Brian snorted.
Rob caught Mallory’s eye and gestured to the door. It was time for the husband to leave. They had his details and would talk to him again, along with possibly searching his premises. But right now, they needed to diffuse this pressure-cooker of a situation. A little girl was missing and every second counted.
Rob shook the man’s extended hand. “How did you know to come here?”
“Lisa texted me.”
He glanced at Lisa who was still clutching his other arm like it was the only thing holding her up. She bit her lip and nodded.
“Okay, well since you’re here, maybe you can answer a few questions.”
“Sure.”
Nothing in his demeanour aroused Rob’s immediate suspicions, but that didn’t mean squat. Some of the worst killers were the best liars.
“When last did you see Katie?”
“Katie?” He seemed surprised by the question. “I saw Lisa last night, but Katie was already asleep when I came round.”
“When was that?”
“I arrived at nine.”
“And how long did you stay?” He met the man’s gaze head on.
There wasn’t a flicker of hesitation. “A few hours.”
Lisa nodded. “That’s right, he left just before midnight.”
“And did you check on Katie before you went to bed?” This was directed at Lisa.
“Of course. I always check on her before I go to sleep.”
Something in her manner gave Rob pause. It was guilt. Had she been too tired to check on her daughter? After all, her lover had been here. But that wasn’t a crime.
It struck him that they only had her word for it that her daughter had left for school that morning. As awful as it sounded, the two lovers could have got rid of Katie the night before, then concocted this plan to avoid suspicion falling on themselves.
While he wanted to believe her, he knew from experience that the most impassioned plea could be fabricated. He glanced around the kitchen, looking for clues. There was an empty mug of tea on the table, but no cereal bowls and nothing in the sink. If she’d been in a rush like she’d claimed, she wouldn’t have had time to wash the dishes before leaving for work. Was there any proof that Katie had actually been in the house this morning?
“Where do you stay, Mr Wojcik?”
“Mortlake.”
Not far from Barnes, also in the Richmond Borough.
“Can anyone confirm you were at home this morning?”
Sergio looked stunned for a second, then recovered himself. “Um, yeah. My neighbour, Bill, saw me leaving to come here. And I called work to tell them I’d be late.”
There were no outward signs that he was lying, but Rob never took anyone at face value. Useful habit or occupational hazard? He wasn’t sure.
Right, it was time to kick this investigation up a notch. He glanced at his phone, just to be sure. No messages. Shit. That meant they hadn’t found anything.
Leaving Sergio and Lisa in the house, he walked outside. Mallory was talking to an officer holding a large clipboard. His job was to record everyone who entered or left the premises.
“What did the husband say?” Rob asked.
Mallory turned to face him. “He hadn’t seen his daughter since the weekend. They spend every second one together.”
“Did you believe him?”
Mallory shrugged. “Hard to say. He’s pretty angry, which could mask his guilt. I’ve sent a team round to his house to do a spot search.”
In situations like this, when a child’s life was on the line, a warrant wasn’t strictly necessary. It was the lead detective’s call, and Rob had the utmost faith in his DI. It was yet another indication that the rapidly promoted detective was ready to lead his own investigation.
“Good move,” Rob said. “We should do the same here, and at the boyfriend’s place. It’s been less than an hour since she went missing, there’s still time.”
Mallory gave a succinct nod. He knew, as Rob did, that the first few hours were crucial if they hoped to find Katie Wells alive.
“Let’s get eyes in the sky,” he continued. “I’m launching a full-scale alert.”
Mallory got on the phone while Rob called the control centre and asked for an update. As expected, they’d found nothing during the preliminary search.
It was time to get serious.
He rang Chief Superintendent Lawrence and told him they had a kidnapped girl and they needed to act fast. There was no doubt in his mind that she was at risk.
“Christ, Rob. Really?” After the highly publicised Surrey Stalker case, followed by the equally macabre revenge killings earlier in the year, the Super did not need another media shitstorm. Especially, since he was retiring at the end of the year.
“‘Fraid so, sir. I’ve ordered a helicopter and the K-9 unit is on its way. Maybe we can pick up her trail. I’ve also authorised searches on the primary residence and that of the ex-husband and the boyfriend.”
“No ransom demand?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Okay. Keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
He hung up. It was full steam ahead. Rob mentally checked off his to-do list.
Katie’s phone.
Search the premises.
CCTV.
Speak to the best friend.
“Let’s head back to the station,” he barked. First, he had to brief the team and get the ball rolling.
“Helo’s ETA is twelve minutes,” confirmed Mallory, hanging up and falling into step beside him.
Rob updated the sergeant with the clipboard. “A search team will be here soon. And for God’s sake, don’t let Brian Wells back inside. Point him in my direction if he has any questions concerning the investigation.” The husband had struck him as a hot-head and all that pent-up aggression he harboured towards his soon-to-be ex-wife and her lover would only complicate matters. They didn’t need to add an assault charge to the mix.
As they drove away, Rob stared at the dense vegetation in the Barnes nature reserve and then the river Thames as it wound lazily towards Richmond.
“Hang in there, Katie,” he muttered to himself. “We’re coming for you.”
4
DCI Rob Miller strode into the squad room at Richmond police station. “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”
Computer keyboards fell silent, heads glanced up
