Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(14)

‘Do you remember seeing anyone else there then?’

‘There were people tending graves, laying flowers, and groundsmen. There seemed to be a few joggers. It all seemed quite a buzzing place. People were walking their dogs. The burial was over quickly and we headed home. We stopped on the way to get something for Samuel to eat. That’s it really.’ She looked across at Willis and shrugged. ‘We got back to our flat but we just were so deflated. I suggested we should head down to take a look at Jeremy’s house in Cornwall. I wanted to see it.’

Willis didn’t interrupt as Lauren talked and they walked on.

‘Toby and Samuel don’t have a great relationship. I mean, they do, but he doesn’t usually care if Toby is there or not. I have had to make big compromises where Samuel is concerned. You must have noticed the age difference. For me, I wanted a child whatever. But Toby didn’t. I must be honest, I think he married me thinking that I was past it.’

Lauren stopped and grabbed Willis’s hand. ‘Please, please, just tell me it will be all right. Tell me that he will be found safe and alive. Please tell me they won’t make him suffer – he’s my world.’ Lauren looked about to collapse.

Willis was thinking of an honest but hopeful response and wishing Carter hadn’t made her do this. Lauren watched her closely.

‘I can promise you that we’re doing everything to find him.’

‘What? What are you doing, tell me.’

‘We have to cover all bases until we have more of an idea why he was taken. So, we have posted extra officers on every exit out of London and out of the UK. We are looking into every known paedophile who is on the sex register and who lives in this area. We are searching houses. We are also looking into the possibility that there will still be a ransom demand. The person who took Samuel may know that Toby has just inherited from his father. We are looking at all the CCTV footage of Toby and the route he said he took when Samuel went missing.’

‘What do you mean, “said”? Don’t you believe him?’

‘I don’t mean to imply anything by that – it’s standard procedure that we look into every possibility. The truth is that Toby was with Samuel when he was abducted. He is the last contact we have with Samuel. Whether I believe him or not, we still have to do that in order to try and pinpoint the exact spot Samuel was taken. Tell me what you were doing.’

‘I was working for a while. I tried Toby’s number but he didn’t answer and then the weather outside seemed to be getting really bad so I stood and went to see if I could spot them. A woman had stopped outside. She was staring up at me. Then something distracted me and when I looked back she was gone. Toby phoned and I went down to the foyer.’

‘What was she like, the woman you saw?’

‘She was dressed in dark clothes. She had a scarf around her face and her hood was up.’

‘Did you recognize her from the funeral? Do you think you could have seen her before?’

‘I didn’t see her face but I would have remembered what she was wearing probably. She wasn’t smart enough to have been one of the mourners. Her coat was a shiny oilskin type, too big for her. It was dark green.’

‘How old would you say she was?’

‘I have no idea. I didn’t see her face at all. Only her eyes and she was too far from me to tell anything.’

‘Her body language? Was she slight, short? Tall?’

‘As I looked down at her I remember thinking she was able to stand the gusts of wind and hold her own.’

‘So stocky?’

‘Not stocky but steady on her feet. I don’t know – that doesn’t make sense, does it?’

‘Keep thinking for me and we’ll get her drawn up when we get back to the apartment. Jeanie will help. So, when you took the call from Toby, how did he seem?’

‘He was distracted. I guessed he was battling the wind, he wasn’t used to the buggy. I should never have said they should go out. I knew Toby wasn’t in the right state of mind and Samuel was just getting a cold – grizzling.’ She looked across at Willis.

Willis thought to herself: If he’s still alive that’ll be the least of his worries. She stopped and turned her head away from the icy wind. Below them the Maritime Museum was lit up. Willis noted the officers around the entrance.

‘Lauren – I think it’s time we got back.’ Willis was a few steps ahead before she realized Lauren wasn’t following. ‘Is there something else you wanted to tell me about yesterday?’

Willis looked at Lauren’s expression. She seemed to be struggling with something.

‘Not about yesterday.’

‘Then what?’ Willis was distracted by the commotion going on. There was a flurry of activity around one of the bins by the entrance to the museum. She wanted to get Lauren away just in case they’d found Samuel’s body.

Lauren caught her up. Willis sped up as they walked towards home.

‘Toby and I haven’t really been getting on for a while. We don’t share a bed any more. I sleep in with Samuel.’

‘Has that been going on for long?’

‘Two years.’

‘I’m sorry, Lauren. I suppose the pressure of having Samuel changed your life?’

‘Toby’s not interested any more. I knew he was bisexual when I married him. I thought we’d be fine. I thought we were well matched in our own way. I don’t need a macho-man. But I think he’s become interested in someone else. I don’t know whether that’s a man or a woman. Could it have anything to do with Samuel going missing?’