by M A Comley
Katy jumped in the shower while AJ and Georgie went downstairs to prepare her a special breakfast to set her up for the day. She groaned inwardly, her stomach still full from eating the damned fat-laden fish and chips the day before.
She spent an extra five minutes with her family after breakfast was finished and then drove to the station. Charlie was already at her desk, the computer screen on, and making notes.
“Hey, stop! You’re putting me to shame.” Katy teased and Charlie laughed. “Sorry I’m later than intended. Georgie wouldn’t stop nattering this morning and it made me feel guilty leaving her when I should be at home on a Sunday. The things we do to keep crime off the streets, eh?”
“Aww… poor Georgie. It must be hard for her to understand and even harder on you to leave her and AJ for the day.”
“The same could be said about you and Brandon. Everything all right there?”
Charlie waved her hand from side to side. “It’s as well as it can be, I suppose. Once this case is over, Brandon’s insisting we should sit down and discuss our future.”
Katy slotted a coin in the vending machine and prodded the white coffee button. “Sounds ominous.” She placed the cup on Charlie’s desk.
“Thanks. I’m used to it. He’s always putting the pressure on, but when it comes to the crunch of actually discussing our problems, he tends to shut down.”
Katy returned to the machine to fetch a coffee for herself and then sat down next to Charlie. “I’m sorry, love. I’m always here if things ever get too tough for you.”
“I’m fine. Does it give a bad impression for me to say that I’m used to it?”
Katy shrugged. “It doesn’t bode well for a relationship, does it?”
“Nope, Mum would say the same, if I ever confided in her. I’m trying my best not to go down that route. The last thing I want to do is cause her to regret moving to Norfolk.”
“I hear you. After this case is over, why don’t you and Brandon go away for a few days to try and put your relationship back on an even keel?”
“I think it’s too late for that. Do you mind if we stop talking about it, Katy? It’s nice to be at work, doing my best to forget all the angst I’m having to deal with at home right now.”
“Sure, that works for me. Let me nip into the office, see what post is in there, if any, and then we’ll get stuck in.”
Charlie pointed at her desk. “I’ll continue with what I was doing. My mind refused to shut down last night, so I thought I’d come in early to chase up something that’s bugging me.”
“Can’t wait to hear what it is. Two secs and I’ll be back.” She dipped into the office and peered at her in-tray. There was a smaller pile than usual. Small enough to make her mind up for her. She backed out of the room and rejoined Charlie, whose fingers were darting across the keyboard. “Right, let’s have it.”
Before Charlie had a chance to speak, the phone rang. Katy answered it on a nearby desk. “DI Katy Foster, how may I help?”
“Please, please, you have to help us. He’s gone, she’s taken him.”
Katy instantly put the phone on speaker. “Okay, one thing at a time. Who is this?”
“Donna Platt. We met yesterday, you came to our house.”
Katy stared at Charlie and mouthed, “Do you know the name?”
Charlie shook her head and opened up a search screen on the computer.
“I’m sorry. I don’t recall your name,” Katy replied, perching on the edge of the desk behind her.
The woman growled. “Ethan Romero’s fiancée. All right, we were never introduced, but you were at the house last night.”
“Ah yes. Okay, you said something about someone being missing, who are you talking about? Ethan?”
“No, it’s our son, Matthew. She took him. Told us if we contacted the police that she would kill him. I haven’t slept all night, I can’t stay silent a moment longer. Please, you have to help us.”
“When did this person take your child?”
“Yesterday, around two in the afternoon. He was playing football at the park with his friends. I was late picking him up, I had a puncture. I’m pretty sure she did it to make me late for collecting him. It was her plan to kidnap him all along.”
“I’m so sorry to hear this. Is that why Ethan was off with us last night?”
“Yes, we argued most of the night after you left. I pleaded with him to tell you, but he refused in case she carried out her threat.”
“Where is Ethan now?”
“Out there, searching for them. I couldn’t stand the stress any longer. We need your help, we’ll never get Matthew back without your assistance, I’m sure of that. But… I’m terrified to think what will happen if she hears that I’ve been in touch with you. You can’t put this out in the news, I’m begging you.”
“Please, don’t worry. Where was your son playing football? We’ll see if there are any cameras on site or in the vicinity.”
“There are, I’ve seen them. They’ve had problems with the centre being vandalised over the past few years. It’s the Tom Fordyce Centre.” She let out a deep sigh. “It was set up in the young lad’s name. He lost his battle to cancer and the money raised from his charity contributed towards building the facility.”
“Thanks. We’ll get on to it straight away.” Katy motioned for Charlie to action it. “This woman obviously contacted you, what were her exact words? Has she made any demands, you know, for money?”
“No. She told us she had him. This is all about revenge. Ethan is beside himself and I’m… well, I’m frantic, going out of my mind with worry. What if she hurts him?”
“Revenge? Did she say what type of revenge?”
“The revenge type. I don’t know. Ethan doesn’t know either, I’ve tackled him about it.”
“Seems strange that she should come after your son, is it likely to be a case of mistaken identity?”
“No! Oh, I don’t know. Ethan’s no bloody help whatsoever. I’m going out of my damn mind. Please, can you help us?”
“We’re going to do our best. Did the woman tell you her name?”
“No. But Ethan is acting weird, as though he’s aware who the woman is, but is refusing to tell me.”
“Well, we believe we have a rough idea what this is about.”
“I wish someone would bloody enlighten me then, because I’m floundering around in the dark here.”
“Are you aware of Ethan having a conviction?”
“He said he went to prison on a minor matter in his teens, but that’s all he’s ever told me. What did he do?”
“He and three other men were found guilty of manslaughter after the car they’d stolen ploughed into another car, killing two adults. Two children survived the crash.”
“Oh, shit! I had no idea. So who is the woman?”
“We haven’t quite figured that part out yet. My partner and I have come into work on our day off to do some extra digging into the case.”
“There’s an obvious connection though, that’s what you’re telling me between the lines, right?”
“We believe so, yes. I need you to prepare yourself for what I’m about to say next.”
“Shit! Okay, I’m ready.”
“This week we’ve been investigating the deaths of three, actually five, people.” Donna gasped. “Three of those people were involved in the same accident Ethan caused. He was driving the vehicle at the time.”
“Holy crap! And now this woman, whoever she is, has my son!” Donna sobbed, unable to contain herself any longer.
“So it would seem. I’m sorry, Donna. Please, try and hold it together, I realise how difficult that’s going to be for you, but we’re getting close, you have to take my word for that.”
“Who is this fucking woman? Why take my child as punishment?”
“We’re working on it, I promise you. The way things stand, I’m inclined to think the woman is possibly a relative of the family involved.”
“But it was an
accident!”
Katy sighed. “An accident caused by joy riders. That has to hurt.”
“Oh, God. I don’t know what to say or think any more. Please, I just want my baby back, you have to help me. He doesn’t deserve to be held responsible for his father’s sins. I hate Ethan for keeping this from me. I had a right to know, damn it, look where it has led now. I could have kept my son out of harm’s way, had I known. Bloody hell, you think I would still be with Ethan had he been honest with me? There’s no way on earth I’d still be here today. My son is innocent, you have to help me to get him back. He’s my world. Please.”
“We’re going to do our very best. What I’m going to need is an up-to-date photo of Matthew.”
“I can send it via my phone.”
“Good. I’ll give you my number.” Katy told the woman her mobile number and waited for the picture to appear. “I’ve got it. We’ll print it out and distribute it. Try not to worry.”
“Please, if she finds out I’ve spoken to you…” Donna’s voice trailed off and a sob filled the line.
“Please, try and remain positive. We’ll take every precaution to keep your son’s involvement quiet. One last thing, can you give me Ethan’s mobile number?”
Donna gave the information and Charlie jotted it down.
“Okay, I’m going to crack on with things now. I want to thank you for bravely reaching out. I also want to assure you that we’ll maintain discretion at all times and issue a warning for our colleagues to do the same.”
“Thank you. Please, please bring my baby home safely.”
“I’ll be in touch soon.” Katy ended the call and then sent Matthew’s picture to the printer. “I won’t be long, I need to get this down to the desk sergeant right away.”
“I’ll keep digging into what’s going through my mind, I’ll hopefully have something for you by the time you get back.”
From the doorway, Katy shouted, “Do you think we should summon the rest of the team?”
“I don’t think we have that much to go on, let’s see how we go for an hour or so and reassess.”
Katy nodded and raced down the stairs two at a time. She found the weekend desk sergeant standing at reception. “Hi, Stan, I have an urgent task for you.”
“What’s that, ma’am?”
She went through what she expected of him. He listened intently and actioned her instructions immediately. “Leave it with me.”
“Remember, you need to emphasise to your men the need for discretion. If this woman gets wind that we’re onto her… well, I dread to think what the consequences might be.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let them know.”
“Keep me informed of anything and everything, okay?”
He nodded and Katy hurried back to the incident room. She sat next to Charlie. “Phew! Quite an eventful day already.” She gulped down the remainder of her lukewarm coffee. “One of these days, I’ll get to drink a hot cup around here. Go on, what is it you want to share with me?”
“I think Donna has burst my bubble on that front. You know we came away from Ethan’s house wondering if he and Donna were behind the killings? I think we can put that scenario to bed now unless Donna is trying to pull a fast one, leading us astray.”
“Hmm… not sure about the last part of your theory. She seemed far too upset to me, plus, there’s the fact that the news about Ethan’s involvement in the crime totally blew her socks off.”
“That’s true. Okay, we need to take a different approach in that case. Look at a possible family member carrying out the murders.”
“Which is what I said to Donna, and I stand by that. Did you have someone in mind?”
Charlie scrolled through the article she had on the screen, about the crash, and circled a section right near the end. “I found this more up-to-date piece regarding the crash. The daughter, Megan, was four at the time, she escaped the crash with just cuts and bruises. However, her brother, who was seven at the time, was in a coma for several months. When he emerged from the coma, he was paralysed.”
“Oh fuck! That’s a shocker! What are you saying? You think it’s Megan?”
“I don’t want to believe it, but it would be interesting to track her down and have a chat.”
Katy nodded, her head gaining momentum the more she mulled over the plausible development. “If she’s close to her brother, maybe seeing him suffer all these years has finally taken its toll on her. Add to that the fact their parents died in the crash and…” She puffed out her cheeks. “I have no idea how that woman must be feeling. What if she’s her brother’s carer? It might have finally sent her over the edge. What do you reckon?”
“Possibly. Want me to dig a little more?”
“Yes. Try and find her address, it’ll be worth paying her a visit. Maybe, if she is the guilty party, we’ll find the missing child at her home.”
“If she’s the primary carer, wouldn’t she be taking a risk?”
“Kidnapping is a risky strategy full stop, whether you’re caring for someone with disabilities or not.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. “Yep, I get that. Give me ten minutes.”
Katy brought the nearby computer to life and stared at the article about the case, her eyes focussing on Ethan. She punched his number into her phone. It went to voicemail. She left an obscure message about him contacting her and waited for him to call back. That call hadn’t materialised by the time Charlie asked for her full attention once more.
“I’ve located an address for Megan. Is it worth us popping around there?”
“Where is it?”
“A flat in Islington.”
“What level, do we know?”
Charlie suggested it might be on the seventh floor, which made Katy a tad wary.
“Would she be able to care for a disabled person if she was seven flights up? What if the lift broke down? Don’t they usually place vulnerable people on the ground floor?”
“Possibly. We won’t know until we get there and see for ourselves.”
Katy sprang out of her chair and glanced up at the clock. “It’s already eleven o’clock, I promised AJ I’d be home by one without fail.”
Charlie twisted her mouth. “It’ll be pushing it.”
“Sod it. I sense we’re close, Charlie. We need to follow our instincts on this one. I’ll dodge the bullet with AJ when I get home. Use my womanly powers to disarm him if need be.”
Charlie sniggered. “You’re such a courageous woman.”
Katy slapped her on the top of the arm. “Stop taking the piss. Let’s go full throttle on our quest.”
They switched the computers off and tore down the stairs. Outside, the sun was poking its head through a thin cloud. It was good to feel its warmth on Katy’s back, it had been a long winter they’d had to contend with. Spring and the summer ahead were something to look forward to. She’d make it up to AJ and Georgie in the coming months.
They arrived at a run-down block of flats that was at least ten storeys high. Katy stared up at the dark grey monstrosity and tutted. “They don’t make them like they used to, thank God. What was the architect bloody thinking when he designed this atrocious excuse for community living?”
“I dread to think. Maybe it was a bet.”
Katy laughed. “Come on. Let’s go have a chat with Megan Johnson.”
Charlie paused. Katy peered over her shoulder. “Cold feet?”
“Not really. Maybe we should have brought backup with us, or at least we should tell someone where we’re going. As it stands, only you and I know we’re here, we’d usually have the rest of the team armed with that knowledge.”
“Good point. I’m guilty of racing ahead as usual. I’ll let the desk sergeant know, get him to ring me if he doesn’t hear from me within the next thirty minutes, how’s that?”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
Katy continued walking towards the lift at the same time she placed the call. The sergeant agreed to spring into action
if he hadn’t heard from her at the allocated time.
“Ah Jesus, I should have known the frigging lift would be out of order; it always is in dives like this,” Katy complained. They trudged up the concrete stairs. Each time they reached another level, she glanced out at the dismal view, grateful that she lived in a semi in a nice street with her family. This estate truly was the pits.
“It’s a good job we’re fit. Can you imagine trying to get someone confined to a wheelchair up and down these stairs?”
“I doubt if it would be possible. Maybe the brother prefers to be indoors all the time. Let’s face it, this estate isn’t really conducive to going out for a nice stroll around the neighbourhood, is it?”
Charlie cringed. “You said it.”
Once they reached the seventh floor, they paused for a moment or two to catch their breath. “I think it’s this way.” Charlie pointed to the right as the landing split off in both directions.
“I’m happy to take your lead. Have you got your pepper spray handy?”
They’d already donned their stab vests after leaving the vehicle. “Yep, in my jacket pocket. Maybe we should have brought a Taser with us as added security.”
“Too late for that now. And that’s another thing we need to sort out, your Taser training.”
“I’m up for that, although I’d rather have a K9 to hand.”
Katy grinned. “I’m not usually keen on being so close to a German Shepherd, but I’d gladly have one standing alongside us right now.”
Charlie smiled and they continued along the litter-filled balcony. Charlie pointed at a group of needles over in one corner.
“Disgusting, why am I not surprised, given our environment? The sooner we get out of here the better, this place is giving me the heebie-jeebies.” They stopped outside the flat they were after, and Katy covered her hand with her sleeve to knock on the door.
Unfortunately, the door remained closed. She had to risk it, she rapped on the door with her bare knuckles, but that too proved to be a waste of time. “No luck. Either she’s not home or she’s choosing to ignore us.”
