‘Not with me,’ Mark assured him.
‘Good,’ Edwards said. ‘DS Cummings will be working with you on this one. Given the gravity of the case, let’s leave the personal feelings aside in favour of finding the girl, shall we?’
‘Sir.’ Mark nodded, determined to do just that. Every second spent here was time wasted, as far as he was concerned. This would automatically be escalated as a high-risk case. The fact was, though, if the child had slipped out for whatever reason, with March temperatures averaging seven degrees, death from exposure was probable if she wasn’t found soon. Time, therefore, wasn’t a luxury they had.
Three
JADE
Her day at school having been cut short when a water pipe burst, Poppy was chatting excitedly to Jade about her teacher, who’d apparently fainted in morning assembly, as Melissa led the way into the kitchen to dump the shopping bags on the island worktop.
‘We heard the headmistress say it was because she was having a baby,’ Poppy said, attempting to scramble up onto a stool. ‘But we didn’t see one.’
Jade swapped amused glances with Melissa. ‘That’s probably because baby wasn’t quite ready to make an appearance yet, Poppy,’ she said, lifting her up.
Poppy nodded thoughtfully as Jade planted her safely on the stool. ‘Like Hercules’s puppies, you mean?’
‘Hercules had puppies?’
‘Yes,’ Poppy informed her with a matter-of-fact shrug, as she peered into one of the carriers. ‘He’s a girl dog, but Daddy got mixed up.’
‘Ah.’ Jade widened her eyes, which had Melissa laughing.
‘He brought the wrong puppy home,’ she supplied, and then mouthed ‘rescue dog’ in Jade’s direction.
Jade nodded, getting the drift. Presumably, they’d decided to get a rescue, but Mark had had to change their choice at the last minute. Perhaps the dog they’d originally chosen had died, or shown unexpected aggression. He really was a lovely man. Poppy didn’t know how lucky she was, growing up with a father who loved her like a father should.
‘Poppy had already chosen the name, hadn’t you, sweetie?’ Melissa said, rescuing the eggs from Poppy before they ended up scrambled.
‘Yes.’ Poppy extracted a pack of cookies from the bag – dairy free, as Melissa had pointed out in the supermarket. ‘I chose the name Hercules, because he had huge paws and Daddy said he was going to grow up to be big and strong,’ Poppy supplied. ‘Hercules’s puppies weren’t very strong though, were they, Mummy?’
‘No, sweetie.’ Smiling sadly, Melissa reached to brush Poppy’s too-long fringe from her face.
‘They were teeny-weeny.’ Poppy demonstrated thus with her thumb and forefinger.
‘Oh dear. Poor little things. I don’t think they could have been ready to make an appearance either.’ Jade reached to give Poppy a cuddle, as Melissa pointed back to the front door, beyond which little Evie was still fast asleep in the car.
‘They couldn’t breathe properly,’ Poppy said, with a shuddery sigh, causing Melissa to hesitate at the kitchen door.
Jade smiled and nodded her on. ‘I bet that made you sad, Poppy,’ she said, as Melissa, duly reassured, went to retrieve the child she’d momentarily forgotten about.
‘It did,’ Poppy said. ‘But I didn’t cry too much, because I didn’t want to make Hercules sad.’
‘Well, you’re a very considerate, grown-up little girl. I’m impressed,’ Jade said. ‘Hercules is very lucky to have you as a friend. I wish I had a friend like you.’
‘But I am your friend.’ Poppy said, her face earnest as she turned towards her.
Looking into Poppy’s huge brown eyes, framed by long, dark eyelashes – her daddy’s eyelashes – Jade felt her heart constrict inside her.
She composed herself and arranged her face into a smile. ‘Well then, I’m very lucky too. And we’ll stay friends, I promise. I’m not sure where I’ll be living, but as soon as I find somewhere, I’ll be in touch. Deal?’
Poppy knitted her forehead into a frown. ‘But why do you have to find somewhere? You can stay here,’ she said, splaying her hands to indicate the vast expanse of Melissa’s kitchen, which, tastefully decorated, with children’s paintings adorning the fridge and colourful height charts pinned to the walls, was comfortable and homey. Jade hated it.
‘What, forever?’ She chuckled indulgently. ‘I’m not sure your mummy would be very happy about that.’
‘Yes, she would,’ Poppy assured her, with an adamant nod. ‘Mummy says we should share with our friends and look after those less fortunut than ourselves.’
‘Fortunate,’ Jade corrected her. ‘I’d like to,’ she said, uncertainly. ‘We’ll see how it pans out, shall we? If Mummy says she wants me to stay, then I’ll think about it.’
‘She will,’ Poppy said confidently, stretching her arms out and leaning towards her to be helped down. ‘I’ll tell her I want you to stay because you’re my bestest friend ever.’
‘But only if Mummy suggests it first.’ Jade lifted Poppy off the stool, swung her round and planted her on her feet. ‘We don’t want Mummy to think she’s being ganged up on, do we?’ she added, in answer to Poppy’s obvious confusion.
Poppy shook her head sombrely. ‘No. Miss Winters says it’s cruel to gang up on other people at school.’
‘Exactly.’ Jade smiled. ‘She’s a wise woman, your teacher. And you’re a sensible girl for listening to her. It’s not nice being bullied, Poppy, trust me.’
Poppy scanned her face. ‘Are you being bullied?’ she asked her, her eyes clouding with concern.
‘No,’ Jade assured her. ‘I was once, though, when I was little. It made me cry.’
Poppy looked alarmed at that. ‘I won’t let anyone bully you, Jade,’ she said, sticking her chin up determinedly.
‘Nor I you.’ Jade reached out to brush her hair from her eyes. ‘We’ll look out for each other. Okay?’
‘Deal,’ Poppy said delightedly. ‘Would you like to see my room?’
Jade extended her hand. ‘I’d love to.’
Poppy slid her own small hand trustingly into Jade’s. ‘It’s a bit messy. Nemo’s water needs to be changed,’ she said, as they headed to the hall. ‘And Baby Annabell was supposed to tidy up her toys, but she forgot. You won’t tell Mummy, will you?’
‘My lips are sealed.’ Jade mimed zipping her lips.
‘And mine are sealed about your secret chocolate supply.’ Poppy smiled up at her, doing likewise.
Jade smiled conspiratorially back. ‘I think we have an understanding.’ Win the child over, win the parents over, she thought, satisfied that she’d got the child on side. She’d felt a sliver of guilt for stuffing a whole chocolate bar down in front of Poppy while Melissa had been in the baby changing room.
Four
MELISSA
With Poppy and Evie fed and settled, Melissa gave Jade the guided tour of the house, before the poor woman was driven mad by Poppy’s constant chatter and tea parties with an assortment of Peppa Pigs and scarily lifelike baby dolls. Poppy, it seemed, had taken to their guest, declaring Jade her ‘bestest friend ever’. Jade had been wonderful with her, and Melissa could see why she’d chosen childcare as a vocation. She was obviously a natural.
‘And this,’ she said, leading the way into the detached brick garage at the bottom of the back garden, ‘is what I grandly refer to as my studio. It still needs some work. The roof leaks when it rains and the window’s rattling in the frame, but it’s my sanctuary… when I can find time.’