“Just be careful,” her mother said.
Beatrice rolled her eyes. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. What could I possibly do that would be dangerous?”
“Well ... don’t go far.”
Beatrice hurried towards the exit sign.
The two parents watched as their daughter pushed through the swing doors. “Don’t you think she spends too much time on that damned phone?” Sophie asked, turning back to Dan.
“I suppose. It’s almost as if kids these days prefer to tap things into a keyboard than use their voices. Anyway, changing the subject, it was good of Rachel to agree to see you tomorrow, Annalise.”
“You didn’t really give her a choice, Dad,” Annalise replied. “Once you told her that my memories were vital to the police investigation, what else could she say?”
“It’s true, though, isn’t it?”
“Possibly. It all depends on whether what Mark said back then sheds any light on what’s going on now. I want to ask him a few questions myself, like why he lied about who was driving the car.”
Dan took a sip from his pint. “I’m guessing DCI Davies will be having that conversation with him if he hasn’t already done so. You’ve got to admit it’s a relief learning you weren’t behind the wheel.”
“I can’t believe he’d make it up. I really hope the memories come back at the next session.”
The three remaining members of the family lapsed into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Dan set his empty glass on the table. “Does anybody want anything else to drink?”
Both mother and daughter shook their heads.
“Well, I think I’ll head off to bed. It looks like tomorrow will be another long day.”
“I’m going to check on Beatrice,” Sophie said as they passed the reception desk. She headed towards the revolving door leading outside.
Dan strolled across to one of the wooden chairs lining the hallway. “I’ll wait for you here.”
Annalise sat beside him. “What time are we having breakfast?”
“We need to leave before eight thirty, so I’d say between seven thirty and eight. That’ll give us long enough to pack our bags and check out.”
“Right. I’m going up to my room. See you tomorrow.”
She was halfway up the first flight of stairs when her mother’s strained voice carried up from the foyer. “I can’t find her. I looked all around the front of the building, and she’s definitely not there.”
Annalise halted. With a sigh, she turned and retraced her steps.
“She’s probably just gone to bed,” Dan said. “Why don’t you call her?”
“I haven’t got my mobile on me. What about yours?”
“Mine’s in my room.”
Annalise reached for her back pocket. “I’ll do it.” The ringtone sounded for several seconds then switched to voicemail. The first flicker of concern twisted her stomach. “She’s not answering. I’ll try again.” She jabbed the green phone icon and waited impatiently for the connection. Once again, there was no reply. “Hey, Sis, if you get this, give me a call.”
Sophie jogged towards the reception area. A woman in her early twenties sat behind the desk. She was speaking to a balding, middle-aged man. As she did so, she twiddled a pen between her fingers.
“Excuse me. Did you see a girl of seventeen go outside a few minutes ago?” Sophie asked.
The receptionist frowned. “I will be with you in a minute, Madam.” She spoke with a slight French accent.
“No, you don’t understand. My daughter’s missing. Could you call her room, please?”
The man shrugged. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“What is the number, Madam?”
“I’ve no idea,” Sophie said, her voice faltering. “She’s in room two one three, though.”
The woman pursed her lips. “That is what I asked, Madam.” She picked up the phone handset and poked a manicured fingernail at the keypad. Several seconds passed. “No, I am sorry, Madam. There is no reply.”
Sophie held her hand to her mouth. “Are you sure you didn’t see her going outside?”
“I do not know; people go in and out all day. I cannot remember them all.”
The man spoke. “Actually, a girl went by a moment ago. What was she wearing?”
“Um ... it was a chequered short-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans. She’s seventeen with shoulder length, mousy-coloured hair.”
“Yeah, I think I saw her go outside. She was so busy looking at her screen, she nearly bumped into me.”
“That sounds like my daughter. Which way did she go?”
“She pushed through the rotating door. I didn’t see where she went after that.”
Sophie ran across the foyer and shoved the brass bar to speed up the heavy mechanism. Dan and Annalise followed two paces behind. They emerged into the cool, clear evening to discover Sophie frantically scanning the drive that passed in front of the building.
“We’ll go this way, you search that way,” Dan said, turning to the right. He jogged along the curved roadway without waiting for a reply. When he had covered a hundred yards, he stopped with his hands on his hips and waited for Annalise to catch up. They were far enough away from the hotel frontage that the light streaming through the uncurtained windows provided barely any illumination.
“It’s too dark to see anything out here. Why don’t you try calling her again?”
Annalise unlocked the screen and selected her sister’s number from the address book. “Still no reply.”
Dan cocked his head to one side. “Do that again. I thought I heard something.”
Annalise repeated the process, this time holding her finger over the speaker as she did so. The opening bars of the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars carried faintly on the breeze. She swivelled on the spot, trying to identify the bearing. When the voicemail message played, she hit the disconnect button. “That’s definitely her phone, but I can’t see it.” The distinctive melody was Beatrice’s attempt at humour when she had been customising the ring tones for each member of the family. “Could you tell where it was coming from?”
Dan pointed in the direction of the crescent moon, hanging low in the night sky. “I think it was from over there. Give it another go.”
Annalise hit the call icon. The dramatic strains of the brass section rose faintly from the distance. A sliver of light caught her attention. “There it is.” She jogged twenty yards along the road, the sound getting louder with every step. Out of breath, she snatched up the handset, which had been lying face down on the grass. The strident tones increased dramatically in volume then fell silent once more.
Dan stood beside her and stared at the smooth slab of plastic and glass. “Why would she drop it here?”
Annalise turned the phone over in her hand. As she did so, her fingers brushed a button on the side. The display flashed into life, requesting an unlock code. Below the on-screen keypad, a white text box displayed the last notifications. She gasped in shock as her eyes scanned the words.
Mark Webber 09:21 pm
I’m here. See you outside.
Chapter 44
“Call the police,” Dan said, the pallor of his skin apparent even in the dim moonlight.
Annalise stared down at the smooth, black device. The display had turned off, hiding the message from her former boyfriend. “I don’t know the code.”
“Use your own. I’ll keep hold of that one.”
“Oh, right.”
Dan held out a hand and accepted Beatrice’s mobile. He clicked the button on the side and studied the words once again.
Annalise pulled the phone from her back pocket and unlocked the screen with trembling fingers. She stabbed out the three digits for the emergency services. “What do I say?”
“I’ll talk to them.”
Dan spoke for several minutes, explaining the situation to a doubtful operator.
“Well, of course she’s be
en abducted,” he said, his voice rasping with tension. “Why else would she—? ... Yes, I know it seems like she intended to meet him. Look, just contact DCI Billings. You’ve got this number in case you need to call me back, haven’t you?”
“Stupid bloody woman,” he muttered, returning the handset to his daughter.
“What did she say?”
“They’re trying to get hold of him. She told us not to leave the grounds.”
“We better tell Mum. She’ll be going frantic.”
“I want to check the undergrowth first, in case ...”
“In case what, Dad?”
Dan didn’t reply. He jogged towards the nearest shrub. “Have you got a light on that phone of yours?”
Annalise caught up and selected the torch icon. A cold, white brightness lit up the leaves, transforming the dark shadows into patches of vivid green. Dan lifted the lowermost branches, and finding only black earth beneath, moved on to the next bush. They repeated the search three more times.
“There’s nothing here,” Dan said. “Let’s head back.”
They walked in silence. A deep sense of apprehension tempered their relief at drawing a blank. They were halfway across the expanse of lawn when the outline of an approaching figure obscured the patchwork of light escaping from the hotel windows.
Sophie’s anxious voice broke the stillness of the night. “Where have you been? Did you find anything?”
Dan hesitated. “We found her phone.”
“What do you mean?”
“It looks like she met Mark.”
“Mark who?”
“Mark Webber,” Annalise said. “There was a text message on the lock screen saying he was here. He was going to meet her outside.”
“But why—?”
“We’re not sure,” Dan interrupted. “There’s no sign of her, and she left her mobile behind. It was on the grass beside the road.”
Sophie’s gaze alternated between her husband and daughter. “I don’t understand.”
Dan put an arm around his wife. “It looks like he’s taken her. I called the police.”
Sophie took a sharp intake of breath. Her head shook violently from side to side in a display of denial and disbelief.
She pushed him away. “That can’t be right. How does Beatrice even know him?”
Annalise reached out a hand. “I’m not sure, but it looks like they planned to meet. The message was definitely from Mark.”
Sophie took a step backwards. She dropped to her knees, deep sobs of anguish wracking her body. Kneeling on the damp turf, she repeated the same phrase over and over like a mantra; “Please God, I can’t go through this again.”
Annalise’s gaze rose from her mother to the stroboscopic flash of blue lights cutting through the night sky. As she watched, two police cars weaved their way through the grounds towards the entrance.
***
The pulsing beacons on the roofs of the vehicles cast kaleidoscopic patterns through the windows of the hotel reception area. Annalise wrapped her arms across her chest and leaned forwards in the armchair a few paces from the revolving doors. Her parents sat on the adjacent sofa, holding hands. Every few seconds her mother shot an anxious glance towards the policeman guarding the entrance. She dabbed at her red-rimmed eyes with a tissue.
The hum of muted conversations carried from the hotel guests sitting in groups around the low tables. A small crowd had gathered by the bar, enthralled by the drama playing out before them. The flash from a camera phone left an afterimage on Annalise’s retina.
The crunch of footsteps on gravel preceded Alan Billings’ entry into the foyer. When he had first arrived twenty minutes earlier, he started by requesting the footage from any CCTV recordings. The hotel receptionist explained apologetically that there were no cameras. The management had seen no need for the expense and extra workload of maintaining a system. Billings followed up by asking that nobody leave the premises and placed the man on the door to reinforce his demand. Meanwhile, he and another two uniformed police officers took torches to search the extensive grounds.
“Did you discover anything?” Dan asked, moving to intercept the policeman.
The inspector shook his head. “Nothing, I’m afraid. We’ll talk in a minute.”
He moved to the centre of the room and stood with legs slightly apart. “Excuse me, everybody. If I could have your attention for a moment.”
The buzz of conversation slowly died down.
“My name is DCI Billings. This evening, about forty or fifty minutes ago, a teenage girl disappeared from the grounds of this hotel. We believe she may have been abducted. It’s important that we trace her movements. The missing girl is seventeen years old. She has light brown, shoulder-length hair. She was wearing blue jeans and a chequered, short-sleeved shirt. If you think you have seen her in the last hour or so, please make yourself known to one of my officers. Thank you for your cooperation.”
The noise level rose instantly as the animated discussions resumed around the room. Billings spoke to his two colleagues and headed back to where the Becker family waited. Annalise’s gaze followed the three men and a woman who made their way towards his deputies. Among them was the man who had witnessed Beatrice leaving during his conversation with the receptionist. Annalise turned her head to study their auras. All displayed pale pastel shades.
“We’re doing everything we can to find your daughter,” Billings said. “If you have any information that might—”
The crackle from a radio interrupted the DCI’s words. He apologised and moved away to the corner of the foyer. Annalise’s eyes remained locked onto him as he spoke in hushed tones. Less than a minute later, he replaced the device in his jacket pocket and retraced his steps, a grim expression clouding his face.
The policeman maintained a low voice. “That was from the team checking out Mr Webber’s flat. There was no reply, so they forced entry. I’m sorry to report the place was deserted. His car’s not there either.”
Sophie lifted trembling fingers and tugged at her bottom lip. “What the hell has he done to her?”
“We can’t yet be sure he has taken her,” Billings replied, “or even if she’s with him at all at this stage.”
“He sent a text message saying he had arrived here. Who else could it be?” Dan asked.
“I couldn’t understand why her aura was dark,” Annalise said.
Billings frowned. “Aura? What are you talking about?”
“Ever since I woke from the coma, I’ve been able to see these colours around a person’s head. The doctors seem to think it’s a side effect of the injury. Anyway, I discovered the brightness is an indicator of how people feel about themselves, whether they’re feeling guilty or something.”
Annalise couldn’t resist a sideways glance at her mother. The band of colour pulsed rhythmically between a deep shade of blue and black. She feels responsible because she didn’t stop Beatrice from going outside.
Scepticism laced the policeman’s voice as he spoke. “So what’s this got to do with your sister?”
“Like I said, her aura was fairly dark. One night, shortly after I came back from the hospital, we had a heart to heart. She told me I didn’t deserve Mark. Thinking back, it was a funny thing to say. My guess is they had been seeing each other.”
“Let me get this straight,” Billings said. “You believe your sister was going out with Mark Webber?”
Dan frowned and clenched his fists. “This is nonsense. She’d never do a thing like that.”
Annalise sighed. “She didn’t think I was going to wake up. I’m sure she wouldn’t have gone behind my back, but it’s clear they had been in touch with each other.”
“Well, we’ve got a warrant to check his telephone records,” Billings said, “so we should find out if there’s been any contact between them fairly soon. It does also cast doubt on whether she went with him willingly. It would be a big help if you could tell us the access code for your daughter’s phone so we can tra
ce her communications.”
Dan shook his head. “I’m sorry, we’ve got no idea.”
“Damn. Well, I’ll ask our IT guys to unlock it, but it may take a day or two.”
“DCI Davies mentioned that he planned to talk to Mark after the interview this afternoon,” Annalise said. “Do you know if that happened?”
“There’s nothing on the system, but it’s possible he hasn’t entered the details yet. Somebody’s trying to track him down right now. They’re going to ask him to go to the station. Do you have any suggestions where else we might find Mr Webber?”
“What about the place he’s renovating?” Annalise asked.
“We sent a team there too, but there’s no trace of either him or his car.”
Dan lowered his head. “So you’re saying this bastard has abducted my daughter, and you don’t have the faintest idea where he is. If that man has hurt her in any way, I swear I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”
“We’ve got an alert out for his vehicle. He won’t get far if he’s still on the road. Is there anything else you can tell me?”
Annalise opened her mouth to speak then hesitated.
“What is it?” Billings asked.
“It’s probably nothing.”
“Let’s hear it, anyway.”
“You know I mentioned the auras earlier. There was a man sitting with a woman at the next table over when Beatrice received the text. The colours around him were really dark. He left the room just before my sister. He’s standing over there in the jacket and blue tie. It’s a long shot, but I wondered ...”
“I’ve heard it all now.” Billings’ eyes bored into her. “What the hell. Why don’t I have a chat with him?”
“I’m not ...”
The policeman was already moving. He strode up to the man, whose face betrayed his alarm at becoming the centre of attention. Billings said a few words, and they moved a few paces away from the group of interested onlookers. He withdrew a notebook from his jacket and wrote something inside.
Annalise studied the exchange from the corner of her eye. As they spoke, the man shot several glances in her direction. The band around his head pulsed in shades of black and grey as it mingled with Billings’ green haze. A few minutes later, the pair shook hands, and the policeman made his way back.
The Colour of the Soul Page 19
