Daniel knows the area. One of the premises he patrols every night is the old telephone exchange on Lensfield Road. It backs onto where the van drove in.
On his nightly patrol, Daniel usually just checks the outside of the building. But he has a set of keys and on a few occasions he’s been inside he knows if you go up to the first floor you can look down into the courtyard where the vehicles have just driven in.
When he set out for the airport this morning, Daniel wasn’t sure what time the twins plane would arrive, so he has brought his uniform and work kit with him. It is sitting in the boot of the car. Inside his kit bag are keys to the buildings he patrols.
He drives to the end of Tennis Court Road, turns left and then left again onto Lensfield Road.
He parks outside the old exchange, climbs the stairs to the first floor, and walks over to the back of the building. The right-hand side gives him a good view of the old car workshop.
For security reasons, the windows had been covered in one-way privacy film. This means you can see out from inside but no-one can see in.
Using the powerful binoculars Daniel bought on Gumtree, he has a clear view. The four men are all standing in the factory area. At first he can’t see the girls then as he searches each window he sees them in a room to his left.
Daniel thinks he has worked it out. Now the girls are famous from the TV show, these men have decided to kidnap the girls and hold them until the parents pay the ransom money.
He keeps going over things in his mind. He’s trying to decide what is the best thing to do? He can call the police and they will rescue the girls.
But that would mean they get all the glory. Or, he can wait and see what happens and if he rescues them on his own, he will be their knight in shining armour and they will fall in love with him.
He knows from watching TV, with a kidnapping it will take time for the family to get the money together. Probably a couple of days. This will give him the time he needs to come up with a plan.
Daniel studies the layout. The four men are gathered in an area of about twenty-five feet square. He sees a sofa in the middle of the space facing away towards the TV set along the opposite wall. Next to it is a table and a fridge.
The room where Daniel can see the girls being held is about twelve feet square.
Daniel continues to watch.
After a few minutes he sees two of the men drive off in the minibus. The two who remain sit down and watch TV.
What Daniel needs to do is to find a way to get his listening device attached to one of the windows so he can hear what the men are saying.
He can imagine it now. The girls will be so happy when he rescues them. Both of them hugging and kissing his cheek and saying thank you for saving their lives.
Daniel checks his watch and notices it is getting late. He is torn between going off to work or staying to watch. In the end, he decides nothing will happen until tomorrow morning at the earliest.
The hire car doesn’t need to be back until tomorrow morning but he does need to be at work for 8pm. It doesn’t get dark until just before 9pm, so he will come back later and sneak around the back and fix the listening device to one of the windows. He doesn’t think anyone will notice as they don’t appear to have been cleaned in years.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Mitten household has been getting ready for the return of the twins. After the success of the reality TV show, the girls had moved to London. It has been more than three months since they’ve been home.
Diane is busy in the kitchen. She has found the ‘Welcome Home’ banners from when the twins’ older brother Gordon came home from uni.
The minute Diane’s husband Francis, who not long arrived home from work, came in he was put to work putting up the banner and blowing up balloons and tying them to doors and anywhere else they would be seen. In truth, both parents were eager to see their daughters.
Since their son Gordon moved out a year ago following an argument with his father, it seemed even more important to keep the rest of the family together.
According to the schedule the twins sent in a text, they should be home very soon. Their flight was due to land at 12.30, so allowing for them to catch the train and then a taxi from Trentbridge station, they are expected to arrive around six o’clock.
Their dad is still puzzling over the text message received from Leona, which, based on the time it was sent, was when they were still at the airport which simply said Thanks for sending the surprise. He wonders what she means.
Their mother has spent hours cooking food and along with the cleaner who comes in three mornings a week, every room in the house has been cleaned from top to bottom.
Diane calls out to her husband. “You could phone them and offer to pick them up from the station.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. The traffic will be horrendous this time of night. And when I get there, where do I park? No, best let them get a taxi. Besides I could do with a good stiff drink, the day I’ve had.”
Francis walks into the lounge and over to the drinks cabinet, just as the grandfather clock strikes six. He takes the lid off the whiskey decanter and pours himself a double measure.
The telephone rings. Diane picks up the hands-free set in the kitchen.
“Hello.”
“Is that Mrs Mitten?”
“Yes.
