Deadly Lies

have something against me and Alice or against Ronnie. Basically Hardman Construction trumped them on big deals, which means we got contracts which they were bidding for and there have been some pretty hefty contracts we’ve won. I’m sure they were green with envy.’
‘And you think it might give someone a motive to kidnap Lisa and Emily?’
‘I didn’t say that, why are you twisting my words? Like I said, I can’t imagine anyone we know would take our children. It’s the best we could come up with.’
They would check out Jack and Alice’s alibi for the evening and the list, going through alibis and people’s stories. Close to the family, he had the au pair and the cleaner and on the face of it, neither seemed very likely suspects.
‘In the next few hours I’d like you both to take some time with Ruby. I want you to work with her to map the movements of the children in the past few months. I’d like to know who they’ve seen and where they went. And then there’s the keys to Mr and Mrs Hardmans’ house. Are you certain neither of you have mislaid your sets? You’ve not lent them nor lost them?’
‘Of course not,’ Alice said. ‘Like I told you, Mum and Dad’s keys are on my main key ring. They go everywhere I go.’
Jack held up his keys and jiggled them. ‘Like I already said, they’re in my pocket or they’re on the hook in the kitchen. Your officer already checked, didn’t they? And it’s hanging exactly where it should be.’
‘Right. And I’m sorry but we’ll need to thoroughly search the children’s bedrooms,’ Grant said.
‘What for?’ Jack asked.
‘It’s surprising what can turn up in a kidnap case and any small clue can be important. I know the children are very young but it’s vital to be thorough.’
‘Anything you need. Anything. May my wife have a rest now?’
‘She can as soon as the technical team have set up your mobile phones. With your permission, we’ll be monitoring your incoming calls and social media accounts. If the abductor contacts either of you by any other means you must notify me immediately.’
Grant knew the number one reason for failure to recover kidnap victims came down to families communicating with abductors without keeping police in the loop. With threats being made against loved ones, families could be tempted to deal direct – with disastrous consequences.
‘We need to work together on this and you need to trust me. Ruby, please can you start working with Jack?’
Ruby licked her lips. Oh gosh, this was a tough case and the emotional pain in the household was almost unbearable. Alice looked close to a breakdown. She was shaking and having difficulty walking so that both Jack and Natalie had to help her to her feet. Alice was staring at DCI Grant and her eyes were full of torment. Ruby wondered how Grant could stay so focused.
‘My babies.’
‘Yes, Mrs Glover. I know this is a terrible time for you,’ Grant said.
‘Please.’
DCI Grant nodded slowly. His patience was remarkable and he certainly seemed to be giving Alice Glover a lot of scrutiny.
‘P-please bring my babies home.’ Alice Glover collapsed into her husband’s arms.

6
Joan and Ronnie’s cleaner, Halina Badawi, lived in an apartment on the fifth floor of a social housing block. DS McGowan knew the area and he knew it wasn’t a block with current drug-dealing residents. The problem with these places was they always teetered on the edge of crime. It only took one or two bad tenants to move in to make it an unpleasant place to live.
There was graffiti on the walls although no burnt cars out the front. McGowan took the stairs which were free of rubbish bags and didn’t stink of urine so overall it was a good sign. The Badawis had a two-bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking the back of the railway station. Even with the secondary glazing, it must be noisy.
When Mr Badawi answered the door he was wearing a sleeveless vest hanging over baggy pyjama trousers. Like any normal person, he kept the chain on while he checked out who it was. When he learned there was a problem with the Glover children Mr Badawi asked DS McGowan to wait in the lounge.
The room was clean and neat and a healthy flowering plant hung in the window. The place had a cosy looked-after feel and smelled faintly of coconut.
A few minutes later, Halina Badawi appeared wearing a floor-length kaftan and with her long hair knotted onto the top of her head. Halina and her husband looked to be in their fifties.
She made mint tea for the three of them while McGowan asked what they did for a living. They were both cleaners. Mrs Badawi worked for private clients and her husband was employed by a company which had contracts to clean offices. They had two daughters who were away at university. One of their daughters was studying law and the other engineering.
‘They’re much more clever than us,’ Halina Badawi said with pride. ‘They’re going to get great jobs and have great careers, not be cleaners.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with what we do,’ Mr Badawi said.
‘I know, dear.’
She put a mint tea on the table for McGowan.
‘Thank you, Mrs Badawi. I need to ask you where you’ve both been in the last few hours.’
‘Please call me Halina. We’ve been here, asleep.’
‘Can anyone corroborate that? Did you have any contact with neighbours or friends?’
‘Well, no. We went to bed around eleven and the next thing was you came knocking on our door.’
McGowan took out his notebook. ‘And I need to ask about your employment with Mr and Mrs Hardman.’
‘You told my husband you’re here because of Mrs Hardman’s grandchildren. Has something happened?’
McGowan made sure he was looking straight at the couple so he could gauge their reaction. ‘Emily and Lisa have been abducted.’
Halina clutched at her throat. ‘No!’
‘I’m afraid so and I need you to keep all details of our discussion to yourselves.