Kim listened closely as Stacey spoke hurriedly.
‘Oh shit,’ she said, ending the call.
She turned to her colleague. ‘Bryant, we need to get to Russells Hall now.’
FORTY-EIGHT
‘Ah, bless,’ Symes said at the sight of his little prisoners. They didn’t know each other but they had huddled together either for warmth or comfort. He wasn’t sure which.
Upon seeing him, the younger girl burst into tears and hid her face in Emma’s arm.
After bringing Chloe earlier, he had tied her wrists and ankles together and thrown her into the same room as Emma, before locking the doors and leaving again.
He’d driven back towards town and parked a quarter mile away from a village shop, before walking the rest of the way to make a couple of small purchases.
He’d been gone for no more than two hours and the two of them were already firm friends.
He smiled in the face of their terror.
Perfect.
It was time to tighten the screws on the bitch just a little more.
He took out the pay-and-go phone he’d bought at Tesco with money from Edna’s purse. Oh, Edna, the gift that just kept on giving. He’d known his image would be caught on CCTV somewhere around the store, but he had made his purchase quickly and efficiently, drawing no attention to himself. He had been in and out in less than five minutes.
The £10 SIM card had already been inserted and, although phones had come a long way during his time inside, he only needed it to do two things.
He readied the phone and he readied himself.
‘Okay, girls, I know you’re scared and you’re right to be. You’re never gonna see any of your parents again.’
Both girls burst into tears.
Press record.
‘I want my mummy.’
Scream.
‘Mummy…Mummy…Mummy.’
Sobs.
‘P-P-Please let us go.’
Sobs.
‘I’m scared.’
Oh this was so much better than he’d expected.
Wordlessly, he raised his foot and hovered it over the smaller girl’s knee. She watched it with terror shining in her eyes. He touched the side of her leg with the toe of his foot.
She screamed. ‘Don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me.’
He captured another few seconds of fear-fuelled crying and pleas from the two of them.
‘Please let us go home,’ said the older girl.