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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

With further assurances that the police were doing everything in their power to find the baby, Geraldine left. Nothing about Anne’s responses had struck her as strange. Clearly she wasn’t close to her son-in-law, but that wasn’t unusual. David also, although gruff and almost rude in his responses, was behaving as might be expected from a man deeply upset by his granddaughter’s disappearance. The visit had thrown up no new lines of enquiry, although it had established that the Armstrongs were not fond of their son-in-law. There was nothing more Geraldine could do to help so she went home, feeling frustrated. They could only wait for the results of the search for the father, who must surely be the key to the mystery. It could not be a coincidence that the baby had disappeared just when her father went away. The fact that no one had been able to contact him, or establish his whereabouts, was telling, as was the fact that his mobile phone had somehow been disabled and was impossible to trace.

Most of the team subscribed to the theory that Jason hadn’t gone to a stag party at all, but had deserted his overly emotional wife, taking their baby with him.

‘There’s probably another woman involved,’ Eileen muttered darkly. ‘There usually is.’

‘Or a man,’ someone added.

7

7

Geraldine was interrupted in her work by her phone ringing. She didn’t recognise the number.

‘It’s me, Jessica,’ the voice babbled. ‘I need to see you right away.’

‘Would you like to come to the police station –’ Geraldine began, but Jessica interrupted her.

‘No, no, this can’t wait. You have to come here. You left me your card and said I could call you at any time. Please. You need to come here and see this for yourself.’

Anne had described her daughter as highly strung and emotional, and had mentioned that Jessica had been particularly vulnerable after the birth of her baby. All the same, Geraldine took the call seriously and drove straight to Jessica’s house. She wished that Jessica had not flatly rejected the appointment of a family liaison officer to support her through this difficult time. She seemed to suspect the officer would not only be tasked with helping her, but would also be reporting back on her conduct.

Jessica opened the door at once, as though she had been standing right beside it, waiting for the bell to ring. Her blonde hair was scraped back in a pony tail, looking greasy and uncombed, and she was wearing no make-up. Although her cheeks were pale and her blue eyes bloodshot, the elegant bone structure of her gaunt face was perfectly proportioned.

‘You called me,’ Geraldine reminded her gently, when Jessica stood staring at her like a rabbit caught in headlights.

‘Yes, yes, I know. I did. I did. Come in, please, come in. You have to find her before it’s too late.’