Sienna exhaled a bitter laugh, clearly unwilling to go into any more detail.
“Sienna, you can’t expect me to play the game with half a deck of cards. Woman-to-woman: what are you running away from? Is it Ant? Drugs debts? Are you in trouble? Has someone threatened you?”
But Sienna stared straight ahead. A fox crossed the road, glancing at them momentarily before dipping out of sight behind a parked car.
“You’re asking me for one hundred K. I need to know why. It’s not purely for the money, is it? Are you going on the run?”
A flicker of emotion crossed Sienna’s face.There it was.
“Both of you?”
Sienna sat in weighted silence.
“Is Ant hurting you?”
Another shake. Sienna’s chin wobbled. Her mouth became small and tight.
“I saw the bruises on your wrist.” Elea gave her a level stare, making small dents in the armour that Sienna had layered on over the years. “I can help. But you need to be straight with me. Because I’m getting my daughter back. If you’re with me, that’s good. But if you’re not, I’ll take down anyone who stands in my way.”
“I need to keep her safe,” Sienna eventually said. “And I can only do that on my own.”
“Who?”
“Mylittle girl...at least, it feels like I’m having a girl.” She rested her hand on her stomach. “God, I’ve been so ill these last couple of weeks. My pregnancy has wiped me out. He doesn’t even know.”
Clang!Elea could almost hear the sound of the huge penny dropping in her mind. “You’re pregnant.”
Sienna nodded. “I love Ant. But he can’t keep us safe. We’ve had so many arguments over it.” She rubbed her right wrist, caught Elea looking. “He doesn’t hit me, all right? Our rows just...get out of control. He’s off his head half the time.”
“And you need the money to start again?”
Another nod. “A new life.” She sighed. “I’m clean. No drugs. No booze. No smokes. But I need to get away. Start fresh: me and my girl. I’d sell my soul for that.”
“Then tell me what you know, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Sienna tilted her chin upwards, giving Elea a defiant stare. “As long as it doesn’t end up with me getting nicked, because I’m not having my baby on the inside.”
“You have my word.” Elea meant it. Because Sienna’s reasoning was something she could understand.
Sienna’s nostrils flared as she took a deep breath and met Elea’s gaze. “I know who took Chelsea Hobbs and...” she paused for another nervous breath, “I can tell you where she’s being kept.”
Elea tried to remain steady as she was hit with a dizzying wave of hope. “Is she alive?”
“Maybe.” Sienna blinked her long, enhanced lashes.
“And Liisa?”
“Money first.”
“Will this lead me to Liisa?” Elea demanded. “Tell me that much. Is my daughter still alive?” She barely dared to utter the words.
Closing her eyes, Sienna delivered a slow nod of the head.
Chapter 33
Swann crossed the floor of his flat, relaxed in his sweater and jeans. His suit and tie were the uniform that he shed the moment he got home. Changing into comfortable clothes was his way of leaving his job at the door. But lately that was impossible. The case haunted his thoughts night and day.
“What do you think?” He turned to Elea, hoping she was suitably impressed with his old Brayford abode. If she set down roots in Lincoln, would it be so bad? Op Turnstile was concluding. He could never quite explain it, but he always sensed when they were closing in on a case. A stillness in the air when he first awoke. The way his racing thoughts finally calmed. An assurance in his movements. The case coming full circle as the answers lined up. A feeling of anticipation. Of hope.
