The Secret Child (DI Amy Winter #2)(34)

After changing at Bond Street, Amy took the Jubilee line to Westminster. The total journey time of seventeen minutes had never felt so long. Westminster Underground station was a mass of stainless-steel and shiny decor, and as she rushed up the steps to daylight, the juxtaposition of modern and traditional was a sight to behold. Big Ben towered above her, marred only by the scaffolding which masked its beauty against the azure sky. The view was breathtaking, and had she not been so caught up in the moment, she would have taken longer to stop and stare.

Shielding her eyes from the winter sun, she weaved through busy pedestrians. London was not a place you could stand still in for very long. As she scrambled for her phone, she dropped her umbrella, mentally reprimanding herself for bringing it along. Such was the British weather, she was now treated to blue skies and an icy breeze. Finding the nearest bin, she deposited the unwanted item, gripping her phone in her left hand as she waited for it to ring. Was Luka here, timing her movements? Officers were already searching for him on the ground. But without an up-to-date photo, they had very little to go on.

Another question rose in her consciousness. Why her? Had he really chosen her because of an article in a newspaper? But the thought evaporated as her attention was diverted to the ringing of her phone.





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

‘Call the bloodhounds off,’ Luka said, instantly dispensing with formalities.

‘I’m not with you.’ Amy took in the scene as she searched for her mystery caller. She was standing near the base of Big Ben, the pavement milling with tourists taking photos and selfies on their phones. The air smelled of icy drizzle and petrol fumes, the day carrying a sense of urgency that made every muscle in her body tense. She peered through the multi-lane traffic at a man across the road holding a video camera. His pot belly stretched the material of his white polo shirt, his baggy jeans were wrinkled and worn. Briefly, he met her gaze, before turning his attention to the structure above. Amy threaded her fingers through her hair. This whole scenario was making her paranoid, but she had a creeping sensation that Luka was not far away.

‘Don’t play games with me, Detective Inspector,’ he replied. ‘If you don’t call them off, you’ll have Ellen’s blood on your hands.’

‘All right,’ Amy replied tersely, scanning the crowds for Baseball-Cap Man. She caught sight of him just as he crossed the road to join her. Fanning her hand, she gestured at him to back off. She returned her attention to her caller. Luka was off on a tangent, musing about old times.

‘I studied your face when you saw Big Ben. It’s an impressive structure, isn’t it? Imagine how I felt when I saw it for the first time.’

Amy’s heart skipped a beat. Where was he? More to the point, what would she do if she found him? Take her chances and give chase, or listen to what he had to say? Right now, the choice was not hers to make.

‘Dr Curtis brought us here when we first arrived,’ he continued. ‘I remember, Mama’s eyes were like saucers as she took it all in. She did not stop smiling . . . but I did. Because the next day my induction started.’

‘Is Ellen with you? Let me speak to her.’ Amy tried to steer their conversation back to the child. But Luka seemed determined to have his say.

‘One of the first things they did was cut my nails short. Later I realised it was to stop me from making crescent-moon shapes in the palms of my hands. My sightseeing trips came with a very heavy price.’

Avoiding the throng of pedestrians, Amy stood against the black metal railings bordering the landmark as she tried to find some common ground. ‘I need to speak to Ellen. You’ll have my full attention after that. You can talk for as long as you like.’

Brittle laughter crackled down the phone. ‘You know, it’s quite a novelty to have you hanging on my every word. You’ll find Ellen near the Imperial War Museum. Time is ticking. She doesn’t have long.’

‘You’re kidding me,’ Amy said, aghast at the prospect of dragging things out even more.

‘She’ll be there, I give you my word.’

Turning on her heel, Amy headed back to the tube station from which she had come. Her stomach churned at the thought of Ellen being in danger. ‘You’d better not be wasting my time,’ she said, searching her pocket for her Oyster card.

‘You’ll find out soon enough.’ Luka ended the call.

Amy called Molly to inform her of her next stop. ‘We need a covert unit at the Imperial War Museum, but be quick, time is running out.’ She could hear Molly tapping furiously on her computer as she dictated her journey.

‘It’ll take you ten minutes by tube. We could get a car to you, but there are no guarantees you won’t get stuck in heavy traffic.’ They both knew a blue-light run was out of the question. It would only scare Luka off. Sighing heavily, Molly’s breath ruffled the line. ‘Take the Jubilee line eastbound, change at Waterloo and get the Bakerloo line. Then go southbound to Lambeth North tube station. Has he told you anything more?’

‘He’s twigged the plainclothes officers, but we can’t arrest him yet. This could be our only hope of reaching Ellen in time.’

‘In time for what?’

Crossing the road at the traffic lights, Amy milled through daytime shoppers as she headed back to the mouth of the tube station. Her blouse was sticking to her, her skin clammy as she gripped the phone. ‘Have paramedics on standby, update Control and I’ll call as soon as I can.’ Shoving her phone in her pocket, she took the escalator down to the inner workings of the station. A pair of headlights beamed from the tunnel as the train rumbled down the tracks.