Chapter 69
SIXTY-NINE
Once Quinn and Jude returned to the boathouse, it was decided that they would all leave for London right away.
And it wasn’t until they got back, had dinner, and sent the kids to bed that Quinn and Jude could finally speak privately.
By that point, she was no longer angry with him for not calling, just grateful that he had spotted Max and made sure he was safe.
They stepped outside into the garden, and Quinn wrapped her arms around Jude and pressed her face to his chest. He’d changed so much since she had first met him.
Then, he had been an angry, disgruntled young man who’d found solace in his music, booze, and drugs.
Now, he was a husband, a father, and a career soldier, and his demeanor reflected his need to guard and protect.
He hugged her back, and they remained that way for a few seconds, their mutual concern for Logan and love for Max binding them.
“Why didn’t you ring me?” Quinn said when Jude finally let her go.
“I did. Several times.”
“I don’t have any missed calls from you.”
Jude’s expression was pained. “I called from a pay-as-you-go phone. It wasn’t until I was already on my way that I realized I left my phone at the rental car counter.
I didn’t want to waste time going back to the airport, so I bought a burner at an all-night kiosk and headed straight up to the Lake District.
I rang the rental car company and asked them to hold on to my mobile until I return the car. ”
Quinn sighed in exasperation. Of all the times to forget his phone, this was probably the most inconvenient, but she now knew who’d tried to reach her from an unregistered number that she’d blocked.
“Why didn’t you leave a message?”
“Because Max was in a state, and then you blocked the number. And then I realized I was being followed by a patrol car. I tried to explain, but they were under the impression that I had kidnapped Max and had me in handcuffs before I could produce my ID.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I was in a panic,” Quinn explained. “I honestly believed Max had been taken.”
“Yeah, I figured. It’s all right, Quinny. You did the right thing. Imagine if someone else had seen him first, or if no one had and he’d kept going.”
“You would think someone would call the police if they saw a little boy on his own,” she said.
“Most people would, but there are some who would see it as an opportunity.”
“What a sad world we live in when an unattended child is a pleasant surprise.”
“There has always been evil in the world. We didn’t invent it,” Jude said soberly. “And sometimes people you think are basically decent will do terrible things when they know they’ll get away with it.”
Quinn didn’t think they were speaking about Max anymore. Jude had been to war zones and had seen the victims of war crimes. He knew all about evil and lack of accountability. But now wasn’t the time to put the world to rights. All she cared about was her brother and nephew.
“Jude, what’s happening? Where can Logan be? DI Malone suggested that he torched his car for the insurance and took off voluntarily. They’re not doing anything to find him.”
“Perhaps that’s not a bad thing,” Jude replied.
“What do you mean?”
“Look, whatever happened will not look good for Logan. So maybe it’s better that the police don’t focus on him. At best, they could send in social services to take Max, and, at worst, he could be arrested.”
“On what charge?”
“He clearly got involved in something he shouldn’t have, and the scheme went tits up.”
“What scheme? Do you know something?” Quinn asked.
“I don’t. I’m just speculating.”
“So, what do we do now? And what do we tell Max? He is distraught. And he thinks we’re not trying to find Logan. Where can he be?”
Jude’s expression was thoughtful. “When we were small, our parents used to take us to Nare Head on holiday. One day, Logan and I found this abandoned bunker. We were so excited. And we were even more thrilled to discover that there was a manhole that led to a subterranean level. We were lucky not to come upon an unexploded grenade,” he said with a shake of the head.
Quinn looked at him, uncomprehending. “What does that have to do with the current situation?”
“I think that if Logan was going to hide out anywhere, it would be there.”
“You think Logan is in some bunker in Cornwall?”
Jude shrugged. “It’s the only thing I can think of. I’m going to go there tomorrow. Check it out.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
“I don’t think you should leave Max,” Jude said. “Not after…”
“I wasn’t going to. We’ll take Max with us.”
“All right,” Jude said resignedly. “But what do we tell him?”
“We’ll tell him the truth, that we’re looking for Logan. We might not find him, but at least Max will know that we’re doing something to find his dad.”
Jude turned to go back inside. “I’m going to the airport to collect my phone, then I’m going to Logan’s.”
“You can stay here.”
“You have a full house, and I don’t fancy sleeping on the sofa. Besides, it will give me a chance to poke about. Maybe I’ll find something relevant. I’ll collect you at eight.” Quinn nodded, and Jude pulled her into a hug. “We’ll find him, Quinn.”
“Yes,” she replied, but she no longer believed it.