Slamming the kitchen door, he flicked the kettle switch. He grabbed his laptop from the chair and turned it on. It was time to bury the last of the secrets.
The music came to an end and silence filled his house. Always silent. The house that rarely saw any visitors was seriously lacking life. The only people that had frequented his home were two women found on AppyDater but all that had now gone. No one could know he had the app.
He almost stumbled as he went up the stairs and lay on his bed. The pillow still smelled of the last woman’s perfume. The video footage ran through his mind as he closed his eyes. He opened up his burner phone and deleted everything relating to BearBoy. Amber telling him where to go had been the last straw. He only wanted to make sure she was making good decisions and keeping safe. His aim as a father was to protect her but he’d failed in every way possible.
Standing, he walked to the mirror. He hadn’t shaved for a couple of days, hadn’t slept and felt sick every time he thought about food. He needed to escape his own head. He pressed play on a video on his phone, one showing the bedroom he was standing in. AppyDater date number one lay on his bed, half-drunk as she peeled her clothes off and beckoned him over. He watched it again and again but his body wasn’t responding. He had no feelings at all. They were now tainted. He hadn’t meant to start dating but while using the app to keep an eye on Amber, he’d met people and had got carried away. Now, all he could think of was Amber, his only child. He should have kept his focus and not got sidetracked. He missed the little girl who used to love colouring and singing along to Disney films as a child while dressed as a princess. He’d lost her and all he wanted was to keep her safely here with him, forever.
Falling to the floor, his grief and guilt poured out. He had to go where no father should go. It was the only way. Nausea began to rise in his throat as he faced the thought of what came next.
39
Keeping her coat on, Gina burst through the incident room door. She could see that O’Connor was still examining CCTV footage. ‘Anything else?’
He shook his head. ‘Heard nothing from Kapoor.’
‘Damn.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s hard not to jump to conclusions but we need to keep trying to contact her.’
O’Connor swallowed and nodded. ‘We will.’
‘Right, what have we got?’
He paused and glanced back at the CCTV. ‘There’s nothing from the Angel Arms. They have no CCTV on the beer garden, which is where Madison Randle said she thought she heard someone. But look at this, guv.’
She bent over to get a better look, moving slightly to avoid the reflecting strip light. ‘I recognise him.’
‘This is a couple of hours before Madison arrived at the pub and an hour before her friends Tyrone and Alice arrive. This man arrives but we don’t see him leave. I called the pub and the new landlady said that sometimes people leave out the back but it is rare. Looking at all the statements, it was pretty much common knowledge that Madison used this pub all the time and we know Amber worked there. I know this doesn’t really tell us much but it is odd given what happened there a couple of hours later.’
‘Vincent Jordan. He manages the block of flats that Amber lives in. He lives at the back. We went to see him this morning and, believe me, he’s an odd character. He couldn’t get us out of his bungalow quick enough… If he left around the back and cut through the bushes, he’d be on the lane. And Madison thought someone was following her when she’d left her great-grandmother’s place.’ Gina paused. ‘I feel like we’re getting everywhere and nowhere with this case.’
‘I wish the footage showed us more but that’s it I’m afraid.’
‘You’ve done a good job going through all this. It must have been long and tedious.’
O’Connor nodded and smiled. ‘I’ve had enough of screens for a bit so if it’s okay, I’m going to help locate Kapoor next.’
‘Please do. I just need to know she’s safe then we can relax.’
Jacob entered with a steaming cup and blew on it. The smell of tomato filled the room as he stirred the soup. ‘I’ve just called Jake Goodman’s brother and he verified that Jake was in a bit of a state on Friday night. He confirmed that it was the first anniversary of their mother’s death and he spent forty-five minutes talking him around so that he’d go to work.’
‘That backs up his phone records?’
‘I know what you’re thinking, guv. We need to confirm that both of them aren’t in this together.’ Jacob took a sip of his soup.
‘I don’t believe he did it but we have to make sure we follow up properly.’
‘Jake Goodman’s brother said the neighbour knocked while they were on the phone with a parcel for Jake. It had been delivered earlier in the day when he was out. I asked uniform to check this out and they found the neighbour who has confirmed that Jake was in at the time Amber was taken. Given when he arrived at work, he could not have been involved.’
‘Great work in eliminating him. Any news on Mr or Mrs Collins?’
Jacob shook his head. ‘Both of them are apparently off work today, unauthorised absences, and neither are at home, which is odd.’
‘Try to track them down. She’s a teacher and he’s a lecturer and it’s a school day. That’s not sitting well with me and neither are their lies. Keep digging and put out an ANPR on their vehicles. I want them brought in.’
He sat at the main table and made a note. ‘I’ll get straight on to it.’
Wyre entered with Briggs, mid-conversation about the press release. She reached up and rubbed the large bruise on her head.
‘Sorry about this morning, guv.’ Wyre sat at the table and Briggs headed to the board where he glanced back and forth at the updates.
