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.‘The quicker we have an accurate image of this woman the better.’‘Tony.’ As Knox was leaving Mariner called him back.‘You spoke to Anna? How did she take it?’‘She was okay about it,’ said Knox.‘Calm as you like.’But Mariner didn’t like the sound of that.He knew what she was thinking: I hope this isn’t going to happen when.She’d been so excited when she found out that she rang him at work, unable to contain herself.‘You know all that crap they used to give us in sex education lessons about how babies are made?’‘Yes.’‘Turns out they were right.I’m pregnant.’ He’d never known her so happy.It happened so much sooner than either of them had imagined it would.Her euphoria lasted a month to the day, until that morning when he’d awoken in the early hours to find the duvet turned back from ominous stains and Anna perched on the side of the bath sobbing uncontrollably.‘It’s far more common than you might think,’ the doctor reassured them, ‘and really nothing to worry about.Absolutely no reason why you can’t go on to have a healthy baby.’ But his words weren’t much comfort.Anna had wanted that baby.The experience had frightened her, too.Since then Anna had insisted that they do as the doctor suggested and wait a few weeks, and somehow the weeks had evolved into months and she remained reluctant.But then, it was she who had gone through all the physical and emotional turmoil and he could understand why she’d be afraid of it happening again.They hadn’t really had much opportunity to talk about it and Mariner was loath to raise the subject because he knew how upset it made her.Sometimes when he looked at her she seemed so tired, and a light had gone out behind her eyes that he so wanted to re-ignite.‘I’m sure she’d prefer to speak to you though, boss,’ Knox said, bringing him back to the present.Knox was right.He could snatch a couple of minutes now.But when Mariner stepped outside into the gathering dusk to try and ring Anna, he was distracted by a tank-like 4x4 that bounced up on to the pavement drawing to a halt outside the nursery, completely disregarding the parking restrictions.The side window bore a sticker for Jack and the Beanstalk Day Nursery.A big-busted woman, fiftyish in suit and heels, with glossy scarlet fingernails that perfectly matched her lipstick, climbed out and went round to the tailgate of the vehicle, from which she began to drag a huge cardboard box.As Mariner approached her she eyed him with suspicion, a lone male prowling outside a children’s nursery.‘Mrs Barratt?’ Mariner ventured a guess.‘That’s right, I’m Trudy Barratt.Can I help you?’ She paid him scant attention, more concerned with the task in hand.Mariner took out his warrant card.‘I’m here to help you,’ he said, reaching into the car and holding within her line of vision.‘One of your children has gone missing.’The box was teetering on the rim of the boot when he spoke and she almost let it fall.‘That’s impossible.’ She was aghast.Pragmatism took over.‘Someone’s made a mistake.The girls have got you here for nothing.’‘I’m afraid not.Jessica O’Brien has been taken from your nursery.’Trudy Barratt froze.Pocketing his phone, Mariner grabbed the bulky cardboard carton from where it precariously rested on the lip of the boot.It wasn’t as heavy as it looked.‘Thanks,’ she said, absently, slamming shut the tailgate, and now intent on getting into the building as quickly as possible.She punched in the code and stepped aside to let Mariner through with his load, which he deposited in the now blissfully empty hallway.The full circumstances explained, Mrs Barratt’s response became somewhat repetitive.‘I don’t understand how this can have happened,’ she kept saying.‘I need to talk to the girls.’‘We already have,’ said Mariner.‘As far as we can ascertain a woman walked into the crèche unchallenged at two thirty this afternoon and took Jessica O’Brien, as if she was her own child.’‘And they let her go?’‘No one had any reason not to.Your staff didn’t know that the woman wasn’t Jessica’s mother.You were the only person who had met her.’‘And I wasn’t here.’ Mariner hadn’t intended his comment as a judgement but she’d clearly taken it that way.‘Oh my God.’Samantha appeared, hurrying down the stairs.‘Have you heard what’s happened? A woman came into—’‘Yes, I know.I’d like to have a few minutes—’The last was directed at Mariner and as he nodded affirmation the two women disappeared into the office and Trudy Barratt closed the door politely but firmly behind them.Raised voices followed, before finally Samantha emerged, shaken but still keeping it together.‘I’ll go and check if all the other children have gone,’ she said, unnecessarily to Mariner as she crossed the hall and climbed the stairs.He watched as Mrs Barratt went to pick up her phone and spotted the newly installed recording device, her hand hovering in mid-air.He pushed open the door.‘We have to track all the calls made from now on,’ he said.Mrs Barratt looked panicked.‘Can I use my mobile?’‘If you tell me who you’re calling.’‘My husband.’Chapter FourMariner allowed Trudy Barratt some privacy, and as he watched her through the window, pacing her office and jabbering into the phone, her expression grim, Charlie Glover appeared at his side.‘She’s jittery,’ Glover observed.‘Wouldn’t you be? She’s responsible for other people’s children and she’s just lost one of them.The publicity could ruin her.She’s scared.Her reputation, business and livelihood are on the line.’As they watched, Trudy Barratt became increasingly animated, the phone conversation becoming heated.‘She told me she wanted to speak to her husband.Do you get the impression he hasn’t taken it well?’ Mariner wondered aloud.He turned to Glover.‘What did you need?’‘Some of the staff are asking how long we’ll be, sir,’ Charlie Glover said.‘They’ve got families at home, and some have got their own kids to collect.’Mariner nodded.‘As long as we’ve got statements and contact details from all of them, then you can let them go.Warn them that we may need to get in touch with them over the course of the weekend though.’ Glover went to pass on the good news.Mariner allowed Trudy Barratt a further couple of minutes then knocked lightly on the door and, without waiting for an invitation, walked in.‘I’ll call you back,’ Trudy Barratt said, decisively, and ended the call.Mariner waited expectantly.‘My husband,’ she said, again.‘He’s a partner in the business?’‘Oh no.I just wanted him to know that I’d be late.’The call was more than that, but Mariner let it go.There was a light knock on the door and one of the girls brought in a baby in a car seat.The baby he’d met earlier, Ellie, was, by now, sucking strenuously on a pink dummy, dark eyes surveying all around her.It was after six.‘Ellie is staying late,’ Mariner said.‘Shouldn’t her parents have collected her by now?’Trudy Barratt remained loyal to her clientele.‘We try to be flexible to accommodate parents’ needs,’ she said, tactfully.‘It must make your life difficult.’‘On the contrary, it’s what we’re here for.’ Trudy Barratt took the seat behind her desk.Mariner sat down on one of the plastic chairs opposite.‘Samantha told us about the arrangement that you have with the hospital regarding the crèche.How exactly does that work?’‘It’s quite simple.We undertake to keep open a certain number of places on particular days, up to a maximum of eight, for children of visiting consultants and so on.The crèches are advertised through the hospital and parents ring us and book their child for as many days as they would like
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