‘We have to assume that she might be involved. If you’re happy to spend some time with her, that’s fine. You need support, but we have to work out what you’re going to say when she asks for details, because she will, won’t she?’
Becky’s right. Tessa won’t be fobbed off with some vague story. She will know that I would have fought tooth and nail before anyone had taken either Ash or Millie.
‘But Becky,’ I say, ‘if she’s involved, she’ll know how they were taken. So what’s the harm in telling her?’
Becky is still frowning.
‘Tell her you’ve been asked not to give anyone any details. Blame me,’ she says. ‘Honestly, Jo, it’s best if you don’t trust anyone.’
47
Ash was finding it almost impossible to lie in bed waiting to see what would happen next. All he had to keep him company were his own thoughts, and he didn’t like where they were taking him. He had always considered himself to be a good man – honourable, reliable, trustworthy. Recently he had been anything but.
He needed to get out of here. He was sure he had recovered from the concussion, and his broken ankle wasn’t a huge handicap. He could still get around. He could still drive too, as his car was automatic.
He was about to press the buzzer to demand to see the doctor when the door opened and the nurse who had brought him the phone came in, smiling brightly, no doubt for the benefit of the police officer.
‘Just coming to check that you’re comfortable, see if there’s anything you need,’ she said in a chirpy voice. She turned and closed the door. ‘You need the bathroom,’ she told him, the smile dropping from her face. ‘I’ll help you up.’ Her voice was hard, indifferent. She sniffed. ‘Where is it?’
Ash peeled back the covers. The phone was on the bed, next to his right hip. She offered him her arm and helped him to his feet.
Ash turned to her. ‘Why are you doing this?’
‘I’m a nurse – well, an auxiliary, to be precise. Why do you think?’
He hopped through the bathroom door and turned towards her.
‘If you mean money, I’ll pay you more if you tell me who asked you to do this. Tell me how much you want.’
She tried for a sneer, but it didn’t quite work. Ash knew she was frightened – and not of him.
‘It’s more than that, isn’t it? What is it? Tell me and I’ll help you.’
She stood silently for a moment and then shook her head. ‘You can’t help me. It’s too late for that. Just read the message. I’ll be waiting outside.’
Ash stared after her as she went out and closed the door, but stopped thinking about her as soon as his eyes went to the screen. There wasn’t one text, there were three.
when you leave hospital, you must not switch this phone on inside your house.
Ash understood why; the police would be monitoring everything, including mobile signals in the house.
The second text was about Millie.
millie is safe and i will not harm her if you obey my instructions. i will know if you don’t. everything has changed now, and plans must be adapted. keep this phone with you – switched off. they will allow you home in the morning, i am told. make an excuse to leave the house as soon as you can and wait for my call.
How the hell was he going to get away in the morning to receive a call without Jo losing it altogether? She would never understand how he could go out when she needed him most.
Ash groaned. There was one more text and he hesitated to look, scared it would be something else that he didn’t know how to deal with.
He clicked to open it. It was a photo of Millie, lying on a bed. He felt the skin down his back prickle and pinched his fingers to enlarge the image. Her face was pale, the skin around her eyes red as if she’d been crying. And he couldn’t tell if she was dead or alive.
48
Tom was relieved to be back on home territory. Now that Jo had been allowed to go home, he had relocated back to the major incident room with his own team, although he had asked Rob to join them. With Keith currently an acting DI, Tom thought Rob might make a useful addition.
‘Can I have your attention, please?’ he called, and the level of noise in the room dropped instantly. ‘Can I introduce you to DS Rob Cumba. He’s been working with DI Robinson and me on the kidnap case and so he knows the victim, Jo Palmer.’
Rob jumped to his feet and smiled confidently round the room. As far as Tom knew, Rob hadn’t taken a break since he had delivered Jo Palmer to the training centre last night, and yet his energy levels didn’t seem to have dropped at all.
‘We need to use the knowledge that Rob’s acquired over the last twenty-four hours. We’re no longer convinced that this is a kidnap for ransom – we’ve had no word from those who took Ashraf Rajavi and Millie Palmer. If it’s an abduction, though, what is the purpose?’
‘Are we still maintaining a watch on the house, sir?’ Keith asked, as always practically standing to attention as he spoke.
‘Yes, as best we can with the pavements crawling with the bloody press. Rajavi is leaving hospital in the morning if he has a peaceful night, although I’m not sure how anyone can expect that under the circumstances.’
‘Sir!’ The voice came from the back of the room, and Lynsey stood up. ‘I’ve just had a message confirming Steven Allman’s whereabouts. Turns out he’s not in London – he’s in Manchester.’
‘Is he, now? Do we know why?’
‘Some band he’s been working with have a gig tonight – support act at the arena.’
‘Right. Lynsey, find out when he arrived, how long he’s going to be here, where he’s staying and how we can get in touch with him. We need to talk to him as soon as possible.’
Lynsey nodded and sat down.
Confident that Keith had everything in hand until Becky was back from Jo Palmer’s, Tom made his way towards his office. He had at least been able to call in at home briefly, but Louisa had sent him packing, repeating that she was fine.
As he walked towards his office, his mobile rang. An unrecognised number, and Tom felt a twinge of hope that this might be Jack again.
‘Tom Douglas.’
‘Tom, it’s Paul Green. I understand from Detective Superintendent Stanley that despite being involved in a very tricky abduction, you have some news about the murder of Finn McGuinness. I’d like to come and pick your brains.’
‘Fine. When would suit you?’
‘How about now?’
Tom turned the corner to his office and cancelled the call. Paul Green was already there, waiting for him.
Tom opened his office door and showed Paul in.
‘Sorry to descend on you out of the blue, Tom, but I need to find out what you know, or what you’ve heard. Unlike Superintendent Stanley, I don’t give a damn where you get your information from; I just need to know if it’s likely to be accurate.’
Tom looked at the other man. Paul Green had kept quiet about Jack’s involvement in the arrest of Finn McGuinness, and he almost certainly suspected Jack had some involvement in the death of Guy Bentley. But two big names had been obliterated from the organised-crime scene, so he had to be pleased. He would guess where Tom’s information was coming from, but there was no need to say the name out loud.