Bring Him Back Read Free Page A

phone to the police,’ Mike said. ‘To begin with, it looked as if they were being efficient. They were here within minutes, did everything they had to do and set up the trace on the phone. They even combed the island with sniffer dogs. But it’s been over two weeks and they haven’t turned up a single lead or shred of evidence.’
    Ben was already familiar with every step the cops had taken to date. They’d done a lot of the things he’d have done himself, checking ports and airports on the assumption that Drew Hunter would have taken his son straight off the island on the evening of the abduction. The ferries to France had been checked, as well as every small boat charter outfit and every light aircraft shuttle service. Blanks had been drawn every which way. The only key development so far in the inquiry had been the discovery of the large cash withdrawal that Drew Hunter had made from the bank just minutes after opening time on Tuesday May 4 th , three days prior to the kidnapping. He’d emptied his entire account, walking away with almost sixty grand in a bag, which was all that remained of what had once been a much healthier balance. The only conclusion the police could draw was that this hadn’t been a spur-of-the-moment crime.
    ‘It’s as if they’d simply vanished into thin air,’ Jessica said, momentarily close to tears again. Sniffing, she went on, ‘We soon realised that the investigation was simply going nowhere. That’s when Mike suggested we call in someone from the outside. Someone who knows about these things. I understand you’re from a military background?’
    ‘I’ve been out of that coming up for a year,’ Ben said.
    ‘It isn’t just any old military background, though, is it?’ Mike asked with a knowing kind of tone.
    ‘It’s not something I really talk about a lot,’ Ben said. ‘I served with 22 Special Air Service. Which gave me experience in covert work and hostage rescue, among other things.’
    ‘And since that time, you’ve been involved in a number of missing persons cases,’ Mike said. ‘The Italian kidnapping a few months ago, for instance. The girl was returned safely to her family, wasn’t she?’
    ‘I was barely involved,’ Ben lied.
    ‘And four kidnappers were jailed, one killed.’
    ‘Nobody’s going to get killed this time,’ Ben said.
    Jessica Hunter looked at Ben imploringly. ‘Does that mean you’ll help us? Please. I’m begging you. We don’t know where else to turn.’
    ‘I’m here,’ Ben said. ‘I’ll do what I can.’

 
     
     
     
     
    3
    ‘THANK YOU,’ JESSICA said, her eyes misting. She quickly wiped one of them. ‘You don’t know what it means.’
    Ben had some more questions. ‘So as far as you’re both aware, apart from the boy’s natural father, there’s no other suspect involved in this situation?’
    ‘Drew isn’t a suspect ,’ Jessica said. ‘His guilt isn’t in question here. We both saw him snatch Carl away at gunpoint. And of course he’s acting alone.’
    ‘How long have you two been together?’
    ‘Six months,’ Mike said.
    ‘Going on seven,’ Jessica said, squeezing his hand.
    ‘I take it that Drew wasn’t exactly thrilled with the new domestic situation,’ Ben said.
    ‘He’s jealous,’ Jessica sobbed. ‘He’s all alone now and he can’t stand it that I’m not. That’s what this is all about. He’s just trying to hurt me by taking away my child.’
    ‘Seven months,’ Ben said. ‘The divorce was well over a year ago, wasn’t it? Though I understand the marriage had turned sour long before.’
    ‘You mean when he started drinking,’ Jessica said bitterly.
    ‘It’s what I read,’ Ben said.
    ‘Nothing much escapes the reporters, does it? They get into your life like ants. They only care about their story.’ Jessica paused, calmed herself and went on in a wistful tone, ‘Drew hasn’t been content with his life for a long time. I don’t know what happened. He used to be. At least, he