Missing on Ilkley Moor by Ric Brady

Author:Ric Brady [Brady, Ric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The armed response unit traipsed down the hotel’s stone front steps, holding their automatic rifles and chatting among themselves. The tension that had built up had been broken now that it was clear the suspect wasn’t a threat.

Henry stood in the entrance under the lit portal and looked out at the foggy night. The startled crowd of diners and patrons milled around the outdoor seating area at the front of the hotel, standing under the warm, red glow of the wall-mounted heaters. Their number had reduced as some of them had decided they’d be best off at home. But the rest of them seemed to be expecting to finish their cold, half-eaten dinners or get more drinks. Someone would have to break the news that the hotel would be closed for the next day or two at the very least.

A patrol car appeared out of the gloom and turned into the car park. Its blue lights were flashing, but its siren was off. Henry hoped it was a local constable here to manage the crowd.

The vehicle parked up next to the armed response unit’s van, and Sergeant Craven’s small frame got out. She put on her thick, black coat and straightened her cap, then watched the armed response unit pack up their equipment. After having some banter with them, she headed towards the hotel’s entrance.

She didn’t notice Henry until he spoke. “Glad to see you, Craven.”

She stopped to look at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I found out Elisa’s father was staying here,” he said. Then he felt some despair at the fact that he’d found Antonio Torres but was no closer to finding his daughter. His main suspect for her disappearance appeared to have killed himself, and Henry was sure he ‘appeared’ to have killed himself, as he couldn’t understand why he’d take his own life.

“Who’s in charge?” Craven asked, gazing through the entrance and into the hotel’s foyer.

“Superintendent Murphy’s in the control room in Wakefield, and DI Barnes is here,” Henry said. “She’d be the one you’ll need to speak to.”

Craven looked at him. “She’s letting you hang around?”

Henry scoffed. “She normally does. Any news on that hat?”

Craven frowned like she didn’t know what he was talking about.

“That bloody hat I found this morning.”

She nodded. “It’s being fast-tracked. The mother gave a DNA sample.”

“So, we don’t know if it’s Elisa’s yet?”

She shook her head. “We’ll know tomorrow morning, unless someone authorises a test to be done tonight and calls a lab assistant back into work.”

Henry was pretty sure Barnes would authorise it. “Speak to Barnes,” he said, then shook his head. “In fact, speak to the pathologist when he arrives. He’ll get it checked.”

Craven seemed to ignore his instruction then headed inside the hotel, leaving him on the doorstep. He glanced over at his Skoda Octavia in the car park. Its dome light was on inside, and Jean was sitting in the passenger seat, watching him. He zipped up his anorak to his collar and headed towards her.

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