Little Girl Lost by McGilloway Brian

Author:McGilloway, Brian [McGilloway, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780230759879
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers UK
Published: 2011-05-05T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 27

Lucy knocked on Fleming’s door. He looked up at her from his desk when she opened it, his head resting in one hand as he completed the paperwork from his interview.

‘Tough one?’ she asked.

‘Nightmare,’ Fleming said. ‘Any luck with the girl?’

Lucy came into the room and sat on the chair facing Fleming. ‘I think I’ve found out who she is. Her mother’s boss recognized her. She and the mother live in Strabane. I went up to the house but the place is empty.’

Fleming raised an eyebrow. ‘Any signs of violence?’

‘Nothing. It looks like they planned on leaving; no toothbrushes or the like.’

‘Holidays?’

‘I’ve contacted airports and ferries to see if any of them were booked to travel over the past week.’

‘Good work. What about a father?’ Fleming asked, closing the folder in front of him.

‘He was doing time in Dublin for explosives. He was released a while back. No known address for him, but his partner in the bomb attempt got out at the same time; he has an address in Derry.’

Fleming nodded approvingly. ‘How did you get all that?’

‘The DI in Strabane got it.’

‘So are you going to the friend’s house?’

‘If you’d accompany me,’ Lucy said. ‘He’s a rough-looking character.’

Fleming slid the folder away from him and stood. ‘I’d be delighted to,’ he said.

As they left the unit, Lucy prevaricated, unsure whether or not Fleming would want to drive. However, he did nothing but look at her expectantly, glancing around the car park.

‘Where’s your car?’ he asked.

‘Over this way.’

As they strapped in their seat belts, Fleming, clearly feeling he needed to explain more fully, said, ‘I was done for drink-driving, lost my licence.’

‘I see,’ Lucy said, not looking at the man.

‘My wife left me. I took it badly.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that, sir,’ Lucy replied, shifting in her seat, exaggeratedly checking her mirrors as she moved off, anything but looking her commanding officer in the face during his display of collegial frankness. She could sense that he was looking at her, could sense his gaze. He was smiling mildly at her and she hoped he wasn’t going to make a pass at her. Every time she moved to a new posting, she spent the first month making it clear that she was not looking for an office fling. For some reason, the older officers took longer to realize this.

‘But that was before I found Jesus,’ Fleming concluded. ‘So, who are we looking for?’

Lucy suppressed an embarrassed laugh.

‘I hope my telling you that didn’t make you uncomfortable,’ Fleming added. ‘People in the unit wonder why I don’t drive. It’s easier to be honest.’

‘I appreciate your candour, sir,’ Lucy said.

‘So, who are we looking for?’

Lucy reached back into her bag and pulled out some folders then handed them across to Fleming.

He opened the first. ‘Peter Kent,’ he read.

‘Alice’s father, I think. There’s no sign of him or the mother. He was released a while back; we’ve no address for him. His partner is the scarred man in the other folders – Kevin Mullan.

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