‘If you’ll help me, we’ll break out. The back door looks the most likely. Have you seen anything lying around we could use to batter it down?’

‘Can’t say I have but I could search the cupboards in the kitchen?’

‘So you’ll help me?’ Danny felt a surge of hope.

‘I didn’t say that. We’d have to think it through first, but even then I’m not sure...’

‘Please, Lewis – you can come with me and I’ll look after you.’

‘And leave Mum to face Pete?’

‘She can come too, I’ve told you.’

‘But she won’t, you knows she won’t. Look, Dan, I need to think about this and maybe talk to Mum again.’

‘But there’s not much time left, is there?’

‘Pete said another two days so I think it’s best if we sleep on it and decide what to do tomorrow.’

Tears rolled down Danny’s face and his voice was barely a whisper. ‘Will you talk to her again then?’

‘Yes, but she’s even more afraid of Pete since he slapped her about a bit. I’ll try though, so get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.’

31

DAY 4

It was late in the day when Alex Radford took Richard’s call, so contacting the man’s girlfriend would have to wait until the morning. The DI decided to task one of the detective sergeants with the job of interviewing her – he had no wish to meet Richard Stone’s mistress, and his confession considerably lowered Alex’s opinion of him.

Radford would try to keep the knowledge from Martha Stone, he’d no desire to interfere in their marriage but if it came out, so be it, he certainly wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. There was a growing list of things Alex needed to do but he would call it a day and pick up the threads of the investigation in the morning when hopefully he’d be fresher and more alert. Alex was used to long hours, particularly when in the middle of a serious case like this one, but it looked as if it would be another couple of days at least until something significant happened.

Graham Foster had left for home an hour earlier, tasked with arranging another press conference for the following morning and the job of preparing the Stones to take part. Radford was ambivalent about whether another press conference would do any good, as Danny was most likely hidden away somewhere safe. But as far as the public were aware, he was still classed as a missing child and any new leads would be welcome.

DS Bennet was still in the office as Radford prepared to leave. ‘So, are you on your way back to Leeds tonight, Dave?’