by D. S. Butler
Glenn nodded.
“I’ve just had a word with DI Tyler. He wants to know if you’re all right to stay here tonight. If you don’t think you can make it through until morning, we can get somebody to relieve you.”
Glenn shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll stay here.”
Mackinnon nodded, and then Glenn took him through to the sitting room where the Georges were sitting on the sofa and staring blankly at the TV set.
“I’ll make us a cup of tea,” Glenn said, collecting the cups from the coffee table.
Mackinnon sat down in the armchair opposite the Georges.
“How are you bearing up, Janice?”
It was a stupid question. He could tell exactly how she was bearing up just by looking at her. She was a nervous wreck. Not only was her daughter missing, but she had thrown acid over a stranger to try and get her daughter back.
“I suppose you’re here to give me a stern ticking off. Or have you come to arrest me?” Janice said.
“Don’t talk like that,” her husband said. “Of course, he is not going to arrest you. Your daughter is missing. Tell her,” he said, looking at Mackinnon.
“There will be consequences from today, Janice. That’s out of my control. But right now, we need to move past that and concentrate on getting Lila home. The best chance we have relies on you telling us everything you know. There can be no more running off to do things in secret.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Janice said bitterly. “The text message said if I didn’t go alone they would kill Lila. What was I supposed to do?”
Mackinnon nodded. He couldn’t even imagine being forced to make such a choice.
“I know you want to believe what they say. But you did what they asked, and they didn’t return Lila. You need to trust us.”
Janice shut her eyes and clutched her hands together in her lap.
“It’s all right, Detective,” Toby said. “Janice knows the lie of the land now. If we get any more messages, we will tell you about them straightaway.”
Mackinnon nodded.
“Have you made any progress?” Janice said.
Mackinnon nodded. “We have been tracking down the phones that were used by the abductors and hope that could lead us to them.”
He saw Janice’s face light up, and her body grew rigid as she hung on his every word.
“But it’s early days. We will be working all through the night. There’s a whole team back at the station who are trying to track down the person who last saw your daughter. We are doing everything we can to make sure Lila comes home.”
Janice put her head in her hands. “I know you are trying, but you haven’t found her yet. She is out there somewhere, with God knows who, and you haven’t found her. What do you think they are going to do next? Do you think they’re going to give me another task? What happens if I don’t do it this time?”
The thought chilled Mackinnon to the core. He had no idea what the abductor’s next move would be.
Chapter 27
At the Kings Arms pub, Rob sat at the table in the corner by the fruit machines, and Marlo brought over the drinks.
He put a pint and a whisky chaser down in front of Rob.
Rob knew what Marlo was trying to achieve, but alcohol wasn’t going to persuade him.
As Marlo sat down, Rob demanded, “What are you playing at, Marlo?”
Marlo took a sip of his beer instead of answering, so Rob continued, “I’ve had enough of all this. It’s over. It stops here. I am taking Benny home.”
Marlo put his beer back on the table. “Okay, let’s relax and talk about this like adults. You’re right. There’s no point risking getting caught if we don’t have to. That’s why I’ve decided we should do one more little task and then we’ll get the money.”
Rob stared at him and shook his head. Marlo was delusional. Why did there always have to be one more thing… One more job… Why couldn’t he just give up while they were ahead?
Marlo pulled out two phones from his jacket pocket. Each mobile was in a see-through plastic bag.
“Obviously, we can’t text the parents again on the same number. The police will be tracking those now and keeping a close eye on those naughty mothers, but I think they’ll still want to play the game.”
He pushed the phones across the table to Rob.
“No more games!” Rob said.
Marlo’s eyes grew cold as he smiled. “One more job and then we ask for the money. It’s your choice, Rob. You can walk away now with nothing, or you can do one more job and get paid. It would be a shame to lose everything after all the hard work you’ve already put in.”
Marlo smiled and knew he had Rob over a barrel.
Rob pushed his beer away and reached for the whisky. He took a large gulp, which burned his throat on the way down. He slammed the glass back on the table.
“And how exactly am I supposed to get the new phones to the parents?”
Marlo grinned. “I’m glad you asked. I’ve got you a nice disguise. You’re going to be a delivery driver.”
Rob’s eyes widened. Surely this couldn’t be happening.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped.
Marlo grinned even wider. “Trust me.”
Rob shook his head. Marlo was the least trustworthy person he knew. But he needed that money... and it wasn’t as if he was actually hurting anyone. “I won’t do it if it is something dangerous. I don’t want to have anything to do with acid.”
Marlo nodded sombrely. “Cross my heart and hope to die. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with acid. It’s a harmless little game.”
Rob shrugged, feeling defeated. “I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t be such a baby,” scoffed Marlo.
That was the last straw.
“I said I’d think about it!” Rob shouted the words, and a number of people in the pub swivelled towards them.
“Look what you’ve done now,” Marlo said mockingly. “You’ve drawn attention to us.”
Rob shakily got to his feet, pushing himself away from the table. He couldn’t stand to look at Marlo for another minute. “I need some air.”
* * *
Marlo returned from the Kings Arms in a bad mood because Rob had stormed off in a strop to goodness knows where, and now Marlo had to handle things himself. He didn’t like getting his hands dirty and preferred to have a partner to deal with the nitty-gritty. Marlo was a planner. He had played his part by coming up with the big ideas in the first place and wasn’t keen on doing all the work himself. That’s why he had involved Rob and offered him a cut, but if Rob thought Marlo would still cut the money fifty-fifty after this, he was mistaken. Thanks to Rob behaving like a spoilt child, it looked as though Marlo didn’t have any choice. He would have to handle everything.
He wouldn’t forget this. Rob would pay for his little tantrum.
He walked down the steps to the basement flat and paused to listen before he opened the front door. All was quiet. He smiled and put his key in the lock. As he walked inside, the huge, hulking figure of Benny standing silently in the doorway to the sitting room made him jump.
He hid his nerves with anger.
“What are you looking at?” Marlo demanded.
“Where is Rob?”
“How should I know? He probably got bored of looking at your ugly mug.”
Benny’s lower lip wobbled.
As if it wasn’t bad enough that Rob had done a runner, leaving Marlo to execute the plan, he now had to deal with Rob’s slow-witted brother, Benny.
He’d had enough of both Morris brothers. Rob’s sulking and spineless attitude had pushed Marlo to the point of no return. He couldn’t punish Rob as he wasn’t here, but there was one way he could get to him…
Marlo looked at Benny and smiled.
“Rob really shouldn’t have left you here, Benny. Who knows what could happen to you when he isn’t here to keep an eye on you.”
Despite the over
t threat in Marlo’s words, Benny’s blank expression didn’t change at first. His eyes searched Marlo’s face, and his forehead puckered in a frown.
“Are you going to let the girls go home now?” Benny asked.
The big lump really didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.
Marlo’s temper roared to the surface, and he slammed the side of his fist against the wall.
“Will you shut up? Unlike your brother, I’m not going to put up with a halfwit asking me questions all the time.”
Benny may not have been able to pick up on the subtle threat behind Marlo’s words, but he did pick up on his anger.
He took a step backwards, his eyes widening in fright.
“Sorry… I didn’t mean it.”
But it was too late for Benny’s apologies. Marlo had had it up to here with Rob and his stupid brother.
Marlo raised a hand and crooked a finger at Benny, beckoning him forward.
“Come here. Do you want to see the girls?”
The terrified look left Benny’s face and he smiled tentatively. He blinked a couple of times and then nodded eagerly.
“Fine. Knock yourself out then.”
Marlo dug in his pocket and selected the key to the bedroom the girls were held in. He walked down the hallway and unlocked the door, pushing it open.
“In you go,” he said smiling nastily at Benny.
For a moment, Benny wasn’t sure what to do. He stood still, looking at the open doorway.
Marlo clapped his hands. “You wanted to see them, didn’t you? Get in there.”
Benny shuffled forward slowly, and when he reached the doorway, he stopped again, craning his neck around the corner into the dark room.
“Why is it so dark in there?”
But Marlo wasn’t going to answer any more of Benny’s questions. He used his full weight to give Benny a huge shove from behind, pushing him into the room and then quickly shutting the door behind him and locking it.
Benny must have been shouting at the top of his lungs, because despite the soundproofing, Marlo could still hear him. He battered the door, trying to get out, but it was too late.
Marlo was going to leave him in there with the girls for the foreseeable future, at least until Rob got back.
What the hell did Rob think he was? Some kind of babysitter?
That would teach Rob not to throw temper tantrums like a two-year-old. He smiled, imagining the look on Rob’s face when he came back and realised that Benny was locked up with the girls.
Chapter 28
Benny was struggling to breathe. His heart was beating so hard and blood was rushing in his ears.
He gasped for air and slammed his hands against the wall, which was covered in a soft, spongy material.
It was pitch black in the room, and Benny hated the dark.
A single tear trickled down his cheek. Why had Rob left him here? Why did he leave him with someone nasty like Marlo?
Benny hollered again even though he knew Marlo had locked him in here on purpose.
He’d raised his fist to bring it down again when he heard a voice behind him. Benny turned around in terror and put his back flat against the wall. His eyes searched the darkness.
“Benny? Is that you?”
Benny squeezed his eyes tightly shut. That sounded like Lila. She was his friend. Lila wouldn’t hurt him.
When he opened his eyes again, it was still dark.
His hands fumbled for the light, trying to feel for the switch, but everything he touched was covered in a horrible spongy foam.
“Benny? It’s Lila.”
Benny gulped down two large lungfuls of air and stared into the darkness. The only light in the room was coming from the small crack around the door. There wasn’t enough light to see properly, but Benny thought he saw two dark figures moving at the back of the room.
“I’m sorry,” Benny said, his voice quivering. “I’m sorry for what happened.”
“Who are those men? Why are they doing this?” Lila asked.
“Don’t ask him that. They could be listening. If we don’t know anything, they can let us go.” Benny recognised Ruby’s voice.
He began to relax a little as his eyes adjusted to the dark room. Although there wasn’t much light coming in from around the doorway, there was enough to drive away the complete darkness that terrified Benny. He was glad he wasn’t alone. Ruby and Lila were here, and they wouldn’t hurt him.
“If you think they’re just going to let us go, you’d better think again. If we want to get out of this, it’s down to us to get ourselves out,” Lila said.
“Why is it so dark?” Benny asked. “I can’t find the light switch.”
“Don’t bother looking for the light switch, Benny. They’ve taken the light bulb out. It’s okay, though,” Lila said. “Your eyes will get used to the dark soon.”
When Lila spoke again, her voice was much closer to Benny and made him jump.
“Benny, we need to get out of here. Can you help us?”
“I don’t know what to do.” Benny leaned back against the door and slowly slipped down until he was sitting on the floor.
He put his head in his hands and began to cry.
* * *
A quarter of a mile away, Rob sat on a wooden bench in a small park, watching people walk their dogs and joggers sweating as they ran passed him.
They were all busy living their normal lives, not sparing a second glance to the man sitting on the bench. They had no idea what he had done.
He leaned back against the wooden slats, feeling them digging into his ribs and spine, and looked up at the cloudy sky.
What was he going to do? He couldn’t believe he had let things get this far. There were two girls being held against their will because of him. If he hadn’t helped Marlo and persuaded Benny to lure the girls into a trap, they’d be finishing their day at work right now.
He wished he could draw a line under everything and take Benny home. He’d like to give the girls back, but he wouldn’t be able to do that without recriminations and punishment.
Why had he thought this would be easy? He should have known it would be a disaster, especially with someone like Marlo involved.
He pulled out his mobile phone and checked the time. He was being selfish. Benny would be worrying and wondering where he was, but he didn’t want to see Benny right now. He couldn’t face looking into his big eyes and seeing confusion and hurt there. Benny had always looked up to Rob. He’d worshipped him, and Rob had always been there to look out for Benny. It was the least he could do for the unconditional adoration Benny gave him.
There had been times in the past when Rob felt he’d let Benny down.
When their mother had first fallen ill, Benny had gone into sheltered housing. It had been a major shock for him, and the adjustment hadn’t been easy.
But Rob told himself it was for the best because Benny would mix with other people like him and learn to support himself. The truth was, he just didn’t want Benny getting in the way of his social life. He’d visited his brother once a week, and on every occasion, Benny was so overjoyed to see him, it made Rob’s heart grow heavy with guilt.
Both brothers had taken their mother’s death hard. She’d been a strong woman who handled everything life threw her way without complaining. She’d always supported both her boys financially and emotionally in a way that made them feel confident and safe, and when she was gone, Rob felt lost and Benny was distraught.
More than ever, he’d look to Rob for guidance. He thought Rob had all the answers.
Rob shook his head. If only. He’d gone from one extreme to the other. After she died, he’d taken Benny out of the sheltered housing straightaway and moved him into his flat. That was a stupid move. He’d completely underestimated how much time Benny would take to adjust to his new surroundings, and that meant Rob needed to take a lot of time off work and had ultimately caused Rob to lose his job.
He didn’t have much comeback after
being sacked. It had been a cash in hand job. His mother had warned him about that. She had told him to get a proper job and make sure he was on the books, paying taxes and National Insurance, but Rob had thought he’d known better. He hadn’t expected to have a full-time dependent, but he couldn’t let Benny down.
They were close to being evicted from their flat, and if that happened, Rob wasn’t so worried about what would happen to him because he could crash on a friend’s floor or maybe even sleep rough in a hostel for a couple of nights, but Benny couldn’t do that. He was sure if he got back in touch with Benny’s old caseworker, they would arrange accommodation for him, but Benny would be distraught and would think Rob was rejecting him.
Rob took a long breath in and then exhaled slowly. There was nothing else for it. He would have to do Marlo’s bidding one more time and get the money. After that, he and Benny could have a fresh start.
Chapter 29
Janice George lifted her head from the toilet. It was the fourth time she’d thrown up in the last hour.
She closed the lid, pushed herself away from the toilet and leaned against the cold bathroom tiles. Closing her eyes, the same image that had haunted her for the last few hours returned with crystal-clear clarity.
The man’s name had been Sam Markham, and Janice would never forget the sight of his burnt flesh as he stripped off his T-shirt in front of her.
He was going to be scarred for life, and she was responsible.
All for the promise of getting her daughter back. Only it hadn’t worked. She’d done exactly what they’d asked, played their stupid game, but she hadn’t heard anything more from the abductors since the awful moment she’d thrown acid over that poor man.
Absolutely nothing. She hadn’t even received a text message to tell her she’d won or lost the game. The bastards still had Lila, and she was no closer to getting her back, despite causing devastating pain to Sam Markham.
