Pain stabbing through her cramped leg muscles, Nina staggered towards the roundabout. No one at all was about, and shit, she needed help. Right now. But the buildings to her right looked like warehouses, and the one across the road was a derelict factory. For a second her feet faltered – should she go back and risk knocking on someone’s door? No – onwards was best; a car must come soon, she would flag it down. The thought of Paul speeding towards Naomi spurred her exhausted legs on.
The first car to approach blared its horn and swerved round her when she jumped into the road and tried to wave it down. Bastards. They must have seen that she was in trouble. But of course in an area like this it was equally likely she was out to rob them. Another car was approaching and she waved even more frantically.
The car stopped, and a dark male face glared out, a painful reminder that Sam must be worried sick.
‘Please. I need help. Can you phone the police for me?’ Her voice sounded ragged.
The man in the car laughed scornfully. ‘Yeah, right,’ he said, and skidded off like Paul had.
Nina swore. Time, time, she didn’t have it. Paul would soon be at Cassie’s, and God knows what he’d do when he got there. She had never felt so impotent. It was like one of those nightmares where you keep running and running and it’s so important that you arrive somewhere on time, but you can’t find the way…
The third car stopped too, and Nina gasped in relief when she saw two women in the front. Panting, she repeated her plea. The woman in the passenger seat raised her eyebrows.
‘Police? Why?’ Her face was reluctant but not hostile, and Nina bent till she was level with the women.
‘My cousin’s driven off to get my little girl and I’m afraid he’ll hurt her.’ It was difficult not to scream at the women, but that would certainly frighten them off. ‘Please. Do you have children?’ she added, and the women glanced at each other.
‘Your cousin from round here?’ asked the driver, and Nina felt like shaking them both.
‘No, but he kept me in an empty house here overnight. I’ve just got out. Please, phone the police for me. My name’s Nina Moore. Please.’
Again the women exchanged looks, and the driver gave a slight nod. Her companion reached into a bag at her feet and produced a mobile. Nina stood panting. Thank God. Help would soon be on its way. The woman pursed her lips at Nina before punching out 999.
‘I guess I need police. Crazy woman here called Nina Moore wants help. At the Leeway roundabout.’ She disconnected and dropped the phone back into her bag. ‘They’re comin’,’ she said, winding the window up again. ‘And we’re goin’.’
The car jerked as the driver slammed the gearstick in and drove off. Nina sank to her knees on the dirty pavement. Oh God. She had no way to tell if the woman really had called the police. And even if she had, they still didn’t know to protect Naomi. Should she stop another car?
But the next two cars didn’t stop and after that there was a lull. Nina trudged towards the roundabout. She had failed. Paul would have reached Cassie’s by this time. All she could hope was that Naomi would be asleep in bed. And she might be, she wasn’t an early riser. But then again, if Paul rang the bell and introduced himself, there was no reason for Cassie and Glen not to believe whatever he told them, even if they did know by this time that Nina was missing. After all, Naomi knew Paul. Worst case, Sam’s parents might even waken Naomi and bundle her into Paul’s car.
Nina stood at the roundabout, dry sobs mixed with shivers shaking her body. She had never felt so out of control and so – beaten. Nobody stopped to help her; there were no good Samaritans at the Leeway roundabout this morning and dear God, she was so dead. What would Paul do with Naomi? He would be furious that Nina had escaped, Christ, it would be all too easy for a grown man who was mad and hurt and unhappy to take out his frustration on a small girl… Please God he won’t hurt Naomi… Nina buried her face in her hands. If the woman had called the police they should be here any second, surely. But it was another five minutes before she saw a blue light flashing in the distance, swooping up to stop beside her.
‘Christ, Nina.’ David Mallony was out of the passenger seat and helping her into the back before Nina could draw breath.
‘Paul. He’s gone to Cassie Harrison’s to get Naomi,’ she whispered, and David pulled out his radio.
The car sped off, Nina slumped in the back seat. She had done all she could, but – would it be enough? Naomi was still in grave danger… David was here; she wasn’t alone any more – more than that, she was safe – but how unimportant that was beside what could be happening to her child. Nina sat shaking, taking noisy, painful breaths, unable to stop her teeth chattering.
David clicked his radio off and turned to her. ‘They’re onto it. Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?’
Nina shook her head. ‘Sabine?’ she whispered again. It was easier than talking.
‘Alive but unconscious. She has a serious head injury, but she’s stable,’ said David. ‘Nina, tell me everything.’
In a few short sentences Nina covered the horror of the past several hours. Unfortunately she hadn’t noticed what make either of Paul’s cars were, all she could say was that the first was silver and possibly an Opel, and the second light green metallic. She described the house she’d been held in, then listened while David passed on the information over his radio. And all the time she was trembling so hard it was painful, and her breath was burning in her throat.
Bedford town centre didn’t look as if anything untoward had ever happened there, and Nina gazed out at now-familiar streets, willing the car to drive faster. She felt as if an elastic band at breaking point was holding her gut together. Soon, soon she would know if Naomi was safe; this not knowing was the worst, the most terrible thing. She had tried so hard, but it might all have been too late.
The minute the car stopped at the police station Nina scrambled out to see if there was any news. Sam was waiting outside the door, and he seized her and hugged her hard and God, how awful she looked and she stank too, she knew she did, of that terrible house and all the stress and sweat, but Sam was holding her as if he’d never let her go.
‘Naomi?’ she said into his chest. She felt his body tense up and pulled away to see his face.
‘Nina, we’ll find her,’ he said, but his voice was dull.
Oh God. Darkness swirled. But she’d known really… Naomi… her baby. The elastic band broke and Nina retched painfully then swallowed burning saliva.
David Mallony finished talking to another police officer, then strode across and gave her arm a little shake.
‘Nina, you have to hold it together. Wright’s got Naomi. She went out to the garden with the dog a short time ago, and when she didn’t come back Cassie Harrison went out to look, and found the dog but no Naomi. We have to assume that he has taken her. I need you to tell us every detail you remember about where you went, and what Wright said.’
Nina stepped away from Sam and felt the world sway. Shit, she had to get a grip here. ‘Try her mobile. It’s 078432084.’ David nodded at another officer.
Nina sat in a grey interview room, Sam beside her holding her hand while she dredged up every detail of the past twelve hours. Someone brought her tea and toast, and she picked at it. She had to keep her strength up but Christ, how impossible it was to eat toast when her daughter had been taken by a madman. Naomi must be terrified. She would realise very quickly that Paul wasn’t normal and dear God in heaven why had nobody picked up on this long ago?
A young officer appeared with the news that Naomi’s mobile was beside her bed at the Harrison’s, and the brief hope that she’d be easily traced was gone. Nina closed her eyes. Could nothing go right for them? Here she was, Naomi’s mother, and all she was doing to help was tell a couple of police officers about the state of the bloody lino in the kitchen she’d been held in. Fear for her child was eating its way through Nina’s gut, and she clutched her middle. Oh God. She was going to be sick soon.