in triumph and knocked back her mojito. It made her cough and they both burst into hysterical laughter.
‘Oh darling,’ he said, thumping her on the back as she spluttered. ‘You are so right. What would I do without you?’
A few weeks later, he ended the relationship with Terri and came out to the world in an emotional Facebook post, receiving hundreds of likes and uplifting comments. But his timing wasn’t great. Amber was in the middle of her own trauma by then – having just discovered she was pregnant by Lewis – and wasn’t able to give him the level of support she’d promised. He was a little off with her about it at first, but soon threw himself into his new gay life. Their ‘secret affair’ carried on as before and she assumed she’d been forgiven. He was incredibly sweet to her over the whole Lewis debacle and had been a real rock these past months. She couldn’t have got through it without him.
The door opens and DI Benedict comes back into the room. ‘Okay, here’s what we’ve got so far,’ he says, sitting down. ‘Seth Williams isn’t at home or at his office. According to his boss, he booked a week’s holiday at the last minute and nobody’s heard from him since. We’ve asked for a location trace on his phone and his recent call history – I’m still waiting on that.’
‘Maybe he’s gone abroad,’ Amber says, trying to fill her voice with hope. There has to be an innocent explanation, there has to be. ‘He likes European cities. Berlin, Paris … Recently he’s been going there on his own, getting into the gay scene, letting his hair down, you know …’ She drifts off, embarrassed by how it sounds.
‘Hmm,’ says Benedict sceptically. ‘I want to know why he hasn’t been in touch with you or answered your messages. I’m thinking he doesn’t want you – or anyone else – to know where he is. We’re looking at his credit card transactions, that should help locate him, but it all takes time, which we haven’t got.’ He runs his fingers anxiously through his hair. ‘I don’t like it – don’t like it one bit.’
‘And Terri?’
‘Nothing yet. A neighbour remembers her being at the flat – apparently there were some noisy rows. She moved out months ago and he hasn’t seen her since. Doesn’t know her full name or anything. We’re asking Seth’s work colleagues, but so far nobody’s come forward with any concrete information. It’s annoying … Do you remember how they met?’
‘Online, I think.’
‘Of course,’ he sighs. ‘Gone are the days when you dated the girl who lived on the next street.’
‘You think Seth is involved in this?’ she asks, although her instinct is telling her it’s impossible. He loves her and would never do anything so evil. He split up with Terri last year and has had nothing to do with her since, and besides, he can’t really believe he’s Mabel’s biological father. There’s no logic to them abducting her.
‘I think it’s a possibility, yes,’ replies DI Benedict flatly. ‘We certainly can’t rule it out. But don’t worry, we’ll find them – they can’t stay off the grid forever. They’ve probably ditched their smartphones for pay-as-you-go, but at some point they’ll run out of cash or food or petrol or nappies and use their bank cards.’
‘Or somebody might spot them,’ adds Amber. ‘I’ve got loads of photos of Seth. Put one out on the media along with the e-fit of Terri. Ask the public if anyone can identify her.’
Benedict twists his mouth. ‘There is that option, yes, but I’d rather have them lulled into a false sense of security. If they think they’re safe, they’ll relax and make a mistake. But if they realise that we’re closing in on them, there’s a danger they’ll panic and—’ He stops himself, not wanting to elaborate. ‘Rescuing Mabel alive and well has to be our number one priority. Right.’ He stands up again. ‘I’ve a lot to do, it’s all action stations out there. Thanks, Amber, you’ve been an enormous help.’ His gaze zooms in on her face – the liquid eyes, the quivering lip. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes … I mean, no … not really. It’s a shock.’
‘Of course. But you’re doing really well, considering.’ He gives her a tentative smile. ‘We’re a lot closer than we were even two hours ago, remember that. This is a massive breakthrough. We’re going to find them. Have faith, eh?’