testing Nadia, Mr Dodrescu. We are here merely to satisfy the embassy that Nadia is being well looked after. Don’t translate that, Mary. If you’d like to continue?’
‘Have you been well treated by the police?’
‘Yes. They have been very kind. The chief inspector has been so thoughtful. I could not have asked for better treatment. I just worry about the other girls who came with me.’
‘We are doing everything in our power to find them, Nadia. Trust me,’ said Sophie.
Dodrescu asked a few more rather pointless questions to satisfy the bureaucratic needs of interstate cooperation. He declared himself satisfied with the care that Nadia was getting. He told Sophie that he would be back in two days’ time with Nadia’s mother. He and Dunnett left the office.
‘I can’t wait to see her,’ Nadia said. ‘But I won’t know what to say to her. How can I tell her what happened to me? I am so ashamed.’ She started crying.
Dunnett popped his head around the door.
‘What are your immediate plans?’ he asked Sophie.
‘We’re narrowing down the list of places they could have moved to, by contacting agencies that rent out old farmhouses. We should get the list down to a couple by later today, then we’ll visit them. We’re also ploughing through photofits, trying to identify the men that were at the abandoned farm. We’ve contacted most of the CID departments across the south and asked them to look out for Romanian girls on the streets. We might be able to get more information by speaking to some of them.’
‘Fine. I’ll be on my way.’
He looked at Nadia’s tear-streaked face and raised his eyebrows.
‘She’s worried about telling her mother the full story of her ordeal. Maybe you could skip the details until she sees her. I may need a session with her using our interpreter so that I can explain the situation calmly.’ She turned to Mary Porter. ‘Can you come in again on Monday, Mary? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I have no choice if Nadia’s mother is coming then.’
‘Yes, I can manage that. But later in the week may be more difficult. I have a series of seminars and lectures to give from Tuesday onwards. I’ll only be able to spare a few hours here and there.’
‘That’s fine. Monday should be the last of the big sessions. And I’m so grateful for what you’ve done. Neil, we owe Doctor Porter an enormous vote of thanks. She’s been just perfect. I thought you’d like to know.’
‘Of course. I’ll be off. See you tomorrow.’ He disappeared.
Sophie turned back. Mary Porter was smiling at her, blushing slightly.
‘It’s time I said it, Mary. I’ve changed my mind about you. For what it’s worth, this mere DCI holds you in high esteem.’
She held out her hand. Porter took it, then leaned forward and gave Sophie a quick peck on the cheek.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘You’re a very lucky person, you mere DCI . You inspire such loyalty in the people who come into contact with you. Though luck is probably the wrong word to use. Whatever you’ve got, I’m glad I’ve been exposed to it.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I’d better be off. What time do you want me on Monday?’
‘I’ll let you know but I doubt it will be before late morning. Have a good rest tomorrow, Mary. You’ve earned it.’
Sophie took Nadia to the hospital for her daily check-up, and then drove her back to her house for lunch with Martin and Jade. Nadia remained there while Sophie returned to the incident room in Swanage in order to clear up a backlog of paperwork.
Later that afternoon she was sitting in her office, trying to gather her thoughts, when Barry Marsh hurried in.
‘We’ve traced two possible locations, ma’am. Both are small farmhouses close to the shore, in similar settings to Brookway, but further north. Both have been rented out in the past week or two as holiday lets, the first for a month with an option to stay longer, the second for a fortnight.’
‘Good work.
‘Have you been well treated by the police?’
‘Yes. They have been very kind. The chief inspector has been so thoughtful. I could not have asked for better treatment. I just worry about the other girls who came with me.’
‘We are doing everything in our power to find them, Nadia. Trust me,’ said Sophie.
Dodrescu asked a few more rather pointless questions to satisfy the bureaucratic needs of interstate cooperation. He declared himself satisfied with the care that Nadia was getting. He told Sophie that he would be back in two days’ time with Nadia’s mother. He and Dunnett left the office.
‘I can’t wait to see her,’ Nadia said. ‘But I won’t know what to say to her. How can I tell her what happened to me? I am so ashamed.’ She started crying.
Dunnett popped his head around the door.
‘What are your immediate plans?’ he asked Sophie.
‘We’re narrowing down the list of places they could have moved to, by contacting agencies that rent out old farmhouses. We should get the list down to a couple by later today, then we’ll visit them. We’re also ploughing through photofits, trying to identify the men that were at the abandoned farm. We’ve contacted most of the CID departments across the south and asked them to look out for Romanian girls on the streets. We might be able to get more information by speaking to some of them.’
‘Fine. I’ll be on my way.’
He looked at Nadia’s tear-streaked face and raised his eyebrows.
‘She’s worried about telling her mother the full story of her ordeal. Maybe you could skip the details until she sees her. I may need a session with her using our interpreter so that I can explain the situation calmly.’ She turned to Mary Porter. ‘Can you come in again on Monday, Mary? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I have no choice if Nadia’s mother is coming then.’
‘Yes, I can manage that. But later in the week may be more difficult. I have a series of seminars and lectures to give from Tuesday onwards. I’ll only be able to spare a few hours here and there.’
‘That’s fine. Monday should be the last of the big sessions. And I’m so grateful for what you’ve done. Neil, we owe Doctor Porter an enormous vote of thanks. She’s been just perfect. I thought you’d like to know.’
‘Of course. I’ll be off. See you tomorrow.’ He disappeared.
Sophie turned back. Mary Porter was smiling at her, blushing slightly.
‘It’s time I said it, Mary. I’ve changed my mind about you. For what it’s worth, this mere DCI holds you in high esteem.’
She held out her hand. Porter took it, then leaned forward and gave Sophie a quick peck on the cheek.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘You’re a very lucky person, you mere DCI . You inspire such loyalty in the people who come into contact with you. Though luck is probably the wrong word to use. Whatever you’ve got, I’m glad I’ve been exposed to it.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I’d better be off. What time do you want me on Monday?’
‘I’ll let you know but I doubt it will be before late morning. Have a good rest tomorrow, Mary. You’ve earned it.’
Sophie took Nadia to the hospital for her daily check-up, and then drove her back to her house for lunch with Martin and Jade. Nadia remained there while Sophie returned to the incident room in Swanage in order to clear up a backlog of paperwork.
Later that afternoon she was sitting in her office, trying to gather her thoughts, when Barry Marsh hurried in.
‘We’ve traced two possible locations, ma’am. Both are small farmhouses close to the shore, in similar settings to Brookway, but further north. Both have been rented out in the past week or two as holiday lets, the first for a month with an option to stay longer, the second for a fortnight.’
‘Good work.
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