‘Did you find her?’ Linda jumped up from the sofa.
‘No. I even knocked on a few of her friends’ doors as I passed. Nobody’s seen her since she left school.’
‘Oh my God,’ Amanda said.
‘See, now do you believe me?’
‘What’s going on?’ Jodie asked.
‘Jodie, come with me.’ Amanda turned Jodie around and pushed her out into the hallway, closing the living room door behind her. ‘Jodie, your mum seems to think Keeley’s been kidnapped.’
‘What? That’s ridiculous. She’ll have just gone off with a friend or something.’
‘That’s what I said. She said she’s had a phone call from someone demanding fifty thousand pounds.’
‘What? But … oh my God.’
‘What is it?’
‘Keeley had PE today.’
‘So?’
‘She said that Mr Page …’
‘What about Mr Page?’
A look of horror etched itself on Jodie’s face. ‘Have you called the police?’
‘No. I called your dad but he’s in Chesterfield on a delivery. He said he’ll come back as soon as he can.’
‘We should call the police.’
‘Jodie, what is it? What do you know?’
‘I think Mum might be right. I think Keeley might have been taken.’
Chapter 2
‘I’m Detective Sergeant Sian Mills. This is Detective Constable Finn Cotton from South Yorkshire Police.’
‘Come in,’ Amanda ushered them both into the house and quickly closed the door behind them.
All three stood in the cramped hallway. Sian looked at the walls and took in the framed pictures of a happy family smiling at her. There were coats hanging on the wall and shoes haphazardly placed at the bottom of the stairs. This was a lived-in family home.
‘Was it you who called the police?’ Sian asked.
‘Yes. It’s Mr and Mrs Armitage’s daughter, Keeley, who’s gone missing.’
‘Are they through there?’ Sian asked, pointing to what she assumed was the living room.
‘Yes. Linda’s in a bit of a state,’ she said in hushed tones. ‘Craig’s, well, he’s a bit more controlled.’
‘Ok. And you’re saying Keeley has been kidnapped?’
‘Well,’ Amanda leaned closer to Sian. She dropped her voice even lower. ‘That’s what Linda says. I’m not sure if I believe her.’
‘Right,’ Sian said, exchanging glances with Finn. ‘Let’s go and have a word with them.’
The living room wasn’t very large, and it was cluttered. The first thing Sian noticed was the giant bean bag in the corner. Jodie was sitting in it with Riley on her lap. He was wearing woollen mittens and a safety helmet. Linda was standing by the window, glaring out at the darkening street. She was biting her nails. Any hint of a noise, anything that caught her eye and she turned quickly towards it like a lion alert to its prey. On the sofa sat Craig. His face was expressionless. A large, solidly built man in his forties, he wore dirty jeans, an old sweater and a hi-vis waistcoat. There was a heavy atmosphere in the room, which was to be expected. Nobody spoke.
‘Linda, the police are here,’ Amanda said quietly as she ushered Sian and Finn into the room.
Sian proffered a sympathetic smile. ‘Mr and Mrs Armitage, hello. I’m DS Sian Mills. This is DC Finn Cotton. Is it all right if I sit down?’ There was no reply, so Sian perched herself on the edge of the sofa next to Craig. From her bag, she took out a thick form and a ballpoint pen. She tucked her red hair behind her ears and cleared her throat. ‘I won’t patronise you by saying I know how you’re feeling right now, because I don’t. However, I’m going to do everything possible to find your daughter.’
‘Then why aren’t you out there looking?’ Linda said. Her eyes were full of tears. There were dark circles beneath them, and she already had the look of a defeated mother who had given up all hope.
‘Linda, I need to know as much as possible about Keeley before I can get a team out looking for her. The more information you give me, the more likely we are to find her.’
‘Ask your questions,’ Craig said.
‘Thank you. Now, how long has Keeley been missing for?’
‘It was about four o’clock when I left her outside the Co-op,’ Jodie said from the corner of the room. Her voice was barely audible.
‘Is that the Co-op on Oldfield Road?’
Jodie nodded and Finn made a note in his pad.
Sian looked at her watch. It was half past five. ‘Have you called all her friends to see if she is with any of them?’
‘I did,’ Amanda chimed up. ‘Linda’s got her friends’ numbers in her phone. I called them all. Nobody has seen her since she left school.’
‘Which school is that?’
‘Mary Croft Primary School on Hopwood Lane.’
‘And have you contacted family members to see if she’s with any of them?’
Craig nodded. ‘She isn’t.’
‘Linda, what can you tell me about this phone call?’ Sian asked.
Linda tried to speak but her emotions wouldn’t allow it. Her bottom lip wobbled. When she opened her mouth, she choked and buckled. Craig jumped up and caught her. He towered over his wife and held her firmly against his chest.
Sian looked around the room. Bookshelves were full to bursting with paperbacks, DVDs and ornaments. Picture frames adorned the mantelpiece showing the children in various states of happiness.
Sian turned to Jodie. She decided to leave the matter of the phone call for a moment. ‘Jodie, what was Keeley wearing when you last saw her?’
Jodie wiped her left eye with her sleeve. ‘She was wearing her school uniform and a yellow jacket over the top. She had a pink backpack with her, too. It was a Frozen one.’
‘Is there a chance Keeley may have run away?’
‘No,’ Jodie answered.
‘No she bloody hasn’t,’ Linda exploded, pulling herself out of her husband’s embrace. ‘She’s been kidnapped. Somebody has taken her.’ She wiped her eyes. ‘The phone rang. I answered. A man said he’d taken my daughter and wanted fifty thousand pounds. He said he’d call back in twenty-four hours and the line went dead.’
Finn was scribbling frantically in his notebook. ‘What time was the call?’ He asked without looking up.
Linda looked to Amanda.
‘It was a little after four,’ she said. ‘Maybe ten past.’
‘Was it definitely a man’s voice?’ Sian asked.
‘I … yes. I think so.’
‘You think?’
‘It was … deep. Low.’
‘Did you recognise it?’
‘No.’
Sian turned to look at Finn who raised an eyebrow before scribbling back into his notebook.
‘You don’t believe me, do you?’ Linda said. ‘Why would I make something like that up?’
‘Linda, nobody is doubting you. I’m just trying to get all the facts,’ Sian said in as soothing a tone as she could. ‘Now, has Keeley ever gone missing before?’