The Taken Girls. G.D. Sanders

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СКАЧАТЬ you do next, Ed?’

      Saunders had put her on the spot again. If her reception hadn’t been so frosty she’d believe he was giving her a chance to shine or, at least, to show she was competent. Ed looked round the table. Saunders was the reliable professional but his nose must be severely out of joint. They all blamed her but the transfer had been out of her control. She could have turned it down but, at the time, she didn’t know what was happening in Canterbury. And if she had? Would she have sacrificed her career for his? Unlikely. Ed looked at the others. When Saunders left, Potts, Borrowdale and Eastham would be her team. She had to get to know them quickly and get them on her side if she was to make a success of her transfer.

      ‘Ed?’ It was Saunders prompting her.

      ‘Sorry. I was thinking. I’m new here.’ Don’t state the bleeding obvious. ‘I’ll talk it through in the light of my experience on the Met.’ Brilliant, remind them that the big boys parachuted you in and spoilt their family party.

      ‘Abductions without a ransom demand are usually a nasty business. To be successful we need to find the victim within a day or two. If that doesn’t happen, should they ever be discovered they’ll be dead and we can only hope death came quickly.’

      At these words, Jenny compressed her lips and frowned while Ed continued with her disturbing prognosis.

      ‘With Lucy Naylor the signs aren’t good. A ransom demand is unlikely; the Naylors aren’t in that league. If it’s sexually motivated then we’re probably already too late. She’ll turn up traumatized or we’ll find her body. If it’s not rape then we may have longer to find her but God help her.’

      That was better, but she was telling them what they should already know. If they were going to have any chance of finding Lucy quickly she needed to motivate them.

      ‘Think of her, Lucy Naylor, just 17, young for her age, a bit naive perhaps, one close girlfriend, no boyfriends, not much of a socializer. This young woman was poised between school and university, about to make her way in the world. Right now should be one of the great times in her life but where is she? Raped? Dumped in a ditch? Something worse?’

      Ed paused, looking at each of her future team. Potts and Borrowdale were sitting up and taking notice. Jenny Eastham looked concerned, almost upset, but determined.

      ‘And it’s not just Lucy. Think of her parents, Simon and Rachel. Think what they’re going through. They’ve lost a daughter. It’s our job to find her. For Lucy’s sake and her parents, we have to find her fast.’

      Saunders’s face was expressionless. Had she gone too far, doing his job for him? Sod it, he’d asked and she responded. The Super wanted it cleared up quickly. Of course she did – she was thinking of her statistics. Ed and Jenny, perhaps Saunders, and now maybe Potts and Borrowdale, were thinking of the girl. This is why they were in the job. They were doing it for the girl and if, God forbid, she turned up dead they were doing it for the parents, to get them justice. Ed glanced at Saunders and he nodded for her to continue.

      ‘So far we don’t have much to go on, but there are four lines to follow. First, we need to speak to all close friends and family. The perpetrator is often somebody close to the victim. Second, this may be the abductor’s first but often they’re serial attackers so we should check for similar cases in a reasonable radius, say 30, perhaps 50 or even 75 miles.’

      ‘We’ll do Kent and East Sussex,’ said Saunders.

      ‘Third, we should check the register of sex offenders for any likely suspects, and fourth, assuming it could be serial and local, have you had any similar cases in the last five to ten years? I’ve not included the vehicle because the description’s so vague – larger than a car, van-like and grey when seen in poor light – but, if we get a suspect, we should check ownership or access to something like a minibus.’

      ‘I’ll go along with that,’ said Saunders. ‘If we don’t solve this quickly it’ll be your case anyway and the Super will be on your back because I’ll be away to Maidstone. I’ll put a call out to neighbouring forces for information about similar cases. Nat, search records for any local cases. Also check the sex offenders register. Mike, start organizing interviews with friends and family, use Jenny to help. Ed, come Monday, go to Lucy’s school. See if the Head knows anything the Naylors and Shaxteds don’t. Or maybe something they’re keeping from us.’

      Saunders gathered his papers together but, before rising from his seat, he added, ‘All of you take a break for a couple of hours. Back here at 20.30 when we’ll take Ed on a tour of Canterbury’s less than salubrious bars.’

       12

      The circular route via Ashford, Maidstone, Chatham, Gillingham, Sittingbourne and Faversham took him more than five hours. He didn’t shop in Canterbury but at each of the other towns he visited supermarkets, buying a few items at each, always using the self-checkout and paying with cash.

      At the building in the woods he slipped the reed into his mouth, knocked on the door and called out, ‘I’m back and coming in.’

      There was no reply. He opened the door and reached to put two bags in the entrance. ‘I’ll get the other shopping and then I’m coming right inside.’

      There was still no reply. Feeling a twinge of anxiety, he grabbed the hood from its peg behind the door, pulled it over his head and went to look through the chain-link partition. Lucy was lying on the bed, headphones on her ears, listening to the iPod he’d left in her room. Relieved, he went back to the car and returned with the other shopping bags. This time he shut the door firmly behind him and she looked up as he came into the room. She was making an effort to compose herself in his presence but it was clear she’d been crying. He got the impression she was struggling to look defiant but lacked both energy and determination. The face she presented was one of resigned submission. When she spoke her voice carried little conviction. He took these as very good signs.

      ‘You said you’d warn me before coming in.’

      ‘I said I would and I did. You didn’t hear me because of the music.’

      She was silent and then, with an obvious effort, retorted, ‘More likely your funny voice. Why don’t you speak normally?’

      ‘I intend to release you. Your parents and the police will ask what happened and where you’ve been. They’ll ask about me. I’m breaking the law but I don’t intend to get caught. The less you can say the better. I have a distinctive voice so I use this device to disguise it.’

      ‘If you don’t want to be caught, why kidnap me in the first place? Why keep me here?’

      ‘That’s my concern.’

      Turning his key in the padlock, he opened the chain-link door and placed three plastic bags within her reach. Before she could move he left and locked the door behind him.

      ‘Check those bags and make sure I’ve got what you need.’

      While she looked through the shopping he unpacked the food, selected a large pizza and put it in the Calor gas oven. He was dividing a pre-packed salad between two bowls when she called out.

      ‘Where’re the jeans?’

      ‘I got skirts. They’re easier for me СКАЧАТЬ