26. Sam
Sam
W hen I get back, I’m immediately called into my office. Sitting in my chair, behind my desk is Inspector Wyatt, and he doesn’t look happy.
‘Inspector Wyatt,’ I say, nodding in greeting.
‘Sit down, Sergeant Anderson,’ he says.
I’m not used to sitting on this side of the desk but I do as I’m told.
‘What the hell do you think you were doing out there this morning?’
Trying to find my wife is what I want to say. But I know I broke so many rules today, so I say nothing. I run a hand through my hair. It must look an absolute disaster because I’ve done it a hundred times since Iris went missing.
‘How about you start from the beginning. Why is Iris involved?’
‘No, we need to be out there searching.’ I’m about to stand and storm out before a wave of emotion takes over and I slump back in the chair and sob.
I’ve kept it together this long but I can’t anymore.
I’m so worried I’ll never see Iris again.
I’m so scared I’ll have to somehow tell the kids that Mummy isn’t coming home.
The thought makes my stomach roll and I grab the waste basket from the end of the desk just in case.
The Inspector hands me the box of tissues I keep behind my desk. I wipe my face and take a deep breath.
‘My wife’s friend’s child was kidnapped two years ago,’ I manage to get out between sniffles. ‘And they lived across the road from the convicted child trafficker who was caught.’
He says nothing. Inspector Wyatt is known for being a real take-no-shit hard-ass. I was hoping the background story might soften him a little.
‘She became completely obsessed with finding the others involved in the organisation, and I thought she’d given up on it when we moved out here, but turns out she hadn’t. She worked out Brent was involved and learned who Matteas was and…’
I trail off. I can’t think about what Matteas is doing to Iris. He’s a dangerous man. It’s a dangerous organisation.
Inspector Wyatt folds his hands together and places them on top of the desk.
‘Sam,’ he says, his tone gentle, and I take the use of my first name as a positive sign.
‘There’ll be time for working out our failures here when we find your wife.
And I assure you, we’re doing everything we can to find her. However, I’m taking you off the case.’
His words are like a punch to the gut. I suspected they were coming but it hits hard nonetheless. ‘Please, sir. I want to help the team. I’ve been working this case for almost two years now. I know the details better than anyone.’
I know my wife better than anyone.
‘But you’re emotionally involved now. I gave you a chance this morning and you ran into a burning building against orders.’
I rub at my arms and patchy hair left there. ‘I promise I can put my emotions aside. If you want me off the search, fine. At least let me talk to the kids and find out more.’
He thinks for a moment, scratching the greying hairs of his beard. ‘Fine. Only the children. I don’t want you anywhere except at the hospital or behind a desk.’
My shoulders sag with relief. I couldn’t bear to be taken off this case completely, not when we’re so close and the stakes are even higher. This is personal now. ‘Thank you, sir.’
‘And be gentle with them. They’ve been through a lot.’
‘Of course, Inspector.’
That went without saying.
***
I go straight to the hospital, not wasting a second.
Every minute Iris is out there alone with those criminals is…
I stop the thought. Playing out the scenarios in my mind is dangerous.
I need to keep a level head, even when it feels like I’m drowning, feels like my lungs are constantly battling to take in a deep breath.
I will find her. One hour at a time. One minute at a time.
A nurse in purple scrubs, covered in cartoon sea creatures, greets me in the hospital. ‘I’m Rachel,’ she says. ‘You must be Sam. Thanks for calling ahead.’
‘How are the kids doing?’
Rachel’s mouth forms a straight line, and she narrows her eyes on a pile of files on the desk next to her.
She places a palm on top of the pile. ‘Physically, they’re all going to be okay.
They’ll be with us a little while as we treat them for malnutrition and dehydration.
’ She bites her lip and sighs. ‘Psychologically, I’m not sure.
How are we going with tracking down families? ’
There was a team back at the station, as well as a unit in Melbourne, combing through missing persons reports and looking for connections to the children we found. But it’s challenging when we don’t know where the children were taken from. It might have been interstate for all we know.
‘We’re working on it. There are four children we still haven’t identified as yet.’ At least I think that’s what I read in the latest email update. I can barely focus on anything besides finding Iris. I just hope speaking with the kids turns up something.
‘Those poor, poor darlings and their families.’ Rachel shakes her head. ‘I can’t believe what they’ve been through.’
‘We’re going to catch the people who did this to them.’ I clear my throat, nervous about what I need to say next. ‘I do need to speak with the children though. The ones who are up to it.’
Rachel shoots me a glare, and I’m pleased that she’s the one looking after them. She’s got protective mother bear written all over her.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘We need more information on their kidnappers and abductions.’
She huffs out a breath. ‘They shouldn’t have to relive it all again.’
‘I know,’ I say, trying to keep my voice calm, even though I want to scream, and tell her those people have my wife. ‘But I’ll be very gentle with them.’
‘I don’t like this,’ she says, crossing her arms. ‘But fine. Only the ones who have their parents here though.’
I nod. ‘I know. Thank you.’
‘Follow me,’ she says, coming out from behind her desk. ‘Carly is in the best shape of the kids and her parents are here now.’
Rachel leads me to a small sitting room where Carly is flanked on either side by a man and woman. They both stand when I walk in and Carly remains sitting in her wheelchair.
They take in my uniform and the man asks, ‘Have you caught them?’
I offer a hand out to them both. ‘Mr and Mrs Jones, I’m Sergeant Anderson. I was there when we found your daughter.’
They both shake my hand and then Carly’s mother pulls me in for a hug. ‘Thank you so much,’ she says.
‘Unfortunately, we haven’t caught them yet but we will.’
I say this for myself as much as for them. It’s been several hours since the warehouse raid. Plenty of time to cross the border with Iris and be further out of my reach. ‘I was wondering if I could ask Carly a few questions.’
‘I don’t think—’
Carly cuts her dad off. ‘Yes, I want to help.’
‘Are you sure, sweetheart?’ Mrs Jones asks her daughter. ‘You’ve been through a lot.’
But Carly’s eyes narrow with determination. ‘I’m sure.’
We sit around the small room and I take my notepad out. ‘Let’s start with the day you were taken.’
In my three hours at the hospital, I speak with three children. I’d hoped to speak with more but their parents hadn’t arrived yet.
The children all had very different experiences when they were abducted but there was one similarity.
A woman was present at all their kidnappings.