‘Which school does she work at?’
‘Cleevesford High. She teaches maths. She’s so clever and I’m incredibly proud of her.’
‘Do you have a recent photo of Annabel?’
He began scrolling on his phone before turning it around to show Gina. ‘This is a photo on her Facebook feed that she took a couple of weeks ago while out with Cally. No one else can see this as she keeps her profile locked and she calls herself Annie Bell. It stops the kids at school from finding her. That’s why her profile photo is a picture of Milo.’ The dog came running in on hearing his name mentioned. Doug pulled a treat from the cupboard and the dog almost snatched it from his hands.
‘Can you email that to me?’
Doug nodded, taking the card that Gina held out and began to send the photo.
‘We’ll put out an appeal on the local news in a few hours. We’re hoping that if someone saw anything, they’ll come forward.’
‘Gramps,’ Cally called from her room.
‘I should be with her. You need to find Grant. It’s odd that he’s not home but then again, he could be with his fancy woman. He’s a nasty player, a liar and needs constant adoration. That’s Grant in a nutshell. I despise people like him.’
‘A liar?’
‘Yes, like I said. He’s had so many affairs and one-night stands and he’s lied through his teeth each time. I’ve always seen it but Annabel didn’t, until recently. It frustrated me badly, seeing the way he treated her. This time, Annabel had finally seen the light and told him she wanted a divorce. She thought it would be easy. He had someone else. He’d been sleeping in the spare room but he said he’d never leave his house or daughter. I told her to come and stay with me but she said she’d never leave the house either. There are going to be some battles ahead. As for the childminder, I don’t know where she fits into his plan. Just like all the others, he was probably using her too.’
‘How well do you know the childminder?’
‘Not well at all. She’s just a kid.’
‘Kid?’
‘Well, you know. Anyone under thirty is a kid to me. I think she’s in her early twenties and still lives with her family.’ Doug paused. ‘Please find Annabel. Cally and I need her.’
Gina nodded sympathetically. ‘If you think of anything else, please call me straight away. In the meantime, I’ll organise a visit from forensics to check out the back garden, just in case there was an intruder.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Gramps.Frozenhas stopped and I can’t make it start again,’ Cally called again.
‘We’ll call you later, Mr Latham.’
‘And I’ll call you if Grant comes back here. I don’t think he’ll be happy to see me in his house.’
‘Has something happened between you and him?’
‘No, but like I said, I see through his superficial charm and he hates it. He hates me because I always put Annabel first and I don’t believe a word he says. In the past when he’s been drunk he’s told me that if I don’t keep out of his business, he’ll break my neck.’ The man let out a snort. ‘I’d like to see him try. I worked as a brickie all my life, kept me strong, and I’d definitely give him a surprise and he knows it. That type of threat gives you an indication of the type of man you’re dealing with. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew where she was, followed her home and waited for his opportunity to hurt her. He hated it when she went out on her own with friends. It was okay for him but never her. For a dirty cheater, he was jealous. Yes, he probably saw her coming home and mowed her down.’ He paused. ‘Annabel told me once that he’d hit a man for looking at her. It was never reported. That’s what he’s like.’
Cally appeared at the door. ‘Gramps, you promised you’d come up and I still can’t makeFrozenwork.’
‘I was just on my way, darling.’ Doug smiled at the little girl and took her tiny hand in his. ‘If you find him, you’ll find her.’
EIGHT
Annabel
As I open my eyes, the pain is like nothing else. Searing white-hot pokers stabbing the back of my head. Then it radiates out before subsiding. Opening my eyes didn’t help. I’m in complete darkness. I can’t breathe. It’s like there’s something sitting on my chest, stopping me from inhaling. The cloth in my mouth tastes of oil, its dryness soaking up all moisture. Trying to let out a squeak is fruitless. There’s no point and trying also makes my head hurt.
I want to see. The darkness is suffocating and all I hear is blood whooshing through my head. I’m scrunched up in the foetal position on a cold floor. What is outside this enclosure feels tinny and I can’t work it out. The eggy sulphur smell is making my stomach turn and for a minute, I feel as though the space I’m occupying is spinning but again, the pitch-blackness won’t let me see if what I feel is what is real. My sense of all that is has gone.
How did I get here?
Trying to wriggle out of the coarse rope binds is impossible. Someone has brought me here. It was him, the man in the balaclava – but why?
