He stuffs his hands deep into his jacket pockets. ‘It’s not like her to be out of contact. Something’s not right.’
‘You said in your message that Mia doesn’t have much time left. What did you mean?’
‘It’s only a matter of time now before they find out who she is.Exactlywho she is. A day or two, maybe not even that. And there’s someone out there who will kill her to make sure that doesn’t happen. Who will make her disappear.’
‘I want to understand, Dominic, but it all sounds a bit . . .’
‘Crazy?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you think Kathryn was crazy?’
Worried, certainly. Stressed out, definitely. But crazy? No.
‘She didn’t seem crazy to me,’ I say, realising abruptly that he’s now talking about her in the past tense. The thought jars me out of my train of thought for a moment. ‘She was just . . . scared out of her wits.’
‘Kathryn understood the danger, that’s why she took Mia. That was the reason she was running, the reason she handed her over to you, a total stranger, when she felt them closing in.’
‘Whowas closing in?’
‘You don’t need to know. That doesn’t matter.’
‘It does to me.’
He sighs and crosses his big arms over his chest. ‘I can’t risk you relaying every word I say straight to the police. Gilbourne’s already got his hooks into you, I can tell.’
‘No, he’s just been trying to help.’ Before I can stop myself, I hear myself defending the detective inspector. ‘He’s been very kind, actually. Helpful.’
‘You can’t trust him. You can’t trust any of them, they’re all as bad as each other.’
‘He said the same thing about you.’
He barks out a short, humourless laugh. ‘Of course he did. But here’s the thing, Ellen: you’ve got to work out whose side you’re on, who you’re going to believe.’
‘Why do I have to be on anyone’sside? I’m on my own side. I’m on Mia’s side.’
He stares at me for a long moment, bloodshot eyes unblinking. ‘She needed you a few days ago, and she needs you again now.’
‘So how do I help her?’
‘Her grandparents – you have to warn them. They think they’re safe, shut in behind their walls and gates and cameras, they think they can keephersafe, but they can’t.’
‘I thought she was with social services?’
He shakes his head.
‘Back with family, which makes her a sitting target. They need to get her out of there, take her somewhere else. Somewhere no one knows.’
‘You could tell them that yourself.’
‘I tried. But we’re not exactly on speaking terms anymore. Haven’t been for a while.’ He blows out a breath. ‘I went up there to warn them yesterday and they wouldn’t even let me onto the property.’
‘That doesn’t seem completely surprising, if I’m honest.’
‘We’ve got history, but they don’t know you. They might listen to you, if you tell them you met Kathryn on Tuesday. If you tell them who you are.’
‘OK,’ I say. ‘I’ll try. Can you give me a name, an address?’
