Cold as Ice (Willis/Carter #2)(95)

‘That . . .’ She looked towards the office door and the back of the man’s head. ‘That’s his replacement. Steve didn’t deserve it, despite the allegations.’

‘What do you mean?’

Betty took a deep breath. ‘Look, Tracy, I know you’re not going to like me for being the one to tell you but the thing is, I would want to know – so woman to woman, I’m telling you what I know. He was said to have got over-friendly with a couple of the clients we have – big customers. He made a bit of a nuisance of himself.’

‘In what way? I don’t understand.’

‘One of our clients is a college – you know what men are like – like boys in a sweet shop – he was seen hanging about a bit too often there, staying a bit too long. Some of the female students complained.’ Tracy started shaking her head. ‘It wasn’t just that, Tracy . . . he was also accused of trying it on with the boss’s wife; made a play for her, whatever you call it. They didn’t want to sack him and risk him taking it to a tribunal; my guess is they wouldn’t be able to prove it.’

‘The boss’s wife?’ Tracy shook her head, still not able to fully take in the news. ‘Why would they accuse him of that?’

‘Because . . . because . . . the truth is, Tracy, that he did have a bit of a wandering eye. None of the younger girls wanted to work with him.’ Tracy looked at her, horrorstruck.

‘Look. I’ve told you all I know. Six months ago he walked out of that door and I haven’t seen hide or hair of him since. Although I know he still comes here to a lock-up.’

Tracy frowned, shook her head. ‘Six months? That can’t be right. He’s been going to work every day just like he always does.’

Betty rubbed her hand on Tracy’s arm.

‘He’s been lying to you, Tracy. If you see him, tell him he has to return the keys to the warehouse; he has to bring the van back. Things will get very nasty otherwise.’

Tracy walked back out into the car park in a daze. Just then Hawk’s phone rang in her bag. She pressed the ‘accept call’ button and held it to her ear.

‘Hello, Traceeeeee.’

‘Hello.’ His voice made her shiver as she stood in the quiet of the dark yard. She heard the classical music again; this time it was louder.

‘Why do you think I call you, Tracy?’

‘I don’t know. I think you need help. It’s not too late. You should hand yourself in. Let my daughter go.’

He rolled out a deep laugh. ‘I call you because you need to learn a lesson, Tracy. Just like your daughter. She should be grateful to me; I have indoctrinated her in a new family. She no longer needs a mother, a child; all she needs is me, her God.’

‘Let me talk to Danielle, please. How do I know she’s still alive?’

Tracy heard him walking, breathing. She heard the sound of someone else.

‘Tracy?’ It was Danielle’s voice – distant, fading, broken, as if her throat was raw.

‘Danielle? Oh thank God you’re still alive. Keep hope, Danielle. Be strong.’

‘Jackson?’

‘Yes. Yes, don’t worry. Don’t worry about Jackson. He misses you but he’s okay.’

‘Kiss my baby for me.’

Tracy heard a noise in the yard behind her. Betty had come out to close the shutters and have a cigarette. She was looking at Tracy with a smile that said, I’m sorry for you but you need to go away now. Tracy felt a surge of anger so strong she nearly threw the phone through a window.

Tracy heard him laugh as he mimicked: ‘Kiss my baby for me. Now here’s the price she had to pay to talk to you.’ Tracy heard a deep gravelly scream, primeval pain as if Danielle had thrown back her head in agony. The sound vibrated down the phone in a piercing scream. Then she heard Danielle pleading for him to stop as she gasped for breath.

Tracy shouted down the phone: ‘Stop it! Stop it! You sick bastard. Leave her alone. That’s my daughter you have there. She’s worth a billion of you. Danielle is her name, Danielle Foster. Got it? I gave birth to her and I went through agony and I love her. You’ll never know love. You are a vile creature. You don’t deserve to be loved. Stop all this now. Stop it. It won’t be long now before the police find you.’ Tracy heard Danielle scream again and then the phone went dead.

Tracy closed her eyes and clutched the phone to her.

Oh God. What have I done? He’ll never let her go now. I’ve ruined everything. It’s all my fault. Now he’ll come for Jackson.

Tracy had a need to get home as fast as she could. She wanted to see Jackson, make sure he was safe. She felt too exposed out in the open. Her head and heart pounded as she drove. The place was empty when she got home. It was too quiet. She stayed at the lounge window, looking for Jeanie pushing Jackson home to her.

Jeanie was walking back home from the park. She was still a few streets away from the house. The streetlights shone down. The pavements were wet from the thawing ice and snow clung to the sides of the road. She turned down a side street. Her mind was on getting home to Pete. She hoped Tracy would be home soon so that she could go. She had to go via the office and catch up with the latest developments from Carter first. Jeanie stepped off the kerb and waited in front of the parked cars to cross when the road was clear. Carter had been on her mind a lot recently. It didn’t do either of them any good to have to work so closely with one another. It was years since they were together but it had taken a lot to move on. They had drifted in and out of a relationship for a year before they both decided it was best to split. But there were many times Jeanie wondered, if they had just made that extra commitment to one another, if they had taken the plunge, would it have worked? Did she meet Pete on the rebound?