Grabbing my arm, he pulls me away, looking for somewhere quiet. Checking doors. He finds an empty lounge.
“I know,” he says, squeezing his hands into fists.
“Pardon?”
“I know what she’s been doing.”
“Piper?”
“No! Sarah. I know she’s been sleeping with Victor McBain. She confessed. She said you knew. How?”
“I guessed.”
He can’t look at my face, cannot speak. He’s not a big man, but he looks diminished. Wounded. It’s like walking past a cage at a zoo and seeing a decrepit lion or tiger that has been imprisoned for too long.
“My father warned me about Sarah. He said that when you marry a beautiful woman, you have to live with the possibility that other men will try to take her away. Do not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Don’t fuck her.”
He’s taken a seat on a Chesterfield sofa.
“I gave her everything. I bought her the big house, a nice car. Jewelry. Dresses. I’ve never been unfaithful. Never even thought about it.”
“You should go home, Mr. Hadley.”
He doesn’t seem to be listening. “Things used to be all right before Piper went missing, but after that everything changed. Losing Piper crippled Sarah emotionally. She changed. We hardly touch each other. It’s been months…”
I don’t need to know this. I don’t want to know this.
“I gave her time. Space. I supported her.”
“You did the right thing.”
“Really? Do you think so?”
“Yes.”
“Why did she sleep with Vic McBain? He’s uneducated, uncouth, foul-mouthed…”
Because he’s not you, I want to say, but I don’t. When Sarah Hadley looks at Vic McBain, she doesn’t have to soak up anyone else’s pain. She can deal with her own grief, without having to share someone else’s. She can look into someone else’s eyes and feel something other than pain and loss.
I don’t say any of these things because his mobile is ringing. He doesn’t recognize the number. He’s about to cut off the call, but changes his mind.
“Hello?”
…
“Who is this?”
…
“I’m sorry, I can’t hear… can you say that again?”
…
“Piper? Oh my God! Piper!”
…
“We’ve been so worried. We’ve looked everywhere. We didn’t stop looking. I can’t believe it, sweetheart. Where are you?”
…
“Wait. I’m going to put you on speakerphone.”
“Daddy?”
“I’m here.”
“You have to come and get me.”
“I will. Tell me where you are?”
“I don’t know. But he’s after me.”
“Who?”
“The man who owns this phone. I don’t know his name, but he’s looking for me. I called the police, but they wanted me to give them a street or a house number and I told them I don’t know where I am. He has Tash, Daddy. He caught her when she tried to run away. You have to help us.”
“You’re breaking up, Piper. Try to stand still.”
Can you hear me now?”
“Yes.”
“Are you crying, Daddy?”
“I’m just really happy.”
“So am I. It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Yours too.”
“I didn’t run away, Daddy. We talked about doing it, but we didn’t get a chance. A man took us. Can you tell Mum? I don’t want her thinking that I don’t love her. And tell Phoebe and Ben and my little sister. What’s her name?”
“Jessica.”
“That’s pretty.”
“What did you tell the police?”
“Just what I told you. Tash escaped but he caught her again. I couldn’t find her and I’m scared he’s going to do something to her if I don’t go back.”
“Don’t worry about Tash. Tell me where you are.”
“I don’t know.”
“We’re going to find you, baby. They’ll trace the call.”
“He’s still looking for me. I have to hide.”
“Can you wait a second, sweetheart?”
“Don’t go away.”
“I won’t.”
I can hear him having a conversation. Someone is talking about calling the police.
“Are you there?”
“I’m here, Daddy.”
“The police are trying to find you. Stay on the line. Don’t move, Piper.”
“What if he comes? I’m scared.”
“I know you are. I’m with a man called Joe. He’s going to talk to you.”
“Hello, Piper.”
“Hi.”
He has a nice voice, soft but strong, not wheedling like George.
“Where are you right now?” he asks. “Describe it for me.”
“I’m in a forest, standing on a ridge. I couldn’t get any signal so I climbed higher. I don’t have much battery left.”
“Where did you get the phone?”
“I took it from George.”
“Is that the man who’s been holding you?”
“Yeah.”
“His name is George?”
“I don’t know. Tash called him George. She said he looked like George Clooney, but he doesn’t really, not unless George Clooney has put on weight and got ugly. Has he got ugly?”
“My wife doesn’t think so.”
“That’s good.”
“What can you see, Piper?”
“Trees.”
“Anything else-a landmark, a river, or a road or a railway line?”
“No.”
“You said you escaped.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you escape from?”
“It was some sort of factory but it’s empty and everything is broken and overgrown. Are you there, Daddy?”
“I’m here.”
“Please come and get me.”
“I will.”
“It’s getting dark and I can’t stop shivering.”
A bird lifts from the trees behind me. Jerking my head around, I search the shadows.
“Piper?”
“I thought I heard something.”
“Why are you whispering?”
“I can’t talk very loud in case he hears me.”
Joe speaks. “When did you last see George?”
“I don’t know what time it was. He said he was going to get Emily.”
“What?”
“He had a photograph of Emily in his wallet. He said he was going to get me a friend. I told him I didn’t want a friend. You have to stop him. You have to warn her.”
“We will. What does George look like?”
“He’s old and ugly.”
“What color is his hair?”
“Brown.”
“How old is he?”
“I don’t know-thirty or forty.”
“Is he tall?”
“Taller than Daddy, but he has small hands. I’m wearing his coat. It hangs down to my ankles. Are you still there, Daddy?”
“I’m here. The police are tracking the signal. I want you to stay put.”
“It’s getting dark.”
“I know.”
“What about Emily?”
Joe answers. “We’ll make sure she’s safe.”
“It’s starting to rain.”
“Can you find somewhere out of the rain?”
“I don’t know. I just want to curl up and go to sleep.”
“No,” says Joe. “You mustn’t fall asleep. You should keep moving.”
“Daddy told me to stay still.”
“You mustn’t fall asleep. Try to stay warm.”
“ OK. I can’t feel my fingers. I’m just going to swap hands…”
…
“Hello?”
…
“Daddy?”
…
“Joe.”
…
“Are you there?”
42
Dale Hadley is cradling his phone in both hands as though he’s dropped a priceless vase and is holding the broken pieces.
“The line went dead.”
“She’ll call back.”
“There’s no number on the screen.”
“She’ll call.”
“What if the battery has run out?”
“They’ll still be able to track the previous signal.”
“She’s cold. I could hear her teeth chattering.”
“They’ll find her.”
“She was slurring her words.” He groans helplessly. “Oh God, oh God, we can’t lose her now.”
I hold his shoulders, tell him to breathe. Relax. Stay calm. Piper is going to need him. She’s going to hang on, but only if he does the same.
Ruiz has DCI Drury on the line. I take the phone and can hear Drury yelling instructions across the incident room. He’s with me now.
“Piper Hadley called 999 twenty minutes ago but the signal dropped out. She’s on a mobile. We’ve been tracing a second call but lost it two minutes ago.”