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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

‘We have to act fast,’ Geraldine said. ‘If a stranger did somehow gain access to your house and take the baby, then the quicker we trace his or her identity, the sooner Daisy will be returned home. Now, I need you to come with me to the police station.’

‘The police station? Why? You just said I could go to my mother’s.’

‘Yes, but first we need you to give us as many details as you can of anyone who has been in or around your house since Daisy was born. Anyone at all.’

Jessica nodded. She was trembling and pale, and she scarcely seemed to understand what was happening.

‘Is it blood?’ she whispered. ‘Is it…’

‘It may well turn out that the marks on Daisy’s sheet are not blood at all,’ Geraldine added, in as reassuring a tone as she could muster. ‘Someone might have been eating, and dropped a few drops of food or drink on the sheet. But we have to be sure.’

‘Yes,’ Jessica repeated dully, as though the words held no meaning, ‘we have to be sure.’

Bursting into tears, she allowed Geraldine to guide her into a police car that had just drawn up. Geraldine watched thoughtfully as Jessica was driven away. As if the disappearance of a baby wasn’t dreadful enough, the investigation had just taken an alarming turn. With a sigh, she watched as the search team arrived. Pulling on plastic overshoes and a white protective suit, she went back in the house, keen to learn what they could discover.

‘It looks like a chaotic household,’ a scene of crime officer told her. ‘Apart from the nursery, which is beautifully kept, the whole place is a mess. Clothes, toiletries, toys, nappies, food, everywhere.’

Geraldine left shortly after. Nothing more could be determined until the search was concluded, and results of forensic tests on the bloodstains had been received. Walking slowly to her own car, she wondered whether they should have discovered the blood spots earlier. It was going to be a long day and there was still no sign of Jason. Jessica had told them he had gone to a stag do, yet none of his friends they had been able to trace knew anything about it. A marriage where the husband lied to his wife about his whereabouts for the weekend, and then ditched his phone, did not sound normal. Either Jason had wanted to mislead his wife, or the beautiful fragile Jessica was deliberately lying to the police. Whatever the truth might be, the motive for concealing it could only be malevolent.

8

8

‘I feel really sorry for her,’ Ariadne said. ‘I can’t think of anything worse than a baby going missing like that, whatever the circumstances.’

Geraldine nodded in agreement. ‘Yes, not knowing what’s happened must be torture for Jessica. We have to find Daisy soon.’