The Taken Girls: An absolutely gripping crime thriller full of mystery and suspense

‘Ed, Jenny, you’ve finished with the parents so join the door-to-door. I’d like to wrap up here by early afternoon. Liaise with Mike and Nat. Tell them we’ll meet in the Incident Room at 14.00 to review what we’ve got.’

Once again, Ed thought it was going to take time to become part of the team, let alone lead it, but that would be her job. As a step towards that end, Ed resolved to make sure Mike and Nat were made aware of the contribution she and Jenny had made to the investigation when the team met back at the Station.

11 (#ulink_21392892-9d07-5d8f-93ab-eb061942439a)

Ed and Jenny were the first to arrive in the Incident Room. Ten minutes later, Borrowdale and Potts entered with fish and chips closely followed by Saunders, carrying nothing but a coffee. To escape the greasy smell, the women went to the machine and returned with coffees of their own. As they resumed their seats, Brian Saunders looked at Ed.

‘Did you get anything new from the parents?’

‘From the parents, no, but we checked Lucy’s room. It wasn’t a typical teenager’s room: no pop posters and very tidy, a bit old-fashioned like her clothes. We took a box file crammed with notes. Her laptop was taken last night and is already with forensics. We may get a lead from her email or social media but I doubt it – her parents actively discouraged her. Jenny and I also spoke with Lucy’s friend, Debbie, alone. We’re convinced there’s no boyfriend and we got a new piece of information.’

Saunders made no sign she should continue but Ed was determined to spell out their contribution in front of Mike and Nat.

‘Debbie always watches Lucy leave and doesn’t go back indoors until she turns to wave. Jenny re-enacted Lucy’s departure and waved just before crossing Cogans Terrace to continue down Victoria Road. By the time Debbie turned away, Jenny was committed to the Victoria Road route. Taking that route Jenny and I identified the probable site of the abduction as the spot where the footpath joins Hollowmede.’

Having spoken to the table in general, Ed looked pointedly at Saunders before asking, ‘Did SOCO find anything useful?’

‘Freshly broken twigs in the hedge and some fibres. There were faint signs that something had been dragged from the hedge to where a vehicle was probably parked. The marks could have been made by Lucy’s shoes.’

‘No trace of the vehicle?’

‘There was fresh rubber as if someone had pulled away sharply but nothing SOCO could get a tread from. Analysis of the rubber might give us a lead but residents park there all the time.’

‘When they can find a space,’ said Nat.

‘Find a space?’ Saunders looked impatiently at the DC. ‘What are you trying to say?’

Potts straightened in his chair and interrupted. ‘An irate resident couldn’t get into his usual parking space last night. It seemed like a useful outcome from the door-to-door but in the end it was something and nothing.’

Potts looked back at Borrowdale who was only too ready to expand.

‘A guy on Hollowmede said he came back Friday night just after ten and there wasn’t a space. He was really pissed off. Claims there’s an unwritten rule among the locals. Some use the spot by the grass and others use their driveways. He always uses a space by the grass and was furious he couldn’t park there.’ Nat winked across the table at Jenny and added, ‘I bet the rubber from the road will match his rear tyres.’

‘Did he notice a vehicle he’d not seen before?’

‘We pushed him but he wasn’t clear. Said he was tired. Couldn’t wait to get home. Eventually he said there must have been an outsider’s car but he couldn’t be specific.’

‘Nothing else at all?’ asked Saunders.

‘Well … he did say that one of the parked vehicles may have been larger than a normal car.’

‘How about the other houses, especially those near the grass and those near the junction of Victoria Road and Cogans Terrace?’

From a grunt and movements at her side, Ed realized Potts was revving himself up to take over. About time – he was the senior officer responsible for house-to-house questioning.

‘Nothing of any value, Brian, but we’re asking about ten o’clock on a Friday evening. People were at home or in town. Only one person admitted looking out. A woman on St Mildreds Place. She was putting her milk bottle out. Said she saw nothing unusual.’

Saunders let out an exasperated breath. ‘So, nobody saw anything remotely significant?’

Ed trod carefully. ‘There was the guy on Elham Road …’

‘About the right time,’ agreed Potts. ‘He wasn’t clear. Nothing precise to go on.’

‘At the moment we’ve nothing to go on.’ Saunders turned to Ed. ‘What did he say?’

‘He’d just walked back from the pub. He was putting his key in the front door when somebody drove by. He glanced round but didn’t pay much attention.’

Saunders leant forwards. ‘What time was that?’

‘About 22.00. He aims to get back for News at Ten.’

‘What about the vehicle?’

‘That’s the problem. He thought it was a van. Then he changed his mind. Said it was like a van but different. He was very apologetic. Didn’t think it important at the time and didn’t pay attention.’

‘Colour?’

‘It was dark, the street lighting’s poor, grey was the best he could do. But there was one thing he was sure about. The vehicle was coming down Elham Road, going towards Hollowmede.’

‘At last.’ Saunders sat up with a look of satisfaction. ‘It’s not much but it’s the right time and the vehicle was going in the right direction.’

‘That would tie in with the guy on Hollowmede. A vehicle larger than a car parked in his spot by the grass,’ said Jenny.

‘So there was a vehicle in the area at the right time that was larger than a car and like a van but not a van. Maybe it was a minibus. What would you do next, Ed?’

Saunders had put her on the spot again. If her reception hadn’t been so frosty she’d believe he was giving her a chance to shine or, at least, to show she was competent. Ed looked round the table. Saunders was the reliable professional but his nose must be severely out of joint. They all blamed her but the transfer had been out of her control. She could have turned it down but, at the time, she didn’t know what was happening in Canterbury. And if she had? Would she have sacrificed her career for his? Unlikely. Ed looked at the others. When Saunders left, Potts, Borrowdale and Eastham would be her team. She had to get to know them quickly and get them on her side if she was to make a success of her transfer.

‘Ed?’ It was Saunders prompting her.

‘Sorry. I was thinking. I’m new here.’ Don’t state the bleeding obvious. ‘I’ll talk it through in the light of my experience on the Met.’ Brilliant, remind them that the big boys parachuted you in and spoilt their family party.

‘Abductions without a ransom demand are usually a nasty business. To be successful we need to find the victim within a day or two. If that doesn’t happen, should they ever be discovered they’ll be dead and we can only hope death came quickly.’

At these words, Jenny compressed her lips and frowned while Ed continued with her disturbing prognosis.

‘With Lucy Naylor the signs aren’t good. A ransom demand is unlikely; the Naylors aren’t in that league. If it’s sexually motivated then we’re probably already too late. She’ll turn up traumatized or we’ll find her body. If it’s not rape then we may have longer to find her but God help her.’

That was better, but she was telling them what they should already know. If they were going to have any chance of finding Lucy quickly she needed to motivate them.

‘Think of her, Lucy Naylor, just 17, young for her age, a bit naive perhaps, one close girlfriend, no boyfriends, not much of a socializer. This young woman was poised between school and university, about to make her way in the world. Right now should be one of the great times in her life but where is she? Raped? Dumped in a ditch? Something worse?’

Ed paused, looking at each of her future team. Potts and Borrowdale were sitting up and taking notice. Jenny Eastham looked concerned, almost upset, but determined.

‘And it’s not just Lucy. Think of her parents, Simon and Rachel. Think what they’re going through. They’ve lost a daughter. It’s our job to find her. For Lucy’s sake and her parents, we have to find her fast.’

Saunders’s face was expressionless. Had she gone too far, doing his job for him? Sod it, he’d asked and she responded. The Super wanted it cleared up quickly. Of course she did – she was thinking of her statistics. Ed and Jenny, perhaps Saunders, and now maybe Potts and Borrowdale, were thinking of the girl. This is why they were in the job. They were doing it for the girl and if, God forbid, she turned up dead they were doing it for the parents, to get them justice. Ed glanced at Saunders and he nodded for her to continue.

‘So far we don’t have much to go on, but there are four lines to follow. First, we need to speak to all close friends and family. The perpetrator is often somebody close to the victim. Second, this may be the abductor’s first but often they’re serial attackers so we should check for similar cases in a reasonable radius, say 30, perhaps 50 or even 75 miles.’