Deadly Lies

how her sister was just so perfect. No, it was impossible. This mess was something she must face alone.
After her swim, Sylvie took her time in the changing rooms and repeated the mantra she’d been telling herself the last few weeks – this was going to work out. The odds were stacked against her and yet she could turn it around and make it a success.
As she brushed her hair by the mirrors, a sudden wave of nausea gripped Sylvie and she had to hold on to the edge of the sink. She feared she might actually vomit on the spot.
‘Are you all right?’ a woman asked. The woman came to stand behind and waited until Sylvie looked at her in the mirror. It made Sylvie want to shout at her because all she wanted was to be left alone.
‘Yes, I’m fine. I think I need a snack,’ Sylvie said.
The woman’s eyes searched hers and Sylvie couldn’t help feeling the woman had guessed her secret. Go away, Sylvie thought, I don’t need your pity. I have a plan.

8
Three hours into the abduction and Grant needed to get moving on questioning the au pair and the business contacts and he was heading out when Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Fox arrived. He heard her distinctive loud voice barking at the constable at the door. Then came footsteps marching along the hallway. He went out to meet Fox and took her along to the kitchen, closing the door behind them.
‘Give me an update, Grant,’ she said crisply.
To have arrived here so quickly, DCS Fox must have driven the three hours non-stop. Normally smart and efficient, or as Grant would describe her, uptight, Fox looked ragged. He hoped she already knew about Ronnie’s death.
‘Ma’am, I’m not sure if you’re aware but there’s been a tragedy involving Ronnie Hardman…’
‘I know about the fatal heart attack. Please bring me up to speed, that’s what I’m standing here waiting for.’
Grant considered if he should offer Fox a coffee or a chair and decided against it because she’d already asked him twice to update her. Making her ask a third time would be unwise though on a different day with a different case, he might have been tempted – it was like poking a stick at a grouchy dog to make it bark and sometimes he simply couldn’t resist.
‘We’ve a blood trace at the Hardman house. Joan Hardman was bitten by the abductor and we’re checking for DNA traces in the wound. Nothing so far from town surveillance cameras. No obvious family enemies and, so far, we’ve had no contact from the abductor. Entry was not forced to the house so either the abductor had a key or the kitchen door was unlocked. And only a handful of people know the children’s routine of staying with the grandparents.’
The superintendent ran her hand over her hair, though the gesture didn’t do much to calm the unruly strands. ‘You’ve kicked off the Child Rescue Alert? Photographs have been circulated to patrol and the public? And to transport police and the ports?’
Of course he had. ‘Yes ma’am, an alert has gone out.’
‘I want a total news blackout on this one until we know what we’re up against.’
‘Agreed. The house-to-house has started and we’ve got two witnesses to the getaway car – Joan Hardman and a neighbour. Jack Glover gave me a list of three names and he told me none of them are likely.’
‘Everyone has enemies, you know that as well as I do. Where are we at on suspects?’
‘The au pair and the cleaner are top of our persons of interest list. McGowan is with the cleaner and I’ve got confirmation of the au pair’s details and I’m going there now.’
Fox was clenching her hands. They had a prickly relationship which was mostly because Fox was new and ambitious and she didn’t want him to outshine her. In terms of age Grant was her senior and he always imagined Fox was worried he was after her job, which he wasn’t, because he was a man of action and he hated politics and bureaucracy. He didn’t go out of his way to rile DCS Fox though he didn’t always keep her updated. Being kept in the dark was something which drove her mad and usually made her rant and shout.
‘You’ve got a handle on it and fast action out of the gate was what we needed. I knew I could rely on you.’
Now that was a first. A personal appreciation. Grant wasn’t sure why, but it made him feel suspicious.
‘You’re not going to like this…’ Fox said.
His instincts kicked in. Didn’t he have enough to deal with tracking two little girls? What now?
‘…but I need to inform you Assistant Chief Constable Treadgold has taken an active interest in this case.’
Grant couldn’t hide his surprise nor his anger. The son-of-a-.
ACC Treadgold had been breathing over Grant’s shoulder ever since Grant accused Treadgold of corruption. The conflict between them started at a boy’s funeral at which Grant had cracked and confronted the ACC. Grant didn’t regret it. The only thing he regretted was not being able to prove Treadgold’s guilt in causing the boy’s death.
‘It’s part of Treadgold’s remit on tracking performance on abduction cases.’ Fox massaged her own neck, though she kept her eyes firmly on Grant. ‘I told you you wouldn’t like it.’
‘If he interferes I swear to God I’ll–’
Fox held up her hand. ‘That’s enough. Keep your eye on the ball and let me deal with ACC Treadgold. Reading between the lines one thing’s clear – he’s looking for an excuse to make trouble for you.’
Fox was aware of his suspicions regarding Treadgold. It seemed like Fox was on Grant’s side for once and he could do with someone watching his back. After Treadgold’s many years in the force and being bent for most of them, who knew how many allies Treadgold had in his pocket.
‘You found no evidence against him, Grant, which means we can’t take action.’
Grant tried