“She might be able to get through to Sophie.” Swann cast a cautious eye over to Alice. She might have her back turned, but he knew she was listening to every word. “And I’d like her to profile the kidnapper. Strike while the iron is hot.” But the iron wasn’t hot. Sophie Miller had disappeared almost three weeks ago. Whoever took her had covered their tracks well.
“Indeed,” Heikkinen replied, a clink of a bottle against glass. “Lincoln won’t know what’s hit it. Are you sureyou’reready for this?”
The comment elicited a smile. “Is anyone ever ready for Elea?” Swann said, noticing that Alice had stopped stirring, her wooden spoon held in mid-air.
“Seriously, though,” Heikkinen replied, his Finnish accent shaping his words. “She’s been on a destructive path since you left. If she wasn’t such a gifted detective...Well, I’m hoping the distance will help her to see sense.”
“I see. I didn’t realise things had got that bad.” He knew his boss would not offer specifics, as he was not interested in gossip or small talk.
“While I have every respect for her, I urge caution when it comes to allowing Elea to take a lead role in the investigation. Keep her under supervision. Don’t leave her alone.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Swann replied.
“I thought it only fair to warn you, although I’d appreciate it if you keep this call to yourself.”
“What call?” Swann said good-naturedly.
“Excellent. In that case I will say farewell. Have a nice evening, Swann.”
“And you.” Heikkinen never thought to ask about family because he had always lived alone. Not for the first time, Swann wondered how he’d cope after his retirement, which was due soon. He paused to digest his former boss’s words. He hadn’t spoken to Elea in months. Had he done the right thing in hiring her to consult on his case?
Chapter 3
Elea groaned as her alarm drilled into her brain. Squinting in the darkness of her hotel room, she groped on her bedside dresser for her phone. A soft snore rose beside her.Dammit, she thought,he’s still here. She had fallen into such a deep sleep. She could blame being exhausted from the travelling, but the trip from Finland had only taken a few hours. It was more likely the fault of the numerous cocktails she and her new friend had consumed before bed. But now her ringing phone was like a wasp in her ear. Clutching her duvet against her naked body, she sat up in bed and turned off her alarm. She groaned a second time as she read the display. It was 4 a.m. Three hours’ sleep. Not bad.
She picked up her bra from the floor, her gaze on her sleeping companion. What was his name again? Jake? Or was it Mike? He was facing away from her, his tousled brown hair soft against her pillow, his muscled shoulders facing the wall. It had been reckless, going to bed with a virtual stranger, but she had seen it as one last treat before she knuckled down to work. She finger-combed her cropped blonde hair, wondering what it would take to wake the man up.
“Hei,” she shook his shoulder. “Rise and shine. Time to go.” She needed to find her trainers so that she could start the day with a run.
“What...what time is it?” the man asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Just gone four. And I must get ready for work, so I need you gone.”
“What are you? A milkman?”
Elea smiled at the thought. “Yes, that’s right, so get a move on or all the kids will be going to school without their Weetabix, and we can’t have that.”
He stretched his arms as he yawned. In the light of sobriety, he appeared an awful lot younger than her.God!she thought.He must be in his early thirties.Not far from a ten-year age gap. She did not allow the thought to slow her as she darted into the bathroom and brushed her teeth.
He was still there when she came out. She arched an eyebrow when he spoke.
“Can we do this again?”
A smile curled on Elea’s lips as she stood, assured in her nakedness. “Sorry, no. But it was fun.” Realising how callous that sounded, she approached and kissed him on the cheek. “It was more than fun. But I start a new job today and I can’t afford to get distracted. You understand, don’t you?”
“Ah yes, the milk round. You’ve got my number if you change your mind.” He smiled, pulling on his trousers.
She stood ather window watching him walk along the Brayford, head down, collar pulled up against the January chill. Not that it was cold for Elea. Compared to where she came from, English winters were positively balmy. She turned her gaze to the inland harbour, appreciating the frost-glistened view. The DoubleTree hotel was ideally located, accommodating her need to be close to nature with the convenience of bars and restaurants. It was certainly convenient last night, given that she’d met her new bedfellow in The Electric cocktail bar on the hotel’s fifth floor.
Elea slipped two paracetamols into her mouth and swigged from a bottle of water. The last thing she felt like was a run, but if she didn’t get out and move, she’d be agitated all day. Besides, she had a bet to win. Swann had told her she’d never make it up Lincoln’s precipitous cobbled Steep Hill without getting out of breath. She tingled at the thought of seeing him again.That man.He drove her crazy, and yet she’d dropped everything to help him. His call had come during a turbulent period of her life and had been a welcome one. She needed to straighten herself out and couldn’t wait to get her teeth into the case. Swann had spoken of similarities between this set of kidnappings and the case in her hometown more than a decade ago. She’d dealt with many investigations since then, throwing herself into solving the most violent of crimes. But she’d never forgotten Liisa. Time stood still as she rested one hand on the windowpane, watching a quiet flurry of snow line the ground outside. She wondered what Liisa was doing now, just as she’d wondered every day since she had disappeared on her way home from school. According to her senior officers, the case was closed and Liisa was most likely dead. But one day Elea would prove them wrong. She would not rest until she brought her daughter home.
Chapter 4
By the time7 a.m. came, Elea was suited and in the hotel lift, ready for work. Her phone signalled a text.Have you left yet?Swann knew her well. She had already declined his offer to pick her up from the airport yesterday. Knowing he’d come anyway, she had refused to tell him what time her flight was getting in. But today he’d most likely worked out that she’d showered after her run and was ready to walk out of the door.
On my way. I’ll get a taxi,she replied. She’d already tried Uber, but Lincoln was a small city and there were none to hand. She would get to grips with the area over the next couple of weeks, learning the most challenging routes to run, the nicest pubs and the best restaurants. Because there was something she hadn’t mentioned to Swann. While this investigation was under way, she had no intention of going home, even if it meant her working the case for free. Her thoughts went to Anu and Venla, both fair-haired, blue-eyed and twelve years old. Liisa was two when Anu disappeared in 2006. She was four when Venla was snatched. Ten years after Anu, it was Liisa’s turn. Elea’s friendship with Anu’s mother, Maria, had grown over the years. United in their grief, Elea had promised to bring their children home. She’d also made a silent vow to Venla, who, as an orphan, had no parents to fight her corner. Elea thought about the cards that had come in quick succession in the wake of each kidnapping. The letters from strangers offering support. Accusations from others, saying the children had been neglected. And then there were the singular white feathers posted to each of the families. One to Maria, one to Elea and one to the children’s home where Venla had lived. It was hardly any wonder the Finnish media dubbed the three the “Ice Angels.” The same discarded school bags, the same lone journey on their way home. Then the feathers—Elea had spent long hours trying to work out their significance.
She slid her arms through her coat, her thoughts anchored in the past. Anu’s case was the first child abduction that Elea had investigated as a detective, and it haunted her that she’d been unable to resolve the case. Had she caught Anu’s kidnapper, would Liisa and Venla be alive today? She pressed the ground-floor button in the hotel lift. This wasn’t a holiday. She had a daunting task ahead and not a moment to waste. Her boots crunched on the salted pavement as she left the hotel. She could have asked reception to call her a cab, but she hated small talk and would pick one up from the road to avoid it.Which way into the city centre, right or left?She was about to search her phone for directions when a rich, deep voice rose from behind.
