“Breath, she’s okay. Doctor said she was drugged but unhurt.”
She opened her mouth again, the only sound coming out were gulped sobs of relief. It took her a moment before she could get out a sensible sentence. “Who found her?”
“Your grandfather brought her in.” He thinned his lips and Ryder wondered what he wasn’t saying. “Don’t jump to conclusions yet. Now you’re here I’m going to take him in and question him. You stay with Ebony and take all the time you need. I’ll be in touch later.”
Chapter 17
“Start at the beginning, Ethol.” Jake switched on the recorder and leaned back in his chair, watching the old man, noting the sweat breaking out on his top lip and the way his hands shook.
“Told you already. Looked out the kitchen window and noticed a light on in the barn which in itself is strange. Couldn’t for the life of me see why anyone would be in there and I know damn well I didn’t leave it on last time I was in there which would have been…heck, don’t even remember when. Not that stupid you see.” He paused taking a long breath. “Don’t know what I was expecting but it sure as hell wasn’t my great granddaughter. Poor thing was out cold, she was. Locked up in a tack room, place I rarely go these days, truth be told. Never had enough worth a lick of salt in it to lock up so of course I had to break the lock and look inside and you know what I found. Poor wee mite. Laying there not moving a muscle. Thought she was dead first of all.”
He coughed and looked at Jake. “I know you don’t believe me, Jake. I wouldn’t either if I was you, but there is no way I would hurt that little girl. Broke my heart when they took her mother away from town when she was tiny. Never did understand that son of mine, taking off like that. Put it down to marrying that foreigner. Strange habits she had, let me tell you. Didn’t care that an old man had formed an attachment to his first grandchild after the passing of his wife. About broke my heart it did.”
“Let’s get back to the tack room. When was the last time you were in the barn?”
“Not for years. I use the other shed now, more light for me to work and it’s closer to the house. Eyes aren’t as good as they used to be. And anything stored in the barn is too old to worry about. Place is falling down and not worth fixing.” His old eyes were tired. Still, Jake pushed on. Lack of sleep was a wonderful tool.
“Let’s talk about Eric.”
Ethol’s gaze wavered before settling on Jake’s face once more.
“Where is he and when was the last time you saw him?”
“He’s away on business. Left the day before yesterday. Sydney I think. He goes down to court a few times a month. Back tomorrow I guess, unless he gets held up.”
The questions continued until Jake could find nothing else to ask. The old man had no witnesses, nobody to collaborate his story or put him in another place in that time frame. Ebony was found on his property after she’d allegedly been abducted from the child care centre. That made him the only suspect they had and he couldn’t be released for fear of him absconding.
“I’m going to have to charge you, Ethol, and hold you overnight until we can get you before a judge.”
His eyes flickered before he looked away. “Kind of figured you would. Would I be stupid enough to bring the child in if I did it? Don’t you think I would’ve done something with her if that was my intention all along?”
“Maybe you didn’t have time. Are you into selling children, or is your main reason to hand her over to friends for amusement?” He snorted. “All those trips away to collect goods for resale and repair. Such a handy excuse to travel far and wide. Brilliant opportunity to sell other products too.”
Ethol’s eyes opened wide and he started to bluster his words. “I would…how could…don’t…”
Jake leaned forward, ready to push until he got what he wanted. “How much do they pay you, Ethol? Huh? Tell me who they are and we might be able to do a deal.” He tapped his fingers on the edge of the table. “Is this why Ryder’s family moved away when she was little? Dear old grandad got too close and personal for her parents liking. Is that it, Ethol?”
Ethol clamped his lips together and glared at Jake.
“Do you know what happened to Paris Bonneville and Daniel Bird? If you co-operate things will be better for you. If not—” Jake shrugged his shoulders “—you’re going away for a long time.”
The old man sat still, not saying anything, his gaze on something over Jake’s shoulder, a far away look of resignation taking over. “Well, if that’s all you have to say, I’d better read you your rights. Ethol Stubbens, I’m placing you under arrest for the abduction of Ebony Quinn.”
* * *
“As far as I can see, Mrs Quinn, she’s fine. No injuries to show apart from a small graze on her knee which could have happened in day care, and a scratch on the palm of her hand. There’s no bruising on her body to say she was injected with anything. We suspect whoever it was used Rohypnol on her which is easily ingested in
