“He’s not quite been able to let it go.” Mitch shrugged. “I’m fine working with the team for now.”
Elea shook her head in disbelief. It was exactly like Swann to want his cake and eat it.
“There’s a spare desk next to mine. We can set up there. It’s good to be in the thick of everything. That OK with you?”
The situation was far from ideal, but what choice did Elea have? She was tired of all the drama. “Three girls,” she replied. “Your team has failed three girls so far. So, yes, I want to join you, because we need to solve this shitting case before anyone else gets hurt.”
Chapter 14
The SCT office comprised a dozen desks cluttered with computers, desk phones, and stacks of paperwork. Warm air pumped from the radiators, wrapping Elea in a blanket of heat. She rested her suit jacket on the back of a swivel chair. She couldn’t help but compare it to her own office in Helsinki, where the chill lingered despite the old equipment’s best efforts, and the coffee machine was in constant use. She stood in the middle of the room and cleared her throat. Mitch had offered to introduce her, but she preferred to do it herself.
“Good morning.” Elea addressed her new colleagues with an air of confidence. “You’re probably already aware, but my name is Elea Baker. I’m a detective inspector with Helsinki Police, but will be working with you in a consultancy role.” As she spoke, she noticed curious eyes studying her, their gazes ranging from respectful to speculative. She continued, “I’m also the mother of Liisa Baker, the twelve-year-old girl who disappeared on her way home from school in Porvoo in 2016. I have intimate knowledge of Liisa’s case and the two that proceeded it, involving the twelve-year-old children Anu and Venla, who are still missing to this day. The cases were dubbed the ‘Ice Angels’ by the press.”
A murmur rippled through the office, their curiosity piqued by Elea’s words. The team exchanged glances, which Elea interpreted as intrigue.
“I’ll be partnering up with Mitch and updating Op Turnstile regularly, but if any of you need anything, then don’t hesitate to ask,” Elea added, hoping to encourage them to open up.
“Welcome, DI Baker, I’m Jamal,” DC Jones replied, his tone sincere. “It works both ways. If you need anything, just let us know.”
“Thank you,” Elea said, appreciating the genuine offer of support. She could have told them to call her Miss Baker, but the formal title felt more respectful, even if her Helsinki police powers as arikoskomisarioheld little weight over here. “I’ll need an extra board,” she continued, pointing to the mobile briefing boards that contained details of the Op Turnstile case. Soon her daughter’s face would be added, as well as those of the children who had disappeared before her. Elea’s voice remained steady but determined. “We’ll be working on the assumption that the Ice Angels are connected to your case. I have no doubt that the Finnish Martta doll found in Sophie Miller’s hands belonged to my daughter.”
“Kelly Maxwell.” The young DC leaned against her desk. Her eyes were sharp, her glossy dark hair skimming past her shoulders. “We’ve been trained never to assume. How can you be sure?” The ABC approach was practised nationwide:Assume nothing. Believe nobody. Check everything.
Elea bristled at the challenge in the young woman’s voice. She kept her composure as she turned to face her. “The doll is extremely rare. Either it belonged to Liisa, or someone has gone to a lot of effort to source a replica. Either way, it’s enough to link the cases.”
DI Mitch Harding watched the exchange from his desk, observant but quiet.
“Is this official? Will the media be made aware?” Jamal turned to Mitch for a response.
But the voice that replied was that of Swann, who had just entered the room. He was holding a wad of paperwork, no doubt accumulated from the meeting he had recently left. He shook his head, his expression guarded. “Not yet. If the press gets hold of this, it could spook the killer and send him underground. This is in an unofficial capacity.”
Elea nodded in agreement, happy with Swann’s sensible approach. She turned back to the team. “I can give you whatever you need from our end. The case could benefit from fresh eyes.” Although there was a conflict of interest, she had been cleared by her commander to share details. She wasn’t allowed to investigate her daughter’s disappearance when she lived in Finland, but while he was there Swann had kept her in the loop. Elea’s heart beat a little bit faster, because somewhere in the shadows the truth was waiting.
The room fell silent for a moment as Elea’s words settled. For once the phones had stopped ringing and email notifications were paused. It was as if the world was acknowledging that something important was taking place. The merging of two forces to find one perpetrator. Swann took advantage of the quiet to address the team. “Elea has obtained a list of names from Chelsea Hobbs’s stepfather; they’ve been uploaded to the system.”
Kelly raised her perfectly formed eyebrows, clearly surprised. “Really? I tried speaking to him a few times. He was a bloody nightmare. I couldn’t get anything out of him.”
“Couldn’t you?” Elea gave a slow nod. “Interesting.”
Mitch shot Elea a smile, acknowledging her ingenuity at getting so much so soon. Swann caught their interaction and frowned. He quickly continued, “The list contains potential drug dealers who might have been involved in Chelsea’s abduction.” He shared Phil Hobbs’s explanation of events.
“Damn,” murmured Ollie Evans. “Sounds like a good morning’s work.” Ollie was leaning against his desk, wearing his usual jeans, shirt, and boots. Elea remembered Swann complaining about his casual attire in the past.
Swann grudgingly agreed, his deep voice resonating through the room. “DIU is sourcing as much information as it can, focusing on suspects with links overseas.” As he spoke, he looked into the eyes of each team member, ensuring they understood the gravity of the task ahead. “Hobbs could be bullshitting us. Or we could be dealing with human traffickers. There’s no telling where this will lead.”
Elea listened as he prioritised jobs and discussed potential scenarios with his team. The temptation to take over briefings was strong, but she didn’t want to piss Swann off any more than necessary today.
As the meeting concluded, Ness cleared her throat. “I’ve spoken to Jade from social services. Sophie Miller’s going home in the morning, and her parents have agreed to let us speak to her.”
“Good. Very good.” Swann nodded towards Elea. “Pair up with Mitch for the interview. Just remember, don’t put words in the child’s mouth.”
Elea bristled at the implication, her eyes narrowing as she responded coolly, “I am a highly trained interviewer, Richard. You need not worry about that.” She emphasised the word “highly,” reminding him of her expertise. The use of his first name would also remind him that she was far more than a team member. Like it or not, she was still family.
As they settled into their respective workstations, Elea allowed herself a brief moment to absorb the atmosphere of the serious-crime team office. The hum of computers, the steady rhythm of fingers tapping on keyboards, and the quiet murmur of voices created an orchestration unique to this space.Different, but the same, she thought to herself. She only hoped this team would be able to do what she and her Finnish colleagues couldn’t. She had plans for their perpetrator and would find a way of making him talk. Darkness bled into her thoughts, exactly as they had a thousand times before. If her daughter wasn’t alive, then the lowlife who took her would not survive her rage. That revengewouldbe worth going to prison for.
Chapter 15
There were times when Elea rejected phone calls. Like when Swann was chasing up her whereabouts, or when her mother rang to see if she was getting enough sleep. But a call from Maria Korhonen was not to be ignored. Swann had once called Elea and Maria “tragedy buddies” during a heated row many years ago. But their relationship ran far deeper than that. They kept each other afloat, even after all these years. Anu’s mother was an artist who had grown successful in the last decade. She poured her grief for her child into her snowy landscape creations, each one a portrait of desolation and beauty. But it hadn’t always been like that. Maria was a heavy drinker when Anu was snatched. She would never forgive herself for neglecting her child, but she had remained teetotal ever since. At sixty-seven years old, she was one of the bravest people Elea knew. She had moved forward with her life, yet never gave up hope of seeing her child again.
