his phone records. We need to look at every possible lead now. Do you have a set of keys?’
‘The solicitor is dealing with all that,’ Toby answered, looking from one person to the other.
‘Yes, I understand that, but can we have your permission?’ Carter pushed. ‘It saves getting a search warrant – saves time.’
‘Of course you can, for Christ’s sake,’ Lauren spat out angrily as she came in from the kitchen. ‘You can do anything you want if it will help find our son.’
Carter watched as Lauren took several paces towards Toby and looked like she was about to hit him. Toby recoiled from her. ‘Just fucking do it, Toby. Just do it without thinking about yourself for one fucking moment,’ she screamed in his face. ‘You lost our son. You lost our son . . .’
Jeanie stepped towards her and led her away. Toby got up and left the room, and when he came back he handed a set of keys to Carter.
‘The solicitor gave me a set.’
Carter felt his phone vibrate and excused himself. ‘Willis, can you cover for me a min? I need to make a call.’
Carter left the door on the latch as he stepped outside onto the landing and stood looking over the view of the building site around them; the lift shaft was at his back.
‘Cabrina?’
‘Dan, I’ve been trying to get you for hours.’
‘I’m sorry, love – we’re in the middle of that missing-child case in Greenwich.’
‘Oh yes, I know. I heard about it on the radio.’
‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
‘We’ve had a break-in. I’m not sure what they’ve taken. It looks a mess here.’
‘Shit. Are you and Archie okay?’
‘Yes, we’re okay, it happened when I was at work and he was at nursery. Sorry to bother you – I know how big this case is but I don’t know whether to get the locks changed?’
‘How did they get in?’
‘Through the flat downstairs. They busted her window and then climbed up and through our landing window.’
‘Bastards.’
‘Yeah . . . horrible. I feel so angry.’
‘Look, I’m going to be late again tonight. I might just catch a bit of sleep here.’
‘Please, Dan, come home. You didn’t come home last night.’
‘I’m sorry, love – this is a crucial time. We’re all working flat out. Are you taking Archie to your mum’s?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’ll get Robbo on to it and send a couple of Archway officers round to see what needs to be done.’
‘There’s nothing they can do.’
‘We have to add our name to the statistics, love, otherwise we can’t claim on the insurance. I’ll get them to dust for fingerprints.’ There was a silence at the other end of the phone. He heard Cabrina sigh. ‘Can you manage?’
‘Of course I can manage, but that’s not the point, is it?’
‘Sorry, honey, I really am but . . .’
‘Yes, I’m sorry too. I’m just so upset and I need you. I know you can’t spare anyone to help. It’s nothing. I’ll sort it. I’ll get some help in to run the shop while I clear it up.’
‘That’s why I love you, Cabrina. Come hell or high water, I’m going to be sneaking into your bed tonight so you’d better warn your mum to put her earplugs in.’
Cabrina laughed.
‘The key will be under the mat and I’ll make sure Archie sleeps in with Mum and Dad. Love you, babe.’
‘I’ll see you later, honey.’
Jeanie appeared at the door to the flat and mouthed, ‘Can I have a word?’ Carter nodded. He watched Jeanie walk across towards him. She smiled and looked away. The awkwardness between them always caught her off guard. He knew it. Sometimes she was able to forget it, ignore it. Other times she looked like it was going to affect their working relationship but it hadn’t, because, in the end, she went home to Pete and he went home to Cabrina. He looked away. He didn’t want her to think he was still smarting.
‘Okay?’ he asked, as she got within hearing distance. She stood by the landing window and gave a small shake of the head. ‘What’s bothering
‘The solicitor is dealing with all that,’ Toby answered, looking from one person to the other.
‘Yes, I understand that, but can we have your permission?’ Carter pushed. ‘It saves getting a search warrant – saves time.’
‘Of course you can, for Christ’s sake,’ Lauren spat out angrily as she came in from the kitchen. ‘You can do anything you want if it will help find our son.’
Carter watched as Lauren took several paces towards Toby and looked like she was about to hit him. Toby recoiled from her. ‘Just fucking do it, Toby. Just do it without thinking about yourself for one fucking moment,’ she screamed in his face. ‘You lost our son. You lost our son . . .’
Jeanie stepped towards her and led her away. Toby got up and left the room, and when he came back he handed a set of keys to Carter.
‘The solicitor gave me a set.’
Carter felt his phone vibrate and excused himself. ‘Willis, can you cover for me a min? I need to make a call.’
Carter left the door on the latch as he stepped outside onto the landing and stood looking over the view of the building site around them; the lift shaft was at his back.
‘Cabrina?’
‘Dan, I’ve been trying to get you for hours.’
‘I’m sorry, love – we’re in the middle of that missing-child case in Greenwich.’
‘Oh yes, I know. I heard about it on the radio.’
‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
‘We’ve had a break-in. I’m not sure what they’ve taken. It looks a mess here.’
‘Shit. Are you and Archie okay?’
‘Yes, we’re okay, it happened when I was at work and he was at nursery. Sorry to bother you – I know how big this case is but I don’t know whether to get the locks changed?’
‘How did they get in?’
‘Through the flat downstairs. They busted her window and then climbed up and through our landing window.’
‘Bastards.’
‘Yeah . . . horrible. I feel so angry.’
‘Look, I’m going to be late again tonight. I might just catch a bit of sleep here.’
‘Please, Dan, come home. You didn’t come home last night.’
‘I’m sorry, love – this is a crucial time. We’re all working flat out. Are you taking Archie to your mum’s?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’ll get Robbo on to it and send a couple of Archway officers round to see what needs to be done.’
‘There’s nothing they can do.’
‘We have to add our name to the statistics, love, otherwise we can’t claim on the insurance. I’ll get them to dust for fingerprints.’ There was a silence at the other end of the phone. He heard Cabrina sigh. ‘Can you manage?’
‘Of course I can manage, but that’s not the point, is it?’
‘Sorry, honey, I really am but . . .’
‘Yes, I’m sorry too. I’m just so upset and I need you. I know you can’t spare anyone to help. It’s nothing. I’ll sort it. I’ll get some help in to run the shop while I clear it up.’
‘That’s why I love you, Cabrina. Come hell or high water, I’m going to be sneaking into your bed tonight so you’d better warn your mum to put her earplugs in.’
Cabrina laughed.
‘The key will be under the mat and I’ll make sure Archie sleeps in with Mum and Dad. Love you, babe.’
‘I’ll see you later, honey.’
Jeanie appeared at the door to the flat and mouthed, ‘Can I have a word?’ Carter nodded. He watched Jeanie walk across towards him. She smiled and looked away. The awkwardness between them always caught her off guard. He knew it. Sometimes she was able to forget it, ignore it. Other times she looked like it was going to affect their working relationship but it hadn’t, because, in the end, she went home to Pete and he went home to Cabrina. He looked away. He didn’t want her to think he was still smarting.
‘Okay?’ he asked, as she got within hearing distance. She stood by the landing window and gave a small shake of the head. ‘What’s bothering
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