Matilda couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. He led the way to the double garage with Matilda following. As she looked at the ornate brick work and newly tiled roof, she had to admit he’d done an amazing job.
Daniel was two years younger than Matilda at forty-two years old. He was six foot three, broad shouldered and built like a rugby player. He was solid and it was all muscle. He didn’t only design the buildings, he took a hands-on approach too and helped with the construction. He liked nothing more than getting his hands dirty on site.
He unlocked the oak door at the side of the building. They stepped in and Matilda inhaled the newness of freshly laid carpets and wood.
They were faced with a solid oak staircase with hand-carved spindles and newel post.
‘I’ve stolen some of the garage space to make a small utility room behind the stairs. You don’t need to see in there unless you have a fetish for boilers.’
‘I think I can by-pass that room.’
‘Up we go then.’
Daniel led the way. Matilda followed and had to bite her lip to stop her from thinking lewd thoughts when her eyeline landed on Daniel’s firm bum tightly wrapped in a pair of torn, dirty jeans.
The kitchen was larger than she had expected. An oak work top and matching cupboard fronts. A fitted fridge and cooker. A small hallway led to a cosy living room and through there, another small hallway led to two bedrooms, one master, one box room, and a compact bathroom. It had all the mod cons. Every space was utilised perfectly.
‘Daniel, I’m speechless,’ Matilda said, staring in awe.
‘It was a toss-up between fitted wardrobes in the master bedroom or a small en suite. I decided on the wardrobes.’
‘Good choice.’
‘You’ve got skylights, drop lights, sockets with USB ports, solar panels on the roof and the glass in the skylights is self-cleaning. I know the rooms aren’t huge, but I’ve added some fun details here and there for it to stand out above the norm, and those views are stunning.’
‘You’ve enjoyed spending my money, haven’t you?’ She smiled.
‘I really have. So, what are you going to do with the place?’
‘I have absolutely no idea.’
‘You could put it on Airbnb. With those views, people will be queuing up to spend a weekend here.’
‘And have complete strangers not ten yards from my bedroom? I don’t think so.’
‘Put an advert in the quality press then? I’m sure a junior doctor or a young lawyer would love to live in here.’
She thought for a moment. ‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Good. Well, I think we should celebrate, and I just so happen to have a bottle of champagne in my van.’
‘How convenient.’
‘Would you like to do the honours?’
‘What do you want me to do? Smash it over the front door like I’m launching a ship?’
‘And waste all that lovely alcohol?’ He stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to Matilda. ‘I was thinking, how about I cook for us tonight?’
‘Really?’ Matilda’s eyes widened. As much as she liked Daniel, she couldn’t get used to having a man in her life again, even if the situation between them was so casual it was almost comatose.
‘Yes. Nothing fancy, obviously, just a nice, light meal.’
He smiled and Matilda found herself unable to resist. His smile was infectious; it lit up his face and made his eyes sparkle.
‘I’d like that.’
‘Good. Erm …’
‘Yes.’
‘Would it … you know, I mean, would you mind …’ he looked at his shoes, his face reddened in embarrassment as he spluttered. ‘I’d like … if you don’t mind that is …’
‘Daniel, do you want to kiss me?’ Matilda asked. Her mouth dried as she felt her heart thumping loudly in her chest.
He looked up at her. ‘I would. Yes. Only if you want to.’
She took a tentative step forward and stretched her neck up, tilting her head until she was level with him.
He placed his hands on her arms and held her firmly. She felt a trickle of electricity run through her. He kissed her. His stubble pressed against her face. It was soft, gently passionate and awkward.
She felt a vibration in her pocket and pulled back.
‘Something wrong?’ he asked, a look of panic on his face.
‘No. My phone’s vibrating.’
‘Oh,’ he smiled.
She looked at the display and saw her colleague, DS Sian Mills was calling. Her pleasant evening with a handsome architect was ruined.
Chapter 4
2015 had not been a good year for Matilda Darke, professionally or personally. Once James had been diagnosed with a brain tumour, it had been a fast downward spiral. It wasn’t long before they were told his cancer was terminal and he had only a few months left to live.
Matilda decided to keep the news to herself. She didn’t want sympathy from her colleagues, offers to make her a casserole, or a bunch of flowers to cheer her up. Her sole task was to cherish the little time she and James had together, and at work, that meant acting as if everything was absolutely fine.
In the days before his death, seven-year-old Carl Meagan had been kidnapped from his home in Dore. His parents were away for the night in Leeds and he was being looked after by his maternal grandmother who was murdered by the kidnappers before they took Carl from his bed. The Meagans received a ransom demand for two hundred and fifty thousand pounds. As owners of a chain of successful organic restaurants throughout South Yorkshire, they were able to collect the money together and a date was fixed for the drop.
On the day of the trade, James Darke succumbed to his tumour and died in hospital with Matilda by his side. She told nobody and went to work in the afternoon as planned. Evening came, and she set off alone to Graves Park with a heavy bag full of money on the front passenger seat.
Looking back, she should have told her boss what was happening in her personal life. She should have taken compassionate leave and handed the case over to someone else. Her mind hadn’t been on the job and she had been in no fit state to work. Her eyes were blurred with tears as she drove through the dark streets of Sheffield and she headed for the car park, waiting for the call from the kidnappers. Unfortunately, she was in the wrong car park.
The kidnappers panicked and fled, taking Carl with them. Almost three years later, and neither Carl nor the kidnappers had been heard from since.
Carl would be eleven-years-old now and his mother refused to give up hope that one day he would be found. Matilda tried to continue, but it wasn’t easy. She was a changed woman and she believed she had Carl Meagan’s blood on her hands. There was no doubt in her mind that he was dead, that she’d failed the Meagan family. She would make sure it never happened again.
***
Following the phone call with Sian, Daniel realised tonight was not the night their relationship was going to take a leap in the right direction. He told Matilda to ring him and he left with the unopened bottle of champagne on the front passenger seat.
Matilda watched him go. She felt nothing for the ruined evening. There was only one thing on her mind – a child had been kidnapped for ransom. There was no way she could mess this case up. She’d let Carl slip through her fingers. She would stop at nothing to rescue a second child. Waiting for Sian to arrive was the longest twenty minutes Matilda had endured. Her mind went into overdrive as it came up with all kinds of scenarios based on the scant information her DS had given her. A child has been kidnapped. That was all Matilda needed to hear for the memories to come flooding back, to remove the hard work she had done over the past three years to restore her mental health. A child has been kidnapped. Who’d taken her? Why? What did they want? Was she already dead? Was Carl dead?