Silent Winter by Maggie James

Author:Maggie James [James, Maggie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orelia Publishing
Published: 2019-12-04T16:00:00+00:00

OUTSIDE THE CAFETERIA, DS Tucker awaited them, a cup of vending machine coffee cradled between her palms. She acknowledged Holly and Todd’s arrival, then stood up. ‘I’ve found somewhere we can talk. Follow me.’ She led the way to a small room along the corridor and flipped the sign on the door so it read ‘Occupied’. Inside were two sofas either side of a low table. Tucker motioned Holly and Todd towards one.

‘How is he?’ she asked.

Holly seated herself opposite Tucker, with Todd beside her. ‘Who did this to him?’ She fought back her anger. ‘Tell me you have some leads.’

DS Tucker shook her head. ‘I hope to obtain more information when I next speak with Drew. Meanwhile, I need to revisit the time when he was kidnapped. Can you run through again what happened that day?’

Holly sighed inwardly. As Todd had pointed out, they’d been over this several times already. ‘Drew went to work that morning, the same as always. He left just after seven. I didn’t hear from him during the day, but that’s not unusual. Both of us normally get back around six o’clock. When six thirty came, I assumed he must be working late and hadn’t bothered to text or phone.’

‘Did Drew ever call at your house on his way home from work?’ Tucker asked Todd.

‘Sometimes during the week if we went running together. Other than that, no.’

‘Did he mention any worries in the weeks leading up to his disappearance?’ Tucker directed her question at both of them.

Holly grimaced. ‘He was concerned about our finances. And he had credit card debts.’ She told Tucker about the final demands. ‘But the police already know that, from before.’

‘Just trying to get a picture of the man and the life he led,’ Tucker countered. ‘Did he seem worried to you, Todd? Did he hint at anything when you went running?’

Todd shook his head. ‘No. We’re both members of our local club. So a bunch of us run together, not just the two of us. We don’t get much chance to talk privately. Drew did say he had some serious money issues.’ He threw his sister-in-law a glance. ‘Might explain his reluctance to become a father.’

‘You were trying for a baby?’ Tucker stared at Holly. ‘You didn’t mention that before.’

Holly’s face flushed. ‘More than trying. I’m five months pregnant.’

‘Congratulations. I take it Drew doesn’t know?’

‘Not yet.’ Holly shook her head. ‘I’ve no idea when I should break the news.’

‘Can either of you think of anyone who’d want to hurt Drew? Who might have done this to him?’

‘No,’ Holly and Todd said in the same instant.

‘It doesn’t need an expert in psychology to understand the kidnapper intended him to suffer,’ Tucker continued. ‘What Drew endured betrays a shocking level of cruelty.’

‘I should have asked before. Was he—’ Holly swallowed hard. ‘Molested in any way?’

‘The hospital reported no signs of sexual assault,’ Tucker said. ‘That means his abductor had other motives for keeping him alive. We’re hoping Drew can shed light on them.

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