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Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

‘You did what you could,’ Ian reassured Geraldine when she went straight back to the flat and told him what had happened. ‘And now, it’s the weekend and time you took a break from the case. You’ll only get yourself worn out and frazzled, and a tired officer isn’t a good officer. Come on, let’s get a coffee, and perhaps we can go for a drive.’

‘A drive? What are you talking about? Where are we going to drive to?’

He shrugged, smiling. ‘I don’t know. I thought we might go out for lunch somewhere off the beaten track. Just spend a few hours together –’

‘Ian, you’re not listening to me, Ella’s done a runner –’

‘Geraldine, she’s not at home. You can try again on Monday, but she probably won’t know what happened to Jessica’s baby. Why would she?’

‘Ella’s neighbour saw her with a baby just a few days ago, and the baby has been crying there at night. Ian, Jessica’s health visitor told me Ella’s baby died three months ago –’

Ian’s jaw dropped. ‘Come on, then,’ he snapped, grabbing his phone. ‘What are we waiting for? Let’s get to work. Once we’re sure the health visitor’s story checks out, we’ll start a full-scale hunt for Ella and the baby she’s taken with her.’

45

45

An urgent sense of purpose pervaded the police station which buzzed with people talking on the phone, typing furiously, and hurrying along corridors. A message had been sent to all UK airports and mainline stations, bus depots and taxi companies, anyone who might be able to intercept a young woman seeking to move around with a baby.

With the hunt for Ella underway, Geraldine went to speak to Jessica again, to find out whether she might know where Ella might be. She found her at Anne’s house.

‘Where is she?’ Anne cried out, once they were all seated. ‘Where’s my granddaughter? We need you to find her.’

Geraldine refrained from mentioning that the police had a lead which suggested Daisy was alive and well. It would be too cruel if she was mistaken in her suspicions of Ella, and the baby she was caring for was not Daisy after all.

‘We’re still looking for her,’ Geraldine said. She turned to Jessica. ‘We’d like to talk to you about a woman called Ella.’

Jessica shook her head as though she didn’t understand. She went very pale and her lips moved wordlessly.

‘When did you last see Ella?’ Geraldine asked, very gently, as though she was speaking to a frightened child.

‘Ella?’ Jessica echoed faintly. ‘Who’s Ella?’

‘Yes, who’s Ella?’ Anne demanded. ‘What has she got to do with any of this? Has she taken Daisy?’

‘You have a friend called Ella,’ Geraldine said.

‘I don’t know anyone called Ella,’ Jessica replied.