The Babysitter(88)

Mark nodded tightly. ‘What’s happening?’ he asked, his tone short as he desperately tried to keep a rein on his spiralling emotions.

‘I’m sorry, Mark… It’s Evie. She’s been taken.’

Lisa moved quickly forwards as his legs almost failed him. ‘Take your time,’ she said sympathetically, moving to wrap an arm firmly around him as Mark bent, clutching his thighs and attempting to draw air into his lungs.

Nodding again, Mark straightened up. ‘When?’ he asked, barely able to get the word past the hard knot in his throat.

‘Ten fifteen, give or take a minute,’ Lisa said, her tone quiet and measured – a hopeless attempt to reassure him.

Mark reeled inwardly. He’d forgotten to take his mobile with him. He’d been five minutes into his run when he realised, and had debated going back for it, but had decided against it. He’d been out, running, without his mobile while his child was being abducted.

‘Melissa fastened Evie into her seat and then went back inside to pick up a box,’ Lisa explained.

‘A box?’

‘A sculpture. She was taking it to the university to be fired,’ Lisa clarified, as Mark frantically tried to make sense where there was none. ‘She’d left the boot open, so the car was unlocked. When she came back…’ Lisa stopped, her voice catching.

Their child had gone. Nausea churning his stomach, Mark closed his eyes, feeling every one of Mel’s emotions, every second of the agony she would have gone through. ‘Witnesses?’ he asked gutturally.

Lisa shook her head. Mark guessed there wouldn’t be. The lane wasn’t a useful through road to anywhere, providing access only to the local farm and a few houses.

Mark half-turned away, no clue what to do at a crime scene that involved his own family.

‘We’ve been trying to locate Jade.’ Lisa cut through his deliberations. ‘I asked Mel, but she’s not making much sense. Any ideas?’

‘Jade,’ Mark repeated, cold foreboding washing through him. Could she…? Would she? ‘She’s gone.’

‘Gone?’

‘Fired,’ Mark said tersely. ‘Find her.’

‘I’m on it,’ Lisa assured him. ‘Do you have any details? Previous employers, addresses? Relatives we can start with?’

Mark’s heart nosedived into the pit of his stomach.

‘You did run a background check, right?’

Hopelessly, Mark shook his head. ‘Mel said she would. I… didn’t push it.’

Lisa drew in a sharp breath, but didn’t comment. ‘I’ll get everyone I can on it,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry, Mark. We’ll find Evie.’

Cursing his idiocy, his sheer bloody incompetence at not running the check himself, Mark nodded. ‘Where’s Mel?’ he asked, attempting some sort of focus as he glanced towards the house, their dream home, which had become a house of horrors. Mel would be broken, utterly destroyed.

‘Lounge. Distraught, obviously,’ Lisa said, and then hesitated. ‘She thought you’d taken her, Mark. I thought you should know.’

The news didn’t surprise him. It hurt, but it didn’t surprise him.

‘I’ve telephoned the health centre and asked her GP to come out.’ Aware of Mel’s resistance to visit the surgery, Lisa’s tone was guarded. ‘I thought, under the circumstances…’

Mark nodded. He didn’t like the idea, but sedation was probably the only way Mel would get through the first few hours. After that… nothing would help her, nothing but her child safe in her arms would pull her back from the abyss. Mark knew that with certainty.

‘We’ve called in forensics,’ Lisa called, behind him. ‘And obviously Edwards has all available bodies on it.’

Mark nodded again, grateful for that much. He needed to be at the station, on top of this, but not before he’d seen Mel, tried to reassure her, though he doubted he could.

‘Poppy?’ He turned back to Lisa, a new fear twisting his stomach.

‘We’ve despatched a squad car to the school. I’ll let you know as soon as— Hold on.’ Stopping, Lisa checked her radio. ‘She’s safe.’

And Mark allowed himself to breathe.





Sixty-Seven





LISA





Her heart breaking for them, Lisa paused between calls, watching as Mark walked across to where Melissa stood by the window, her arms wrapped tightly about herself, as if trying to keep the emotion inside. She didn’t seem to be aware of Mark’s presence, jumping as he reached out to touch her.

‘I’ll find her, Mel,’ he said quietly. Cautiously, he moved closer, gently coaxing her around to face him. ‘I will find her, I promise,’ he repeated, his voice thick with emotion.

Poor bastard, he looked worse than Lisa had ever seen him. Even after losing little Jacob, when he’d been struggling on all fronts, drinking too much, sleeping little, he hadn’t looked so utterly drained.

Clearly as exhausted as he was, Melissa allowed him to pull her closer. Lisa hoped to God they could find some comfort in each other. They didn’t deserve this on top of everything else. Relieved as she saw Mel drop her head to Mark’s shoulder, Lisa was about to discreetly leave when Melissa spoke.