The Stealers Read Free Page A

About three months ago, my sister disappeared. Her new boyfriend, who turned out to be her abductor, said if I ever wanted to see her again, I would have to live in this house and help him in his export business. I was expected to pretend to be in trouble while they stole the cars. He said it would only last for a couple of months and then he would bring her back. I know they are holding my sister against her will because she would never leave her little boy, Andrew; the one you saw when the police called.’
    â€˜Is this Bradley the man with the gun?’
    â€˜No; I haven’t seen him since this whole thing started. He only gets in touch by phone.’
    â€˜Why didn’t you report all this to the police?’
    â€˜Why do you think? I took his threats seriously. I have no idea where my sister is being held. They have what they call, ‘A client base’; people actually waiting for the cars they steal to order. They don’t always bring the cars back here. I expect your car would have been taken to someone by tomorrow evening. Look, I just want my sister back safe and sound; so, please don’t go to the police.’
    It was a plausible story, but Crane was uncertain. ‘You were expecting someone; Trevor. Who’s he, one of your accomplices?’
    â€˜No!’ she replied with some fervour, ‘he’s my brother. Apart from you, Trevor is the only person who knows about this.’
    â€˜Why is he coming here so late?’
    â€˜He’s an accountant and works in the city. Sometimes he stays on late to complete a job for his clients. Like me, he is worried sick about my involvement and our missing sister, Jean, ever since this whole thing erupted.’
    Crane was still not entirely convinced. He had already experienced her acting abilities in the car park. ‘I think I would like to meet your brother, so if you don’t mind I’ll hang around till he arrives.’
    The woman seemed unfazed by this and said, ‘Would you care for a coffee while we wait?’
    Crane accepted the offer and followed her back into the house. The sound of a car pulling into the drive caught their attention, followed by a key turning in the lock of the front door. Footsteps echoed on the hard wooden flooring before Trevor poked his head around the door of the lounge, and upon seeing his sister with a man said, ‘Oh, you’ve got company, I won’t disturb… ’
    â€˜Come in,’ Crane interrupted. ‘We were just having a chat about your sister.’
    Trevor stepped smartly into the room, looking from one to the other as he entered and stood still for a moment. A bespectacled thirty-year-old, he was about five feet ten inches with a willowy hunched-up frame and sallow complexion. His face brightened as he enquired, ‘Any news?’
    The woman looked at him and said in a rush, ‘I helped steal this man’s car. He’s tracked it down and he wants to report it to the police. I’ve told him the whole story.’
    Trevor rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, let out a sigh and readily confirmed everything that the woman said. ‘It had to happen sooner or later,’ he said and as he looked at Crane said, ‘Penny and I are at our wits end; if it was you caught up in all this, what would you do Mr erm… ’
    â€˜Name’s Crane, Jack Crane. It seems as though I’m already drawn in, by getting this far.’
    A noise interrupted them and a face peered around the open door. It was the little boy. He looked around the room, rubbing his eyes and said sleepily, ‘Is Mummy back now Auntie Penny?’
    Penny smiled and hurried over to him, ‘No, not yet Andrew, it’s late, you should try and get some sleep.’
    She scooped him up and took him back upstairs to bed. ‘The boy’s been so good considering he hasn’t seen his mother for some weeks; he’ll be five years old in a couple of months