in the light of the current crisis, or will she cling to them more tightly than ever?
The doorbell rings again. Amber holds her breath as she listens. Yes, that’s George’s voice. She is instantly filled with dread. He has stepped into the hallway and Sally is introducing herself. There’s another voice, a man. He and George have a brief exchange. She can’t make out what they’re saying.
‘Where’s Amber?’ George’s tone is demanding. Footsteps bound up the stairs. She dives for cover, head under the pillow, holding it tightly against her ears as she waits for the explosion. The door opens and he bursts in.
‘Why didn’t you ring? Why didn’t you pick up my calls?’ he says accusingly. ‘I’ve been going out of my mind!’ He pulls the pillow off her and throws it on the bed.
She starts to sit up. ‘I couldn’t, I was driving.’
‘Driving? You mean you were out looking for Mabel?’
‘No. Driving home.’
He screws up his face, unable to comprehend. ‘Driving home from where?’
She braces herself. ‘I was on a yoga retreat.’
‘A yoga retreat?’
‘Please don’t keep repeating what I’ve said.’
‘But I don’t understand. What do you mean, you went to an early-morning class or something?’
‘No, it was a weekend – in Somerset.’
He stares at her as the words gradually gather meaning. ‘Oh my God,’ he gasps. ‘You mean she was with Ruby when …’
‘Yes. I’m sorry. I couldn’t face looking after her on my own. I had to get away.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he says, rushing forward and shaking her by the shoulders. ‘Why? If I’d known you were that bad, I would have stayed. I would never have let Ruby look after her the whole weekend.’
‘But nothing happened the last time; she did a good job. I wasn’t to know …’
He releases her and stands back, breathing heavily through his nose. ‘What happened? How did the bastard get in? Did she leave the front door open or something?’
‘We don’t know. The police are trying to work it out. Ruby’s helping.’
‘If anything’s happened to Mabel, I’ll kill her. And as for you …’
‘I’m so, so sorry,’ Amber says again, but she knows he can’t hear her.
‘We can’t stay here talking and doing nothing,’ he says, pacing about. ‘We need to be on the streets. I’ll get a search party together, friends, neighbours, guys from the gym. We have to get the word out on social media.’
‘I think the police are doing everything—’
‘She’s my daughter – it’s my job to find her!’
‘Don’t shout, please don’t shout.’
There’s a knock on the bedroom door. George and Amber exchange a glance.
‘DI Benedict here,’ a gruff male voice says. ‘May I come in?’
George marches across the room and opens the door. The detective stands on the threshold. He is unusually tall, with blue eyes, olive skin and thick black hair peppered with grey. Why is he standing there? Does he have news?
‘Well?’ says George. ‘Have you found her?’
He shakes his head. ‘I’m afraid not, not yet, but we’re putting all our resources into it. Hundreds of officers are—’
‘I want to join the search party,’ George interrupts.
‘Of course, but right now, you’re of more use here.’
George looks askance. ‘Here? How?’
‘For a start, we need to take DNA samples from you both. For elimination purposes. We’ve taken samples from Mabel’s cot and changing unit. I need a list of everyone who’s visited the house recently, their contact details and so on. And I want to talk to you about friends, neighbours, acquaintances, anyone you’ve fallen out with, anything out of the ordinary that’s happened these last few weeks, anyone you’ve seen hanging around, suspicious phone calls, notes through the door, that kind of thing.’
‘I’ve already spoken to Sally,’ says Amber. She can’t bear the thought of DI Benedict asking her the same excruciating questions all over again, especially not in front of George.
‘Yes, I know, and she’s debriefed me. I’d like to talk to you together first, and then separately. We can do it at the police station if you need more privacy.’
‘You’re making it sound like we’re suspects,’ says George icily.
‘No, you’re witnesses,’ DI Benedict replies. ‘Extremely important ones. You may not realise it, but you may already have the information that will lead us to Mabel.’
George gives him a grudging nod. ‘Okay, let’s do it here, quick as we can. Then I want to get out on the streets.’
Chapter Fifteen
Day One without Mabel
Ruby frowns as DS Ali Smart hammers away with her questions.