‘I thought you answered Craig’s questions very well,’ Sian said quietly. ‘It couldn’t have been easy for you.’
‘It wasn’t. I thought he deserved the truth. I’m sure his eyes glazed over once I started waffling.’
‘Mat,’ she said, putting her hand on her arm. ‘Are you going to be ok leading this investigation? I mean, it’s going to bring back memories of Carl, but it’ll bring back memories of James, too.’
‘It already is. I like to think I’m a stronger person than I was three years ago. However, if I find myself not coping, I’ll step down. I promise you.’
Matilda had no intention of stepping down and handing over the case to a lesser detective. In the years since Carl disappeared she’d studied kidnapping cases and read dozens of psychological reports on kidnappers and their motives. If anyone understood why someone stole a child, it was Matilda. It was time to put what she’d read to good use.
It wasn’t a large bedroom and due to the amount of stuff Keeley had, it was cluttered, but it was clean and tidy.
In the top drawer of the desk, Sian took out a sketch pad and began to flick through it.
‘Wow, she’s good,’ she said. ‘Her attention to detail is amazing for a girl so young. Look at these dresses.’
Matilda joined her at the desk. She looked over her shoulder at the drawings which looked more like something a fashion designer would create rather than a nine-year-old girl.
In the same drawer were packs of coloured pencils, all different shades and grades. She had all the tools needed to sketch her fashions. Matilda pictured her spending hours at this desk, looking out at the sprawling countryside from her window as Sheffield dissolved into Derbyshire, gaining inspiration for her designs.
‘She writes stories too. Listen to this: “Princess Keeley was locked in the tower. She spent her days sewing the gowns for her sisters to wear and plaiting their hair. She was sad and lonely and only ate what little food her nasty sisters gave to her through the small gap under the door. At night she looked out of the window. If the moon was full, it lit up the whole kingdom and she could see the big boats on the sea. She often fell asleep leaning against the windowsill as she waited for her prince to rescue her.” Oh dear,’ Sian said.
‘That’s very sad,’
‘Do you think that’s how she feels?’
‘It certainly sounds like it. Are there more like that?’
Sian flicked through the pages. ‘There are a few other stories. I’ll read them back at the station. These drawings are a bit worrying, though.’
‘In what way?’
‘They’re a bit … what’s the word … mature,’ Sian said. ‘Look at this one.’ The picture was of a dress; nobody was wearing it, but it was very low cut, the breasts were full and the split up the side was very revealing.
Matilda took the pad from her and studied the pictures. ‘A nine-year-old really shouldn’t be drawing clothes that reveal so much flesh. I mean, who is she designing these for? Is she picturing herself as having huge breasts?’
‘I’m not sure. Mind you, have you seen some of those Disney films? The animators certainly pay a lot of attention to putting the curves in all the right places,’ Sian said. ‘She’s probably only drawing what she’s watching on TV.’
‘She shouldn’t be sexualising herself at this age.’
‘Unless someone was telling her to.’
They both looked at the tablet in the centre of the desk.
***
Craig was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.
‘Craig, does only Keeley have access to this tablet?’ Matilda asked in the hallway downstairs. She held up the tablet.
‘Yes. Well, it’s hers. We keep an eye on her while she’s using it.’
‘Does she use any other device in the house?’
‘No.’
‘We’re going to take this with us to go through, analyse social media, see who she was talking to. We’re also taking her story book too. She may have written something that could be useful. Sian’s writing you out a receipt.’
He nodded, biting his lower lip.
‘What do we do if the kidnapper calls before the twenty-four hours?’
‘He won’t, but we’re setting up a tap on your phone line. If there is anything you think of that might help in finding Keeley, please mention it to Ellen.’
‘Thank you,’ he said. He held out his hand for Matilda to shake.
She looked down at the large hand and placed hers inside his. His large fingers wrapped tightly around hers.
‘I know you’ll find her,’ he said, looking at her with wet eyes.
Matilda couldn’t reply. She nodded, removed her hand and headed for the hallway. She pulled open the front door and almost fell out. She inhaled deep breaths and slowly breathed out. It had been years since she’d had a panic attack. Try as she might, she couldn’t get Carl Meagan and everything she went through three years ago out of her mind. She didn’t want to return to those dark days.
‘Are you all right?’ Sian asked.
‘No.’ She shivered as a gust of wind blew around her. ‘No, I’m not.’ She headed for the car.
‘I’ll get Rory and Scott to search online and on social media,’ Sian said as she lowered herself in behind the wheel and put her seatbelt on. ‘We need to find out everything we can about the family. Like he said, they’re just a normal, regular, everyday kind of family. Why them?’
Matilda didn’t reply.
Sian started the engine. Matilda looked out of the window and back at the house. Craig was standing at the large living room window looking out at her. They made eye contact. Matilda offered a sympathetic smile, but it wasn’t returned. Craig continued to stare.
‘What are you thinking about?’ Sian asked when she glanced at Matilda and saw a heavy frown on her face.
‘It’s nearly always the father, isn’t it?’
‘What is?’
‘When a child goes missing or dies or something happens, it’s nearly always the father. What do you think of him?’
‘Craig? I get the feeling he’s screaming on the inside but trying to remain calm for Linda and the kids.’
‘You don’t suspect him?’
Sian thought for a moment. ‘No. I don’t think I do. Do you?’
Matilda remained silent. Until she found evidence to the contrary, she suspected everyone.
Chapter 10
While Matilda and Sian were at the Armitage house, DI Christian Brady was setting the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team to task. Until the kidnappers made their next move, there was very little they could do. However, in case the kidnapping was a hoax, a contingency plan was set up for the investigation into a missing child to begin. The first step was to contact everybody on the child sex offender’s register and find out their movements for the time Keeley disappeared.
‘Sir, I’ve been scrolling through Twitter and Jodie Armitage has been tweeting quite a bit since last night,’ DC Scott Andrews said. He stood in the doorway to Christian’s office.
He sighed. ‘I bloody hate social media. Thanks Scott, I’ll give Ellen a ring.’