David fetched her a glass of water. ‘Try to stay calm. He told you he was ‘researching’. At the moment there’s no reason to think he’d be abusive in that way himself. His former employers have given him a good character, too. He lost his job through no fault of his own. Don’t imagine the worst before we know more.’
Nina sat back, feeling the numbness take over again. She passed on what Emily told them about Paul, then buried her face in her hands. If Paul intended to use Naomi as bait for the men he was still looking for, God knows what he would do. Maybe that had been his intention all along, ever since he’d seen what a beautiful daughter she had. Naomi could be anywhere if that was the case.
‘And you’re quite sure she’s in this country?’ Sam asked the question for her.
To Nina’s relief David Mallony was positive about this. ‘Yes, the ports and airports were alerted as soon as we knew Wright had her. She’s in the country, and the odds are he hasn’t taken her too far away. The appeal’s being broadcast regularly, Nina, and people are keen to help in a situation like this. It’s quite probable we’ll get reported sightings of Naomi all over the place. We’ll check them all out, but the likelihood that they are Naomi is small. So don’t get your hopes up with every sighting, that would drain you.’
Nina swallowed. How was she supposed to not get her hopes up? The hope was almost killing her every single second, because it was all she had left to hold on to.
‘Where do we go from here? Should we print posters and things?’ Her voice sounded almost normal – how the shit was she managing to sound normal?
‘We’ll hold off with that for the moment. We’re still investigating Paul’s flat and his computer, and we’re finding all kinds of places to check. I’m hopeful we’ll find Naomi in one of them. That’s all I can tell you at the moment. And Nina – I don’t know if this helps, but – ’
Nina gazed at him.
‘Very few paedophiles are attracted to both girls and boys. So Paul’s abusers probably had no interest in abusing you, back then.’
Nina nodded silently. So she’d been right about that. Did it make Naomi any safer today? Unfortunately not. Paul was on a mission now to get revenge not only on his own abusers, but on paedophiles in general. Many might say it was a worthy mission. But it had put Naomi in terrible danger.
‘What do you want to do now?’ said Sam, back in the car.
Nina rummaged for a tissue. ‘This is doing my head in, Sam. I feel numb one minute and terrified the next. Let’s go back to the estate where Paul and I changed cars. Maybe if I walk about a bit this time I’ll find where he parked.’
Sam drove to the top of the High Street and turned left over the bridge. Nina pulled out the mobile he’d lent her. Several people had sent messages of support, but of course the one name she wanted to see on the screen wasn’t there. Oh God, if only she could press a couple of buttons and have Naomi’s voice in her ear. She wrenched her gaze from the mobile out to the street they were driving along. Sam stopped at a zebra crossing and a little family of four passed in front of the car, and Nina stared bleakly. This could be her and Sam, in another time and place. A white, blonde mother and a dark-skinned, handsome father, swinging a cute and laughing little boy between them, an older girl skipping along at their side. She squinted up at Sam. His mouth was tight, and she could feel the band of tension round her own head. If anything happened to Naomi she would go away from this place and she’d never see Sam or Emily again and she’d never want to, either.
They came to the estate where the car-change had taken place and Sam pulled up in front of a solitary shop, a newsagent’s, where a wire guard criss-crossed in front of the window. Nina hunched into her jacket, cold in spite of the warmth of the day.
‘Let’s walk about a bit,’ she said, and Sam nodded. They headed downhill, and Nina stared round in resignation. There were so many streets, most of them mirror images of the last one; they couldn’t possibly walk through them all. This was hopeless. It was the only thing she could do to help Naomi and it was hopeless.
‘I didn’t see any shops, and the street wasn’t as wide as this one,’ she said, stopping at a crossroads and looking right and left. They continued down to the next junction, where the intersecting street was narrower. Nina peered to the left and shrugged. This wasn’t anything like as poor a district as the one where she’d been held captive, but there was no great affluence here, either. She turned a full circle, looking as hard as she could for something, anything that could give her that one vital clue to lead them to Naomi. There was nothing.
‘Hell, Sam, this is no use. I wasn’t looking at the scenery; I was concentrating on Paul and how scary it all was.’
He frowned. ‘Did you notice any people about?’
Nina pictured the scene, her eyes closed. ‘I heard kids shouting in the distance when we were walking to the other car. Smaller kids than Naomi. But that’s all. There was no one nearby who’d have seen us.’
‘Little kids. I wonder if there’s a swing park or something nearby,’ said Sam, and called out to a passing teenager.
‘Hey, man! Any swings around here?’
The youth shook a finger at him. ‘You’re way too old for swings, Grandpa!’ he said, his face one big grin. ‘You try ‘em out right along there and see!’ He pointed down the side road.
‘Thanks man!’ Sam gave him a thumbs-up.
Nina started along the road, not allowing herself to hope. Crossing the first junction they came to she slowed down, gazing up the narrower street.
‘Wait! It was along there,’ she said, excitement stirring inside her. She strode along, Sam following. ‘Look, we drove down here and – yes, I remember now, I saw that house with the green curtains, we parked - ’ She ran further up the road, ‘ – right here! Quick, quick, I have to phone David, they should come straightaway – she might be close by!’
Nina’s teeth were chattering as she pulled out her mobile. She could be within a few yards of Naomi right now.
David’s voice was calm, but she could hear the urgency behind his words.
‘Nina, get right away from there. Immediately, and quietly. If Paul is nearby with Naomi and sees you and Sam searching around, the first thing he’s going to do is leave again. Go back to your car and wait. I’ll be in touch.’
Sam was listening in and he pulled her back along the road. ‘He’s right. Come on, Nina!’
She allowed herself to be propelled back along the road, but it didn’t stop her looking round frantically as they went. Naomi, baby, are you here? If she shouted with all that was in her, would Naomi hear?
An elderly woman was trudging along the road with a carrier bag. ‘Looking for something, dearie?’ Her voice was rough but kindly.
‘My cousin brought my daughter to stay somewhere on this road but I don’t know the number,’ said Nina, wondering if there was actually any point in lying about it. ‘Have you seen her? Ten, shoulder-length blonde hair, looks like me only – better.’
The woman gave a snort of amusement. ‘Wait till you hit my age, dearie. I did see a young chap with a girl this morning, I noticed because I’ve lived here all me life and I reckoned I knew everyone, but these two were new to me. We don’t get many casual visitors hereabouts. Why don’t you ring someone’s bell and ask, if you’re sure this is the right street?’
She waddled on up the road. Nina gave up. The police could search more effectively than they could, and the last thing she wanted was to frighten Paul – and Naomi – away from the area. If they were here in the first place. She passed on what the woman said to David and followed Sam back to the car, where they sat staring at each other. New hope was painful in Nina’s chest, and she had to make an effort to breathe normally. The police were coming. She could be within minutes of holding her daughter.