Chapter 15
There were times when Elea rejected phone calls.
Like when Swann was chasing up her whereabouts, or when her mother rang to see if she was getting enough sleep.
But a call from Maria Korhonen was not to be ignored.
Swann had once called Elea and Maria “tragedy buddies” during a heated row many years ago.
But their relationship ran far deeper than that.
They kept each other afloat, even after all these years.
Anu’s mother was an artist who had grown successful in the last decade.
She poured her grief for her child into her snowy landscape creations, each one a portrait of desolation and beauty.
But it hadn’t always been like that. Maria was a heavy drinker when Anu was snatched.
She would never forgive herself for neglecting her child, but she had remained teetotal ever since.
At sixty-seven years old, she was one of the bravest people Elea knew.
She had moved forward with her life, yet never gave up hope of seeing her child again.
“Moi,” Maria said, her warm voice reminding Elea of home.
Elea returned the greeting to the woman she wished she had never had reason to meet, but whom she now considered a friend. She sat on the office chair, watching Kelly talk to Ollie, who was standing at the printer.
Elea slipped easily into Finnish, appreciating the privacy it offered, as Maria asked how she was. “I’m good. Very good. We’re making real headway on the case.” Her tone was calm and carried a hint of satisfaction.
“You know,” Maria started, her voice thoughtful, “I was standing here at my easel and this feeling came over me. I can’t quite explain it. But now I’ve spoken to you, I think that’s what it was. I felt your excitement. Well done.”
Elea smiled. So that was why she had rung. Maria was very in tune with her feelings. “I can’t share the details yet, but—”
“I trust you,” Maria interrupted gently. “I know you’re doing everything you can. Take care of yourself, OK?”
Elea chuckled softly. “Have you been speaking to my mother?”
Maria laughed, a sound that put Elea at ease.
“I’m old enough to be your mother. Listen to her—her concern comes from a place of love.
There’s nothing quite like the mother-and-daughter bond.
” She continued to talk about the importance of family, and Elea checked her watch. She needed to get back to work.
Kelly glanced in her direction before returning to her desk.
She had been tasked with liaising with outside forces to identify any cases that shared similarities with Operation Turnstile.
Long-winded and tedious work. There were so many incidents of missing children in England, it was a huge task to tap into them all.
In the UK more than 100,000 children were reported missing every year.
But the numbers were mercifully fewer for children who went missing long-term, under 2,000 each year.
But Elea sensed that Kelly was looking in the wrong direction.
It was near misses with strangers that she should be researching; they needed to find the lucky ones who could provide details about their suspect.
Elea made a mental note to have a word with Kelly later on.
She pulled at the collar of her shirt. The air was too stale.
She got up and opened the window and was met with a collective groan.
“I’ll let you go,” Maria said, picking up on the shift in Elea’s attention. “I know when I’ve lost my audience.”
“Sorry,” Elea apologised. “I’m listening. I’ll have news soon.”
“I’m teasing, dear. Get back to work, but take care of yourself, too, yes?”
“And you,” Elea said, before ending the call. Her head turned as the window was slammed shut. Kelly. Elea ground her back teeth. She strode over to Kelly’s desk. “Come with me, please.”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “What is it? I’m busy.”
What was wrong with this woman? Elea had always been respected by her team. She was not used to having to ask twice. She spoke on the inhale, forcing a patient smile. “It’s important.”
Kelly’s expression relayed her annoyance as she followed Elea into an empty office used to assist witnesses in identifying offenders on the police database. It was a small but private space and Elea closed the door behind them.
“What’s with the attitude?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my attitude, thank you. I’m busy. Why have you called me in here?”
“We’re supposed to be working together as a team. So I’ll ask you again: What’s the problem? Spit it out.”
A pink flush spread up from the base of Kelly’s neck. Her lips thinned.
“It’s OK to speak your mind, Kelly. If you have a problem with me, say so, instead of acting like a child.”
“I don’t like your little digs,” Kelly replied, resting one hand on her hip. “Acting like you’ve swept in here to save the day. I work hard, and you’re not my boss.”
“I never said I was.”
“You bloody well act like it!” Kelly’s voice rose a notch. She stopped herself. Took a breath.
Elea bit back a smile. “Are you finished?”
Kelly nodded, perhaps worried that she had overstepped the mark. Word had clearly got out. People knew Elea was married to their boss.
“I’ll take on board what you said. You’ve got real sisu, you know that?”
“Sisu?”
“It’s hard to explain, but it’s in you. Grit. Determination. If you put your fighting spirit into the case instead of resenting me, there’s no reason we can’t work well together. You know I have a vested interest, right?”
Kelly nodded, her eyes downcast. “The hours we’ve worked to get those girls home . . . I’ve not seen my mum in a month.”
“You’re paving the way. It takes time to build a case. Your work won’t go to waste. We OK?”
“We’re OK,” Kelly confirmed.
Elea opened the office door. She needed every member of the team onside. “And Kelly?” Elea said, as she walked past. “Go and see your mum.”
Elea sank into the passenger seat of the car as tiredness swept over her.
Her limbs felt heavy, and a dull ache pulsed behind her eyes.
She’d turned down Swann’s offer to drop her to her hotel.
Mitch could drive her back. If Swann insisted on pairing them up, then that’s exactly what he would get.
She was still pissed with Swann for the way he’d treated her today, but she knew how to play him and would assert herself in time.
At least the office dynamics had improved, and Mitch seemed content to allow her to take a leading role—in and out of bed.
She massaged her temple as she inhaled the new-car smell.
“Have you had it long?” She glanced across at Mitch, who was reversing out of the space.
“The car,” she added. Elea hated small talk, but it was better than sitting in awkward silence for the drive home.
The words “small talk” weren’t part of the Finnish language.
The concept of chatting for the sake of filling silences was a bit of a cultural oddity.
But Elea recalled enough of her father’s English ways to understand the differences between the cultures.
“I bought it yesterday.” Mitch glanced her way. “But you’re not interested in cars . . . remember?”
A splinter of a memory returned: Elea, slightly drunk at the time, bluntly informing Mitch that he was boring her when he mentioned that he’d bought a car.
“Mmm.” Elea nodded, letting down the window a touch.
The cool evening air and change of scenery offered a welcome break from the office.
It was odd how police HQ was nestled in the Lincolnshire countryside, a few miles away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Soon they were heading out of Nettleham and towards the city of Lincoln.
They drove in silence, passing under orange streetlights as tiredness washed over them both.
“Long day, huh?” Mitch stifled a yawn as he waited for the traffic lights to change from red to green.
“Yes, you look tired.” A smile tugged at the corner of Elea’s mouth. “Someone keep you up late last night?”
His lips formed a grin. “Yeah, and they kicked me out of bed in the early hours to do their milk round.”
“Milk ladies lead such busy lives.” Elea exhaled a tired laugh. “You won’t be seeing her again.”
“That’s a crying shame,” Mitch said wistfully, as the traffic lights changed. “I’m missing her already.”
Silence fell between them once more, but it was becoming a comfortable one.
Elea gazed out of the window at the darkened streets.
Was her daughter’s kidnapper holed up here somewhere?
Tomorrow would be a big day, which is why they’d all been sent home to get some sleep.
In the morning Elea and Mitch would speak to Sophie and hopefully glean some information about her kidnapper.
Then, if needed, they’d turn their attention to the suspects named on Hobbs’s list. The Divisional Intelligence Unit had already confirmed that some of them were known for using the Dark Web, with dealings both nationally and internationally.
Elea had no doubt that it was a strong lead.
Mitch’s car rolled to a stop outside a row of terraced houses. “This is Yarborough Crescent.” He leaned forward and pointed out of the window. “Over there. That’s Sophie Miller’s home.”
Elea studied the red-brick detached building, which looked like any other house on the street. “She’s just an ordinary child,” she said softly.
“That’s what makes it so frightening for the people around here.” Mitch pulled slowly away from the kerb. “There’s no telling who could be next.”
Elea couldn’t think about it anymore. “We should head back.” Her stomach grumbled. She had barely eaten all day.
“Right you are.”
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at Alice’s text, blinking to ensure that she’d read it correctly. Sighing, she typed a quick response.
“Everything all right?” As he headed towards the Brayford, Mitch threw her a curious glance.
“Just an offer I can refuse.” She slipped her phone back into her pocket and gazed out at the darkened streets.