to break things off with him. Blocked his calls. Did he think I’d had second thoughts, that I was getting ready to report them to the police? Was I here now because he needed to make sure of my silence?
Dread corseted my ribcage. I hadn’t told anyone where I was going and it wasn’t like work were expecting me. Anything could happen and the only point at which Jason might clock something was up would be tonight, when he got home from work and noticed I wasn’t there. But then again … After the argument we’d had before I left the house this morning – after his confession – if I didn’t show up for dinner he’d no doubt put my absence down to nothing more than my anger at him and his lies.
My hands started to shake. Was Tommy going to hurt me? But no, he would never do that, not with the child here.
‘So,’ I said, trying to disguise the tremor in my voice, ‘you took Barney?’
Tommy recoiled, offended.
‘He’s called Mikey,’ he whispered, checking to make sure the boy hadn’t heard, ‘and no, I didn’t “take” him.’
‘Who did? Keith?’
‘No.’ He pinched the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb as though he had a headache.
‘He should be with his dad,’ I ventured. ‘He should be with Jason.’
The mention of Jason’s name seemed to irritate him. He got up, went to the window and pulled the long net curtain to the side.
‘You say that,’ he said, looking down at the car park below. ‘You want everyone to think that.’
I thought about the strands of hair I’d taken. The Jiffy envelope was still somewhere at the bottom of my bag, ready to be sent off to the lab.
He turned to look at me, his face full of mischief. ‘If Jason were to get his kid back, how long do you think it would be until he realises you and he no longer have anything in common? One month? Two?’
‘He should be with his family,’ I persevered. ‘He has a mum and dad.’
Tommy laughed.
‘I didn’t think you were that naive.’
‘Naive?’
‘You don’t seriously think that if he comes home everything is going to be OK?’
‘There’ll be a period of readjustment, that’s only natural.’
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘He’s not the same kid. He’s him but he’s not him,’ he tried to explain. ‘Don’t you understand? Five years is a long time. Especially at his age. It doesn’t matter how much you try, he’s never going to be able to think of those people as his parents. They’re strangers. It would be cruel.’ He’d been working up to a rant but he’d overreached and now his voice started to thicken. ‘We’re the ones he loves now. Me, Keith and Jenny. We raised him. We’re his family.’
‘Jenny,’ I said. The face from the photofit. ‘Keith’s sister?’
Tommy nodded.
I was right. I’d always been right. The one thing I’d been wrong about was Tommy. What was his involvement?
I looked at Barney, a new and horrible thought beginning to form in my head. I had assumed the child’s presence guaranteed my safety. But what if I’d got it wrong? What if Tommy had blackmailed me into coming because he intended to hurt both of us? To solve both problems at once. Was that what the two holdalls I’d seen in the wardrobe were for? Were they to transport my and Barney’s bodies out of here?
I assessed the layout of the hotel room. I was probably no more than six paces from the door. Tommy was strong, but if I was quick, I could probably make a run for it. The only thing was, I didn’t want to risk leaving him alone with Barney.
I gave him a minute or so to calm down, and when I next spoke, I made sure to do it in a low, soothing register.
‘Tell me what happened. Tell me why. Why did she take him?’ I said, trying to buy myself some time. I got up from the bed and moved close to where he stood. I needed to figure out a way to get myself and Barney out of there unhurt. ‘Please.’
After turning on a lamp, he poured himself a generous measure from an already half-empty bottle of Bell’s whisky. Then he grabbed a curtain in each hand and pulled them together with a swoosh, casting the room into darkness.
Chapter Fifty-Three
He sat next to me on the sofa and before he relaxed against the cushions, he reached across to tuck a