Chapter thirty eight
All four people in the room looked to Morley for guidance, what was their next step? Eva was elated, finally she knew who had abducted her sister and what had happened to her. More importantly she now knew where she was being held. Morley spoke first, looking directly at Anna he said. “Are you absolutely certain that is where Jane is?”
Anna returned his look and nodded. “I am certain.” The conviction and certainty showed clearly in her voice and in her face. No one in the room doubted for one moment that she might be mistaken. David was the only person who had harboured doubt during the entire session but even he could see that Anna was telling the truth.
“What do we do now?” Eva asked, she was energised. If she would have bolted out of there like a greyhound out of a trap if she could but she contained her urges. She just wanted to jump on a plane and go get her sister.
Morley was thoughtful for a moment and said. “I’ll have to contact the French authorities and ask for their assistance. I can't just go and arrest Kingston in France.”
“How long will that take?” Eva asked
“A couple of days.” He said thoughtfully.
“A couple of days.” Eva and Anna chorused together. “I'm not waiting a couple of days. You heard what Anna said.”
“I'm afraid she's right. Jane looked to be in very bad shape. I don't think we can afford to wait a few hours let alone a few days.” Anna said.
“It’s not my call. I have to follow procedures. I can't just arrest someone in a foreign country. I have to inform the French authorities and then there's the paperwork. It takes time.”
“Well I not waiting. I don't have to follow French rules. I'm getting my sister.” Eva was determined. “Ian often hires a jet for work, we can fly over and get her.” She took out her phone and dialled Ian's number.”
“I can't allow you to do that.” Morley said sternly
“You can't stop me.” Eva said still holding the phone to her ear waiting for Ian to pick up.
“I can arrest you.”
“Then you'll have to arrest me.”
“And me” Anna said
“And me” Cara added
“Keep out of this Cara. It’s nothing to do with you.” He said looking crossly at his sister.
Eva got through to Ian and she left the room to explain to him what had just happened.
Anna was stuck in the middle. She didn't want to go against Morley but she knew Eva was right. Jane didn't have much time. They had to get her away from Kingston as soon as possible. He might kill her at any moment.
“Gary.” Anna said quietly but with conviction. “If we don't go for her immediately, we might not find her alive. Remember what Simi said to me. We have to go now.” There were tears forming in her eyes as she pleaded with Morley.
“Who's Simi?” Cara asked.
“She was murdered by Kingston a few days ago. Her spirit came to me to warn me about Jane. She told me that Jane didn't have much time.” Anna said
“Wow, really. Jesus Gary cop on and help them. What's wrong with you? That woman could die.” Cara was animated now and clearly annoyed with her brother.
Eva returned. “It’s sorted. Ian is organising the jet. Will you come with us Anna?” She begged clutching Anna's hands.
“Try and stop me.” Anna said determined now. She was going to see this through, no matter what Morley said.
Eva turned back to Morley. “Please help us. I'm begging you.” The tears in her eyes and the anguish on her face was more than he could bear. He thought of his own sisters, if it was one of them what would he do? He knew the answer to that without even having to think about it.
“Fine, I'll help but we do it my way.”
“Thank you” Eva said softly. Cara squealed with delight and Anna looked relieved. David was the only one who hadn't contributed to this discussion but he too looked relieved. He sensed the urgency of the situation.
“So what happens now?” Cara asked.
“Nothing, you stay here.” Morley said
“What, no I want to go.” Cara said
“It’s not a holiday we're going on.” Morley said crossly. “You stay here.”
“I think he's right” David interjected. “You really have no business going. Cara looked at Anna and Eva for support. But they both shook their heads.
“We must hurry, Ian said to meet him at City airport as soon as possible.” Eva said. They followed her out of the building and they hailed a taxi to the airport. Ian was waiting for them the jet was almost ready for departure.
“What about passports?” Morley said as they went to the terminal building to check in.
“I have mine” Anna said tapping her purse.
“I have mine and yours Eva. Andrew found it for me.” Ian said pulling both out of an inside pocket.
“I don't have mine.” Morley said
“Can you get someone to drop it here for you? We don't leave for another hour or so.” Ian said.
“I suppose I could get someone at the station to collect it for me. I’ll just make a call.” Morley left. When he returned he looked troubled but said nothing.
“Well?” Anna asked anxiously
“It’s sorted. Got a friend to collect it for me. Told him hurry, to use the blues and twos.” Morley said.
An hour and a half later they were high in the skies flying to France. “I have a car waiting at the airport to drive us the rest of the way.” Ian said to Morley. “It’s up to you from there. They landed at a small provincial airport and were quickly through customs and on their way to Harfleur. The driver had typed in the address and was barrelling down the roads as fast as he dared. Ten minutes from their destination they had to stop.
A black four x four was being hoisted onto the back of a recovery truck. Anna noticed the British plates on it and gasped.
“What's wrong Anna?” Eva asked alarmed
“That's Kingston's Land Rover.” She said pointing out the window.
“Are you sure?” Eva asked. “Does that mean....Oh no Jane...?” She tumbled out of the door and ran to the truck followed closely by Ian, Anna and Morley. She was shouting at the truck driver. He stopped what he was doing and looked with bewilderment at the woman shouting in English at him.
Ian took over explaining to the man in French that he knew the driver of the vehicle and asking him what had happened to him.
“Ask him to check in the space behind the driver’s seat.” Anna said clutching Ian's arm. That's where he hid Jane. Ian didn't bother asking, he jumped up and tore the back door open and lifted the lid to the concealed space. “It's empty.” He shouted, relief flooding through him. The French driver was shouting up at him. Ian jumped down and began to question the man carefully. They all waited impatiently for Ian to finish. When he finally allowed the man to leave he came back to them with a very worried look on his face.
“He said there was a female driver and she had to be cut out and she was taken to hospital by ambulance.”
“Is she alive?” Eva asked fearfully
“He thinks so but he said she was badly hurt. He said the police were here and told him to take the vehicle to their compound.
“What hospital is she at?” Eva demanded.
“Charles Nicolle in Rouen. Come on lets go.” He said. They all jumped back into the car and driving at speed they reached the hospital in Rouen within forty five minutes.
They jumped out of the car at the main entrance leaving the driver to park it. Ian was first through the main doors and quickly dashed up to the information desk. The others were hot on his heels and waited patiently while he enquired about Jane. The receptionist said something in French and he turned to them looking relieved.
“She said the woman that was brought in is alive and she has paged a doctor to talk to us.”
They were waiting in the reception area for a few moments before the doctor appeared. Eva and Ian paced up and down the corridor. Finally after what seemed like hour
s a woman in a white coat with a stethoscope around her neck approached them.
“Good evening, you were enquiring about our crash victim. I'm Doctor Polter. Are you relatives of hers.” The woman said in English.
“I'm her sister and this is her husband.” Eva said indicating to Ian.
“Her husband?” The doctor said confused. “Are you sure we are speaking of the same person?”
“Jane Turner. She's my sister. This is her husband Ian Turner.” Eva said. She was beginning to wonder if the woman taken from the vehicle was indeed her sister.
“I'm afraid there must be some mistake. It’s a Mrs Jane Kingston that I have down here. Her husband is with her now. Dr. Polter answered
“He's not married to her.” Anna blurted. Her blood froze in her veins. She understood immediately what was happening.
“He's not her husband. I am.” Ian shouted suddenly grasping the significance of Anna's statement. And registering the name.
“Where is she? He kidnapped her, she's been missing for weeks now. Where is she...Please, before he hurts her?”
“I don't understand. Are you certain it’s the same woman?” the doctor asked. Morley interrupted her and showed her his warrant card.
“I'm DI Morley I'm a British police officer. I can verify everything. Please take us to her before it’s too late.
Dr Polter studied them all for a brief moment, then realising the deep anxiety they all had, sprang into action. She ran down the corridor and into the lift. On the second floor she burst through double glass doors and swiped her card. The door opened and she pushed in through the second door on the right. “Thank god” she breathed softly. The woman in the bed was alive and still hooked up to the respirator. “Is this your sister?” She asked Eva, who had burst into the room behind her.
“Eva stopped and stared then nodded dumbly. The woman in the bed was barely recognisable as her sister. “That's Jane.” She whispered and she rushed to the bed and crouched beside the thin battered creature lying there with tubes sticking out everywhere. Ian was right beside her his arm around her shoulder. The mixture of relief and elation that had overcome him as soon as he saw her was now replaced with tremendous feelings of anger. Anger that anyone could have hurt and mistreated her so much that she landed in a hospital bed. He wanted to kill Kingston, to put him in a hospital bed.
“I'm afraid she's only allowed one visitor.” Dr Polter said suddenly realising that the room was full of people.
“Please can we just stay for a few moments?” Eva begged grasping her sister's bruised hand.
“Come on, we can wait outside.” Morley said shepherding Anna out in front of him.
Dr. Polter relented and allowed Eva and Ian to stay with Jane. She followed Morley outside and closed the door quietly behind her. “What's going on, I’ll have to inform the French police.” She demanded looking from Morley to Anna.
“It’s a long story but yes you must ring the police. The man that claimed to be her husband is wanted in the UK for murder, kidnapping and child abduction. He mustn't be allowed to get away.”
Dr Polter didn’t hesitate for a moment she went to the nurse’s station and issued orders in French to the nurse on duty. She picked up the phone and began talking excitedly into it.
Dr. Polter returned. “The police have been informed. You should all stay to explain it to them. You can wait in here”. She showed them into a small waiting room. “I've informed hospital security and they are going to search the hospital in case Mr Kingston is still here.”
“I doubt it.” Morley said. “He’s probably long gone by now.
Chapter thirty nine
He was indeed long gone. He had seen them enter the hospital and knew that he should make his getaway before he was seen. When Jane had hit him with the pan she had knocked him out cold. With the effects of the wine and the sleeping tablets combined, he had been out for almost three hours. The tablets themselves hadn't had too much of an effect on him, he was long since immune to their effects. He had been a chronic insomniac for years and after a while even the strongest sleeping tablets lost their potency. The blow to his head had done a lot more damage. His head was throbbing violently, he felt like he had done a few rounds with Mike Tyson. He pulled himself up onto a chair and sat like that for a while waiting for the dizziness to pass. He then staggered to the first aid kit hanging on the wall and opening it emptied the contents on the floor. Finding a packet of Nurofen he swallowed four and washed them down with a glass of wine, it was the closest liquid to hand and his mouth was so dry any drink was welcome. Within twenty minutes he was beginning to feel much better. His headache had subsided to a faint throb. He was seething with anger, he had been so sure that Jane had finally come to her senses and he had allowed his guard to drop. He felt such a fool and this feeling made him madder than ever. He knew it was time to leave, she had probably gone to the police by now and they would be along soon looking for him. He rushed upstairs and hastily threw a few things into his small holdall. He retrieved his wallet, and his passport. He didn't bother to pack any clothes, he intended to travel light he intended to buy anything else he needed as he went. He looked at his watch, it had been hours since Jane had betrayed him and left him lying in the kitchen floor. He wondered why the police hadn't been yet. Maybe they didn't believe her, he thought savagely. He saw headlights approaching up the lane and he quickly switched off the bedroom light and grabbed his holdall. He hurried down the stairs and out the back door. He crouched out of sight behind the garage and waited. He had been expecting the police but instead it was Monsieur Coutoux in his battered little car. He watched as the old man knocked on the front door. He was frantically calling Mr Kingston’s name and the knocking turned to pounding. He decided to leave his hiding place, curiosity had gotten the better of him. He crept back in the back door and raced through to the front door. Pretending to look alarmed, he opened the door and Monsieur Coutoux began babbling excitedly in French.
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