Deadly Lies Read online

  ‘It’s whizzed past,’ Ruby said. ‘I almost feel like I just heard Grant’s message and jumped out of bed. When do you think Fox will call a press conference?’

  ‘Not yet. They’ll wait to see if the abductor gets in contact. If there are no kidnapper’s demands then Grant and the super will make a judgement call on whether to put the family in front of the media depending on how we’re progressing with eye witnesses and such.’

  ‘It feels different when it’s children, doesn’t it,’ Ruby said.

  ‘Yeah much worse – which is why, when I left them, the constables were working their butts off on the street with the door-to-door. We’re relying on them to get that golden nugget of information and every single one of them is dying to be the one to find it. The partial registration is a breakthrough and the public are dead keen to help. Everyone was co-operating even when we dug them out of bed at the crack of dawn. It’s always like that when it’s kids. If there’s important information out there we’ll find it.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  He gave her a smile and Ruby gave Tom a small one back. It didn’t feel right, with two children in danger, to feel happy. It was because he was working with Ruby. Their friendship was slowly progressing. They often had breakfast together at Ruby’s place and Tom had invited her to the cinema and to the park and once to the seafront for a picnic. She hadn’t yet been to his place and he was working on it.

  Tom was a keen sportsman and rugby was his thing. Though running wasn’t his favourite, he’d agreed to train with Ruby because it was her ambition to run in the Himlands Heath fun run. When she’d asked him to be her training partner he’d been delighted because it gave him the chance to see her outside work. They ran together two or three times a week during quieter periods. It was fantastic to have nice times together and Tom knew he couldn’t rush it. Besides, nothing gave him the impression Ruby liked him beyond being friends. He was always looking for a glimmer to show she felt the same way about him as he felt about her and he hadn’t seen it yet. Maybe he never would.

  Tom knew he must be careful because Ruby had had a difficult life. And she didn’t trust easily. He respected that and no way would he ever cross the boundaries and make her uncomfortable. It would be her move or it would be no move at all.

  They sat in silence.

  A few minutes later, when they went back with the family, Ruby finished off her work with Alice. They’d almost finalised mapping the children’s movements. Ruby had a pattern of who had had contact with Emily and Lisa and Tom knew she’d also been observing Jack and Alice’s behaviour.

  Jack had taken himself off to his study, though he’d left the door open. Like his wife, Jack was running on overdrive.

  Tom settled himself near to the lounge window and tried to relax. Conserving his energy for the long haul was something he’d learned from the DCI and it was essential for a case like this where they’d be getting minimal sleep.

  It wasn’t long before Joan Hardman came back from the hospital and she dragged herself into the lounge, looking terrible.

  ‘My house is a crime scene,’ she said, and she threw herself into a chair.

  ‘I need you here, Mum,’ Alice said with a gulp. ‘You know there’s plenty of space. Then if something bad… happens…’

  ‘Nothing worse is going to happen,’ Mrs Hardman said firmly. ‘Still, it’s a good idea and I’d like to be close.’

  At the sound of voices, Jack wandered back in and the three family members slumped in different chairs. Mrs Hardman stared into space, whereas Alice had her eyes squeezed shut. Jack kept biting his nails.

  ‘Detective Delaney,’ Jack said. ‘I feel so useless. I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to get out there and start looking. I can’t wait here.’

  ‘DCI Grant said not to do that,’ Alice said.

  ‘I don’t care. Waiting is driving me mad.’

  ‘It’s best if you leave it to us, sir,’ Tom said. ‘We’re doing everything we can.’

  ‘But they’re my children.’ Jack sounded desperate and he got up and stumbled out of the room.

  ‘Leave him,’ Alice said. ‘He’ll get himself together.’

  Joan Hardman snapped out of her daze. ‘There’s no shortage of money. I’ll give anything that’s needed. If there’s a ransom, I want to pay it.’

  ‘Let’s cross that bridge if we come to it,’ Tom said.

  A case like this was a waiting game – waiting to see what evidence they dug up, waiting to see if demands were made. Had the abductor left a trail? Would they identify a suspect? And meanwhile the family would be dragged through hours of agony. Tom was about to suggest Alice and Mrs Hardman lie down when the doorbell rang. It was the next-door neighbour, Natalie. A uniformed officer accompanied Natalie to the lounge and she went to hug Joan.

  ‘Please accept my condolences,’ Natalie said. ‘I’m so sorry you lost your husband.’

  ‘He died trying to save them. Does it sound stupid when I say it gives me some comfort?’ Joan said.

  Alice was still in her evening dress. ‘I can’t take it in about Dad. Lisa and Emily are all I can think about. Is there something wrong with me?’

  ‘It’s perfectly normal, Mrs Glover,’ Ruby said. ‘You’re in shock and you’ve got a great deal to cope with. It might be a good idea for you to take some rest because you’re going to need your stamina for the time ahead.’

  Tom didn’t want to mention they might need stamina for the coming days rather than hours. The worst kidnap cases were the ones which took weeks to resolve.

  Alice nodded and Natalie helped her up and guided her out of the room.

  ‘My poor Alice,’ Joan said. ‘This is a nightmare. If Ronnie hadn’t suffered a heart attack he would have punched that man’s lights out and then my grandchildren would be safe.’

  Joan Hardman seemed to have aged. She must have collected a change of clothes because she wore jogging trousers and sweatshirt rather than her night clothes as she had at the time of the abduction. She had platinum blonde hair, which was dyed, Tom presumed. At better times, she was probably striking looking, as Alice was and the children too.

  Joan had gone back to staring out of the window.

  ‘I wonder if you could tell me more about Hardman Construction and your husband,’ Tom said. ‘A bit more background would be helpful.’

  ‘I’m not sure I’ve the energy.’

  ‘There might be a clue somewhere which could lead us to the abductor. The more information we can gather, the greater our chances.’

  ‘You’re very persuasive, detective. Something tells me you’re rather good at your job.’

  When Joan started talking she had a faraway look in her eyes. She told Tom she’d met Ronnie forty years earlier when she worked as a secretary at Ronnie’s fledgling company.

  ‘Falling for the boss is a cliché, isn’t it,’ she said. ‘Like something you see in films, and believe it or not it’s what happened for me and Ronnie. I knew it the moment I saw him and we’ve been happily married ever since. I think it’s why Ronnie warmed to Jack – because Alice met Jack in the same way as us. She was a secretary and she fell for Jack when he joined Hardman Construction as a new manager.’

  Hardman Construction had grown from being Ronnie on his own, then to a handful of workers and now to a successful company employing over fifty people. It covered Sussex county and a portion of neighbouring Surrey. Jack was in charge of the business and Joan, Ronnie, Jack and Alice owned the company equally between them.

  ‘Ronnie was a workaholic. Before he retired, Alice and I didn’t see much of him outside vacation times. That’s why it’s touching seeing him play with Emily and Lisa because he was never so close to Alice. The truth is, he was a bit of a stranger to his own daughter.’

  Ruby was working on her laptop. She glanced up. ‘I wonder what Alice thinks of that.’

  ‘She’s never mentioned it. When she was younger she was always close to her Uncle Phil, that’s Ronnie’s broth
er, or she was until Ronnie and his brother fell out.’

  ‘What happened?’ Ruby asked.

  ‘Ronnie’s always been the hard worker. He got where he is by years of long gruelling hours not by luck and Philip, who’s younger than Ronnie, didn’t have the same drive. Anyway, Phil set up a retail business which got into financial difficulties and when he asked Ronnie for help it was Alice who persuaded Ronnie to lend her Uncle Phil money. Unfortunately it all went south. Phil went bankrupt and Ronnie lost the cash he’d ploughed in and it was a big load Phil had borrowed. And then to make it even worse, many years later the same thing happened to Phil’s son, Harry. It was like a repeating nightmare. Harry set up in business and after a few years he got into debt and he asked Ronnie for help just like Phil did. Harry hoped Uncle Ronnie would bail him out, but this time, Ronnie refused. Poor Harry went bust and he ended up going to prison.’

  ‘That’s quite a story,’ Ruby said. ‘And you still all get on?’

  ‘Are you kidding me? Ronnie and I haven’t spoken to Phil or his son for years, though I think Alice keeps in contact with her Uncle Phil. The only family Ronnie was interested in was Emily and Lisa. He spoils those children silly. Ronnie bought ridiculous amounts of things for them and paid for riding and dance lessons and clothes galore.’

  Tom made a mental note to find out Alice’s point of view on that one. And to flag up Phil and Harry Hardman with DCI Grant.

  Joan lowered her voice. ‘There’s something else I need to tell you and I know Jack doesn’t want to mention it. Could we speak in the conservatory?’

  Tom followed her through to the hothouse. It was humid and full of giant plants – cactuses and ferns and exotic ones Tom didn’t know the names of. Some of the cactuses were covered in bright orange flowers and others had huge spikes which he carefully manoeuvred around. Joan was installed on a wicker chair.

  ‘It’s very nice in here,’ he said. ‘Reminds me of Kew Gardens.’

  ‘I know. It’s Alice’s little haven and she’s very proud of it. Our gardener gets advice from one of the gardeners at Kew.’

  It made sense the Glovers paid for it to be done for them. Tom couldn’t imagine Alice actually getting her hands dirty.

  ‘You’re very kind,’ she said. ‘Only I don’t like to talk in front of Jack. You see, a few years ago there was a rather nasty case of embezzlement at Hardman Construction and I know he doesn’t like to be reminded of it.’

  Well, thought Tom, the skeletons were coming out of the cupboard.

  ‘I see,’ he said.

  ‘Basically, Jack found out Ronnie’s senior accountant was cooking the books. Ronnie was devastated. He’d trusted Daniel Pearson for years. In fact, Pearson was a very early employee of Ronnie’s. Of course, Ronnie sacked Pearson though it left a nasty taste and a lot of bad feeling, as you can imagine.’

  ‘And it was Jack who was the whistle-blower,’ Tom said.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did it go to court?’

  ‘Ronnie didn’t want to prosecute, though he could have. Daniel Pearson was sacked and he was discredited and my husband felt that was enough punishment. I heard Pearson had some bad luck and some health problems afterwards, though I don’t know the details.’

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Hardman. I’ll make sure we check it out.’

  Joan rested her head back. ‘I’m sorry, I suddenly feel drained.’

  ‘No need to apologise. Why don’t I go and fetch a glass of water, then leave you in peace for a while?’

  Tom’s mind was turning over the new information. On his way to the kitchen, Tom quickly sent a message to DCI Grant. The kitchen was at the end of the hallway and the house was quiet and Tom didn’t bother to announce his entry. As he walked in, he saw Natalie with her back against the counter and Jack pressed up close to her. And when they heard Tom the two of them sprang apart.

  Tom stopped where he was, standing in the doorway.

  ‘It’s not what you think,’ Jack said.

  Natalie left the kitchen without looking at Tom. He caught the citric scent of her perfume as she brushed past him and he stepped aside to let her through.

  ‘I’m not here to judge,’ Tom said. ‘Our job is to find your daughters and bring them home safely.’

  Jack ran his hands through his hair. ‘Of course. I know that. It’s just… I don’t want you to…’

  Misjudge him? Think badly of him?

  ‘Mention it to your wife?’

  ‘Something like that.’

  It was a delicate situation. Tom knew their first priority was maintaining a good working relationship with the family. By leaving Tom and Ruby with the Glovers, the chief had given them that big responsibility. Tom didn’t intend to mess it up. However, if there was information which could help, it was also their job to uncover it. Tom took his time. He nodded slowly at Jack.

  ‘Then perhaps you could fill me in a little more, sir. To help me understand a bit better?’

  ‘Would you like a coffee?’

  ‘No thanks but a herbal tea would be nice, if you’ve got one.’

  ‘You’re in luck. That’s what Alice drinks.’

  ‘And I offered to bring your mother-in-law a glass of water…’

  Jack nodded, took the water to the conservatory then returned, busying himself at the counter, turning on the coffee machine and taking cups out of the cupboard. When the noise of the machine had died down, he started talking.

  ‘Natalie’s husband, Sanjay, is filing for divorce. Their marriage has been on the rocks for a while. Natalie hoped they could salvage it and they’ve been seeing a counsellor only it doesn’t seem to have helped. Sanjay wants out.’

  ‘Right. And this is relevant because?’

  ‘Because Natalie is a friend and she’s upset about Sanjay. And I’m upset. And in a weak moment I cracked when I shouldn’t have done. She’s like a sister to me and I shouldn’t have taken advantage of her.’

  What Tom had glimpsed wasn’t something you did with your sister.

  ‘You mean it hasn’t happened before today?’

  ‘Of course not, Natalie is our friend. What I was doing when you walked in was crazy. I’m in such a mess over Emily and Lisa. You don’t know what it’s like. And Ronnie too, I mean he’s dead for God’s sake.’

  ‘I know it’s hard.’

  ‘I can’t stand it! What’s happening? Why isn’t there any news?’

  Tom took over the pouring of the hot water and the carrying of the drinks to the table because Jack didn’t seem capable of managing it.

  ‘Oh God, my children. You don’t know what it’s like.’

  The man’s hands were shaking and Tom put his hand over Jack’s.

  ‘It’s torture. I think I’m going mad.’

  ‘Try to keep calm. If you need to speak to a counsellor, I can get that arranged.’

  ‘It’ll be getting dark and what will happen then? Lisa is frightened of the dark.’

  Then Jack Glover broke down and cried.

  11

  The house was quiet. Natalie had gone home and Ruby sat with Tom in the kitchen. She could see he was disturbed by the incident between Jack and Natalie.

  ‘I passed on the information about Uncle Phil and his son, Harry, and about the embezzlement at Hardman Construction, and about Natalie and Jack,’ Tom said. ‘Grant told me to sit tight and get started on the search.’

  Ruby had her characteristic small frown. ‘I’m ready when you are.’

  Tom shook his head. ‘With his children abducted and his father-in-law passing away, Jack Glover decides to grope his wife’s best friend?’

  ‘It doesn’t say much for his character,’ Ruby said.

  ‘Human nature never ceases to be disappointing. That’s something I’ve learned on the job.’

  ‘Oh don’t worry, I knew that already.’

  ‘Er, yes I guess so, sorry I didn’t mean to be insensitive about your family and all. Anyway, what’s important is – does it have any bearing on the
kidnap?’

  Ruby looked out of the window. Though she was dying to take a look she hadn’t yet been through to the conservatory because she wasn’t here as a sightseer. She smiled at Tom. She hadn’t meant to sound know-it-all. Maybe she should let Tom know she was starting to feel positive about human nature and a lot of that was down to him because his friendship was something new and good in her life. The thing was, it would sound silly and unprofessional and she and Tom had work to do. They should start on the children’s bedrooms. No, she should wait for a better time to tell him. You’re stalling, Silver, she said to herself. You’re scared to open up. You’ve spent too long living like a damn clam.

  She followed Tom up the stairs. Emily’s bedroom was decked out in pale blue and lilacs, and Lisa’s was decorated in pink.

  ‘What are we looking for?’ Ruby asked.

  ‘Anything which seems odd or out of place, or something missing which you’d expect to be there. Perhaps something hidden from the parents. Looking will also give us an idea about the children. If we come into communication with them, what link can we make with them quickly? It’s little details which can make a life or death difference. Let’s start with Emily.’

  Emily was into horses. There were horse posters and horse ornaments. They found riding gear and photographs of Emily at the stables.

  They systematically searched the drawers of an enormous lilac dresser.

  ‘There was a twin of this one at the Hardmans’ house,’ Tom said.

  They checked through the books on the shelf. Emily liked clothes. Or perhaps it was Alice who liked to buy them, because the child had more pretty tops and skirts and dresses than any child could wear. It was at the bottom of a box stuffed full of horse magazines where Tom found the surprise.

  ‘Come and look at this.’