“I’m sorry Mr. Cooper, but it’s Miss West he wants to talk to. We’ve arrested him on assaulting a police officer and Child Abduction.”
“So fucking make him tell you where Frankie is.”
“Sam,” Dad warned. “Calm down.”
The male officer looked at Sam with some sympathy. “We know this is hard, Mr. Cooper, but he’s making no comment until he’s seen Miss West, even though we have him on the school’s CCTV taking Frankie off the premises.”
“I swear to god, I will fucking end him,” Sam growled. “He has to tell you, surely?”
“Sam no.” I shifted on his lap and dropped my feet to the floor. “I don’t care. I’ll do it. Take me now. Take me to speak to him.”
“Maisie, are you sure?” Sam asked, taking hold of my hand.
“Yes, I’m sure. I want my son back.”
* * *
We arrived at the police station and were ushered into a reception area with a row of hard chairs and a high desk. The officer behind it gave us a sympathetic smile as we all sat down. I had Mum on one side of me and my dad on the other, both gripping my hands, while Sam prowled up and down like a caged lion.
“We’ll get an interview room set up,” the female officer I now knew to be called Tracy said. “Just give us a few minutes. Dan will stay with you.”
She nodded to the uniformed officer who’d questioned Sam at the house and then she and Clive, the policeman she’d arrived with disappeared.
“This is ridiculous,” Sam hissed. “He’s holding you to damn ransom, how can they allow it?”
“Mr. Cooper.” Dan went over to him and placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “We are still looking, checking the CCTV from around town to try and track his movements and we’re also questioning Mr. Brent’s father, so if we can manage to avoid Miss West having to speak to him, we will.”
“No,” I cried. “I want to speak to him as soon as possible. I need to know where Frankie is.”
Dan nodded. “We know and we will do whatever possible to make that happen. I promise.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, Sam’s thudding footsteps the only sound, that and the crackle of anticipation at when I would be face to face with Josh.
I could tell Sam was getting more agitated with each passing minute, so I wasn’t surprised when a door opened and two policeman came through guiding a cuffed Josh in front of them that Sam erupted with rage and went for him.
“You fucking bastard. Where is he? Where’s our boy?”
He lunged for Josh, but Dan was too quick for him and with an arm around Sam’s waist dragged him back.
“Sam, no,” I cried pushing up from my chair.
“Mr. Cooper, leave it. Get back,” Dan grunted as he tried to drag Sam away from getting himself into trouble.
As they struggled, with Sam throwing punches at Josh, a door swung open and Tracy came rushing out.
“What the hell were you doing bringing him through here, you pair of idiots,” she yelled at the two policemen. “Get him out of here, now.”
“I’ll fucking end you, Brent, if you’ve harmed my boy in any way, I swear down I’ll kill you.”
The whole time Josh didn’t say a word, but unflinching at the blows thrown his way, he watched carefully, his eyes on Sam the whole time.
“Sam.” I wrapped a hand around his wrist and pulled on his arm. “He’s not worth it.”
“He’s a fucking psychopath. Why would he do this to you?” His voice was strained with the pain that he was feeling as much as the rest of us.
“I’ll talk to him,” I whispered as Sam staggered back against my chest. “I’ll find our son.”
Sam swung around and let out a jagged sob. When I saw his eyes were filled with tears and his chest was heaving with emotion, I pulled him to me and wrapped my arms around him, feeling his anguish pulsing from every pore in his body.
