The Stolen Children Page 6

  I pulled the paper out of my pocket with Lawrence’s aunt and uncle’s names on it and dialled the number there into my phone.

  “Alicia Kelley speaking,” a woman’s voice said politely.

  “Good afternoon,” I said. “I’m DCI Mitchell. I have some news regarding your sister’s son, Lawrence.”

  I heard a sharp inhale. “Is he alright? Why isn’t Ellie calling me?”

  I took a deep breath. I hated having to break bad news to relatives. There was nothing worse in the job. “Lawrence is currently in York hospital, and I believe his condition is stable. For specific details, you’ll have to call them-”

  “And Ellie? And Aaron?” she asked hurriedly.

  “I’m afraid we have been unable to find or contact either of Lawrence’s parents,” I said, as evenly as I could manage. Stephen glanced over at me and pulled a sympathetic expression.

  “What?” Alicia breathed. “What do you mean?”

  “They’ve been missing for almost a month,” I said as gently as I could. “Lawrence was found earlier this week.”

  “Found?”

  “Yes. Would you be able to come down to York hospital so we can talk in person? Lawrence will need someone with him.”

  “Yes, yes, of course,” she said, her voice sounding tight and shocked. “We’ll be there right away.”

  “Do you live locally?”

  “In Leeds, it shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

  I nodded. “Okay. We’ll meet you there. Thank you.”

  She hung up, and I set the phone down, rubbing my forehead before I took a breath and straightened up. Perhaps the run had been a mistake, since it was shaping up to be a long day and I was already feeling ready for a nap.

  “What did she say?”

  “She seemed to have no idea her sister was missing. She said she’d come to the hospital ASAP.”

  Stephen raised his eyebrows. “Her sister’s been missing a month, and she didn’t notice?”

  I shrugged. “Apparently so. Not especially close, I suppose. It’s easy to let things drift when you’re busy.”

  Stephen accepted that with a nod. “What time do we need to be at the hospital by?”

  I checked my watch again and turned to look at him. “I think this is looking like it’ll be a long day,” I said. “I reckon you could help me deal with today’s paperwork and then head off, and I’ll go meet Lawrence’s aunt.”

  Stephen frowned slightly. “Are you sure? You look knackered, mate.”

  I gave him an appreciative smile. “I’m okay, really. You spend some time with your family, alright? You’re needed at home more than I am.”

  After a second’s pause, he nodded. “Thanks, Darren.”

  I patted him on the shoulder. “No problem. And take tomorrow off, right?”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  We spent the next half-hour wrapping up the day’s reports, before Stephen headed out and I went to let Gaskell know what we were doing.

  “Good,” he said. “Sounds like you’re making progress.”

  “Aye, getting there, sir,” I agreed.

  “Good luck with the aunt, then,” he said, dismissing me. “Hopefully you can get a statement from the Wooding boy soon.”

  “That’s the hope,” I agreed.

  It was strange to drive over to the police station without Stephen ribbing me and flipping through the radio stations from the passenger seat, but I was glad that he’d get to spend some more time with his wife and kids. I couldn’t do anything to help his daughter, but at least she’d get to see her dad some more.

  I grumbled at the price of parking at the hospital, but reluctantly paid up for a good few hours, not sure how long I was going to be there. Walking inside, I was met with a bustling A&E and beelined towards the reception desk, only to be cut off.

  A woman moved to stand in front of me, her hair as dark a brown as Lawrence’s, from the pictures I’d seen.

  “You’re the police officer?” she said urgently. There was a scared intensity to her wide, brown eyes. “Mitchell, was it?”

  “DCI Mitchell.” I held out a hand. “And you’re Ms Kelley?” I glanced over her shoulder at the man who’d stepped up behind her, his grey-speckled hair shorn short, and he gave me a nod.

  “Yes, please call me Alicia. This is my husband, Dan.”

  “Nice to meet you both. Have you seen Lawrence yet?”

  She shook her head, making her short curls bounce. “We only arrived just now.”

  “I’ll go and ask,” her husband, Dan, offered, and she gave him a small nod.

  “I should have realised,” she said, quiet enough that I almost didn’t hear her over the background noise of the busy waiting room. “I can’t believe that I didn’t…” She pressed her hand to her mouth and shook her head.

  “It’s easy to get caught up,” I tried to reassure her. “Things are so busy-”

  She sighed and cut me off. “If it had only been that,” she said tightly, looking away from me over towards where Dan was standing in the queue at the desk.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, as gently as I could manage.

  Her gaze flickered up to me and then away again. “I don’t know if it’s a wise move to tell the police this,” she said with an uneasy little laugh. I tried to keep my expression neutral and waited for her to go on. “We argued,” she said. “We argued and it- well, I thought that was why she wouldn’t reply to my messages and calls this last week or two. Because she was still angry at me.”

  I exhaled. That was hardly a damning confession. “I see.” Dan was still the third person from the front, and he might be awhile, I thought. “Can I ask what you argued about?”

  She pressed her lips together and fiddled with the strap of the glittery handbag slung over one slim shoulder. “Lawrence,” she said. “I thought she was letting him run wild. She didn’t seem to care that he was going off the rails. That boy he,” She sighed, “does what he likes, and damn the consequences.” She met my eyes briefly. “I love him, of course, I do. But I told my sister that she didn’t care about him, and she hung up.” Her breath hitched, and she took a quick, sharp breath. “Oh god, what if that’s the last thing-?”

  “We don’t know that yet,” I said quickly. “Let’s not jump to the worst assumptions just yet. We’ve had no evidence of that yet.”

  She gave a stiff nod. “Of course.” She didn’t sound like she believed me and I couldn’t really blame her. The statistics for people returning after being missing for so long, under suspicious circumstances, weren’t the best. But we didn’t have any concrete evidence that she was taken, so I had to keep an open mind.

  Dan returned soon afterwards with a room number for Lawrence, and we made our way through the people towards a rickety, little lift, which carried us up to the right floor in a series of unnerving, jerky movements.

  “I hate lifts,” Dan muttered, and was the first out when we arrived. Alicia seemed too distracted to care and made her way quickly towards the ward we’d been told Lawrence was on.

  A nurse intercepted us, and I hung back, doubtful that they’d let anyone but family in right now. The couple were shown into a closed room, and the nurse approached me with a curious expression.

  “Can I help you, officer?”

  I gave him a friendly smile. “I’m fine, thank you. I came in with those two.” I gestured to the door Dan and Alicia had just disappeared through. “Though, would it be possible for us to talk to Lawrence’s doctor?”

  The nurse gave me a sympathetic look. “I’ll see what I can do, but we don’t release information on minors without-”

  I waved my hands. “Oh, aye, I know, don’t worry. It’ll be up to the kid’s aunt and uncle if they want me there.”

  With a nod of understanding, the nurse headed off. I looked around for a seat and dropped down into the nearest one, across the corridor from Lawrence’s room. Finally given a moment to myself, my tiredness rushed back. It’d been a long day, and my legs
were aching.

  At least I didn’t have to chase after anyone today, I thought with faint amusement. Checking my phone, I saw that it was nearly seven and my stomach rumbled. I’d grabbed a serving of chips and a sandwich to go from the pub. While I’d eaten them on the way back from the Dales, that felt like a long time ago. I’d had nothing but coffee since then.

  I didn’t want to miss Alicia and Dan’s emergence from Lawrence’s room, but I reckoned that they’d be a little while yet, at least, and I felt in bad need of a sugary pick-me-up.

  So I went in search of a vending machine and fetched myself an energy bar and a packet of Walkers, which I munched on while I waited.

  Lawrence’s doctor approached before Alicia and Dan came out, and I stood up as she walked towards me, brushing crisp crumbs off my trousers.

  She raised her eyebrows in silent question when she saw me, her blond hair pulled back in a neat bun and her eyes looking tired. “You asked for me?”

  I gestured to Lawrence’s room. “Lawrence’s aunt and uncle are here,” I explained. “I’d like to talk to you about how soon we might take his statement but,” I held up a hand to fend off the disagreement I was sure she was about to voice, “only if his relatives agree, and he’s well enough, of course.”

  She gave me a quick nod. “I’ll talk to them now.”

  Left alone again, I sat back down and sighed, wishing that I had some paperwork to do, at least. I was tired enough that my eyelids felt like lead weights, and I was struggling to stay awake by the time the doctor emerged, with Alicia and Dan behind her.

  I blinked myself back to focus and stood up, wincing at the stiffness of my legs. Alicia’s eyes looked red-rimmed from crying, and Dan didn’t look much better. Neither of them seemed to notice me for a long moment, and I wished that I could leave them to deal with their upset in private, but, in the interest of advancing the case. I really did need to talk to the doctor, and to Lawrence.

  Alicia took note of my presence and pulled her shoulders back slightly, pulling herself together.

  “We intend to move Lawrence to a private hospital,” she started with. “Dr Gwynne has told us that he’s stable enough to be moved now, with care.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” I said, before hesitating. “When will we be able to take his statement?” I looked between the doctor and Alicia.

  “With a relative present, I believe he’ll be well enough to speak to you briefly tomorrow,” Dr Gwynne said before giving me a firm look. “If he becomes agitated, tired, or is in pain, you’ll have to suspend the questioning until another day, understood?”

  I nodded quickly. “That’s perfect.” I turned to Lawrence’s aunt. “When are you planning to move him?”

  “The weekend, or Monday, if possible,” she said, her voice clear. “I know his parents would want the very best care for him.”

  Tomorrow was Friday, so that would really be my best chance to talk to Lawrence before he was moved.

  “And you’ll be here tomorrow?”

  “Of course we will,” Dan said when Alicia hesitated. He looked warmly at his wife. “You can afford to take the days off, Ali. The business will go on without you. Lawrence needs us.”

  She gave a nod and met my eyes. “We’ll be here.”

  We arranged for me to drop by in the late morning and then parted ways, Alicia keen to return to her nephew and me desperate for my bed. It had been a long day. While I wasn’t home yet, it’d been productive, and I felt cautiously optimistic about how the case was developing. Now I just had to hope that Lawrence would be able to cast some light on who had torn him away from his home and family.

  Eight

  The next morning found me wincing at every step I took. I took my car into the station, before forcing myself to climb the stairs up to our floor, in the hopes that it would loosen me up.

  “Are you alright?” I looked up, surprised to be addressed, and found Keira standing at the top of the stairs and considering me with concern in her face.

  I gave her a tight grin as I climbed up the last few stairs to join her at the top. “Ah, don’t feel too bad for me,” I said. “It’s my own fault.”

  “Really?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Did you deliberately run into a wall?”

  I exhaled a startled laugh. “No, not that bad. I went running up some hills yesterday. This city is too flat, and I’m out of practice.”

  “Hmm,” she said, looking me up and down. “The results are worth it, I’m sure.”

  I blinked at her, not sure how to take that comment. Her mouth curved into a smile before she walked away, leaving me wondering what exactly had just happened. That had been flirting, I was fairly sure, and it had taken me completely by surprise, especially since I still didn’t feel quite awake.

  Feeling much better about my achy legs, I made a strong coffee and went to sit down at my desk with a slight grimace. I had a short while until I was due at the hospital and spent the time looking into Lawrence on our system, after what the housekeeper had said about Lawrence’s troublemaking tendencies.

  I found that he’d earned himself a caution as a young’un for carrying weed and recieved a stint of community service after getting caught red-handed graffiting a bridge down by the river. It was mostly minor offences, and since he was still a minor, they’d be wiped after he turned eighteen. He’d be in the clear if he kept his nose clean once he became an adult. Still, it showed a pattern of reckless behaviour and acting out. I wondered both what had prompted it, and whether it had anything to do with why or how he’d been taken. Most likely, it didn’t, and the reason was solely linked to his parents’ significant wealth, but I had to consider all avenues.

  By the time I’d done a thorough search, it was time for me to be heading out, so I grabbed my old coat and shrugged it on to go and brave the cool air outside. It was nearly May, but there was still a definite chill to the air and spring seemed to be dragging its feet.

  The hospital entranceway was a touch quieter today, but not by very much, and I still had to wait to get to reception. The lady behind the desk told me that Lawrence was still on the same floor and ward as before and I told her I knew the way.

  I hesitated only briefly outside Lawrence’s door before I knocked smartly and waited for a response. It took a moment and then Alicia, Lawrence’s aunt, opened the door for me and waved me in.

  She looked tired but composed, and her voice was light when she said, “Lawrence, this is DCI Mitchell, who I told you about?”

  The boy on the bed was propped up on a small mountain of the thin hospital pillows and looked as pale as the sheets covering him. He had a clear tube running across his drawn cheek and up his nose, and I could see others trailing off the bed, connecting to the various beeping machines in the small room. There was a large window on the other side, though, which filled the space with much-needed light and stopped it from seeming too gloomy.

  I stopped myself from staring at Lawrence’s hollowed-out face. His eyes looked huge with the bruised circles underneath. Still, his brown eyes were sharp, not glazed by drugs, pain, tiredness as far as I could see.

  I cleared my throat. “Hello, I’ve come to hear your side of things, if you’re feeling well enough?”

  He looked me over for a long moment before glancing at his aunt. “I’m fine,” he said finally, his voice cracking. He audibly swallowed and turned to reach for the cup of water beside his bed, but his aunt beat him to it and quickly picked it for him, pressing it into his thin hands.

  He sipped, and I took the pause to take a seat so that I wouldn’t be looming over him. He set the cup down, and I considered where I should start, feeling a twinge of discomfort at the thought of dragging up bad memories while Lawrence still looked so fragile. But I knew that it was necessary, and I’d do my best to make it as painless as possible.

  “Can you tell me what happened, starting from the beginning?” I started with. I hoped that keeping it broad would allow Lawrence to talk about what he wanted t
o, and I could narrow it down later on.

  He reached up with a shaky hand to push his raggedy hair out of his face and avoided looking at me. He opened his mouth and closed it again, looking uncertain.

  His aunt leaned forwards to put a hand on his arm. “Honey, you don’t have to do this-”

  “Yes I do,” he said, firm despite his weak voice. “You said my parents were missing. I have to help, if I can.” I kept quiet, and Lawrence took a breath and turned back to me, new steel in his gaze. His aunt’s concern seemed to have emboldened him.

  “I was out with my friends,” he started. He twisted the sheets beneath his hands. “I shouldn’t have been. I was grounded, but I sneaked out. We went down to the river, but I was bored with it all, and annoyed at everyone,” he exhaled, shoulders slumped, “so I headed out. On my own.”

  I had my notebook out and made a brief note, but otherwise kept silent and just listened. This was probably the first time Lawrence had had to put words to his experience, and I could only imagine how difficult he’d had it.

  He swallowed again. “They- they grabbed me off the pavement, into a van. I had no idea what was going on. I’d drunk a bit,” he added, almost defiantly, before his expression tightened. “I was sick on their shoes, and they hit me. I don’t remember much after that for a while.”

  I glanced over at Lawrence’s aunt, who was shaking, her cheeks wet. Her husband’s hand was on her shoulder, and I turned back to Lawrence.

  He took a breath and released it, before giving a sharp laugh. “Stupid for a rich boy to walk home, right?” he said, his mouth twisted. “I could’ve gotten an Uber so easily. But I wanted to walk off the beer, so I wouldn’t smell of it when I got back.”

  He rubbed his forehead. “After that, I- well, there was a house. I don’t know where it was.” He frowned slightly. “I guess you guys found me there? I don’t- I can’t really remember that bit.” He looked over at me and waited for a response, so I nodded.

  “Yes, a neighbour called us,” I said gently.