Chapter 9 chapter eight

Pushing through the crowd, Tom squeezed back into the crowded bar, his eyes searching for Becky Robinson.He had been overjoyed a few weeks ago to find out she had applied for the post of Detective Inspector with Greater Manchester Police, but less so when he saw her in person.She was so thin that her eyes seemed sunken into her cheeks.He wondered if today would be his chance to find out what had crippled her, she was clearly broken by what had happened. He enjoyed working with Becky in London.Becky was one of his constables at the time, and he found her to be sharp and insightful—just what he needed on this case.But he had to make sure she could handle it.

Clutching a glass of what looked like orange juice, Becky stood with the rest of the crew, smiling but with empty eyes.Tom raised his hand, and Becky and several others turned their heads to look over.He motioned for Becky to come over, and she turned with relief and set the glass on the nearest table.No one looked disappointed that he hadn't been called. "Sir, are you looking for me?" Her dark eyes looked at him. "We've got a mission, Becky. A woman and three children are missing. I'll pay for the drinks and I'll give you details on the way. Will you take it?"

"No problem. Do you want me to drive?" Becky asked.Meanwhile, Tom beckoned to the bartender, signing. "Thanks, no," replied Tom, remembering some of Becky's nerve-wracking drives while on errands in London, "come and ride in my car, and I'll have someone drop you off when I'm done. " They crossed the road in silence and walked toward the parking lot.Tom opened the lock remotely.He didn't speak until they were both in the car, fastened their seat belts, and started the car engine.He turned his face to look at her, but she stared straight ahead, obviously not wanting to make eye contact with him.It's not at all in her character.

"Becky, you know, I'm delighted that you applied to work in Manchester. I'm even happier when you get the job. It's not always easy to move these days, there's a lot of resistance, and that's something we both love. I know that. But what happened to you? You've changed, you look like you've been shot in the gut, I hope you don't mind me saying that." "Thank you," Becky said.She finally smiled, and Tom could feel the tension in her spine relax a little. "But I'm fine. I'm glad to be out of London, and I really don't want to talk about it, not even to you. If it's going to affect my work, please let me know, sir. Otherwise, can we Don't mention it anymore? Other people don't know about my past, so they probably think I've always looked like this. I'd rather be that way."

Tom nodded slowly, and drove the car out of the parking lot, turning in the direction of Brooks' house.He knew how it felt, and if Becky didn't want to tell him, it was all he had to say. "Well, I hope you understand that you can talk to me anytime you like. You know I'll never give a word out. By the way, when it's just the two of us, just call me Tom. Yes Me, you don't always have to be so formal." "Okay, got it. Are you going to tell me about the case now or something?" she asked, and the slightly impertinent Becky from before seemed to be back. As he drove, Tom told Philippa all the details of Robert Brooks' disappearance two years earlier, and then relived his first meeting with Olivia Brooks some nine years ago. . "I just had a hunch that something was wrong with that, but I can't remember what. I was with Ryan and he just asked mechanically what was going on, and he didn't even try to look deeper when the problem arose. Hierarchical mining."

"By Ryan you mean our Ryan Tippitz?" Tom just nodded. "Oh, damn it. Poor girl." Apparently it didn't take Becky long to figure out how much Ryan weighed. "And what do you think happened to her ex-boyfriend?" Becky asked. "I don't know. The last we had was evidence that he had booked a plane ticket, so it can only be speculated that he was out of the country." The two were silent for a while.To say Olivia is devastated by her boyfriend's disappearance doesn't quite convey the shock and horror she's shown.Any woman who's ever been dumped by her boyfriend and left with a newborn baby would be heartbroken, but it seemed to Tom that it was more than that.

"That was just the beginning of the problem." He continued, "Two months later, her parents both died again, and she also found out." Tom sees a hysterical Olivia screaming over and over, saying "this can't be an accident".But no matter how they investigated, there was no possibility of murder.Tom even suspects her missing boyfriend.He was doing a Ph. D. in engineering, and maybe—just maybe—it was all just a trick to get insurance money. "So, if I understand correctly, her ex-boyfriend ran away, her parents were found dead, then her husband came to the rescue, and seven years later he left with the baby. She claimed that the husband was lying - then she was What do you think? She thinks he's holding them hostage?"

"I don't know. Philippa thinks there is something strange about it." "So if his hijacking plan failed two years ago, will this be a second attempt, but this time it will be more perfect?" Tom raised his eyebrows and glanced at Becky. "Go on," he said. "Well, if he wanted the kids so badly two years ago, he might say goodbye to his wife this time and take the kids again - hide them somewhere. He's got two years to plan." At this juncture, Tom's cell phone rang untimely, interrupting them, and without thinking, he pressed the dashboard screen to answer, and a voice filled the car through bluetooth.

"Is that Chief Detective Inspector Douglas?" was the blunt voice of the police officer on duty. "Please," said Tom. "I just got a call from Officer Michelle. He's at the Brooks house with the father, Robert Brooks. I hear you're driving there?" "That's right. We'll be there in ten minutes. Any questions?" "Well, there might be a problem. It's weird, anyway. Michelle has been filling out the missing persons register, and he's asking the father of the kids for a few pictures of the kids, which is normal. He said Mr. Brooks went He took it from the sideboard and found that the photo box was empty. He thought his wife had changed the photo box. To make it easier, he said he could print a copy from the computer. But there is no computer, so I can’t find it on the computer There was a picture of it - nothing in the bin, nothing. Same on his phone, and his wife's phone. Her phone is still in her handbag, by the way. According to Mr Brooks , there is not a single picture of his wife and children in the house."