Read Online Blood Money by Chris Collett - Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Collett
Tags: UK
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hours to find the duvet turned back from ominous stains and Anna perched on the side of the bath sobbing uncontrollably.
‘It’s far more common than you might think,’ the doctor reassured them, ‘and really nothing to worry about. Absolutely no reason why you can’t go on to have a healthy baby.’ But his words weren’t much comfort. Anna had wanted that baby. The experience had frightened her, too. Since then Anna had insisted that they do as the doctor suggested and wait a few weeks, and somehow the weeks had evolved into months and she remained reluctant. But then, it was she who had gone through all the physical and emotional turmoil and he could understand why she’d be afraid of it happening again. They hadn’t really had much opportunity to talk about it and Mariner was loath to raise the subject because he knew how upset it made her. Sometimes when he looked at her she seemed so tired, and a light had gone out behind her eyes that he so wanted to re-ignite.
‘I’m sure she’d prefer to speak to you though, boss,’ Knox said, bringing him back to the present.
Knox was right. He could snatch a couple of minutes now. But when Mariner stepped outside into the gathering dusk to try and ring Anna, he was distracted by a tank-like 4x4 that bounced up on to the pavement drawing to a halt outside the nursery, completely disregarding the parking restrictions. The side window bore a sticker for Jack and the Beanstalk Day Nursery. A big-busted woman, fiftyish in suit and heels, with glossy scarlet fingernails that perfectly matched her lipstick, climbed out and went round to the tailgate of the vehicle, from which she began to drag a huge cardboard box. As Mariner approached her she eyed him with suspicion, a lone male prowling outside a children’s nursery.
‘Mrs Barratt?’ Mariner ventured a guess.
‘That’s right, I’m Trudy Barratt. Can I help you?’ She paid him scant attention, more concerned with the task in hand.
Mariner took out his warrant card. ‘I’m here to help you,’ he said, reaching into the car and holding within her line of vision. ‘One of your children has gone missing.’
The box was teetering on the rim of the boot when he spoke and she almost let it fall.
‘That’s impossible.’ She was aghast. Pragmatism took over. ‘Someone’s made a mistake. The girls have got you here for nothing.’
‘I’m afraid not. Jessica O’Brien has been taken from your nursery.’
Trudy Barratt froze. Pocketing his phone, Mariner grabbed the bulky cardboard carton from where it precariously rested on the lip of the boot. It wasn’t as heavy as it looked.
‘Thanks,’ she said, absently, slamming shut the tailgate, and now intent on getting into the building as quickly as possible. She punched in the code and stepped aside to let Mariner through with his load, which he deposited in the now blissfully empty hallway. The full circumstances explained, Mrs Barratt’s response became somewhat repetitive. ‘I don’t understand how this can have happened,’ she kept saying. ‘I need to talk to the girls.’
‘We already have,’ said Mariner. ‘As far as we can ascertain a woman walked into the crèche unchallenged at two thirty this afternoon and took Jessica O’Brien, as if she was her own child.’
‘And they let her go?’
‘No one had any reason not to. Your staff didn’t know that the woman wasn’t Jessica’s mother. You were the only person who had met her.’
‘And I wasn’t here.’ Mariner hadn’t intended his comment as a judgement but she’d clearly taken it that way. ‘Oh my God.’
Samantha appeared, hurrying down the stairs. ‘Have you heard what’s happened? A woman came into—’
‘Yes, I know. I’d like to have a few minutes—’
The last was directed at Mariner and as he nodded affirmation the two women disappeared into the office and Trudy Barratt closed the door politely but firmly behind them. Raised voices followed, before finally
‘It’s far more common than you might think,’ the doctor reassured them, ‘and really nothing to worry about. Absolutely no reason why you can’t go on to have a healthy baby.’ But his words weren’t much comfort. Anna had wanted that baby. The experience had frightened her, too. Since then Anna had insisted that they do as the doctor suggested and wait a few weeks, and somehow the weeks had evolved into months and she remained reluctant. But then, it was she who had gone through all the physical and emotional turmoil and he could understand why she’d be afraid of it happening again. They hadn’t really had much opportunity to talk about it and Mariner was loath to raise the subject because he knew how upset it made her. Sometimes when he looked at her she seemed so tired, and a light had gone out behind her eyes that he so wanted to re-ignite.
‘I’m sure she’d prefer to speak to you though, boss,’ Knox said, bringing him back to the present.
Knox was right. He could snatch a couple of minutes now. But when Mariner stepped outside into the gathering dusk to try and ring Anna, he was distracted by a tank-like 4x4 that bounced up on to the pavement drawing to a halt outside the nursery, completely disregarding the parking restrictions. The side window bore a sticker for Jack and the Beanstalk Day Nursery. A big-busted woman, fiftyish in suit and heels, with glossy scarlet fingernails that perfectly matched her lipstick, climbed out and went round to the tailgate of the vehicle, from which she began to drag a huge cardboard box. As Mariner approached her she eyed him with suspicion, a lone male prowling outside a children’s nursery.
‘Mrs Barratt?’ Mariner ventured a guess.
‘That’s right, I’m Trudy Barratt. Can I help you?’ She paid him scant attention, more concerned with the task in hand.
Mariner took out his warrant card. ‘I’m here to help you,’ he said, reaching into the car and holding within her line of vision. ‘One of your children has gone missing.’
The box was teetering on the rim of the boot when he spoke and she almost let it fall.
‘That’s impossible.’ She was aghast. Pragmatism took over. ‘Someone’s made a mistake. The girls have got you here for nothing.’
‘I’m afraid not. Jessica O’Brien has been taken from your nursery.’
Trudy Barratt froze. Pocketing his phone, Mariner grabbed the bulky cardboard carton from where it precariously rested on the lip of the boot. It wasn’t as heavy as it looked.
‘Thanks,’ she said, absently, slamming shut the tailgate, and now intent on getting into the building as quickly as possible. She punched in the code and stepped aside to let Mariner through with his load, which he deposited in the now blissfully empty hallway. The full circumstances explained, Mrs Barratt’s response became somewhat repetitive. ‘I don’t understand how this can have happened,’ she kept saying. ‘I need to talk to the girls.’
‘We already have,’ said Mariner. ‘As far as we can ascertain a woman walked into the crèche unchallenged at two thirty this afternoon and took Jessica O’Brien, as if she was her own child.’
‘And they let her go?’
‘No one had any reason not to. Your staff didn’t know that the woman wasn’t Jessica’s mother. You were the only person who had met her.’
‘And I wasn’t here.’ Mariner hadn’t intended his comment as a judgement but she’d clearly taken it that way. ‘Oh my God.’
Samantha appeared, hurrying down the stairs. ‘Have you heard what’s happened? A woman came into—’
‘Yes, I know. I’d like to have a few minutes—’
The last was directed at Mariner and as he nodded affirmation the two women disappeared into the office and Trudy Barratt closed the door politely but firmly behind them. Raised voices followed, before finally
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