video footage at the shopping centre?’
‘Oh apparently that was faked.’
Becky was exasperated. ‘Faked. How?’
‘Apparently your boyfriend, who works at the shopping centre, helped us create a duplicate video tape the day before, which he then somehow switched with the live recording, so it would look like Noah was taken on Saturday, when in fact we’d killed him Friday night.’
‘I’ve heard everything now! Wait, my boyfriend?’
Julia was wild with exasperation. ‘Sure, the same guy who this week confessed to murdering the man who killed his own daughter several years ago.’
‘Antoine? They think Antoine is my boyfriend?’
‘That’s right, and he helped us create the video, and helped us bury Noah’s body, which is why he’s still in custody. They suggest he could be the man in the video, wearing a false beard and baseball cap.’
‘Antoine looks nothing like the guy in the video. He’s too tall for one thing, and his belly’s too big. The guy who took Noah is slimmer, and better built.’
‘You don’t need to tell me. I can’t believe they’ve been allowed to print such…such vile lies.’
‘Do you know what? I think it’s time to phone that PR woman who came here the other day. She said you needed someone to manage the press, and as much as I doubted her before, I think it’s time to hire her. She can’t do any worse than we’ve managed. Clearly, ignoring the press isn’t helping the search for Noah. Have you still got her number?’
‘I’ll find it.’
‘What’s our alleged motive for faking an abduction by the way?’
‘We’re narcissistic bitches who have done it to cash in. Do you remember that family in Yorkshire who did it? It turned out the missing girl was being hidden in her uncle’s house or something. They’re comparing us to them.’
Becky passed the phone back. ‘I feel sick.’
‘I’ve been saying the same thing all morning. Where’ve you been by the way? Did you get lucky last night or some-?’
‘No,’ she interrupted. ‘Nothing like that. I…I slept in the car. I just needed to get away from the hotel. I would have phoned but my battery died and I didn’t have a car charger.’
Julia seemed to accept the story, as she began to rummage through her case for Diane Turner’s business card. Becky plugged her mobile into its charger, before sitting back on the bed. She wanted to tell Julia about Owen and the phone call she’d overheard, but she didn’t know where to begin. Julia had already made her feelings about Owen clear, and wouldn’t appreciate Becky going behind her back to see him. On the other hand, Becky didn’t have any concrete proof that Owen’s call was anything other than innocent.
Becky remained where she was, watching Julia on the phone. Becky promised herself she would get hold of Durand before the end of the day and tell him about what she’d heard. He would probably laugh her out of his office, but he was the only person she could trust.
FORTY-THREE
Becky stifled a yawn, as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Lying in bed, watching television in a foreign language, was not conducive for staying alert. It would soon be time for dinner, and the thought of a proper meal for the first time that day brought a moment of light relief. All she’d eaten today was a slice of the toast Owen had brought her, and one of the chocolate bars she’d bought at the petrol station. She’d stashed the second chocolate bar under her clothes in one of the drawers. She was saving it for an emergency, though an energy boost now was a good idea.
Julia stepped out of the bathroom, and dropped her mobile on the bed. ‘That was Durand. He wants to meet us to provide an update.’
‘An update? You mean he has news?’
‘Not that he said. It’s probably just his way of justifying that he’s actually doing something on this investigation.’
‘Don’t be too hard on him, Jules. He’s under a huge amount of pressure, and I’m sure he’s doing his best.’
‘You’ve changed your tune.’
‘All I’m saying is, we shouldn’t judge him yet. You never know, he might have made a breakthrough, and that’s why he’s coming over.’
Julia shrugged. ‘Whatever. He’s coming over now. He said he’ll come in through the service entrance at the back of the hotel, to avoid the journalists seeing him. We’re to meet him in the hotel manager’s office. He’s been assured we won’t be disturbed.’
‘I see. I suppose I should get changed. I’m still in last night’s clothes.’
‘I’m not going to change just to meet him.’
Becky rolled off the bed, and headed for the small chest of drawers. ‘I’ll just change my top.’
Julia moved back to the bathroom and examined her reflection in the mirror. ‘Can you do me a favour: grab my shoes? They’re round my side of the bed.’
‘Sure. One second.’ Becky applied deodorant, before slipping the fresh top over her head. She walked around to Julia’s side of the bed, and bent down to pick up the shoes. ‘Hey, what’s this?’
Becky lifted the small parcel wrapped in newspaper.
Julia poked her head back through the door. ‘What’s what?’
Becky showed her the parcel. ‘This. It was on the floor behind your shoes.’
Julia’s brow furrowed. ‘I’ve never seen it before.’
Becky moved back to the centre of the room, turning the parcel over in her hands. ‘It feels like a DVD case or something.’
‘Is there a name or label on it? Maybe the last person to stay in the room left it behind. Maybe it’s a mislaid birthday present.’
‘Wrapped in newspaper? Do me a favour.’
‘Well what else could it be?’
‘I have no idea. Should we open it?’
‘Yeah, I guess…wait, it’s not ticking, is it?’
Becky lifted the parcel up to her ear, and the two stood in silence, straining to hear. ‘No, I can’t hear it ticking.’
‘Open it then.’
Becky thrust the parcel at Julia. ‘No. You open it. It was by your shoes.’
Julia rolled her eyes, and snatched the present, before tearing the newspaper off. ‘There you go. It’s a blank DVD case.’
‘There’s no cover on it. That’s odd. Is there anything inside?’
Julia opened the case. ‘There’s a disc inside. There’s something written on it.’ She held the open case up for Becky to see. ‘What does “Regardez!” mean?
Becky pulled the case from Julia’s fingers and stared at the silver disc. There was no label on the DVD, just the handwritten ‘Regardez!’ message. ‘You don’t think…’ Her words trailed
off as the realisation, of what she was holding, dawned on her. ‘Oh, Jesus. We need to show this to Durand.’
‘Durand? Why? You don’t think it’s…you think it’s from the kidnapper?’
‘What else could it be?’
‘Put it on then.’
‘Shouldn’t we wait for Durand?’
Julia snatched the case and removed the DVD from its container, trying her best not to leave her prints on the disc. She pushed it into the DVD player and changed the channel on the television. The screen went black for a few seconds, and then suddenly Noah’s giggling face filled the screen. Julia collapsed to the floor.
Noah was grinning at the camera, before turning his back and shuffling over to a large plastic box on the floor. He removed two toy cars from the box, held one in each hand, and then drove them over the wooden floor he was slouched on. The black screen returned before a message appeared on the screen in a bright red font.
‘What does it say?’ Julia asked.
The message was written in French. Instructions of some kind, but Becky couldn’t decipher more than half a dozen words. ‘It says if we want to see Noah again, we need to…something about Sunday…I don’t know. We need to show this to Durand straight away. What time did he say he’d be here?’
Julia didn’t answer. Her shoulders bobbed as she wept in a heap.
Becky ejected the disc, before carefully returning it to its case. ‘We need to figure out how long this has been here. I’ve been in the room with you since ten a.m., and neither of us have left, so it must have already been here when I got back this morning. What about last night? Did you go out anywhere? Did you go to the restaurant for dinner? Please, Jules, we need to figure this out. Now is not the time for emotions!’
Julia was surprised by her friend’s bluntness, but dried her eyes, and took breaths to calm down. She pushed herself from the floor, and perched on the edge of Becky’s bed. ‘I went to dinner around seven, I think, or just before. I was downstairs for about half an hour. I only ordered a burger and some chips, and then came back up here. That’s when I took my shoes off. There was no parcel under the bed then.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Certain. I remember when I sat to take my shoes off, I dropped a tissue, and had to bend down to pick it up. I would have seen the package then. There was nothing there, I swear.’
‘Okay. What about this morning? Did you go downstairs for breakfast?’
‘No. With you not being here when I woke, and with the tabloid running that story, I didn’t feel like I could leave the room. I called reception and they reluctantly agreed to bring me up some breakfast. I haven’t left the room since dinner.’
‘And you’re certain you didn’t see the parcel here? If you haven’t left the room, it must have been here when you got back.’
‘Well it wasn’t!’
‘Think, Jules. Are you sure you haven’t stepped out of the room? Not even to go for a walk, or to buy a drink from the bar?’
‘I haven’t been anywhere. After breakfast I was reading the newspapers on my phone, until you got back here. Wait…’
‘What?’
‘Before breakfast arrived…I had a shower…that’s the only time I wasn’t in the bedroom. I mean, I was still in the room, but I was in the bathroom, and the door was shut.’
‘The door was definitely shut?’
‘It has to be. There’s that warning message on the wall isn’t there? The steam from the shower can trigger the sensitive smoke detectors if the door is left open and the extractor fan isn’t on.’
‘How long were you in the shower for?’
‘I don’t know…ten minutes, maybe?’
‘And you don’t remember hearing anyone come in or leave the room?’
‘Of course I don’t. Don’t you think I’d have said?’
‘Even so, it’s possible that someone could have come into the room while you were showering and left the package. That’s the only way to explain it, unless it’s been here for several days and we just haven’t noticed it.’
‘Oh God, Bex. You’re saying someone has been in our room. Uh, I feel sick.’
‘Did the cleaner come into the room at any point? You know, to change the towels or to make the beds?’
‘No. I had the “Do Not Disturb” sign hung on the door. Nobody else has stepped foot in here today, at least nobody that I know of.’
‘I think we should go and wait for Durand in the manager’s office. Maybe we can also ask if they can move us to a different room. I don’t feel safe in here anymore.’
‘Nor me.’
They left the room, locking the door in the process. Durand was sitting behind the manager’s desk when they arrived.
‘The kidnapper has made contact,’ Becky said.
‘Yes, this is why I am here.’
‘What? You know already?’
‘Bien sur…of course I know. It is my investigation. How did you know?’
Becky dropped the DVD case on the desk. ‘Because we just found it. How did you know about the DVD?’
Durand frowned. ‘I don’t know anything about a DVD. I do not understand. What is this?’
‘It’s a message from the kidnapper. It shows Noah alive and playing with toys, and then there is a message in French at the end. What are you talking about?’
Durand passed her a thin plastic wallet. ‘This letter was sent to the gendarmerie this morning. This is a photocopy of the letter.’
Becky turned the wallet over. Inside was an A4 piece of paper with letters, cut from newspapers and magazines stuck to it spelling a message. ‘It’s in English.’
‘Oui. It is a ransom, demanding money for the safe return of the boy.’
‘I don’t understand. The message at the end of the DVD is in French. I couldn’t translate it, but it said something about needing to do something on Sunday.’
Becky passed Julia the note Durand had brought. ‘Two ransom notes: that doesn’t make sense. Why would the kidnapper contact us twice? And in two different ways.’
Julia returned the wallet to Durand. ‘Also, why would he send the English letter to the French-speakers, and the French message to the English-speakers? That’s weird, right, Durand?’
He rubbed the stubble on his chin. ‘I cannot explain it. I will have my men examine this DVD, and find its origin. Maybe this is the breakthrough we have been waiting for.’
‘What about the letter?’
‘We are processing the letter for DNA and to identify which journals were used to create the message. I think maybe one of these messages is fake, and now we need to discover which is real, and who is trying to disrupt the investigation.’
FORTY-FOUR
DAY SEVEN
Becky grabbed the door handle. ‘I’m going to get some breakfast. Are you coming down, or do you want me to bring you something up?’
Julia poked her head around the bathroom door. ‘I still need to wash and get dressed before we head out. I can’t believe I slept in on today of all days. Doubt I’ll have time to eat. I’ll just have to get something when we get there.’
‘Don’t be silly, Jules. You’re wasting away as it is. I’ll grab you a pastry or something. You can always eat it in the car on the way over.’
‘You’re a star. Thank you. God, why do I feel so nervous about today?’
‘Uh, probably because we’re going back to the place we’ve been having nightmares about for the past week. I feel nauseous too.’
‘Thank God it’s not just me. Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean I’m glad…you know what I mean.’
‘Relax, Jules. It’s going to be a tough day today. Try and stay as calm as you can. I’ll get breakfast and meet you in reception in twenty minutes. Is that enough time?’
‘Twenty minutes? Perfect.’
‘Don’t forget to barricade the door once I close it.’
After learning that the kidnapper had left the DVD in their room, they’d asked the hotel manager if they could be
moved, but he’d apologised and said there were no vacant rooms; the hotel was fully booked. Durand had demanded to know how the kidnapper could have got into their room. The manager had been speechless. He’d checked and all the spare keys were accounted for, so there was no way it could have happened. Julia had said she didn’t want to return to the room, but Durand had convinced them they would be okay, if they balanced one of the room’s chairs beneath the door handle. He’d demonstrated how effective it was at preventing the door from opening. They’d propped the chair under the handle last night, and had been relieved to find it undisturbed when they’d woken earlier.
‘If I barricade the door, how will you get back in if you need something?’
‘I won’t need anything.’
‘But what if you do?’
‘Then I’ll bang on the door until you open it. Okay? I’m going now.’
Becky waited outside the door until she heard the chair being pressed against it. Satisfied, she walked along the corridor and down the single flight of stairs to the reception area. She nearly fainted when she saw who was waiting for her by the front desk.
‘Caleb. I don’t…I mean, I can’t…what are you doing here?’
He smiled warmly and opened his arms wide for her. ‘Come here and give me a hug.’
She nervously stepped forward, and allowed him to embrace her. She was certain he would be able to read her mind. What if he smelled Owen on her?
She peeled herself away from him, and stared up into his deep brown eyes. ‘I don’t understand what you’re doing here.’
He smiled sheepishly. ‘I’ve come to apologise.’
‘Apologise? For what?’
‘I was insensitive when we spoke on Sunday. You were right to stay here and support your friend. What I said was…it doesn’t matter. What matters is I know I should have supported your decision, rather than criticising you. I’m sorry.’
‘You’ve changed your tune. Have you had a lobotomy since we spoke?’
He covered his heart with his hand, feigning injury. ‘Let’s just say, I’m lucky to have friends who aren’t afraid to show me the folly of my ways.’
Then He Was Gone Page 18
