‘And, in my humble opinion, Sir, I don’t think he’ll let this go. I’m afraid he’s obsessed.’

Seraphine held up her thumb and middle finger in an ‘O’ shape and mouthed, ‘Keep him talking until I come back.’

There was a shout from behind her. She waited for Abdul to acknowledge her instruction then walked back to the outbuilding.

87

Jameson sat forward in his seat. They’d been to Warsash Harbour and found nothing, and so the Marines had dropped him at the Royal Navy Headquarters on Whale Island in Portsmouth. Jameson was sitting in a poky meeting room awaiting an update from Grey and his team.

He felt helpless and he hated that. There was still no word from Bloom so he’d had to assume she’d followed him to the mansion and somehow been spotted. Which was probably why they’d run. As soon as one person found them, it was only a matter of time before others followed.

By the time Captain Tessa Morrisey arrived, Jameson was pacing around the small table. ‘Have they found it?’ he said.

‘Not yet,’ she replied.

‘Why the hell not? How hard can it be? It’s one bloody boat.’

‘Do you know how many boats are in the Channel at any one time, especially during the warm summer months? It’s like searching the M1 for a specific car.’

‘Which would be found in minutes. There are cameras all the way along. So what’s your excuse?’

‘We have a needle in a haystack, but no idea what the needle looks like. It could be a motor boat, a yacht, a sailing boat. They’ll find it though. We’ve confirmed that the target is not in the Solent. They’ve taken the last known position from the boy’s watch and plotted a trajectory into the Channel from there, so it’s just a matter of time.’

‘As long as they don’t change course or come back.’

‘Do you want a drink of anything?’

‘No, I don’t want a drink, I’m not at the bloody cinema. I need something to do. What can I do?’

‘There’s not really anything to do but wait.’

Jameson’s phone beeped. He read the message and then grabbed his jacket. ‘There’s always something to do, Captain. Can you show me out?’ She led him to reception and back through security. ‘Call me as soon as you find that boat.’

‘I’ll let you know as soon as I’m allowed to.’