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seeing the black-shadow-man again in his dreams.

CHAPTER FOUR

    ALEX WAS ON THE PHONE SAYING ‘NO’ TO A VERY IMPORTANT MAN. It was one of the directors of the company that he had hoped to sign a big deal with.
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ said Alex. ‘There’s no way I can do that tonight. You see, it’s my son – he’s gone missing.’
    The voice on the other end had little sympathy. ‘It would be advisable for you to make the dinner with the chairman, but if you think you really can’t, at the very least you need to be at our London office in the morning to go through the other issues in the contract.’
    â€˜Can’t the contract be forwarded to me? Perhaps I could get it back to you in a day or two? In person if necessary.’
    â€˜
If
necessary? I thought you understood the size and scale of what we were offering your business, Mr Holliday.’
    â€˜It’s just my son-’
    â€˜Yes, he’s missing, you said. And for how long? Less than a day? Eight hours or so? That’s hardly an emergency yet. This deal can’t wait.’
    Alex tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible. ‘Then I’ll certainly do all I can to be there in the morning.’ After the call was finished, he threw the handset across the room onto the armchair then rubbed at his eyes.
    Charlotte brought him a cup of tea.
    â€˜Where are they, Charlie?’
    She sat by him. ‘I wish I knew. She wouldn’t hurt him, Alex, so until we know differently we’ve got to believe he’s safe.’
    â€˜I don’t care what the
experts
said, someone had to be carrying him away from the home. If not my mum then someone with her. They couldn’t have been his footprints.’
    â€˜Perhaps they carried him between them, and that’s why there wasn’t a lot of extra pressure in the prints. She was probably getting him away from danger. She’ll be looking out for him.’
    â€˜She better be. Why hasn’t she rung?’
    Charlotte didn’t have the answer. She sipped her tea. ‘That call just then didn’t seem to go too well.’
    â€˜It’ll be fine. They wanted me to be at some dinner tonight but I told them no. They need me in London tomorrow morning though.’
    â€˜You’ll have to go.’
    Alex shook his head. ‘I’m not going if Tom isn’t home. I’ve made him second best too many times lately. I can’t be miles away in case something happens.’
    â€˜Won’t the deal be in trouble? You said you needed it.’
    Alex flushed pink from the neck upwards. Needing the deal was an understatement – everything was resting on it. But how could he when his family was in jeopardy? ‘Tom needs me more.’

    *
    They waited and waited for the phone to ring. At five past seven it did. It was Detective Fields. ‘Can you come to Victory Park? By the pavilion. We’ve found another piece of Tom’s story.’
    Fifteen minutes later they were in the car park on Victory Road. A police constable greeted them as they got out – their licence plate was written on his hand. ‘I’ll escort you to the scene,’ he said.
    Scene
, thought Alex. The word always sounded so serious when spoken by a police officer.
    The park was virtually empty which was uncommon for a summer evening. ‘We’re having to evacuate the whole area,’ said the constable. ‘Just to be safe.’
    â€˜Safe from what?’ asked Charlotte.
    The constable looked uncertain. ‘I’ll let Detective Fields explain.’
    They crossed a football pitch in the direction of the whitewashed pavilion building and the wooded area beyond it. There were a number of officers working in the vicinity, but Benedict Fields was waiting for them on the pavilion steps. He offered his hand. ‘Mr and Mrs Holliday.’
    â€˜Has Tom been here?’
    â€˜We think so. Follow me