“Jake, they have her. The bastards have my daughter.” Then she slid to the ground, finally oblivious of the children playing around her and the cries of anguish coming from the front desk.
* * *
Jake found her her huddled outside, pale and unresponsive. He crouched down beside her, put a hand on her arm. “Ryder. Hey, come on. Where’s that fiery officer that wanted to nail these guys to the wall? I need her back if we’re to get through this mess.”
She raised her head and his heart almost broke. The hurt and pain in her eyes hit him in the gut. He pulled her forward and hugged her, feeling the tremble of her shoulders. If she would only break down and get it out or scream and kick something, he thought she might be okay but the unresponsive Ryder scared him.
Mick had stopped at the desk and Officer Lionel Watson was busy talking to the staff to try and see who took Ebony. If only the cameras were still working to show who had walked in and taken the child, it would help. Jake stood up and pulled Ryder with him. Ethol Stubbens arrived just after Jake and stood inside the door looking lost and uncomfortable. He made a move to talk to Amy but she seemed incoherent and clung to her husband.
Ryder leaned on his shoulder and he led her out to the reception area. “I want to see the book; show me.”
She straightened up and grabbed the sign in book, then pointed out her signature from earlier in the day and the one supposedly hers. “Any fool can see it’s not my signature. Someone else signed her out.” Her voice cracked but she managed to keep it together.
Mick had brought forward a chair for Amy and her husband pushed her down into it. Jake crouched down in front of her. “Amy, I have to ask you some questions now. Time is really important here. Who came in today while you were at the desk?”
She shook her head. “Nobody.” A fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks.
Jim interrupted. “She was out back in the kitchen with me most of the morning. Her nerves were shot and there was a couple of phone calls I was going to ignore—hang ups mainly that spooked her—so I transferred the phone over to the office out back. Shelley has been in there all day doing accounts.”
“Did any of the girls see who came for Ebony, Jim?” He nodded to Mick who went in search of the staff from Ebony’s room.
“I don’t know. Nobody said anything to me. I was with Amy. I’m so sorry, Ryder. You have no idea how much this is killing the two of us right now.”
“Someone must have seen something. It’s not possible to walk into a place like this and take a little girl and have nobody know who it was.”
“Unless it was someone we all know and trust.” He glanced up as the two girls from Eb’s room came out, both looking frightened and wary.
“I need to know who picked up Ebony today. Either of you see her leave?” Jake watched them shrug their shoulders.
“I didn’t see anything.” Paula White glanced at Ryder then away again. “When I noticed her missing I figured her mum had picked her up when I was outside doing something with some of the children and I checked the book to make sure. Her signature was there so I didn’t worry.”
“Carol?”
“Paula told me she had gone home early and I accepted it. No reason not to really considering she’d been signed out. I do hope you find her soon.”
Jake turned to look at Ethol. “Where were you this morning, Ethol?”
“I didn’t do anything to that little girl.”
Ryder walked toward her grandfather. “She liked you. Told me how she talked to you when you were doing repairs. Easy way to get a youngster to trust you if you ask me.” Her eyes shone bright with unshed tears. “If you’ve done anything to her, so help me I will gut you myself and I know how.” She looked over at Jake. “Damned convenient the camera’s out of action, isn’t it?”
* * *
Ryder tried to pull herself together. Jake was right, again. She needed to keep her wits about her to find her daughter. Crying in a corner wouldn’t bring Eb back and she’d never considered herself the weeping wall flower. No point starting that crap now.
“What’s the routine when the front desk is unmanned?”
“It’s not unusual for no one to be at the front desk. Amy often goes into the classrooms and helps out with the kids. The girls in the rooms always say goodbye to the children anyway unless Amy does it. They all kind of cross over with that duty.” Jim looked at Ryder, his eyes pleading for understanding. “It’s how we’ve always done things around here.”
“And hasn’t that worked out well.” Her sarcasm was the only thing that kept the tears at bay. She ignored the two girls as they hurried back to their jobs. “And that camera is definitely out of action?” This comment she aimed at her grandfather.
“Unfortunately, yes. I did it last night when Amy called me over.” He turned and looked at it. “Sick bastards have seen too much already if you ask me. Wasn’t going to give them a minute more than I could help, but I’m sorry it wasn’t working today, Ryder. I truly am.” He shook his head and looked at Jake. “Anything I can do, know you only have to ask, Jake.”
“You can let us go and have a look around your place, Ethol. We’ll be checking every house we can so don’t take any offence either. Rather do it now without getting court orders. Your call though.”
“Don’t be so damned stupid. Course you can go over. House is never locked up anyway. Help yourselves.”
“Ryder, I want you
