Chapter 48

FORTY-EIGHT

Arriving home, Lottie cursed the awkwardness of the Mondeo. Maybe it was just her and not the car. She’d have to go back to the hospital to check on Boyd. First, though, she had to ensure her children were home safe and had eaten.

Once inside, she inhaled the newness, trying to dislodge the musty, sick smell of Dowling’s home that was still clogged at the back of her throat. Then she opened the front door again and looked outside. No sign of the squad car she’d assigned to watch her family now that Bernie Kelly was on the loose. McMahon must have sent everyone to the courthouse incident.

She glanced into the sitting room. Louis was propped up on a pillow, sipping from a beaker of juice, his feet on Sean’s knee.

‘ Fireman Sam ?’ Lottie said.

‘He likes it. Keeps him quiet.’ Sean massaged Louis’ feet.

‘Did you eat?’ She was amazed at how Louis could temper Sean’s mood. Her son looked totally relaxed, with none of the teenage angst that had been plaguing him recently.

‘Gran dropped over a casserole. I ate a little bit of it.’ He made a face and stared at Lottie. ‘What happened to you? That cut looks nasty.’

‘I know. I’ll bathe it in a minute.’

Sean sat up a little straighter. ‘We were worried about you. Why didn’t you answer your phone?’

She mussed his hair and sat on the arm of the couch. ‘I got caught up in the incident. Lost my bag with my phone in it. Got a spare from the station, though I haven’t any numbers. I’m here now.’

‘Good.’

‘I’m going to have a proper shower and change my clothes. Where are the girls?’

‘They were worried when we couldn’t contact you or Boyd. They went into town to have a look.’

‘They could have rung the station.’

He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I don’t think they thought of that.’

‘Will you text them to say I’m home now?’

‘Sure. But Katie already texted to say they heard you were in the hospital and they were getting a lift there with some woman.’

‘What woman?’ The hairs on the back of Lottie’s neck tingled and goose bumps stood to attention on her arms. She couldn’t breathe for a moment.

‘I don’t know,’ Sean said. ‘Probably someone they met in town. Her first text said they were going to walk to the hospital then there was another that said they’d gone in a car with a woman. Bit weird.’

‘When was this? When did they leave?’ Lottie counted the number of shrugs Sean gave. She tried to keep her voice calm. Louis was staring at her, his big eyes like saucers. She couldn’t distress him. She whispered with urgency, ‘Sean, try to think.’

‘They left not long after we got home from school. Mam, do we have to get the taxi all the time? It’s so embarrassing in front of the lads. It’s like I’m afraid to walk home.’

‘Did Katie tell you her name?’

‘Who?’

‘Sean, listen to me, please. The woman they met in town. The woman the girls went with. Who is she?’

‘I don’t know. Katie asked me to watch Louis. Said they wouldn’t be long. And then about twenty minutes later, she texted me. Here.’ He held out his phone.

Lottie checked Katie’s words. There was no hysteria in them. No fear or warning. Just that a woman had agreed to bring them to the hospital.

‘Can I use this for a few minutes?’

‘Sure. As long as you don’t snoop around my Instagram or Snapchat. Oh, I think I need to charge it. Hold Louis. I’ll be down in a minute.’

Lottie eagerly drank in the fragrance from the little boy’s hair, his baby smell, his smile. She smothered his cheeks with kisses and tried not to worry. But that was impossible.

Where was Rose when she needed her? Where were the girls? She had to make sure they were okay. Otherwise the day from hell would be a freaking nightmare.

Her heart beat with loud palpitations and she wondered if she was getting a panic attack. The girls are okay, she willed into her head. Louis cooed softly and she carefully straightened his clothes, then sat him on the floor when Sean returned.

‘Find Granny’s number for me, please.’

He did as she asked and handed her the phone. She made her way to the kitchen and sighed at the mess of plates with half-eaten casserole hardened to the edges. But the dishes were the least of her worries.

When Rose answered, Lottie asked her to come over to stay with Sean and Louis. She reckoned Rose heard the fear in her voice, because she was at the front door within seven minutes. If her daughters were with Bernie Kelly, Lottie feared what could happen if she didn’t act immediately.

‘Keep me informed,’ Rose said as Lottie sped down the path to the car.

‘I will, and don’t tell Sean about this.’

‘Stay quiet and you won’t come to any harm.’

That was what the woman had said when she brought them here. They were in a house. A room. But other than that, Katie had no idea where they were being held. She was extremely worried. The door was locked. And she knew they’d been conned.

She and Chloe had gone to the scene of the courthouse accident looking for their mother. They couldn’t make contact with Boyd either, and Katie was sure something had happened to Lottie. When the woman emerged from the crowd and approached them, Katie thought she recognised her, though she wasn’t sure.

‘I know where your mum is. Will I take you to her?’

‘Where is she?’

‘She was brought to the hospital.’

‘Oh, it’s okay. We’ll walk, thanks.’ Katie had sent a quick text to Sean to tell him where they were going.

‘She’s not there now,’ the woman had said. ‘I’ll take you to her.’

‘Just tell us where she is and we’ll make our own way.’

And then the woman’s face had morphed from calm to an expression of intense evil. ‘Come with me without making a sound. That’s if you don’t want something to happen to that beautiful little boy of yours.’

Katie’s mouth had dried up and the cry died in her throat. She felt Chloe tugging her coat sleeve, urging her to run. But her feet were stuck to the wet ground. This woman had threatened harm to her son. Dear God! She had started another text and just as the phone was snapped out of her hand, she hit send.

‘Did you find the coin I left for you?’

‘Coin? What coin?’ Katie said, finding her voice and racking her brain. Then she remembered the colour fading from her mother’s face when the flat round disc had fallen from Louis’ jacket pocket. Was this the person who’d been following her? Who had given her the feeling of being watched?

‘This is a load of shit,’ Chloe had said, and made to walk away.

‘Shut up, Chloe.’ This was surreal. They were in a crowd of people. Who the hell was this woman? ‘Is our mother okay?’

‘Come and see for yourselves. Don’t make a fuss. Just keep thinking of that defenceless little boy of yours.’

What could they do? They had followed her through the crowds with no one to help them. Now here they were, locked into a room with no sign of their mother. Chloe had been banging incessantly on the door until her knuckles bled.

‘You’re wasting your time,’ Katie said. ‘I’m sure this place is either soundproofed or out in the middle of nowhere. Let’s put our heads together and think of a way out of this mess.’

‘What if she’s gone to take Louis and Sean? Did you think of that, Miss Super-Cool?’

Katie had thought of it but tried not to. ‘You’re always the drama queen. I’ll figure this out if you shut up for a minute.’

‘Yeah, sure.’

‘Chloe! Please. Let me think.’

But all she could think of was her little boy and her brother, and she prayed that they wouldn’t be harmed.