us … Well, I think you’d better read it.’
Sadler eyed the file, took it, then sank down in his chair as he opened it. ‘I could murder a cuppa,’ he hinted. ‘And a bacon sandwich with two thingama-whatsits of ketchup.’
‘Would that be sachets, sir?’
‘Don’t get smart.’
By the time she’d gone dutifully off to the canteen and returned with his lunch it was clear to Joy that he’d finished reading the file. To her surprise, when she saw the look on his face she felt tears come to her eyes. Quickly blinking them back she set down his plate and cup and tried to assert a professional detachment, but after finding out what she had and now catching her boss’s reaction, it was hard.
‘Sad, isn’t it, sir?’ she said.
Still staring at the page in front of him, Sadler nodded slowly. ‘Yes, Elaine, it’s certainly that,’ he responded, with a rare use of her Christian name.
Going to peer over his shoulder at the file, she said, ‘I wonder why Mr Avery never told us.’
‘He probably finds it hard to talk about,’ Sadler replied. ‘I know I would.’
‘Even after all this time?’
He inhaled deeply. ‘When a child is abducted and never found, time isn’t much of a healer.’
Realising that was probably true, she continued to gaze down at the slightly faded photograph of a beautiful baby boy. ‘So now we know why Mrs Avery’s a bit unstable,’ she said, swallowing another well of emotion.
With a protracted sigh, Sadler nodded. ‘Do we know yet if Mr Avery’s turned up anything in London that might help us to find her?’ he asked.
‘No word from him, sir.’
‘OK, let’s give him a call.’
As he reached for the phone, DC Joy said, ‘I have a theory, sir.’
Sadler put the phone down again.
Surprised to find herself being taken seriously, she coloured slightly. ‘I wondered … I mean … Mrs Avery’s psychiatrist said she’d never been able to get over the loss of her child. Apparently she’s had a couple of breakdowns and all the issues surrounding it are still a big problem for her, to the point that she finds it difficult to connect with other people, including her family. It sounds as though they’ve been through years of hell, actually … So I was wondering … I know this might sound mad, but do you reckon it’s possible her husband might have helped her put an end to the suffering? I mean, she tried to commit suicide before …’ She trailed off, knowing she wasn’t presenting it well. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘It’s just that …’
‘Don’t apologise, DC Joy. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that anything’s possible, and what you’re suggesting had not occurred to me.’ He stared hard at the file, not sure what to make of the idea. ‘If the child’s still alive he’s about to be sixteen,’ he pointed out. ‘Do you think that’s significant?’
Her face fell. ‘I hadn’t noticed that, sir,’ she confessed. ‘But I suppose it could be. Do you?’
‘It coincides with Mrs Avery’s fortieth,’ he said, and flipping back through the file he began reading again. ‘OK, let’s get Miles Avery on the line,’ he said a few minutes later.
After pressing in the number and hearing it ring, Joy passed the phone back.
‘I’m sorry, Detective Inspector,’ the housekeeper told him, ‘Mr Avery’s still in London.’
‘I thought he might be. Could you give us the number there, please?’ After jotting it down he was about to thank her and ring off when he decided to question her a little further. ‘Has there been any sign of Mrs Avery?’ he asked. ‘Or any news?’
‘If there had, I’m sure Mr Avery would have let you know,’ she responded a little tartly.
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ he said blandly. ‘Tell me, Mrs Davies, did you know that the Averys have, or once had a son, who’d be coming up for sixteen now?’
‘You mean Sam.’
‘Do you know what happened to him?’
‘He was snatched and never
Sadler eyed the file, took it, then sank down in his chair as he opened it. ‘I could murder a cuppa,’ he hinted. ‘And a bacon sandwich with two thingama-whatsits of ketchup.’
‘Would that be sachets, sir?’
‘Don’t get smart.’
By the time she’d gone dutifully off to the canteen and returned with his lunch it was clear to Joy that he’d finished reading the file. To her surprise, when she saw the look on his face she felt tears come to her eyes. Quickly blinking them back she set down his plate and cup and tried to assert a professional detachment, but after finding out what she had and now catching her boss’s reaction, it was hard.
‘Sad, isn’t it, sir?’ she said.
Still staring at the page in front of him, Sadler nodded slowly. ‘Yes, Elaine, it’s certainly that,’ he responded, with a rare use of her Christian name.
Going to peer over his shoulder at the file, she said, ‘I wonder why Mr Avery never told us.’
‘He probably finds it hard to talk about,’ Sadler replied. ‘I know I would.’
‘Even after all this time?’
He inhaled deeply. ‘When a child is abducted and never found, time isn’t much of a healer.’
Realising that was probably true, she continued to gaze down at the slightly faded photograph of a beautiful baby boy. ‘So now we know why Mrs Avery’s a bit unstable,’ she said, swallowing another well of emotion.
With a protracted sigh, Sadler nodded. ‘Do we know yet if Mr Avery’s turned up anything in London that might help us to find her?’ he asked.
‘No word from him, sir.’
‘OK, let’s give him a call.’
As he reached for the phone, DC Joy said, ‘I have a theory, sir.’
Sadler put the phone down again.
Surprised to find herself being taken seriously, she coloured slightly. ‘I wondered … I mean … Mrs Avery’s psychiatrist said she’d never been able to get over the loss of her child. Apparently she’s had a couple of breakdowns and all the issues surrounding it are still a big problem for her, to the point that she finds it difficult to connect with other people, including her family. It sounds as though they’ve been through years of hell, actually … So I was wondering … I know this might sound mad, but do you reckon it’s possible her husband might have helped her put an end to the suffering? I mean, she tried to commit suicide before …’ She trailed off, knowing she wasn’t presenting it well. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘It’s just that …’
‘Don’t apologise, DC Joy. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that anything’s possible, and what you’re suggesting had not occurred to me.’ He stared hard at the file, not sure what to make of the idea. ‘If the child’s still alive he’s about to be sixteen,’ he pointed out. ‘Do you think that’s significant?’
Her face fell. ‘I hadn’t noticed that, sir,’ she confessed. ‘But I suppose it could be. Do you?’
‘It coincides with Mrs Avery’s fortieth,’ he said, and flipping back through the file he began reading again. ‘OK, let’s get Miles Avery on the line,’ he said a few minutes later.
After pressing in the number and hearing it ring, Joy passed the phone back.
‘I’m sorry, Detective Inspector,’ the housekeeper told him, ‘Mr Avery’s still in London.’
‘I thought he might be. Could you give us the number there, please?’ After jotting it down he was about to thank her and ring off when he decided to question her a little further. ‘Has there been any sign of Mrs Avery?’ he asked. ‘Or any news?’
‘If there had, I’m sure Mr Avery would have let you know,’ she responded a little tartly.
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ he said blandly. ‘Tell me, Mrs Davies, did you know that the Averys have, or once had a son, who’d be coming up for sixteen now?’
‘You mean Sam.’
‘Do you know what happened to him?’
‘He was snatched and never
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