Callum Ormond. Charges brought against de la Force last month were quickly dropped, and she believes the allegations will be dropped again. She has accused her ex-employee of fabricating evidence against her and also for assault after a struggle in which she alleges heattacked her,’ I read, ‘and “violated her face”. She has vowed to fight the charges once more, insisting sixteen-year-old Callum Ormond was responsible for the kidnapping of his sister, and that she can prove it. De la Force has been released on bail pending further court appearances .’
I quickly headed away from the newsstand as a few people gathered around to see the headline.
Some crazy thoughts started rushing through my mind. If the cops had evidence proving Oriana was responsible for Gabbi’s kidnapping, maybe the bigger truth would come out and my name would be cleared. The authorities would realise I’m innocent. Surely my mum would see that too.
It felt like a lifetime had passed since I’d spoken to Dad’s old colleague Eric Blair, and I couldn’t believe it had taken a reminder from Winter to make me call him again. He’d been a tough guy to get in touch with. First he’d been on sick leave, and then he was travelling for business.
I had no guarantees that I could even trust the guy—for all he knew I was a violent psychopath—but I had to take the risk. I grabbed my phone and dialled his office number.
‘You’re back,’ I said, automatically, when he answered. ‘It’s Callum Ormond here.’
‘Hello Callum,’ he replied, slowly.
‘I don’t know if I can trust you and you’re probably thinking the same thing about me, but I really need to talk to you. Sooner rather than later. I’m running out of time.’
He was quiet.
‘Do you trust me?’ I blurted out.
‘I don’t believe everything I’ve read,’ he answered calmly.
‘Well that’s a start.’
‘I just saw on the news that Oriana de la Force has been charged again for the kidnapping of your little sister. I don’t believe you were involved in that.’
‘Good, because I wasn’t,’ I said. ‘I’ve only ever wanted to protect her. Will you meet up with me? Somewhere secluded? Somewhere safe?’
Eric was silent for a moment.
‘Listen, I have a suggestion,’ he said. ‘I have a personal office space—just one small room, down near the waterside. I used to use it as a base for freelance work, but these days it’s more like a storage unit. No-one has access to it but me. I could meet you there?’
I hesitated, trying to picture the location he was talking about, and how safe it would be for me.
‘You’d be safe,’ he said, like a mind-reader, ‘as long as you’re only interested in talking.’
His voice was warm and friendly, even though he kept it very low.
‘I mean you no harm,’ I reassured him. ‘It’s just that there’s a lot of mystery surrounding Dad’s death and his final movements in Ireland. I’m desperate to find out anything you can possibly tell me about your trip with him. That’s all I’m after, I swear.’
‘Cal, your dad was one of my dearest friends. I always admired his work, his integrity and his love for his family. I’m happy to meet you, but to be honest, I don’t know that I have much insight to offer you, so please don’t get your hopes up.’
‘Give me a time and the address,’ I said, ‘and I’ll be there. No expectations.’
I sat back on the treehouse bench, eating handfuls of peanuts. I had plenty of time to think about how to approach Eric Blair before our meeting , but I was already getting anxious. I couldn’t imagine a friend of Dad’s being a bad guy. But these days, trust was hard to come by.
17 NOVEMBER
45 days to go …
I set off towards the address Eric Blair had given me, wearing a new light-grey hoodie pulled around my face. I’d told Eric I’d be coming with no expectations, but that wasn’t entirely true. I was totally counting on this guy giving me valuable
I quickly headed away from the newsstand as a few people gathered around to see the headline.
Some crazy thoughts started rushing through my mind. If the cops had evidence proving Oriana was responsible for Gabbi’s kidnapping, maybe the bigger truth would come out and my name would be cleared. The authorities would realise I’m innocent. Surely my mum would see that too.
It felt like a lifetime had passed since I’d spoken to Dad’s old colleague Eric Blair, and I couldn’t believe it had taken a reminder from Winter to make me call him again. He’d been a tough guy to get in touch with. First he’d been on sick leave, and then he was travelling for business.
I had no guarantees that I could even trust the guy—for all he knew I was a violent psychopath—but I had to take the risk. I grabbed my phone and dialled his office number.
‘You’re back,’ I said, automatically, when he answered. ‘It’s Callum Ormond here.’
‘Hello Callum,’ he replied, slowly.
‘I don’t know if I can trust you and you’re probably thinking the same thing about me, but I really need to talk to you. Sooner rather than later. I’m running out of time.’
He was quiet.
‘Do you trust me?’ I blurted out.
‘I don’t believe everything I’ve read,’ he answered calmly.
‘Well that’s a start.’
‘I just saw on the news that Oriana de la Force has been charged again for the kidnapping of your little sister. I don’t believe you were involved in that.’
‘Good, because I wasn’t,’ I said. ‘I’ve only ever wanted to protect her. Will you meet up with me? Somewhere secluded? Somewhere safe?’
Eric was silent for a moment.
‘Listen, I have a suggestion,’ he said. ‘I have a personal office space—just one small room, down near the waterside. I used to use it as a base for freelance work, but these days it’s more like a storage unit. No-one has access to it but me. I could meet you there?’
I hesitated, trying to picture the location he was talking about, and how safe it would be for me.
‘You’d be safe,’ he said, like a mind-reader, ‘as long as you’re only interested in talking.’
His voice was warm and friendly, even though he kept it very low.
‘I mean you no harm,’ I reassured him. ‘It’s just that there’s a lot of mystery surrounding Dad’s death and his final movements in Ireland. I’m desperate to find out anything you can possibly tell me about your trip with him. That’s all I’m after, I swear.’
‘Cal, your dad was one of my dearest friends. I always admired his work, his integrity and his love for his family. I’m happy to meet you, but to be honest, I don’t know that I have much insight to offer you, so please don’t get your hopes up.’
‘Give me a time and the address,’ I said, ‘and I’ll be there. No expectations.’
I sat back on the treehouse bench, eating handfuls of peanuts. I had plenty of time to think about how to approach Eric Blair before our meeting , but I was already getting anxious. I couldn’t imagine a friend of Dad’s being a bad guy. But these days, trust was hard to come by.
17 NOVEMBER
45 days to go …
I set off towards the address Eric Blair had given me, wearing a new light-grey hoodie pulled around my face. I’d told Eric I’d be coming with no expectations, but that wasn’t entirely true. I was totally counting on this guy giving me valuable
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