Evil Intent (DI Sara Ramsey Book 20), page 3
There was a bowl on the cabinet beside her. Sara leapt out of the chair and held it under Eve’s chin. “Try not to upset yourself. I know that’s easier said than done, we’re going to do all we can to bring her home.”
Eve emptied her stomach contents into the bowl. Sara retched inside but hid her true feelings in front of the desperate woman.
“I’m sorry. You don’t want to see that, you’re not a nurse, they’re used to it. I’ve done nothing but vomit since they brought me in. I’m not usually the type.”
“You’ve had a knock on the head, that’s likely the cause. I have a strong stomach, don’t worry. Do you have any idea how long your husband is going to be?”
“A few hours yet. He’s going to need to tie up a few things in Newcastle before he can get on the road.”
A man whose baby has gone missing has chosen to stay and tie things up instead of rushing home to be with his wife? “I have to ask, have either you or your husband had any issues with any outsiders recently? Someone who might want to harm either of you perhaps?”
“No. We tend to keep ourselves to ourselves. We don’t mix that often with people, that’s why I found it difficult taking the plunge to join the mother and baby group. I put it off for weeks, but once I’d plucked up the courage to go, I found I really enjoyed it.” She gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth. “You don’t suppose one of them followed me and took the baby, do you?”
Sara tutted. “We won’t know until we’ve questioned the people you met up with today. Where’s the group based?”
Eve closed her eyes and swallowed. “It’s on Folly Lane. I can’t remember the name of it, sorry, my head is killing me.”
“Try not to put extra stress on yourself. I’m sure we’ll find it, there can’t be too many M and B groups around there.”
“Wait, I spoke to Becky, she’s the co-owner, I think.”
“There you go, that’s a great help, thanks. How many people were there today, can you recall?”
“Gosh, now you’re testing me. I think maybe around twenty mothers, probably three or four staff, including Becky.”
“That’s great. And you got on well with everyone?”
“Yes, I mostly hung out with a group of five other women during my time there. They’re the only ones who stepped forward to involve me.”
“Can you tell me their names?” Sara withdrew her notebook from her pocket.
Eve paused and rubbed her temple as if willing the names to come forward in her confused mind. “Let me see, there was Claudine, Francis, Gail and… I can’t think of the other two ladies’ names. Why can’t I remember? I spent a couple of hours with them, you’d think I’d be able to bloody summon up their names.”
“No pressure. Take your time.”
“But we haven’t got time, I need you to ask what you need to know and get out there. Every minute Mia is missing is taking her further and further away from me.”
“I’m aware of that, but I promise you, the more information you can supply, the more likely we are to find her.”
“My baby, I want her back. I feel so useless, lying here. My head is spinning. I can’t even remember what she looks like, why can’t I remember what colour eyes she has? I feel so inadequate.”
“It’s the medication. Try not to get too worked up about this, Eve. We’re going to do our best to get Mia back. Is there anything else you can recall from your walk around the park? Did anyone speak to you?”
“A few couples when they walked past. I had taken a picnic with me. We sat on the benches at the top of the hill. Mia was gurgling away happily in her pram. Several couples just said hello as they passed us on the path. No one approached us as such, you know, to tell me how cute Mia was, not like other days up there.”
“Did you see anyone lingering close by? Perhaps in the wooded area behind the benches?” Sara tried to picture the layout of the park she had visited herself several times in the past.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Do you have any other family members in the area?”
“Yes, Amelia and Sandra, my sisters. The staff have rung Sandra, she should be here soon. I hate disturbing either of them, or Paul for that matter, but I need them. I can’t cope with this all on my own.”
“No one is expecting you to. I’m sure none of them will mind. What about your parents?”
“They’re both gone. They moved to Spain a few years ago and someone broke into their villa and set fire to their home. They were asleep in their beds upstairs, there’s no way they could have got out. I miss them every single day. I’m devastated they never got to meet their only grandchild.” Tears bulged once more.
“I’m sorry for your loss. Hey, please try to think positively about Mia.”
“I am, and yet it’s so hard. All I can think about is the danger she is probably in. Someone took her from me with an evil intent, otherwise, why would they take her? Why? What goes through someone’s mind like that… to take a young baby… if not to harm it?”
Sara found it hard to express what she was truly feeling about the situation. She couldn’t keep repeating herself, telling Eve to remain positive. She glanced up at Carla for help, but her partner turned away, probably feeling as useless as she was.
“What about around the house, have you had any cause to be alarmed about anything lately?”
“No, I don’t think so. You have to believe me, this has come out of the blue. If I’d had any sort of warning sign that something along these lines might be in the air then I would have remained more vigilant. Saying that, how do you combat being attacked from behind?”
“You can’t. Therefore, you mustn’t blame yourself.”
The curtain was whisked back, and a young woman with long brown hair, tied back in a ponytail, entered the area. “My God, Eve, are you all right? You look dreadful, love.”
Eve held out a hand, and the other woman, whom Sara suspected was Sandra, came closer to the bed.
Sara rose from her seat and introduced herself and Carla. “I’m DI Sara Ramsey, and this is my partner, DS Carla Jameson.”
“The police? What are you doing here? I hope you’ve got the whole of the force out there searching for my niece. Shame on you if you haven’t.”
Sara offered the woman a reassuring smile. “We will have soon. We need to get some background information from Eve first before we instigate any kind of search for Mia.”
“What are you waiting for? Get on with it.”
“Sandra, calm down. They’ve only just arrived and have been asking me dozens of questions.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down, not when my dear niece is missing. Where is she, do you know?” Sandra’s question was aimed at Sara.
“Not at this moment, no. Please, you need to give us a chance to get the investigation underway. We can’t do that without sifting through the facts first.”
Sandra crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Don’t let me stop you.”
The nurse appeared. “I’m sorry, I’m going to need to ask you to keep the noise down. Actually, one of you should leave. Our policy of two to a bed still stands, even in cases like this.”
Sara’s gaze dropped on Carla. “Sergeant Jameson, would you mind?” she asked, sensing that Sandra would put her foot down and insist she remained with her sister.
“Not at all. I’ll be out in the hallway.”
Sara smiled, appreciating her partner’s willingness to oblige.
Carla left, and Sandra moved closer to her sister and sat in the chair Sara had recently vacated.
“What happened, love?” Sandra asked her sister. “The nurse didn’t tell me much when she rang me at work.”
“Do you want me to go over things with your sister?” Sara asked Eve.
Eve nodded, winced and rested her head back against the pillow, utterly exhausted.
Sara ran through the events leading up to Mia’s disappearance with the gobsmacked Sandra.
“My God, how could this have happened? And in broad daylight as well. What is this world coming to? Isn’t anyone safe walking the streets during the day, let alone the night, around here nowadays?”
“We’re doing our very best to ensure that happens, but resources are stretched to the max and getting worse yearly with every budget this government sets. But the last thing you want to hear from me is a bagful of excuses, as to why I perceive the criminals are making life more difficult for every copper working in this country during twenty twenty-three.”
Sandra rolled her eyes and grunted. “Yeah, you can stick your excuses…”
“Sandra, be nice,” Eve warned. “Piss her off, and where will that leave us, me? Better still, why don’t you bugger off and let me deal with the investigating officer on my own?”
Sandra bounced to her feet. “Well, that’s bloody gratitude for you. I leave work, concerned about your safety. Worried about my niece’s well-being, only for you to frigging tell me to do one.”
Eve closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you mean well, but I need you to talk nicely to the main person who can help me find my daughter. That’s not too much to ask, is it, sis?”
Sandra’s shoulders slumped in either resignation or defeat, Sara wasn’t quite sure which.
“I’m sorry. You’re right, of course you are. When aren’t you? You’ve always been the wisest one. Amelia and I are sadly lacking in that department. Please forgive me, Inspector.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. You have every right to question me for being here when I should be out there searching for Mia. Unfortunately, there are procedures we need to follow. Maybe you can fill in some blanks for me.”
“I can try. What do you need to know?”
“If there has been anyone in Eve and Paul’s life who might want to wish them harm.”
Sandra gasped, and her head shot round to Eve. “No, is that what this is all about? Someone taking revenge? Have you come up against anyone who would do such a thing, love?”
“No, I couldn’t think of anyone, but my head is so thick, either from the knock I received or from the medication they’ve given me. I’m struggling to think straight.”
Sandra faced Sara once more. “Then my answer remains no. What sort of petty-minded people are walking the streets that they would think of snatching a baby after a falling-out with the parents?”
Sara raised an eyebrow. “You’d be surprised. What about ex-partners for both you and your husband?” she asked Eve.
“Gosh, now you’re testing me,” Eve said. She stared ahead of her, her brow wrinkling as she contemplated the question. “Paul and I have been together over ten years. Do you really think we should go back that far?”
“Can you recall any of your or your husband’s exes making any threats in the past?”
“Not as far as I’m concerned. We all split up amicably enough. I never really went out with anyone for that long, maybe a few weeks, tops. I believe Paul said that the longest relationship he’d ever had was three days. That’s how we knew we belonged together. We got married after six months and we’d been trying for a baby ever since. Mia came along just as we were considering looking at alternative methods of conceiving.”
“I see. And you get on well with your neighbours?”
“Yes. The ones closest to us all seem friendly enough. We don’t mix with them as such, we much prefer spending our spare time by ourselves or with our families. That’s mostly during the summer, though.”
“I can vouch for that,” Sandra said. “Eve and Paul are very much a loved-up couple, we rarely get a look-in these days. I think it’s been like that since we lost Mum and Dad.”
The sisters clutched hands and fell silent.
Sara nodded. “I understand. Okay, I think we’ve got all we need for now. I’ll be in touch if anything else crops up.”
“Where do you begin searching for her?” Eve asked, her voice breaking on a sudden sob.
“We’ll do the usual, check out any cameras in the area, but I’m also going to call an early press conference. I don’t usually make that decision until we get further into a case. However, I feel it’s essential to get the word out there. We’ll also conduct house-to-house enquiries in the area where Mia was abducted. Maybe one of the neighbours either saw or heard something significant that will point us in the right direction and get the case underway.”
“Good, I’m glad you’re taking this seriously,” Sandra muttered, her snarky tone in full flow once more.
“Don’t worry, we’ll definitely be taking this case very seriously indeed, you have my guarantee on that. I’m going to shoot off now. I’ll leave you both one of my cards in case anything else comes to mind. Don’t hesitate to get in touch, day or night.”
“We won’t,” Eve replied. “Umm… would it be all right if Paul contacts you when he gets here? He’s bound to want to introduce himself to you.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing from him. I also want to leave you with these reassuring words: my team won’t stop searching for Mia until we’ve found her, you have my word on that.”
“Thank you. There’s nothing left to say but to wish you good luck, Inspector. Please bring my baby home, she’s all we’ve got. She’ll be going frantic without us near her,” Eve insisted.
Sara smiled. “I’ll be in touch soon. Take care of yourself in the meantime, and listen to the doctors, you need your rest to recover from your injuries.”
Eve waved her hand in front of her. “I’m fine. A small bump on the head is nothing compared to my daughter being abducted and in the hands of a monster for all we know.”
Sara heard the anxiety rising in Eve’s tone once more, her feelings ebbing and flowing, overwhelming her at times, which was to be expected in the circumstances.
Sara patted the back of Eve’s hand. “The only advice I can offer you at this stage is to remain positive.”
“I will, however, it’s going to be difficult.”
“You have Sandra and Amelia around to give you all the support you need.”
“I’m lucky in that respect, and Paul, of course. I hope he shows up soon. I need him.”
“It’s a fair old distance for him to travel. I’m sure he’s doing his best to get here quickly,” Sara said unable to hide the sarcasm in her tone. In her opinion, he should have moved heaven and earth to be with her. She waved goodbye and drew back the curtain.
The nurses glanced up as she approached the desk.
“Thanks for letting me see her. Take care of her for me, I know she’s in safe hands.”
“She is, don’t worry,” the blonde nurse said. “Do you have any idea what happened to the baby?”
“No. We’re about to begin our investigation in earnest now. We’ll see what comes to light over the next few hours and days.”
The two nurses held up their crossed fingers.
“Let’s hope so,” the blonde said. “I can’t imagine how traumatic this must be for Eve, I’d be in bits. I think she’s been very brave.”
“Right, I’ll leave you to it. Thanks again. Hopefully I’ll be able to share some good news sooner rather than later.”
“Good luck to you and your team, Inspector.”
Sara smiled and left the ward. She found Carla scrolling through her mobile, leaning against the wall close to the entrance to the ward.
“Oh, hi. How did it go with the sister?”
“Let’s walk and talk.”
They upped their pace and headed towards the lift at the end of the corridor.
Once inside, Sara said, “Her sister finally calmed down after you left. Why do some people insist on shouting the odds at me when they don’t even know me? Yeah, don’t answer that, it was a rhetorical question that I usually keep to myself.”
“Okay, I won’t bother. What’s our next step, bearing in mind we’re up against it on this one?”
“If you do the driving, I can get the ball rolling. We need to arrange a press conference first and foremost but also need to get the team moving at the same time. I’ll have a word with the desk sergeant when we get back, see how many uniformed officers he can supply.”
“For house-to-house et cetera?”
“You’ve got it. We need every available officer working this case if we’re going to save that vulnerable infant. Why would someone choose to attack a mother and snatch her baby?”
“I can name a number of scenarios that spring to mind.”
“All right, let’s have them. I have to admit I’m struggling to get a foothold on this one.”
“Could be a woman, or man come to that, with mental health issues. Maybe they’ve recently lost a baby and found the whole scene of Eve pushing the baby around the park, sharing a picnic with her, just too much to handle. Or we might be looking at something far more sinister.”
Sara closed her eyes and shook her head. “God, don’t go there.”
“We have to. People trafficking is on the rise, it was only a matter of time before they started going after the children.”
“I know but I’d still rather not go down that route just yet.”
“I think it would be foolish of us to dismiss it, even at this early stage.”
“I have no intention of dismissing it, I’d rather simply deal with the facts and not think along such drastic lines right now.”
She threw Carla the keys, paid for the parking at the huge meter outside the main entrance, and then jumped in the passenger seat. Carla drove up to the barrier, inserted the ticket, and then got on the road back to the station.
“Would it be worth checking with the hospital?” Carla asked before Sara could make her first call.
