Phillips offered a polite smile. ‘Of course, Mr Robbins. I’m merely stating that, in order to eliminate people from our enquiries, we have to check every avenue – and every person.’
This seemed to placate Robbins somewhat, and his shoulders and face softened. ‘Yes, yes. I understand.’
Phillips knew there was nothing more to be gained from pressing either Robbins or Cartwright further at this exact moment. Plus, she was keen to hear what forensics had found, if anything. ‘How’s that download, going?’
Robbins moved back to the PC positioned in front of the CCTV and reactivated the screen. ‘All done,’ he said a moment later, and ejected the USB stick and handed it to Phillips.
‘Thank you. Much appreciated.’ Phillips forced a thin smile. ‘We’ll get this back to the tech guys and see if they spot anything we’ve missed.’
She pushed back her chair with her legs and stood. Jones followed. ‘Will you be here much longer, Mr Robbins?’
He nodded. ‘You tell me. I can’t leave until your forensic team are finished.’
‘In that case, based on experience, I’m afraid you may be in for a long night.’
Robbins remained stoic. ‘It won’t be the first time I’ve gone without sleep, Chief Inspector.’
‘Quite,’ said Phillips. ‘Well, thank you for your time. You’ve been most helpful.’
‘Like I said, anything I can do to help.’
Phillips and Jones made their way back towards the tennis courts and the forensic team. On the way there, at a safe distance from the offices, they stopped to debrief.
‘What do you make of them, Guv?’ asked Jones.
‘I haven’t made my mind up, Jonesy. Robbins seems pretty straight, and his arsy reaction to my suggestion that he might be involved seemed genuine enough. But Cartwright? There’s something going on with her. I’m not sure what just yet, but I’m keen to find out more about her.’
‘She did seem a bit edgy, didn’t she?’
‘Anxious is the word, Jonesy,’ said Phillips. ‘Believe me, once you’ve suffered with anxiety, you can spot it a mile off in others, and she was as jumpy as a frog. Did you see how she was spinning that ring on her middle finger?’
‘You noticed that too?’
‘Impossible not to. I thought she might pull it off at one point. Anyway, let’s see what Evans and the team have found, then head back to Ashton House. I want a full background check on Robbins and Cartwright, and first thing in the morning we need to update the Hawkinses on what happened to Hollie.’
Jones’s face fell. ‘Oh God. I’d forgotten about them.’
Phillips bit her lip. ‘Yeah. I’m really not looking forward to that, I can tell you.’
4
The conversation with the Hawkinses was as unpleasant as Phillips had expected, especially given the fact that the forensic team had found no evidence that could help trace Hollie. They had, however, found her mobile phone, which had been discarded near the exit to the main road. It was a long shot, but Phillips had sent it to the digital forensics team in the hope Hollie may have inadvertently taken photos or videos of her kidnappers before she was abducted.
Rather than pull resources away from the office, she had made the trip alone. It was never easy to tell a parent their child had been hurt – or may be in danger – and her job was made harder by Richard Hawkins’s clear mistrust of Phillips and her team. At one point he had been at pains to remind her of his connections in Whitehall who, he suggested, would have a significant bearing on how the case was to be managed. When she pushed him on what he meant, he said it would become clear soon enough, then refused to expand any further.
Sir Richard Hawkins was the kind of man whose words and actions made it very difficult to like him. Phillips had to remind herself of the fear and anguish he must be feeling, not knowing where his only daughter had been taken – or by whom. She resisted the temptation to defend herself and her team against his constant criticism and chose a more pragmatic approach. So, after assuring Sir Richard and his wife, Sandra, that she and her team were doing everything they could – and would utilise every available resource – to find Hollie, she had taken her leave and set off back to Headquarters.
As she left the suburb of Altrincham behind, Sir Richard’s threats rang in her ears. What did he mean when he said his connections in Whitehall would have a bearing on the case? There was one person in Ashton House who never missed a trick, so she decided to call Chief Superintendent Fox to update her.
A moment later, Fox’s assistant, Ms Blair, put her through, and the chief super’s voice boomed through the car’s speakers.
‘DCI Phillips. How was your meeting with Sir Richard?’
‘Not the easiest, Ma’am, I must say.’
‘Yes,’ said Fox. ‘Knowing his reputation, I can believe that.’
‘He seems very unhappy with the pace of the investigation, which feels a little premature considering it’s less than fourteen hours since Hollie was snatched.’
‘That sounds like Sir Richard.’
Phillips paused for a moment as she searched for the right words. ‘Ma’am, is there something I need to know about his connections in Whitehall in relation to this investigation?’
Fox didn’t miss a beat. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘Well. It’s just that he said Whitehall would have a significant bearing on how the case would be handled, but when I pressed him on what that actually meant, he wouldn’t say.’
‘He’s probably just venting,’ said Fox.
‘No. It was more than that, Ma’am. It sounded like a threat.’
‘Well, whatever he meant, I’m afraid I don’t have the time to try and second-guess his motives.’ Fox appeared keen to change the subject now. ‘So, where are we up to on finding the girl?’
‘Well, we know Hollie spoke to an individual shortly before she was snatched, someone wearing identical mask and clothing to three other people.’
‘Sounds like it was well organised, in that case,’ said Fox.
‘Yes, Ma’am. And I’m beginning to think they may have had help from someone connected to Marstons.’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘The lock on the gate through which Hollie was taken was left unlocked,’ said Phillips.
‘And do you have anyone you like for it within the club?’
‘Nothing concrete yet, but the security guard in charge of that section of the club seemed very edgy when we spoke to her last night.’
‘Do you have any background on him yet?’
‘No Ma’am,’ said Phillips. ‘I’m hoping for an update when I get back to the station. Oh, and he’s a she.’
‘Ok. Do you have anything else?’
‘No, Ma’am. Not at this stage.’
‘Well, in that case, you’d better do yourself a favour and get on with finding Sir Richard’s daughter pronto, hadn’t you?’ said Fox, and ended the call.
Phillips drove for the next few minutes in silence, replaying the two conversations in her head. She was convinced Sir Richard’s comments were threatening, but couldn’t figure out how. Something was in play, she was certain. As she drew nearer to Ashton House Police Headquarters, her heart rate began to climb. ‘How come I get all the shitty cases?’ she whispered to herself as she turned into the car park.