‘I’ve radioed Smith the location, he should have been here to back us up.’ Kapoor held her side as she jogged past the convenience shop and down a tree-lined road.
Standing on the tarmac, hands in her hair, staring at the sky was Wyre. ‘I lost him.’ She kicked a tree and roared.
Fighting the stitch in her side, Gina caught up and Kapoor bent over to re-tie her laces. ‘Which way did he go?’
‘I thought it was this way but I can’t see him anywhere. We told him we were police; we told him to stop but he ran. He might not have even come down this road. Damn.’
As they got their breath back, Smith pulled up in a car. ‘Got here as fast as I could.’
‘Too late, Smith. We lost him and we have no idea which way he went. One to Grant, nil to us.’ Kapoor exhaled. ‘I’ve never met anyone who can run so fast for so long, guv. He went like an Olympian chasing gold.’
‘Let’s head back to the sandwich shop. Is the person who called us still there? Maybe they can help us.’
Kapoor nodded. ‘I asked her to stay put.’
They all got into the police car that PC Smith was driving. ‘I’m really sorry I was late to the chase. There are roadworks ahead and cars were jammed in everywhere. I couldn’t get through even with the blue lights on.’
Gina smiled. ‘It’s not your fault, really. He took us by surprise.’ She stared out of the window. ‘Nothing screams guilt more than running away from the police. Catching him is our absolute priority. Annabel is depending on us doing just that.’
Smith dropped them all back on the high street. Gina hurried out, passing the chairs and tables on the path before entering the sandwich shop. The man at the counter smiled. ‘What can I get you?’
‘I’m DI Harte. Where is the woman who called us?’
‘Ah yes, you’re police. She said she had to leave or she’d be late for work. What was happening with that man?’
‘We need to speak to him.’
‘You might want this then.’ He held up a sports bag. ‘He left it under the chair outside.’
‘Thank you. Do you have CCTV?’
‘No, sorry. I don’t leave anything on the premises overnight and we have metal shutters but no CCTV.’
‘Did you serve him?’
The man nodded and removed his glasses. ‘I did. He bought a sausage roll and a coffee.’
‘How did he seem?’
‘Agitated. He couldn’t keep still while I put his sausage roll in a bag. He kept glancing around all over the place and then stared at the door. When he paid me, I dropped some of his money and I think he swore under his breath. He was stepping from one foot to the other, scratching his face, over-blinking. To be honest, I wanted him out of my shop. His stare gave me an uneasy feeling. Then the woman came in as he left. She said she was sure she’d seen an appeal on the news and the police wanted the public to call if they saw him or his wife, so she stayed inside and called while he sat on a chair outside. Your uniformed officer turned up and he made a run for it, leaving his bag.’
‘Did he say anything to you?’
‘Apart from effing at me for dropping his money, no.’
‘Well, thanks for holding on to the bag.’ Gina left the shop and joined Kapoor and Wyre on the path. ‘He left this behind.’ Gina unzipped it. ‘A sweaty-smelling towel and T-shirt.’ She reached in further and pulled out a gym pass. ‘I think this is where he came from. Isn’t Fit Gym just down the next street?’
Wyre nodded. ‘I used to be a member there. Follow me.’
FIFTEEN
Annabel
I wake with a start but still I can’t tell whether it’s now day or night. My dream of Cally and me running away together all came back. It felt so real. My dad was helping me, saying that I had to get away from my toxic marriage. Then I remembered, I never told my dad everything. I wish I had now. My dad has always been there for me and he’d do anything to keep me safe. He’s not perfect and he’s done things he’s not proud of, but haven’t we all? What matters is that he loves me, he loves Cally, and he’ll do anything for us.
I’m disappointed in myself. Had I confided in Dad, he’d have told the police about Grant’s threats. As it stands, he knows nothing. He’s never liked Grant and has often made it clear but right now, I imagine them being best buddies, working together to find me. I think of Grant’s brother, Seth. He’s away in the Netherlands working as far as I know. Dad liked him. He always said that I chose the wrong brother.
Did anyone find Jen? A tear drizzles down my face. I imagine the person who hit her left her in a ditch and no one knows where she is. Jen is strong though. I know she’ll survive whatever injuries she has. Me, I’ve never been strong. I teach teenagers and they run rings around me. They don’t do their homework and I lap up the excuses. I can’t even hold my ground with fourteen-year-olds. There’s one kid in my class who often stays behind to ask me more questions and he tells me of a girl he likes who doesn’t notice him. I swallow, knowing that he has a crush on me. It wouldn’t be him. Omar is a nice kid, one of the gentle souls in the class. The quiet, astute one who I know will get an A but why have I seen him hanging around my house? He thinks I don’t notice him watching from behind the trees. I should have said more to my colleague, Kirsty. I will when I get out of this mess. Maybe she should teach him instead of me but he knows things about me and I don’t want him blurting them out.
