Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
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It was eight o’clock as Ian pulled into the car park of Wetherby Security. It was largely empty at this time of the morning as the majority of employees started work at nine. Nevertheless, he parked away from the entrance and exit, took out his phone and then searched online for the phone number of Coleshaw CID.
‘I’d like to speak to a detective constable there,’ he said as soon as the call handler answered. ‘My name is Ian Jennings. The officer visited my wife and me a few weeks ago. I’m sure her first name was Beth, but I can’t remember her surname.’
‘DC Beth Mayes?’
‘Yes. That’s her. Can I speak to her, please?’
‘I’ll see if she’s in. What is it in connection with?’
Ian hesitated and swallowed hard. ‘Our baby. I’m sure she’ll remember if you tell her it’s Ian Jennings. I live in Booth Lane and she saw my wife, Emma, twice.’
‘Hold the line, please, and I’ll check if she’s here.’
It was a minute or so before he came back on the line. ‘I’ll put you through now.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Good morning, Mr Jennings,’ Beth said. ‘How are you and your wife?’
‘All right. Well, actually we’re not. We’ve just had some awful news and I need your help. You see, I’ve discovered that my wife and I are the children of donor sperm. Do you know what that is?’
‘Yes.’
‘To make matters worse, I’ve just found out that we share the same donor. We’re related! Emma and I have the same biological father.’
‘I didn’t think that was allowed.’
‘It’s not. And the man who runs the clinic where the sperm came from lied to me. He told me we couldn’t possibly have the same donor. But I’ve had our DNA tested and we most certainly do. There’s no doubt about it.’
‘I see,’ Beth said gently.
‘This must be the reason Emma and I can’t have healthy children, although we don’t appear to have any inherited conditions.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Beth said. ‘This must have come as a huge shock to you and your wife, but I’m not sure I can help. How is it a police matter?’
‘Carstan Moller, who owns and runs the clinic, lied to me. I’d like you to find out why.’ Ian heard Beth’s hesitation before she replied.
‘From what you’ve told me, Ian, I don’t think it’s a police matter. But if you wait a moment, I’ll check.’
‘Thank you.’
It was a few minutes before Beth came back on the phone.
‘As I thought, it isn’t really a police matter. In the first instance you will need to raise your complaint with the practice manager at the clinic.’