Cathy was a good kid, and despite everything she said she needed her mother. Nathan knew so little about her, but it was not too late to repair things – as long as he could get Ruby back safely. The thought of her being buried in a casket in the ground struck cold fear in his heart. It was an alien emotion, and he tried to shake it off as he followed Downes down the driveway of Chris Douglas’s house. He curled his fists. Replacing the emotion with the familiar lust for revenge had sharpened his focus. If Chris Douglas hurt a hair on Ruby’s head, he would blow his fucking brains out.
Thundering behind the police unit, he and Downes pushed their way through the front door. Broken-hinged, it had been battered to submission. The last thing he expected to see was a man lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor.
‘Fuck,’ Downes said. ‘It’s Chris.’
But Nathan had no sentiment for Chris; his focus was solely on Ruby. A lump of dread rose in his throat and wedged like a hard ball. ‘There must be a basement,’ Nathan barked at the officers. ‘She said something about going down. Try the garden too.’
Downes gave him a look which told him who was in charge, but Nathan didn’t care. The detective inspector might have to play it by the book, but he didn’t. Nervous energy erupted in his bloodstream as he pulled back the door of a cupboard under the stairs. ‘Here,’ he shouted, lifting a panel on the floor which led him to an underground stairwell. Feeling for a light, he adjusted his eyes to the darkness. The stench of bodily fluids and human remains were overpowering. These were smells he had encountered from a young age when he was forced to watch his father’s ‘work’. He entered the bowels of the room, resisting the urge to draw his pistol. Carrying a firearm would land him a prison sentence, and judging by their sideways glances there were lots of officers here who would be too glad to collar a Crosby. Flicking on the light switch, he descended the steps to the basement. ‘Ruby?’ he called out, his voice echoing in the dank space.
Nathan’s heart plummeted as he gazed around the empty room. Nothing but a swivel chair, a bent-up Christmas tree, and some old stains on a splintered wooden floor. Sure, the basement harboured life. The rat droppings and cobwebs were testament to that – and the smell of death reeked from the floorboards. But if Ruby was here she had since been moved. They had found their killer alright. But where was Ruby now? Police boots echoed on the stairs as officers warily followed him down. They did not question their superior about Nathan’s presence, and Downes did not offer any explanation.
Who knew what they would uncover from beneath the floorboards? But Nathan was not here to solve past crimes.
Downes rubbed his chin, disappointment evident on his face.
‘Where’s he taken her?’ Nathan said. ‘You said he was a pathologist. Where does he work?’
‘We need to get to his office. I’ll take it from here,’ Downes said.
‘You’re having a laugh if you think I’m stepping back now,’ Nathan replied, pushing past officers to hike up the stairs. But Downes was not far behind, matching him step for step. He must have known what Nathan was planning because he was not allowing him out of his sight.
Downes grabbed the door handle of his Mercedes and launched himself inside. Revving the engine, Nathan tore up the road.
‘Listen, we both have one thing in common and that’s Ruby’s welfare,’ Downes said, pushing his seat belt into its holder. ‘Just leave this to the police. If Ruby comes out of this in one piece, then you’ve got your futures to consider. I won’t come between you.’
‘That’s very magnanimous of you,’ Nathan said, bemused. As if Downes ever stood in their way.
‘I’m thinking of Ruby and what she’d want for her daughter. Having you in prison isn’t one of them. Drop me off and then go home. I’ll call and update when I get inside.’
‘Don’t worry, Downes, I won’t throw any punches. It’s not how I do business,’ Nathan said.
Downes raised an eyebrow, as if to say that was not what he had heard, but he stayed silent.
Nathan pulled up outside the building and killed the engine of the car. Police sirens echoed in the distance, indicating they would not be alone for long. ‘I’ll give you five minutes, then I’m going in.’
Downes nodded in acknowledgement. A thin layer of perspiration shone on his forehead. Scrambling out of the car, he took long strides in the darkness towards the building. Neither of them noticed the thin sliver of crepe which had come loose from the front door. Edged with white ribbon, the breeze carried it away, along with any clues to Sophie’s whereabouts.