SNATCHED BAIRN: Scottish Fiction

by Anne Bone

  The reply made by Veronica was a subdued, ‘Of course, darling, I suppose that it’s back to normal.’

  Marcus drew a sigh of relief as he drove his gleaming BMW out of the garage and down the short driveway onto the road. He couldn’t wait to get to Jenni’s. He felt bad that he had not followed his immediate instincts and got an early flight home. It was unusual for him not to follow his instincts, and now he was feeling a sense of guilt, especially after hearing David’s account about how terrible it is for her.

  It didn’t take long to negotiate the short distance to the other side of the city centre. He first noticed that in the area of Jenni’s flat there were a number of police vehicles and police officers wandering around. This was unusual as a police presence in this area was not what you expected, but, he thought, at least they are still looking.

  As he drove along Treeside Road, he noticed not only a police car outside the entrance to the building, but also what appeared to be a television crew, with a reporter who seemed to be speaking to the camera. ‘Oh fuck,’ he swore to himself, he can’t be seen to park his car and go into the front of the building, not without being seen. From the look of it they could easily film anyone entering the front of the building. He noticed from the sign on the side of the van that the company was Grampian TV, so even more reason for him to not to park and walk through the front door. He was well acquainted with some of the staff, who regularly used the club. He quietly drove by, hoping he would go unnoticed.

  Being used to keeping a low profile in the area, he had to resort to plan B, and that was to drive around the block and through the adjacent street, where he parked in the road behind the building. Once he had done so he was able to make his way through the back door of the tenement; this back entrance was locked but it didn’t create any difficulty for him as he had a key.

  He made his way up the flight of stairs, where he was just about to place his key in the lock, but stopped and thought better of it. He had no idea who would be in the house, and it suddenly struck him that David’s partner might be visiting and would recognise him. Instead of going back down the stairs he took the decision that whatever and whoever was in the flat, he needed to see Jenni. So he rang the doorbell and waited.

  He heard the footsteps coming towards the door, and when it opened he found he was facing an unknown woman. ‘Hi,’ he said, ‘I was hoping to see Jenni?’

  ‘And you are?’

  He didn’t have to reply, as clearly Jenni had heard his voice, and then she was in the hallway. When she saw him she ran towards him, crying, ‘Marcus, thank goodness.’

  The woman moved out of the way to allow for a passage for them to meet; they did so just inside the flat door. Marcus took Jenni into his arms, oblivious to this being witnessed. ‘My darling girl, I am so sorry I wasn’t here for you.’ After a long hug, Jenni only came up to his shoulder, her head buried in his oxter, she sobbed her heart out. She was just so thankful and relieved that at last he was here. Marcus looked over his shoulder at the unknown woman and asked, ‘And you are?’

  ‘Hello, Mr Davidson, sorry, I am Constable Diane Crombie, I’ve been assigned to provide support to Jenni, while we wait for developments.’ She was interested in meeting this man, whose secret she was now familiar with.

  The next person who appeared in the hallway, which meant that the small space was certainly becoming a tad overcrowded, was Christine. Marcus was well aware who she was, having met her once, on one of the very few visits she had made to Aberdeen. On that occasion he hadn’t meant to meet her, but he had called unexpectedly and the meeting hadn’t gone well. It had been a very uncomfortable moment, with Christine making it perfectly clear what she thought of him. Now he acknowledged her with a nod of his head. She looked at him and immediately turned and went into the kitchen where she closed the door. It didn’t take a detective to know that this was a sign that he wasn’t welcome as far as she was concerned.

  Jenni extricated herself from his arms, took his hand and led him into the sitting room. Diane followed, although visibly uncomfortable and not sure whether she would be welcome. He looked at her when she came in and said very pleasantly, ‘I wonder, Constable Crombie, whether Jenni and I could have some private time together? No doubt she will update me about what the police have been doing to find our daughter.’ Jenni couldn’t believe what she had just heard; this was the first time that Marcus had ever acknowledged Mary to anyone within her hearing.

  ‘Certainly, Mr Davidson, I will leave you to it. I will let Chief Inspector Lewis know you are back, I think she was hoping to have a chat with you.’

  ‘Is that so? Well, certainly I will telephone the Chief Inspector and arrange a time to meet. That is, as soon as I have had some time to catch up with Jenni.’

  His look was one of dismissal, and Diane left the sitting room, shutting the door behind her. She grabbed her jacket from the coat hooks in the hallway, saw the kitchen door open and Christine emerge. Christine beckoned Diane into the kitchen and once she was in closed the door. ‘So, he’s here, it makes me so mad that she just throws herself into his arms. Where was he when she needed him?’ she said, allowing her anger to show. ‘Just tell me, whatever does she see in him? He has never been here for her, and now it’s likely it will get out that he’s Mary’s father, and it will be all over the papers. Her father will have a fit, and God knows what,’ she pointed towards the sitting room, ‘I expect his wife will too. What a mess, Diane, what a mess.’

  ‘I know, Christine, but it won’t be us who will be revealing details about Marcus being Mary’s father, that’s not in any one’s interests, and Jenni has requested that we don’t reveal that information.’ She patted the older woman on the arm, ‘I will leave now. I was just about to clock off for the day anyway. I’ll let the boss know that he has shown up.’

  Diane felt sorry for the woman as she could understand where she was coming from. She thought it was a real shame that Jenni didn’t have the full support of Mary’s father. It was bad enough to have to deal with Mary’s disappearance, without having to do it alone, and while she wouldn’t verbalise her thoughts to Christine, in her opinion, Marcus Davidson wouldn’t be her choice as a supportive partner by any means.

  Meanwhile, in the sitting room, Marcus and Jenni were ensconced on the sofa. Jenni, with her head resting on Marcus shoulder as she cried, in between sobs recounted all the details of Mary’s disappearance, leaving nothing out.

  ‘I didn’t know what to do Marcus, it’s been terrible. I just feel so sick all of the time, I can’t sleep and it’s just like being in the middle of a terrible nightmare that won’t end. Oh God, Marcus, where do you think she is, and whose got her?’

  ‘I wish I could answer you, Jenni.’ He paused to compose himself, as just allowing his mind to even contemplate the worst, as it would seem that someone did have their sweet little girl, was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. ‘She hadn’t made any mention of being scared or that there was anyone hanging around, had she?’ he asked.

  ‘No, the police have already asked me whether there was anything of concern or whether we had noticed anyone hanging around. The neighbours and school have all been questioned and no one remembers seeing anything. It’s just as though she has disappeared.’ She drew breath and carried on, her voice expressing the despair she was feeling, ‘Marcus I know she’s still alive, I know it.’

  ‘How are you so sure, my darling girl? I hate to even go there but given its five days since she has gone, and well, it may be that we have to steel ourselves… ’

  ‘I just know it Marcus. I have that deep feeling that as her mother I would know if she left this world. She is out there somewhere. I just hope that whoever has her will not hurt her.’ She broke down again, ‘I can’t bear it if someone is hurting her.’

  ‘Come on now, let’s not allow your mind to start to go there.’ He hugged her close as, in his mind, it already had gone there. Why else would anyone take a child, unless they were intent in hu
rting them? There could be no other reason that he could imagine why someone would take a wee girl away from her mother.

  ‘Jenni, the police say they need to speak to me, so, clearly, from the telephone call I received from Joan while I was away, and the conversation I have just had with the young woman, Diane, you have had to reveal our relationship. I am sorry but I need to check, is there anyone else who knows?’

  She looked at him, in the middle of all this he was still wondering about himself. ‘No, Marcus, you don’t have to worry, I have continued to keep the secret. I wasn’t going to lie to the police though; surely you don’t blame me for that?’

  ‘Of course not. I just needed to know who else may know, just to prepare. That’s all sweetie, that’s all.’

  Christine couldn’t delay the moment any longer, and so she knocked quietly on the sitting room door. Jenni called for her to come in, which she did, although hardly able to bring herself to look at Marcus. ‘I was just wondering whether you felt like a fish supper for tea tonight love, only if you do then I’ll go out and get it about sixish.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum, that would be fine, I am not very hungry so don’t worry too much about me. What about you Marcus, will you stay for tea?’

  Marcus looked a little embarrassed, as while he loved a good Aberdeen fish supper, he wasn’t sure that Christine would appreciate getting one for him. Certainly he didn’t wish her to pay for it. He decided that he would chance it and it try to build a bridge with her, ‘I would love a fish supper, Christine, but would you like me to drive you to the fish and chip shop?’

  ‘Not at all, I enjoy getting some fresh air, and it’s just down the road, so, tell me, what would you like?’

  ‘Just a normal fish supper would be fine, thank you, but the least I can do is pay for it.’ He stood up, reached into his jacket where he withdrew his wallet. He opened it and extracted a twenty pound note and handed it to the older woman. He half expected her to refuse, and for a moment she seemed to dither, before she reached over and accepted it.

  ‘Thanks, I won’t refuse the money, as we have had extra to pay out.’ Christine tried to smile at the man, but the smile disappeared before it had a chance to form.

  After they heard her leave, they realised that at last they were on their own, though this gave them little joy. ‘I am sorry, sweetie, I didn’t think, I will make sure that I put some extra funds into your account. Now, how long is your mum going to stay with you? At least she has managed to be here for you.’

  ‘I have been so grateful, I don’t know what I would have done without her help, she has been great. It’s just sad that it had to be under these circumstances. Mary would have loved to have had her nana to come and stay, but she has never done so before, and now it’s only because Mary’s not here that she has come. It doesn’t see fair, not fair at all.’

  ‘I know, but she is here now, and I take it she is going to stay on for a while.’ Jenni nodded. ‘Tell you what, Jenni, I think I will take the chance and give the police a phone now, might as well see when they want to speak to me and get it set up. Have you got the direct number of this Chief Inspector I need to speak to?’

  Jenni reached over to the coffee table, where she removed a small business card and handed it to him, ‘This is the Chief Inspector’s direct number, so best try it.’ Jenni watched as he went back into the hallway and, before he picked up the receiver, she noticed him gazing into space for a moment, as if he was bracing himself.

  The phone was answered after the second ring. ‘Good evening, Jane Lewis speaking.’

  ‘Good evening, Chief Inspector, this is Marcus Davidson. I understand that you wish to speak to me, in connection with my daughter’s disappearance.’ He couldn’t help reflecting that this was the second time within the same day that he had uttered the words that meant that he was publicly acknowledging his daughter just nine years after the she first arrived into the world.

  He went on to arrange to visit Queen Street the following morning, and just as he was replacing the receiver the door was unlocked and Christine appeared carrying a bulging bag of gorgeous smelling fish and chips.

  Christine sorted out the three plates of food and the three sat with their plates on their knees while they ate. Marcus relished his, it wasn’t often he ate from the chipper, and it brought back many memories from his childhood, when a fish supper was a treat. Christine ate hers carefully, feeling a tad uncomfortable sharing a meal with this man, and if she was honest she didn’t know what to make of him.

  Jenni picked at hers, both Marcus and Christine encouraged her to eat up, and to at least try to get some food inside her. To Jenni, she needed to regard it as fuel rather than tasting the food, and she ate because she knew she had to. She wondered whether she would ever enjoy food again.

  When they had all had their fill, Christine cleared the plates away and made a pot of tea. She poured three mugs to the brim and returned to the sitting room where she passed a mug to each of them. She sat down again, and both Jenni and Marcus were intensely aware that she was hovering and on the cusp of saying something.

  ‘Mum, what is it? I can see you are needing to say something, spit it out whatever it is.’

  ‘Well, Jenni, it’s like this. I think I have to go back to Blairgowrie for a couple of days at least just to see how your father is and to sort out some things. I came away in such a rush I didn’t even bring the right clothes with me.’ She noticed her daughter’s eyes fill up and rushed on with the words that she hoped would reassure her. ‘I will come back, love. I will. I just need to be away for a couple of days,’ she looked at Marcus, ‘and now that you’re back Marcus, you could maybe can stay with Jenni, especially at night. I don’t like to think of her shuffling about the flat at night on her own. It’s worse for her at night, isn’t it love?’

  ‘It’s bad all the time Mum, but yes, it’s in the middle of the night I feel so lost and alone. But I will just have to get on with it.’ Jenni tried to pull herself up, she needed somehow to find the strength to contemplate being on her own.

  Marcus took an intake of breath, his mind was working overtime. Christine was right, he realised, it wasn’t fair to expect Jenni stay on her own, and he did owe it to her to be here for her. He also had come to recognise, even though it was a bit of a shock, that he was feeling some of Jenni’s distress. After all, Mary was his child too. ‘When are you planning to go Christine?’ he asked.

  ‘Well, I was thinking that if I went on Sunday, I could sort out what I need to do on Monday and Tuesday and then travel back on Wednesday.’

  Marcus didn’t take long to reassure her, his mind was working quickly trying to organise how and what he needed to do to rearrange his life in order to be with Jenni. He could easily sort out the daytime as it was easy to duck and dive via the business, the three nights away would be more of challenge. It had been many years since he had stayed in the flat in town. Since Mary had been born, when he no longer found he could stay overnight with Jenni, he had only had the odd occasional night in the flat, and that was only if he had a late night at the casino or out with his business friends. Since Jenni had become his one and only extra marital affair, he had settled down. He knew though he would have to conjure up some story to give Veronica, so that he could be freed up to support Jenni.

  ‘I’ll sort something out,’ he stated. ‘I might have to go into the office during the daytime for a while, but I will make sure I am here for the night time with you.’

  Jenni couldn’t help but look surprised, for in the nine years since Mary’s birth he had never offered to stay the night with her. His visits to see her when they were able to express their passion for each other now took place now during the daytime when Mary was at school. Sex and passion in the afternoon, and occasionally in the morning, was what their relationship consisted of. He would then be in the flat when Mary returned home from school and he would spend some time with her. She hadn’t seemed to be concerned that ‘Uncle Marcus’ appeared on a regular ba
sis and often brought her sweets or comics, and she would enjoy his visits. She didn’t pick up that her mother had a healthy glow radiant from an afternoon of passion.

  Looking at his watch, he realised it was past seven, he needed to check in at the club to make sure everything was okay, and then have a plan concocted that would give him the space to make sure he could support Jenni over the next few days. So he took his leave and left the mother and daughter reassured that he would return the next day after his visit to Queen Street.

  No one had said the words that were floating about their minds. Their plans would change immediately if and when Mary was found.

  As he made his way out of the back entrance to the flats and returned to his car, Marcus was quite surprised at the strength of emotions he was experiencing. He had never seen Jenni looking as she did now. Her whole demeanour had changed. Her hair had lost its shine, and now was lank as it lay on her shoulders. Her pallor was that of greyish clay and her eyes, the eyes that had been the first trigger for his attraction, had lost their sparkle and were now dull. It was like she was just a shell, his lovely, pretty, vibrant, positive, happy woman, who he loved, was gone.

  He felt a quiver of anger; whoever had inflicted this pain on Jenni would feel the wrath of his power if he could find out who it was. He hadn’t really acknowledged the sense of fear that penetrated his inner thoughts of what had happened to Mary, but it couldn’t be good whatever it was. He now wished he had spent more time with her, and was kicking himself that he hadn’t been a father to her. He just hoped it wasn’t too late, and vowed then and there that when, it would be when, she was found then he would be a real father to her.

  He found he had reached the outside of the club; he had driven on auto-pilot. He was greeted by the two burly bouncers on the door, and even though it was too early for customers, they were at their post, ensuring that anyone who entered would be vetted by them. They both nodded their acknowledgment and stood aside to clear the way for the boss.