Deadly Lies

fighting to find a chink in the perpetrator’s armour.

10
Tom pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and sat opposite Ruby. There was a great view through to the side of the conservatory and if he closed one eye it made it look like they’d been transported to some exotic location. If only. Tom loved Himlands Heath except sometimes it was so bleak and damp. What he wouldn’t give to be lying on a sun-drenched beach with Ruby by his side, as she asked him to pass the sun cream, or better still, asked him to lather some on her…
He stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders. ‘It’s coming up to ten o’clock. The children have been missing for eight hours.’
They were taking a break from the tense atmosphere in the lounge.
Ruby tucked a dark twist of hair behind her ear. Tom tried not to stare at her lips as she sipped from her glass. Today she was solemn, though he knew Ruby could be fierce. It was all hidden underneath a cool exterior. He’d seen her on the climbing wall, and seen the passion flowing out of her, and he wondered if one day he’d ever be able to unlock that and have it coming towards him.
‘It’s whizzed past,’ Ruby said. ‘I almost feel like I just heard Grant’s message and jumped out of bed. When do you think Fox will call a press conference?’
‘Not yet. They’ll wait to see if the abductor gets in contact. If there are no kidnapper’s demands then Grant and the super will make a judgement call on whether to put the family in front of the media depending on how we’re progressing with eye witnesses and such.’
‘It feels different when it’s children, doesn’t it,’ Ruby said.
‘Yeah much worse – which is why, when I left them, the constables were working their butts off on the street with the door-to-door. We’re relying on them to get that golden nugget of information and every single one of them is dying to be the one to find it. The partial registration is a breakthrough and the public are dead keen to help. Everyone was co-operating even when we dug them out of bed at the crack of dawn. It’s always like that when it’s kids. If there’s important information out there we’ll find it.’
‘I hope so.’
He gave her a smile and Ruby gave Tom a small one back. It didn’t feel right, with two children in danger, to feel happy. It was because he was working with Ruby. Their friendship was slowly progressing. They often had breakfast together at Ruby’s place and Tom had invited her to the cinema and to the park and once to the seafront for a picnic. She hadn’t yet been to his place and he was working on it.
Tom was a keen sportsman and rugby was his thing. Though running wasn’t his favourite, he’d agreed to train with Ruby because it was her ambition to run in the Himlands Heath fun run. When she’d asked him to be her training partner he’d been delighted because it gave him the chance to see her outside work. They ran together two or three times a week during quieter periods. It was fantastic to have nice times together and Tom knew he couldn’t rush it. Besides, nothing gave him the impression Ruby liked him beyond being friends. He was always looking for a glimmer to show she felt the same way about him as he felt about her and he hadn’t seen it yet. Maybe he never would.
Tom knew he must be careful because Ruby had had a difficult life. And she didn’t trust easily. He respected that and no way would he ever cross the boundaries and make her uncomfortable. It would be her move or it would be no move at all.
They sat in silence.
A few minutes later, when they went back with the family, Ruby finished off her work with Alice. They’d almost finalised mapping the children’s movements. Ruby had a pattern of who had had contact with Emily and Lisa and Tom knew she’d also been observing Jack and Alice’s behaviour.
Jack had taken himself off to his study, though he’d left the door open. Like his wife, Jack was running on overdrive.
Tom settled himself near to the lounge window and tried to relax. Conserving his energy for the long haul was something he’d learned from the DCI and it was essential for a case like this where they’d be getting minimal sleep.
It wasn’t long before Joan Hardman came back from the hospital and she dragged herself into the lounge, looking terrible.
‘My house is a crime scene,’ she said, and she threw herself into a chair.
‘I need you here, Mum,’ Alice said with a gulp. ‘You know there’s plenty of space. Then if something bad… happens…’
‘Nothing worse is going to happen,’ Mrs Hardman said firmly. ‘Still, it’s a good idea and I’d like to be close.’
At the sound of voices, Jack wandered back in and the three family members slumped in different chairs. Mrs Hardman stared into space, whereas Alice had her eyes squeezed shut. Jack kept biting his nails.
‘Detective Delaney,’ Jack said. ‘I feel so useless. I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to get out there and start looking. I can’t wait here.’
‘DCI Grant said not to do that,’ Alice said.
‘I don’t care. Waiting is driving me mad.’
‘It’s best if you leave it to us, sir,’ Tom said. ‘We’re doing everything we can.’
‘But they’re my children.’ Jack sounded desperate and he got up and stumbled out of the room.
‘Leave him,’ Alice said. ‘He’ll get himself together.’
Joan Hardman snapped out of her daze. ‘There’s no shortage of money. I’ll give anything that’s needed. If there’s a ransom, I want to pay it.’
‘Let’s cross that bridge if we come to it,’ Tom said.
A case like this was a waiting game – waiting to see what evidence they dug up, waiting to see if demands were made. Had the abductor left