Missing (42 page)

‘Ah, not good,’ Theo responded. ‘Have you any idea where she might be?’

She shook her head, and her eyes glazed as she stared out across the fields. ‘She’s been calling regularly, but from her mobile, so heaven only knows where she is.’

Theo was starting to look troubled. ‘One of her friends must know,’ he said.

‘That’s what Miles is trying to find out. I’m sure she can’t be far.’

Theo turned as Stella came to join them, with the children and Shetlands in tow.

‘Hello you,’ Vivienne said, catching Rufus as he hurled himself at her.

‘Mum,’ he cried gleefully. ‘Ross.’

‘Yes, it’s a horse,’ she agreed. ‘And you’re a very good rider.’

‘You’m looking a bit glum, you two,’ Stella told them. ‘Has somethin’ ’appened?’

Vivienne handed Rufus to Theo and went to scoop Sharon’s children from their ponies, while Theo told Stella about Kelsey.

When he’d finished Stella filled her cheeks with air and blew it out in an exasperated sigh. ‘Bloody kids, pardon my language,’ she said. ‘They’m more trouble than they’m worth half the time.’ She looked at Vivienne with a meaningful expression. ‘If you asks me, she’s either out there trying to find her mother, or just as likely, she’s doing it to get attention from her father.’

‘Which he gives her all the time,’ Vivienne assured her.

‘Ah, but it’s a bit different now this little rascal’s on the scene, innit?’ she said, chucking Rufus under the
chin.
‘Her position as apple of Daddy’s eye is being threatened.’

‘That’s what worries me,’ Vivienne said.

‘Oh, she won’t be far,’ Stella said, squeezing her arm. ‘Believe me, they never are.’

‘Wherever she is,’ Vivienne muttered, ‘I could brain her for doing this to her father. Considering what’s happening with her mother, the last thing he needs is his daughter getting him caught up in some ludicrous game of hide-and-seek as well.’

‘Tha’s probably what it’s all about,’ Stella told her. ‘Kids that age don’t think about what they’m doing to their parents. And after all that poor girl’s been through, it’d be a miracle if she ever thought about anyone but herself. Bet I wouldn’t if I was her. What about you, Theo?’

‘I’m no expert,’ he responded, ‘but if she really has run away, I bet she’s feeling pretty lonely right now.’

As Kelsey’s headmistress showed Miles into her study Martha Barnes got quickly to her feet, looking nervous, guilty and very much as though she’d like to bolt.

‘I’ll leave you to it, Mr Avery,’ the headmistress said, and lancing Martha with a look that made the girl shrink, she added, ‘If you need me I’ll be next door, in the office.’

After thanking her and waiting until she’d gone, Miles gently told Martha to sit down, and took the other guest chair in front of the desk.

Regarding her bowed head, he cut the preamble and said, ‘You told me on the phone that you don’t know where Kelsey is, but I think you do, Martha, so please, I need you to tell me.’

‘I don’t know,’ she wailed, keeping her head down. ‘Honestly, I don’t.’

‘I’d like you to look at me and say that.’

Her head stayed down as she shook it.

‘Martha, do you realise, if you don’t cooperate with me, I’ll have to contact the police?’

She stiffened, but all she said was, ‘I swear she didn’t tell me where she was going.’

‘But you saw her, when she came back to school?’

She nodded.

‘What happened?’

‘Nothing, I mean like she came back, and then you rang to say her mum had been in touch with the police … I didn’t mean to upset her. It was like a really dumb thing to say, I know that now—’

‘What did you say?’ he broke in, his pulses starting to quicken.

Her eyes stayed on her tightly bunched hands. ‘Only that I thought her mum was mean for not calling her …’ Her head came up. ‘I didn’t expect her to go off on one,’ she cried defensively. ‘She’s always saying how her mum never thinks about anyone but herself, or her brother that went, well, you know …’ She stopped again, apparently afraid she was stumbling onto forbidden ground.

‘What happened after she lost her temper?’ he prompted.

She shrugged. ‘She said she thought I was her friend, but now she knew I wasn’t she was going to ask to be moved from our room. But that’s not true!’ she protested. ‘I am her friend. I really like her, and I always stick up for her when the others get on her case about you and being a daddy’s girl and all that.’

Having had no idea Kelsey was being teased or
taunted,
Miles put it aside for the moment, saying, ‘What did she take with her?’

‘Not much, actually. A lot of her stuff is still here.’

‘Where did she go?’

‘I don’t
know
. She just went, and like, none of us know where she is now.’

‘Is she texting or calling you?’

She nodded.

‘What does she say?’

‘Just that she’s sorry she shouted at me, and she hopes I’m still her friend.’

‘You must have asked her where she is.’

She shook her head. ‘I mean, yes, I have, but she won’t tell me.’

Not at all certain she was being truthful, he said, ‘Can you suggest somewhere she might be?’

She shrugged. ‘Not really. I mean, I thought she’d gone home, to you, but then … Well, she’s all upset about, you know …’ Her eyes flicked to him anxiously.

‘Vivienne?’ he said for her.

She nodded. ‘Like she’s always been … Well, you know, she thinks you don’t want her any more, and I can understand why that’s hard for her, because when she first came here, she used to tell everyone about how you know all these important people … She was dead proud of you. It was why everyone started calling you the ledge – that’s legend – and they called her daddy’s girl, because every time we were talking about boys all she used to talk about was you.’

Feeling the painful conflict of Kelsey’s hero-worship and unhappiness, he said, ‘If you really don’t know where she is, will you help me to find her?’

Her eyes started to dart about the floor. ‘Well, uh, I
mean
yes,’ she said, and her manner as well as her tone left him in little doubt that she already knew.

‘OK. If you speak to her before I do,’ he said carefully, ‘will you tell her how worried I am?’

She nodded. ‘I think she knows that,’ she confessed. ‘I mean, she knew you would be.’

Understanding that was exactly what Kelsey wanted, he said, ‘When did you last speak to her?’

She hesitated. ‘Um, I think it was this morning.’

‘Before or after you and I spoke on the phone?’

She took a breath. ‘Before, I think. Yes, it was before.’

Certain she was lying, and that she’d already told Kelsey her absence was starting to cause a fuss, he said, ‘I’ll give you my mobile number. Please call me the minute you hear from her again, or have any idea where she is.’

Taking the piece of paper he handed her, she read it and said, ‘Can I go now?’

‘Of course,’ and resisting the urge to shake the truth out of her, he went to open the door. ‘You’ve been very helpful,’ he told her as she passed into the adjoining office. ‘Thank you. I hope you won’t mind telling the police everything you’ve told me.’

She visibly paled. ‘Have you reported it to them already?’ she asked.

‘No, but I’ll have to. Kelsey’s only fourteen.’

Her eyes flitted over to the headmistress, who was clearly listening, then putting her head down again she scuttled across the office and out into the corridor.

‘I’m sure she knows where Kelsey is,’ Miles told the head.

Mrs Ferndale pursed her lips. ‘Girls of that age,’ she said tersely. ‘They think themselves exceedingly clever
at
times, when they’re anything but. I’ll talk to her again, and contact you as soon as I have anything to report.’

‘Kelsey, it’s me,’ Martha whispered into her mobile. ‘Your dad’s just been to the school. He’s really, really worried. You have to tell him where you are, or I’m going to be in big trouble.’

‘No, I’m not doing that,’ Kelsey protested. ‘And don’t you either.’

‘He says he’s going to contact the police. If he does, I’ll have to tell them …’

‘He won’t!’

‘How do you know?’

‘Because I’ll tell him not to.’

‘Like that’s going to stop him.’

‘It will—’

‘Oh my God, I have to go,’ Martha said quickly. ‘Someone’s coming. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.’

Miles was speeding along the dual carriageway towards Exeter when his mobile started to ring. It didn’t surprise him to see it was Kelsey, though it had taken her a little longer to call than he’d expected.

‘I don’t know what kind of game you think you’re playing,’ he said sternly, ‘but I want you to come home right now.’

‘No way!’ she cried angrily. ‘If Mum can go off saying she doesn’t want to be found, then I can too. See how she likes it.’

Stifling his exasperation, he said, ‘Kelsey, the only way she’s going to know is if I contact the police and it gets in the papers. Is that what you want?’

Silence.

‘Is that what you want?’ he repeated.

‘Maybe,’ she replied sulkily.

‘I don’t think so, because I don’t think you’ve thought this through. Now where the hell are you?’

‘I’m not telling you, but I’m perfectly safe so you don’t have to worry.’

‘You’re being absurd. Of course I’m worried. You’re fourteen years old …’

‘I can take care of myself.’

‘By running away from school? A very responsible action. And from what Martha tells me you’ve been having problems there that you’ve never mentioned to me, so we need to talk.’

‘Forget it. I’m staying right here until you make
that woman
go away.’

Biting down on his anger, he said, ‘She isn’t at the house, and I won’t be held to blackmail like this. You’re being selfish and immature—’

‘Oh, like and you aren’t? You’re the one who doesn’t have time for anyone else now you—’

‘Kelsey, I’m not getting into an argument with you over something you’re making up. Of course I have time for you. I always have, and always will, but I won’t tolerate this kind of manipulation.’

‘Well that’s just tough, isn’t it, because I’m not coming back until she’s gone, and that’s that.’

Having to accept they were getting nowhere like this, he forced himself to sound conciliatory, and said, ‘She’s going back to London later today. Will you come home then?’

Silence.

‘Are you there?’

‘Yeah, I’m here.’

‘Will you please answer my question.’

‘I might come. Then again, I might not.’

Barely suppressing his frustration, he said, ‘Where are you sleeping at night?’

‘In a bed.’

‘Where?’

‘None of your business.’

‘Do I need to remind you of your age again?’

‘I’m safe, all
right
!’ she shouted. ‘No one’s going to do anything, because no one knows I’m here.’

‘Where?’

‘In my— Oh, very clever. I’m going now. Goodbye.’

Hearing the line go dead, he turned off his own phone and pressed down harder on the accelerator. In my what? Friend’s house? Dormitory? Could she still be at the school, hiding somewhere? It was certainly possible, so he called the headmistress to ask her to mount a thorough search.

‘If she’s not there, then my guess is she’s at a friend’s house,’ he said when finally he spoke to Vivienne.

‘But wouldn’t their parents wonder why she isn’t at school?’

‘Not if they’re away and the house is empty. Anyway, it’s the best I can come up with right now. I don’t know whether to contact the police or not. Maybe I’ll try talking to her again first. Whatever, I’m afraid this means I’ll have to stay in Devon for the weekend.’

‘Of course,’ she said without hesitation. ‘Will we see you before we go?’

‘If there’s no press around I’ll come over to the stables now, if you’re still there?’

‘We are. The Sky TV crew’s here, but no journalists at the end of the road. How far away are you?’

‘About twenty minutes.’

‘OK. I’ll see you when you get here. Have to go now, someone’s trying to get through.’

‘At last, Mrs Avery’s mobile phone records,’ Sadler announced, striding into CID with his chest pumped up. ‘It seems she called a number in Richmond on Thames three times during the week before she disappeared.’

Joy swivelled away from her computer. ‘Who does it belong to?’ she dutifully asked.

‘An estate agent,’ he replied. ‘And unless I’m gravely mistaken, it’s the one on the roundabout at the junction with Kew Road.’

Immediately understanding the significance, Joy reached for the report. ‘That’s it,’ she confirmed, recognising the estate agent’s name. ‘Fifteen years ago it was a garage – the one her little boy was snatched from. But why would she be calling them? Surely no one there would know what had happened during its previous existence.’

‘I could hazard a guess or two,’ he responded, ‘but you have the number, so off you go. I’ll be in my office when you’ve finished.’

Ten minutes later Joy wandered in with a bewildered expression on her face. ‘No one’s ever heard of her,’ she informed him. ‘I even tried the name Anne Cates, but that didn’t trigger anything either.’

‘Mm,’ Sadler grunted. ‘Did you send her photographs over to Richmond CID?’

‘Did it as soon as we got back,’ she assured him.

‘Then maybe a photograph will jog someone’s memory better than the name.’ His eyes came to hers. ‘Unless your theory about her changing her appearance holds good. If it does, the shots we have might not be of much use.’

‘It’s still worth a try,’ she said gravely. ‘I’ll get onto Richmond right away, and see how soon they can send someone over.’

There was no one else in the church of St Anne’s; no vicar, no flower-arranger or stray tourist. Jacqueline was alone in a pew close to the altar, observed by the eyes of Christ on his cross, along with angels, saints, and Mary with the son she’d been allowed to watch growing into a man before he was taken. They gazed down at her from colourful windows and embroidered mantles, impervious, unmoving, silent witnesses to a solitary woman’s need for understanding. They who had known suffering, who had endured pain and cried out in torment, watched her with wide, unblinking eyes, showing no mercy or compassion, no feeling at all.