by M A Comley
He threw his hands in the air. “Don’t know or don’t care? Just as long as Daddy keeps bringing home the money, that’s all you’re concerned about, right?”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “No. It’s not like that at all.”
“Save it! Like I give a damn.” He walked into the hallway, called directory enquiries to obtain the information, then rang the number. “Put me through to Mr. Baldwin.”
“I’m afraid he’s in a very important meeting right now and can’t be disturbed,” the man’s officious secretary informed him abruptly.
“Oh, is that right? Give him this message: either he comes to the phone now, or I’ll send his daughter to him piece by piece every day over the next week. Got that?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt her. I’m going to see him now. I’ll make sure he takes your call.”
“Stop prattling, woman, and get on with it!”
The phone clattered on the desk, and he heard the woman’s footsteps walk across the floor in an echoing room. Her footsteps on her return journey had turned into an excitable trot. Breathlessly, she said, “I’m putting you through now.”
“Good.” He waited for the man to speak before he said anything else.
“Hello, this is John Baldwin.”
“You’ll be glad you took this call, Baldwin. It’s obvious who I am. I need five million pounds in cash. Either you get that money to me within forty-eight hours, or you can say farewell to your daughter.”
“How do I know you have Vicki? You could be any Tom, Dick, or Harry ringing up after I put out that reward on the TV.”
“What? Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
“No, sorry, I didn’t mean to cause any offence. I gave my reason for asking the question.”
“So, we seem to be at a bit of an impasse in that case, Mr. Baldwin. How do you suggest we move on from here? Do you want me to start sending your daughter back to you via the post? Because I will.”
“No. Please, I just want to hear her voice. Proof of life is all that I’m asking for.”
He exhaled a large breath, ensuring that the man was aware how annoyed he was before he walked back into the living room and placed the phone in front of the girl. “Daddy wants to speak to you. Watch what you tell him, all right?”
Her head bobbed up and down. “Daddy, it’s me. Help me. Do as he says, please.”
Myers snatched the phone away from the tearful teenager before she had the chance to say anything else. “There, you got what you wanted. Now, are you going to reciprocate?”
“Yes, of course. We want our daughter back, unharmed. However, I can’t raise the funds in that time.”
“That’s not what I want to hear, Baldwin. If you value her life, you’ll do everything you can to ensure the cash is ready for me within the time frame. If not, then you know what’s going to happen.”
“No, wait. I will get the money. Please, you don’t have to make such threats. I’ll have a word with my bosses, see if they can lend me the money.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck how you get the money—just get it. Oh, and one last thing—if you go to the police about this, I will kill her. Got that?”
“I understand. No police. They are aware that she has been kidnapped, so they’re bound to keep us up to date with the case now and then, but I swear I won’t tell them about our arrangement.”
“Make sure you don’t. I’m pretty handy with the knife. My father used to take me hunting as a kid. I’ve skinned dozens of rabbits and other vermin, if you get my drift.”
“I do. Please, don’t hurt Vicki. She’s all we’ve got. She means the world—”
Tired of the man’s pleading voice, Myers disconnected the call. “Looks like Daddy has a lot of work ahead of him. If he underestimates me, he’ll be sorry, and so will you.”
“If he says he’ll get you the money, he will,” Vicki replied, her voice shaking.
Myers laughed. “He better. Or your days on this earth are numbered, girlie.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“I’m going out to see the Baldwins. They should hear about their daughter’s involvement in the hold-up before the media get wind of it. Do you want to come with me, Pitt?”
“Why not?”
They left the station in Hero’s car and drove through the mid-afternoon traffic out to the Baldwins’ Chorlton home. Hero was relieved to see Mr. Baldwin’s car sitting alongside his wife’s in the driveway. He hadn’t relished the thought of broaching the subject about the hold-up with just the wife being present.
Hero and Pitt nervously brushed themselves down on the doorstep as they waited for the door to open.
Mr. Baldwin looked shocked to see them. “Have you found her?”
Hero smiled and shook his head. “No. Do you mind if we come in? We do have some information that we’re keen to share with you. This is a colleague of mine who has been drafted in to help with the case, DI Pitt from the Liverpool force.”
Baldwin nodded and turned his back on them. With his shoulders slumped, he walked through the hallway and into the lounge, where a sorrowful-looking Mrs. Baldwin was sitting in a leather armchair. It was obvious by the redness around her eyes that she’d been crying.
“Hello, Mrs. Baldwin. We’ve dropped by to give you an update on your daughter’s case. I take it the kidnapper hasn’t been in touch with either of you?”
Mrs. Baldwin, her hands twisting a handkerchief in her lap, glanced up at her husband.
He stared straight at Hero and shook his head. “No. We’ve been anxiously waiting to hear an update from you.”
“It’s not good news, I’m afraid.”
The parents gasped.
“Sorry… let me rephrase that. A call came in to us this morning regarding a hold-up in one of the shops in the Swinton precinct.”
Mr. Baldwin’s brow furrowed. “I’m not following you, Inspector.”
Hero fidgeted, fearing what the couple’s reaction was going to be to the news. “When we arrived at the scene, the shopkeeper was still very traumatised by the event. She showed us the CCTV footage of the offender. Sorry to have to tell you this, but it was Vicki.”
“What? Are you out of your mind? My daughter would never, ever do such a deplorable thing—not of her own free will,” Mr. Baldwin insisted. He began to pace the floor in front of the marble fireplace, avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the room.
Mrs. Baldwin, on the other hand, began sobbing and buried her head in her hands. Hero thought it strange that it was Pitt who crossed the floor to comfort her, not her husband.
“Can I get you a glass of water?” Pitt asked the woman.
She blew her nose on her hanky. “No. I’m fine. Thank you.”
Pitt returned to Hero’s side. Her husband continued to pace the floor instead of bombarding them with questions as any other parent in his situation might, which raised Hero’s suspicions.
“We believe your daughter probably carried out the crime under duress. Does she have any firearm training?”
Mr. Baldwin stopped mid-stride. He turned to face Hero and looked him directly in the eye for the first time in five minutes. “No. What are you asking that for?”
“Because your daughter held up the shop, brandishing a gun.”
Mrs. Baldwin started sobbing again and whispered something under her breath that Hero didn’t quite catch. Mr. Baldwin swiftly moved towards her and knelt in front of her. He gathered her in his arms, whispered something in his wife’s ear, then released her. Mrs. Baldwin dabbed at her eyes and nodded at her husband, but said nothing.
Although the scene tugged at Hero’s heartstrings, he felt their reactions weren’t matching up to how a couple in their circumstances should be behaving. He cleared his throat, hoping to shift the slight lump that had formed there. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell us?”
Mr. Baldwin stood up and placed his forearm across the mantelpiece. “No. We have nothing to offer you, Inspector. Is that al
l?”
“At the moment, yes. We thought we’d share the news with you before we hold another press conference. I’m sorry, but we will be posting a picture of your daughter on the media channels.”
“So you intend telling the general public that my daughter is a common thief? Why? What do you hope to achieve from tarnishing her good name in that way?”
“We won’t be putting it in quite the same way as that, Mr. Baldwin. If we put your daughter’s picture on the screen, it might encourage someone who has seen her recently to get in touch.”
“I’m not understanding your logic, Inspector. Are you forgetting about the appeal we just held offering the reward?”
“No, I’m not. In my experience, it’s good to keep your daughter’s face in circulation through the media.”
“I agree, but you’ll be making her out to be a criminal. Yes, she might have committed the crime; however, the man holding her captive was behind this. You have to find him before he…”
“Before he what, Mr. Baldwin?”
“Before he gets her involved in something far more dangerous. What if that shopkeeper had been armed and my daughter had been killed? What then?”
“For a start, it would be illegal for any shopkeeper to be armed and to use an offensive weapon, even during a raid.”
“It might be illegal, but are you telling me that you check what’s hidden under every shopkeeper’s counter?”
“No. That would be impossible. Mr. Baldwin, are you sure the kidnapper hasn’t made contact with you?”
“Damn sure,” he snapped back, a little too quickly for Hero’s liking.
Hero smiled tautly. “In that case, we better hit the road. Please let us know if the kidnapper makes any form of contact with you, and we’ll do the same if anything else arises concerning your daughter.”
Mr. Baldwin walked past Hero and led the two detectives to the front door. “Thank you, Inspector. Please do everything you can to find Vicki. As you can see, my wife is struggling without our daughter being around.”
“I can assure you, finding your daughter remains our top priority,” Hero stated, trying to look deep into Baldwin’s eyes. The man shifted uncomfortably before he closed the door.
“What do you make of that?” Hero asked Pitt once they were a few feet away from the house.
“Very strange. ‘Shifty behaviour’, some might call it.”
“My sentiments exactly. It’s obvious the couple have heard from the kidnapper. Maybe he’s threatened to kill the girl if either of them speaks to us.”
“It’s not uncommon. The question is how do we deal with the situation? Put a tail on them?”
They got in the car before Hero replied, “Yep, I think we should. It’ll only be for a short time. I reckon the kidnapper has possibly given them either twenty-four or forty-eight hours to get the money together for the switch, and I’m hazarding a guess that the kidnapper has asked for a vast sum, maybe more than they can get their hands on at short notice. That’s why they were both acting as if the situation was out of their hands. If only they would confide in us.”
“Be reasonable, Nelson. If you were in their shoes, wouldn’t you do as the kidnapper instructed?”
“I suppose so. Let’s hope I’m never put in that situation.”
“It’s getting late now. It’s been a very long day. Why don’t we call it a day and discuss this further in the morning?”
“You’re right. Although I am going to arrange surveillance before I go home. The proposed switch could be imminent. I’d hate for things to kick off while we’re not around.”
“That’s true, and the likelihood of any switch taking place at night rather than in the daylight hours has to be pretty high.”
As they drove back to the station, each man remained quiet. Once they were back at the station, Hero surveyed his team. It wouldn’t have been fair to ask Jason to work two night shifts on the trot, so he walked up to Lance instead. “Do you fancy pulling an all-nighter, Lance?”
The man looked stunned at the suggestion. “Sir?”
“I need a surveillance team to keep an eye on the Baldwins’ house. We think the kidnapper has made contact and warned them not to tell us. Most probably a switch will take place in the next day or so—pure conjecture on my part.”
“Ah, I see. Of course I’ll do it, if that’s what you want, boss. Alone?”
Hero looked around at his other options. Asking Sally to tag along wouldn’t have been fair, given her condition, and Julie seemed to be struggling dealing with her grief.
Pitt tapped Hero on the shoulder. “I’m sure one of my lads would be up for it, if you want me to ask. They’ll only be twiddling their thumbs at the B&B anyway.”
“Would that be all right with you, Lance?”
“I’d rather have some company, boss, if only to give me a nudge now and again if I drop off. It’s been a long day for all of us.”
“I know. I appreciate you accepting this mission.” Hero patted him on the shoulder and waited for Pitt to rejoin them after having a discussion with his team.
“All sorted. French said he’s up for it.”
“Excellent news. Ring me at home if Mr. Baldwin leaves the house, even if it’s three or four in the morning, okay?”
Lance frowned. “Would something like this really go down at that time of night, sir?”
“More likely to be at night, if you ask me.”
French joined them, and Hero ran through what was expected of the two men before dismissing the teams for the night. On his way home, he slowed down outside his local, but put his foot back down on the accelerator immediately after, and pulled into his drive within a few minutes.
Fay looked surprised to see him home at such a reasonable hour. “I thought you and the guys would be calling in at the pub to give the boys a good send-off.”
“No. To be honest, it wasn’t even suggested. It’s been a very tough day for everyone. I think all they wanted to do was go home and be with their loved ones, like me.” He gave her a long kiss.
“Aww… Dad, do you have to in front of the girls?” Louie complained, trying to prise them apart.
Hero smiled at Fay then dropped to his knee to speak to his adopted son. “And what’s wrong with showing your mother how much I love her?”
Louie looked up at his mum. “Like Mum always says, there’s a time and a place for that type of thing.”
“What’s with the prudish attitude?”
Louie frowned. “Prudish? I’ve not come across that word before, Daddy.”
Hero laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you that one, considering your age. We’ve always taught you how important it is to show how much you care about someone, haven’t we, son?”
“I suppose so. Maybe try just pecking Mum on the cheek next time, not a full-on down-and-dirty kiss.”
Hero ruffled the boy’s hair. “You say the funniest things at times, munchkin.”
Fay laughed and hugged her son. “Come on, dinner’s nearly ready. Who’s hungry?”
The three children all raised their hands and rushed towards the kitchen.
“Umm… there’s a procedure you follow before eating, young man and ladies. Upstairs with me.” Hero couldn’t wait to get out of his uniform and into his sweatpants and a T-shirt. He wondered how he would have spent his evening if he’d been single, and it didn’t take him long to figure out that he would have probably been drowning his sorrows while propping up the bar down at the Red Bull. He was so pleased he had a loving family to come home to and was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness for those who weren’t so privileged. Thoughts of the Baldwins going through their nightmare also entered his mind, but there was very little he could do about that unless they backed down and specifically asked for his help.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Myers woke up the two kids at seven the next morning. He untied them separately and escorted each of them to the bathroom, then he placed Dale and Vicki at the table while he prepared bacon sandwic
hes and coffee.
“I’ve got a little job for you to do together today. It’s not open for discussion, either. Have your breakfast. You’ll need to keep your strength up for this one. Then I’ll run through what I’m expecting from you both.”
The teenagers glanced at each other and shrugged. He saw the exchange in the reflection on the chrome kettle. He was expecting the kids to kick up a stink when they found out what was expected of them.
He completed preparing the breakfast and placed it in front of the teens, who both tore into their sandwiches as if they hadn’t eaten for a week. Once they’d all finished, he sat back in his chair and twisted his cup on the table as he spoke. “I’ve already hinted at what’s in store for you two today. If you pull this one off, you have my word that I’ll set you free.” He glanced up to see two sets of widened eyes staring at him.
“What do you want us to do?” Vicki asked tentatively.
“This is what I’m expecting of you: you need to rob a jeweller’s on the high street. I’ll supply the weapons, as usual.”
Both teenagers swallowed, but neither of them challenged him.
“We’ll set off at nine, give the shop a chance to set up and open their doors. It should be nice and quiet around then. I’ll give you each a gun. The first thing you need to tell the manager and his assistants is that if they attempt to raise the alarm, you’ll kill them all. You need to strike the fear of God into them, have a hold over them. You’ll know how that feels, right?” He laughed as the youngsters glared at him with hatred filling their eyes.
“What if we get caught? What will happen to our families?” Vicki asked quietly.
“It’s in your best interest—and your families’, of course—for that not to happen. You’re both capable of pulling this off.”
“What do you want us to do once we’re inside the jeweller’s?” Dale asked.
“Doh! Rob the place. That has to be the dumbest thing you’ve asked, boy!”
