Twenty-Seven
Sarah read the online report feeling sick to her soul:
Missing toddler latest: Jacob Caldwell, who vanished from his bed in July 2003, is believed dead. Despite repeated searches and investigations following the three-year-old’s disappearance, no trace of the child has ever been found.
Detectives from West Mercia Police searched extensively for clues around the Warwickshire house from where it was first assumed Jacob had been taken. It is since believed that he may have wandered from the house onto land close by that was being excavated. Officers believe he may have been accidentally killed by one of the construction vehicles on site. To date, his body has not been recovered.
There was a photograph of him, Jacob. A sweet, petite little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes; haunting blue eyes that looked straight back at her, tearing her heart into a thousand pieces. She couldn’t believe it. Why had Laura never mentioned this, to Steve if no one else? Despite his tendency to sometimes hide away from emotional things, he would have been supportive. Was that why she’d changed her name, Sarah wondered, to try to forget, to somehow put the tragedy behind her? She would never be able to do that if her name was constantly associated with it. It could conceivably be why she would hide it from Steve – because the memories were just too painful. They must be, if subconsciously she couldn’t let go of them.
Feeling devastated for Laura and her mother, who must both have been utterly broken, she wondered whether she should call Laura. She was backtracking majorly – she still had to consider Ollie, whose safety was her absolute priority – but perhaps she should try and reach out to her. If Laura opened up a little, maybe Sarah could persuade her to seek help, which she clearly badly needed. Her heart ached as she thought about Jacob, what the poor mite must have gone through, the fear he would have felt out there in the dark night on his own, the terror when he saw what must have looked like some mechanical monster coming towards him. Please God he hadn’t seen it. Please God he might have been sleeping, curled up somewhere and oblivious. Her mind went to Ollie, and her stomach lurched as she felt the fear like a physical thing.
She should call her. Closing her PC, she wiped away the tears she hadn’t realised she was crying and went to the work surface for her phone. Deliberating for a second, she selected Laura’s number, and then paused, perplexed, as she received a text.Joe. A turmoil of conflicting emotions ran through her. She hadn’t thought he would have the nerve to contact her after their last conversation. Clearly, he had.
Can we talk?he’d sent, unbelievably. Why? Sarah wondered. Did he want to rub salt in the wounds and end things with her officially? She thought she’d already done that. Perhaps he was about to come up with some excuse as to why he would be in the company of a woman who was about to slip into the bath. Was he going to claim he did a spot of plumbing in his spare time and that Courtneyhad needed hers attending to?
I don’t think there’s much point, she typed, and was about to press send when he sent another:It’s about Laura.
Sarah hesitated, and then, pushing her hurt to one side, braced herself and called him.
‘Hi, how are you?’ he said, the undeniably masculine timbre of his voice causing her stomach to flutter, despite her determination to remain unaffected by him or any excuses he might have to offer.
‘Fine,’ she said shortly.
‘I’m guessing you don’t want to hear my explanation?’ he said, sounding despondent. He could never feel as despondent as she’d felt realising he wasn’t the man she’d thought he was.
‘Was there something you wanted to tell me, Joe?’ She avoided answering his question, thus, she hoped, stopping her heart from breaking more than it already was. ‘It’s just that I have a lot on at the moment.’
‘I know. I should have been more supportive,’ he said, his tone full of contrition. ‘I’m thinking you won’t want to hear my apologies either, but I’d at least like to say I’m sorry for not backing you up.’
Sarah’s throat tightened. ‘You were texting about Laura,’ she said, the wobble in her voice belying her attempt at indifference.
‘Right.’ Joe’s tone was flat. ‘Yes, I was. I checked out the FB page. Obviously I have no grounds to approach them to release information, but the guy in the wedding photograph, his name’s Christopher Jameson. I ran a standard criminal records check. He has a caution. I can’t say what for – nothing dodgy,’ he added hastily, no doubt guessing she might worry about it. ‘Anyway, I have his address. Also a phone number.’
Finally he was supporting her, and Sarah had no idea how to feel. It couldn’t unbreak her heart, could it? ‘That’s helpful,’ she said awkwardly. ‘Thank you.’
‘I could call around and see him if you like?’ he offered. ‘Not in an official capacity, but I might be able to persuade him to answer a few questions unofficially.’
She was tempted, but she actually thought that might still seem too official. ‘No. Thanks, but I think I’d rather call him myself. Play it low-key, you know? Say I’m a friend or something and try to do a little fishing.’
‘Probably a good idea,’ he said.
‘I’d better go. I have some things to do.’ Sarah made her excuses, not wanting to prolong the call. She didn’t think she could deal with anything emotive right now.
‘Okay.’ Joe blew out a breath, and then, ‘About Steve,’ he said quickly. ‘You mentioned you were going to see him. I was a bit concerned after hearing the argument you two had. I’d like to offer to come with you, if—’
‘It’s fine.’ Sarah stopped him. Did he realise how painful this strained conversation was? ‘I’ve already spoken to him. I think he’s accepted that I’m not waging some vendetta against Laura out of jealousy.’
She hadn’t been going to say that, but then why shouldn’t she? Joe clearly had thought it. Would that have been his excuse for going to see his ex-wife, she wondered, where the door was clearly still open?
‘Right. Good.’ He sounded awkward now.
As he should, she thought, with some small satisfaction. It wouldn’t make much difference now, but at least he’d known he was wrong. ‘Laura’s mother was there, at the house,’ she said, debating whether to tell him more. She should, she decided. He’d offered to help, and she shouldn’t let wounded pride stop her asking for it if she needed to. ‘You remember I told you they didn’t get on?’
‘I do. And?’ Joe asked. There was no weary tone to his voice this time. He was taking her seriously. Well, what she had to say anyway, if not their relationship.
‘There’s a reason they don’t,’ she went on. ‘Her mother had another child, a little boy. He went missing, years ago. It obviously put a massive strain on their relationship.’
‘Christ.’ Joe sounded winded. ‘How? When? I didn’t find anything online.’
