Lost Child: A Gripping Psychological Thriller Read online

  Mum’s voice trailed away, and I reached out to squeeze her hand. “I know. But the best thing we can do for Kate now is get Jenna back.”

  “I would have thought the police would have some leads by now. Do you think they know who sent it and don’t want to tell us?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. I can’t see why they wouldn’t tell us if they’d managed to trace the number.”

  Mum stared out at the rain-soaked garden. It was less than twenty-four hours since we had seen the photograph of Jenna. She smoothed a hand over her grey wool skirt, a gesture that was so familiar to me and betrayed her anxiety. Our world had been turned upside down with the discovery that Jenna could have been alive all this time. Feeling anxious was only natural, but I knew her well enough to sense that she was holding something back. I wasn’t going to push her on the subject, though. If she wanted to confide in me or question me, I would let her do it in her own time.

  We sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the sun, which had broken through the grey clouds and streamed through the large windows.

  After a brief hesitation, Mum turned to me and said, “You shouldn’t pay any attention to Daniel’s reaction today, Beth.”

  That surprised me. Mum and Daniel had always got along well, and I couldn’t help wondering whether something had happened recently to cause Mum to change her opinion of him.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “He’s finding it difficult. I think he had come to terms with the fact Jenna was gone for good, and now he can’t bring himself to hope he could get her back.”

  That made sense. “He is probably afraid that it will all come to nothing. I can understand that.”

  “He was in a wretched state after it happened. We all were.”

  I nodded at Mum’s mug. “Don’t let your coffee get cold.”

  After she picked up her mug and took a sip, she turned back to me and asked, “Why do you think they sent the photograph to you, Beth?”

  That question had been worrying me for a while, and I hadn’t yet thought of a logical answer. It would have been far easier to send the photograph to Daniel. My phone number and phone were both from Dubai, and it wouldn’t have been easy to track down my number. If someone was trying to help us find Jenna, then why hadn’t they sent the message to Daniel? He would have been the logical choice. After all, he was Jenna’s father.

  I shrugged and shook my head. “I have no idea. It doesn’t make any sense to me. Do you think Daniel was a little off with me earlier?”

  Mum hesitated before replying, and I could have kicked myself. What a stupid question! It had been my fault. If I had kept an eye on Jenna as I was supposed to, she wouldn’t have gone missing. He had every right to dislike being in the same room and breathing the same air as me.

  “It’s not anything personal, Beth,” Mum said carefully. “This has brought up a lot of memories for Daniel. It’s only been eighteen months since Kate… I think he is struggling with the possibility that Jenna has been alive all this time.”

  “But it’s good news. Surely he’s pleased we have a chance to get Jenna back.”

  “It’s not that simple. I don’t think he can allow himself to believe or even hope he could get Jenna back. It’s hard to remember how it was for everyone else at the time. We were all hurting so badly, but Daniel has managed to put some semblance of a life back together, and I think he’s afraid of his carefully constructed new life tumbling down…It’s not that he doesn’t want Jenna back,” she added hurriedly when she saw the look of disbelief on my face.

  I nodded. “I can understand he’s scared this might all come to nothing. What I can’t understand is why the police haven’t traced the number yet. It can’t be that hard. They’ve had the number and the photograph since last night.”

  Mum nodded thoughtfully. Her face was tense, and I sensed there was something else she didn’t want to tell me.

  “What is it?”

  She blinked, smoothed down her skirt and shook her head. “Nothing, I was just thinking things over.”

  “You know why the police are dragging their feet, don’t you? Tell me. If they’re not taking us seriously, I’ll kick up a stink. Go to the local newspaper.”

  Mum sighed and put a hand on my arm. “Press attention is the last thing we want, Beth. I might be wrong, but I spoke to Daniel last night, and he said…”

  I frowned. “Said what?”

  “Don’t get upset,” Mum said, and I immediately felt my blood pressure rise.

  “Just tell me.”

  “He wanted to know if I thought you could have made changes to the photograph.”

  I shook my head. “Changes to the photograph? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Mum watched me closely for a moment, waiting for the penny to drop. The sun disappeared behind the clouds, and I shivered.

  “He thinks I’ve made this all up somehow? He thinks I made changes to the photograph to make Jenna look older?”

  “He didn’t say he believed that, but he wanted to know if it was possible. I’m pretty sure he has spoken to the police about the possibility. He told me he was going to.”

  I put down my mug because my hands were shaking so much I was about to spill the contents everywhere. “How could he? He could have ruined the whole investigation. We need to trace whoever sent that photograph. If the police think I’ve made it up, they may not bother. Whoever sent the message, could have already dumped their phone. We could be too late. We could lose our only chance of getting Jenna back and…”

  I broke off mid-sentence as a new sinking feeling overcame me. “You don’t believe I’ve made this up, do you?”

  Mum shook her head rapidly and reached out to squeeze my hand. “Of course, I don’t. I know you could never do something like that. But I have a feeling that’s why the police haven’t been quick to let us know they have traced the call.”

  I ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t believe this. They’re not even going to bother to look for her because they think I’ve made it up?”

  “I didn’t say that, Beth. Calm down.”

  “It’s hard to keep calm when people are accusing me of something like that.”

  “It’s not an accusation. Daniel is finding it hard to process everything. He’s wrong. I know that, and I told him so.”

  I sat back in the rattan armchair, my hands clasped together to try to stop them trembling. I was furious. But I really had no one to blame but myself. If I hadn’t caused so many problems for the police two years ago, I wouldn’t be viewed with suspicion now.

  I turned to Mum and noticed for the first time how this had aged her. The lines in her forehead were deeper, and her lips were clamped together in a thin line. She looked as though she was bracing herself for the next life blow.

  Her voice wavered a little as she said, “I can’t help worrying Daniel’s suggestion the photograph is not genuine will mean the police will focus on the wrong angle.”

  A wave of guilt flooded through me. If my behaviour two years ago prevented the police from taking this new lead seriously, then I could be responsible for letting Jenna slip away from us for the second time.

  “So, since I sent you that photograph last night and you told the police and Daniel, nothing has been done to look for Jenna?” I asked, ignoring the bitter taste in my mouth.

  Mum shook her head. “The police have to take any fresh news in Jenna’s disappearance very seriously. I’m sure they traced that call as soon as they got the number.”

  “Then why haven’t they told us that?” I asked, exasperated.

  “Because I think they are waiting to see how we react. I imagine they’ve already traced the number, but for some reason, they’re not convinced the photograph didn’t come from you.”

  “But if they’ve traced the phone number, they must know who sent the message.”

  “I think they’re probably holding information back.”

  “But that’s not fair.”

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sp; “I know.”

  I leant back against the plush cushions and clutched the material of the seat cover. “The photograph has given us more questions than answers. Where has Jenna been all this time, and who has been keeping her from us?” I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. I leant over and took a sip of my coffee. “She looked healthy in the photograph. I mean, she wasn’t smiling, but perhaps the person who took her has been kind to her.”

  “Maybe.” Mum’s eyes filled with tears. “I suppose we won’t know until we get her back.”

  “Where did we put the Detective Sergeant’s card?” I asked, getting to my feet. “They said we should contact them if we had any questions.”

  “We haven’t given them very long, Beth. They only left an hour ago.”

  “I know. But I’m going to try and persuade her that this was a genuine message. They’ve had the phone number and the photograph since last night. I’m sure they want to do all sorts of clever stuff with my phone to try and work out if I sent it, but while they’re occupied with that, they’re not looking for whoever really took Jenna.”

  Mum thought that over for a moment and then nodded. She handed me the cordless telephone. “The card is in the kitchen, next to the fruit bowl.”

  Chapter Eleven

  As Mum had said, the card was in the kitchen next to the fruit bowl. Picking it up, I gazed down at the cream-coloured card and felt a fluttering of nerves in my stomach. I had to convince the police this wasn’t some wild goose chase. Somehow, I needed them to believe I was trustworthy. Mum was right. They wouldn’t simply ignore the photograph, but if they thought I’d manipulated the image, some of their focus would be wasted on me.

  The number on the card was a direct line, and the Detective Sergeant answered on the third ring. “DS Leanne Parker.”

  “Hello, this is Beth Farrow. I spoke to you this morning about my niece’s disappearance.”

  There was a slight hesitation on the line before she replied. I heard the rustling of paper. “Yes, what can I do for you, Beth?”

  I took a deep breath and held the telephone closer to my ear. “This is a difficult situation.” I’d worked out what I was going to say before I picked up the phone, but now with the phone clamped to my ear, I forgot the clear, rational words I’d planned to use, and instead, I blurted out, “I’ve just been talking to my mother, and she suggested that Jenna’s father, Daniel, might be worried that this isn’t a genuine photograph. He suspects I’ve made it up.”

  What must she think of me? The police must deal with all sorts of family issues and troubles in the course of their investigations, but had this Detective Sergeant ever come across anything as messed up as this? The idea that anybody would create false evidence when a child’s life could be in danger made me feel sick. Did she think I was capable of that?

  When I’d first seen DS Leanne Parker this morning, I’d thought she seemed approachable. She had an open, friendly face and looked like the kind of woman you could go out with for a drink and chat. As far as first impressions went, I judged she was down to earth and sensible. I hoped I was right.

  She took a long time to answer, before she finally said, “I see.”

  Was that it? Wasn’t she going to reassure me that they were treating this photograph seriously and tell me they had a team of detectives tracing the number right now?

  “I need to know that you don’t believe I manipulated the image. I need to know that you’re going to look for Jenna.” My voice was strained and showed my desperation.

  “We are, Beth. We are going to be looking into every possible scenario. I can promise you that.”

  I let out a shaky breath and leant heavily against the kitchen counter. “I’m glad to hear it,” I said. “Have you managed to trace the number yet?”

  “It’s our top priority, and we are looking into it now. We will update you and the rest of the family when we have new information to share.”

  She was using generic words and platitudes. She was blanking me, and it was infuriating.

  “This is really not good enough, Leanne. For one thing, I’m sure it doesn’t take the police long in this day and age to trace a telephone call. I can’t help feeling you are deliberately hiding things from us. And that’s not on.”

  At that moment, Mum walked into the kitchen carrying the coffee mugs and gave me a disapproving look. I’d flown off the handle when that was the last thing I should be doing if I wanted them to believe I wasn’t the crackpot Daniel thought I was. I needed Detective Sergeant Parker and Detective Inspector Sharp to be on my side.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s just unbearable not knowing what’s going on.”

  “Look, I know waiting for answers is hard. But we are progressing with the investigation. There are certain things I can’t share with you at this stage because the investigation is ongoing, but as soon as we can give you an update, we will.”

  That didn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Why couldn’t she just tell me now? “Surely, you can at least tell me if you’ve managed to trace the number.”

  “It’s not quite as simple as that.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I tried and failed to keep the tone of my voice free from anger.

  “It’s not a mobile phone number.” She sighed. “I can’t say any more at this stage. Please, Beth, I know it’s really hard but try to be patient, and I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” That was all I could manage. The phone call hadn’t gone the way I intended, but keeping her on the line wouldn’t help. I wouldn’t get any more answers, and losing my temper would set the investigation back even further.

  I didn’t understand why she said the message hadn’t come from a mobile phone number. It made no sense because I had seen the number on my phone. Bewildered, I said goodbye and hung up and then relayed the conversation to Mum, who seemed just as confused as me over the fact the message hadn’t come from a mobile phone.

  We made ham and tomato sandwiches and sat at the kitchen table together, picking at them. Neither of us had much appetite, but making lunch was something to keep us occupied and pass the time. We puzzled over what the Detective Sergeant had meant, and in the end, I started to believe I’d misunderstood.

  After lunch, I decided to go for a walk, but Mum wanted to stay home just in case the police rang with news.

  “You might want to avoid Blenheim Palace, today,” she said. “They’ve got an event going on, so it will be incredibly busy.”

  I nodded as I shrugged on my linen jacket. “I was just planning to have a quick stroll around the town,” I said. “I won’t go far.”

  I didn’t head straight for the High Street, figuring it would be too busy. Instead, I walked around the back of Rectory Lane past a group of thatched cottages. One of those cottages belonged to Dawn Parsons’s mother.

  I couldn’t help looking in as I walked by. Like most traditional thatched cottages, the windows were very small, and inside, the cottages were dark. The outside looked picture perfect, like something on a postcard or a chocolate box. The walls of the house were painted white, and a yellow rambling rose grew around the doorway. It was hard to believe someone like Dawn Parsons grew up in such a pretty environment.

  I looked at the house carefully, wondering if Dawn or her mother were home, but Dawn’s mother’s car wasn’t in the driveway. Of course, she could have sold the house by now for all I knew, but their family had lived there so long I couldn’t imagine Mrs Parsons wanting to live anywhere else.

  I wondered if Dawn was still living with her mother. I guessed she probably was. I couldn’t see her doing anything else with her life now.

  What had Dawn seen that day? She’d been questioned by the police like everyone else. She told them she’d been at the face painting station, and after Jenna had disappeared, she had joined in the search. But I knew better. She hadn’t been at the face-painting stall when Jenna went missing because I’d noticed she wasn’t there. Of course, she’d made u
p some excuse about getting a fresh supply of those waxy face paints out of somebody’s car.

  I thought she was lying, and I insisted the police look into her. That was probably when it started, my desperate clutching at straws. I only managed to annoy everybody. Daniel said I was wasting police time. In his opinion, I was getting the police to chase after people like Dawn for no reason at all apart from my personal vendetta.

  I was outraged and expected Mum and Kate to tell Daniel he was wrong. They didn’t.

  Now that two years had passed, I was ashamed of how I’d acted. Daniel had been going through the worst experience imaginable, and I should have backed down, been more understanding. I was trying so hard to put everything right, but it wasn’t possible. Nothing I did would change what had happened. Selfishly and cruelly, I’d lashed out at Daniel, and we had a huge row in Mum’s living room.

  As we shouted at each other, Kate had said nothing at all. She sat in an armchair with a cup of cold tea in front of her, her arms wrapped around her body, shivering. I should have picked up on the signs earlier, but I thought Kate’s reaction was normal for a mother who had lost a child.

  She could hardly bring herself to be in the same room as me in the weeks after it happened. She blamed me, and I know she didn’t want to feel like that, but she just couldn’t help it. I had lost the most precious thing in the world to her. She trusted me, and I let her down.

  I took a deep breath and shoved my hands in my pockets, walking away and leaving Dawn Parson’s house behind.

  I wound my way around the back of the Co-op and then walked passed the old garage, heading away from the town. As I approached the front gate of Blenheim Palace, I walked with purpose, with long strides and a fast pace, even though I had nowhere to go. I was trying to walk fast enough to leave my memories behind.

  A large coach was pulling out of the Blenheim Palace driveway, and I stood back and waited for it to pull out onto the main road.

  More tourists. There were tourists there the day Jenna went missing. It could have been any of them, and they could have taken her anywhere. Maybe a tourist had taken her, and now they were having second thoughts. Maybe the guilt was too much for them, and that was why they had reached out with the photograph. I preferred to think Jenna had been taken by someone like that. Maybe a poor, childless couple who’d wanted a daughter so much they decided to steal one. It was one of the nicer options that ran through my mind on a daily basis. There were other possibilities I didn’t even want to consider.