CALL MAMA (3 page)

Fingerprint results from house number 28A clearly showed those of Lucy Mears, as well as the householder, Clara Blake. Officers returned to the house to take the occupant into police custody, where, under pressure and scared out of her wits, she confessed to harbouring the girl for four days. Through a deluge of tears and interspersed with sips of water, the woman constantly dabbed her eyes and confessed her part in the disappearance of Lucy Mears.

She had been in debt for several years without seeing a way out of her problems. She had taken a loan from a dubious source and got behind with instalments. She feared for her life and that of her family due to some menacing-looking people sent to demand ever-increasing payments from her. After a stressful few months she was approached with a solution: take in and look after a kid for a few days until given further instructions and the debt would be cancelled. She had no idea who delivered or collected the girl but gave a rough description of the man. She was upset at having had to administer sedative and had kept the vial, which she handed over to police. This was sent for analysis and was to prove a valuable clue. Clara Blake ignored instructions to incinerate the kid's clothes. Never having seen such quality in clothes she had them laundered and passed to her granddaughter who was delighted to own such designer outfits.

Clara Blake was held in custody for her own safety pending further investigation into her involvement in the ever worrying mystery of the girl's disappearance. Fearful for the lives of her family, Clara was unable or unwilling to give a useful description of any of the thugs who appeared at her home demanding money, but she did assist a photo-fit officer in providing a reasonable likeness of the man who delivered the girl into her custody. This was shown to the bus driver and the one passenger who sat near her. They both agreed that with slight alteration, the picture could be that of the man on bus fifty-three. It was circulated to the media.

It was not George North.

Officers retrieved paperwork from Clara's home to begin intensive investigation into tracing the loan sharks.

Attempts to trace George North drew blanks. Media appeals were increased across all states. Nora became increasingly concerned about her boyfriend, adding to the already high stress level in the Mears household. She had first met George when he applied for and was accepted for the post of live-in caretaker and repairperson some four years earlier. Soon, they began dating and became an item. Nora claimed he did not reveal much about his past.

“I sensed there was some tragedy in his early life. I didn't push for information. I thought the guy would tell me in his own time. In his spare time and off-duty days, he attended I.T. classes, seemed knowledgeable about computing and program-making. It wasn't unusual for him to accumulate time off to attend conferences. He was obsessed with computers and had a store of I.T. magazines.”

Officer Carr prodded. “Was he jealous of Brenda Mears' wealth, do you think?”

“Not so much jealous, probably just a bit envious, but he appreciated that Brenda's success came from hard work, and it gave him a hunger to improve his life. He was generously rewarded for his work here, as we all were, but he wanted more.”

A search of his rooms produced nothing of interest. No background papers, letters, photographs or anything that would shed much light on George North. His computer was impounded and sent for analysis.

Nora, more from anger than anything else, was determined to solve the problem of George's non-existent computer conference.

“How could he lie to me?”

She checked out websites for recent I.T. courses but found too many to probe. She narrowed her search to within one-hour flying time and contacted venues, establishing that no one of that name had registered with them. She widened her search and located a college where George North had registered for a seminar around the dates in question but had failed to attend.

No airline company would release passenger information to her, but Detective Harvey, following up her research, found details of a flight booked by George on the evening of Lucy's apparent abduction. Officers were sent to the airline to investigate.

Young Wilson Blythe, a police I.T. expert, called Harvey to report some interesting findings on George's computer. Along with Detective Carr, they huddled round the screen while Wilson explained his findings.

“Right then, what do you have for us, Wilson? You know I'm a dinosaur when it comes to computer stuff!”

“This is a list of flights booked by him over the past ten months, several day trips, presumably on his days off. There were also longer trips like the recent one he was meant to be on but cancelled. He often seemed to change his mind about flights. Maybe to throw people off his trail, do you think, sir? The trips were booked in his name and he seemed to have travelled alone.”

“You have a point there, but why? Why would he want to avoid detection if his trips were legit? How could he afford to pay for these trips? This guy has some answers to give us if we can ever locate him. He sure as hell knows what happened to that kid.”

George North had always been ambitious. Born into a poor family, he watched his parents struggle to hold down several jobs to provide for their young family of which George was the eldest. A quiet couple, they taught their children right from wrong, to be respectful, honest and hard-working, which rubbed off on their son and his siblings. As a teenager, he had a weekend job with a delivery firm and visited parts of the city he had never seen before. He was in awe of the rich and aimed to improve his lot in life. He studied hard, discovered a talent for computing and basic programming and was determined to establish his own business.

Just as he was planning his future, his father died in a work accident. His future was now uncertain and his college dream crashing before it had time to take off. His mother's health failed and his young siblings were relying on him as the breadwinner. He moved from job to job, always aiming for a better life and never swaying from his ambition. After the early demise of his mother, his two young sisters moved to Wisconsin to be cared for by relatives, while he drifted from place to place, working at whatever he could until he saved enough to purchase his first computer and hone his skills with help from occasional I.T. courses. He applied for yet another change of employment with better prospects; a position that he assured himself would be a temporary move.

He found himself employed and living in the Mears household. He soon became an integral, trusted part of the establishment. His friendship with Nora developed into love with the blessing of Molly who was glad to think of the prospect of her daughter settling down with a good husband.

The couple talked of marriage and children. This served only to fuel his ambition and his hunger for what he saw as a better life for them both. In spite of the generous salary from his employer, his need to update his I.T. equipment drained his finances to the point that he had to search for a loan. Unknown to him, his troubles were only beginning.

***

Lucy, slightly less sedated, emerged from a fog, her mind darting between fuzzy memories to semi-reality. “George… where are you? where am I? My cello… Call Mama… so cold, air blowing on me, my legs… cold, cold… snow… George… man in green car… cold bus… warm now… so sleepy.”

Her new home lumbered on through changing scenery, stopping for regular rest periods for the sake of the child. The area allocated to her for a bedroom was cosy and tastefully furnished. It gave her some privacy.

***

Detective Harvey contacted Ron Scott by Skype and conducted an
interview from which he ascertained his and Olivia's whereabouts during their absence from Mears. They had indeed flown from Chicago O'Hare to Bridgetown, Barbados, and sailed from there. Proof of this was recorded on their logbook and confirmed by marine officials. Ron's mother's illness was genuine. Hospital authorities confirmed that Mattie Scott was a patient of theirs and was visited daily by her son and his wife.

Olivia Scott, overcome with emotion over young Lucy, took her turn on Skype and confirmed her own whereabouts over the past few weeks. Weeping tears of exhaustion, she implored the detective to find little Lucy, such a sweet child.

“We are coming right home,” she said. “We will be of more use back home than sitting here worrying about everything. In any case, our holiday is over.”

Brenda, persuaded by Molly to get out of the house, returned to work, albeit for only a few hours a day. She spent time less working, rather consoling the emotional Justin and Bob. Myra, always the strong one, rallied around encouraging everyone to focus on the work tasks in hand, while privately sobbing at Brenda's plight, wishing fervently that someone would demand a ransom or, God forbid, Lucy would be found somehow or other.

Fatigued from travel, Ron and Olivia Scott arrived back at the headquarters of Mears Empire. They gathered in Brenda's office suite with the others, consoled, wept and hugged like the close family they had become over the years and bound together now by a common cause. Brenda briefed them on events since the fateful day of Lucy's abduction and updated them on the latest police report.

“I have every confidence in Detective Harvey and his team from C.P.D. They are working flat out to find Lucy. I don't understand why no one has demanded a ransom. God knows I can afford it.”

Ron and Olivia had begun their holiday two days before Lucy vanished. This concerned Detective Harvey.
A coincidence, or what
? he thought to himself.
Worth investigating further
. He discussed his concerns with his deputy.

“What's your take on this, Carole? Am I being paranoid about those two?”

Detective Carr knew well how her boss's mind worked. He left no stone unturned in his search for the truth and if he felt that something was amiss, it was worth investigating.

“It is a bit odd that they were absent from Chicago at the time of Lucy's disappearance. I can see where you are going with this, Tony. You think perhaps they have colluded with a person or persons unknown – George North perhaps, since they would know him from their dealings with Brenda. Go with your instincts and have a background check done on them. I'll set it up if you like, if only to eliminate them and get us on track.”

Intensive checks were made on Ronald Scott and Olivia Scott and showed nothing questionable. The timing of their holiday was a mere coincidence.

***

The campervan developed engine problems in Wisconsin. Lucy and her female minder settled once more in a motel while the van was taken for repair. The abductor, tired of the tedious journey, welcomed the opportunity to allow her young charge to rest up. The girl became quite distressed now that her sedation had been decreased, allowing her to think more clearly.

“Please Call Mama. What is happening to me? Who are you? Where are you taking me?”

“Hush, child,” comforted the woman. “No one will harm you, you are safe, and soon you will be home.”

Lucy did not recognize the accent, thinking it to be that of a foreigner. Worn out, she sobbed into her pillow and slept soundly.

Many miles away, a call was made to a secure line.

“Speak,” was the curt command.

“Good evening, Boss, reporting in.”

***

Mears Empire continued to function as normally as the staff could manage. Each executive member out of loyalty to Brenda attempted to banish, at least temporarily, thoughts of Lucy's plight and work on their various remits. Sobbing could be heard from time to time from their various offices.

Detectives Harvey and Carr arrived unannounced at the premises with a warrant to search all offices of the board members, assuring Brenda it was a routine part of their investigation and that they would leave no stone unturned in the search for her daughter. Computer equipment was removed to be examined for anything untoward. Officers asked to examine the yacht belonging to the couple, only to discover it had been sold before the couple left the Caribbean to fly home. Instructions were given to locate, search and if necessary impound the yacht.

Brenda's team of close associates was each interviewed again. Bob Lees joined the Mears group as an enthusiastic participant, always giving one hundred percent to his work, never faltering in his devotion to his employer who had head-hunted him having heard of his skills. He was given more responsibilities than he could ever have imagined. He became chief operations officer in charge of shipping publications for Mears, not only to every state, but far beyond. He purchased his first home, a luxury apartment in an upmarket part of town. Just when he thought life could not get much better, Brenda employed Justin Palmer and, within a few months, they had become an item and lived together in Bob's apartment. On hearing of Lucy's disappearance, Bob stated that he was at work that particular afternoon, engaged in shipping details.

“I met Lucy on several occasions,” he told the officers, “and had the joy of hearing her play her cello at home when Brenda had one of her many dinner parties for the team. She was a great believer in team building. Lucy had such talent, such a sweet child. We were invited to her music room where there was a little stage for private performances from Lucy. We spent an idyllic hour listening to her play, firstly, on her beautiful baby grand piano, then on her cello.”

Tears welled up in Bob's eyes and, before he could give vent to his emotions, the officer thanked him for his time and took his leave of the upset man.

Justin Palmer joined Mears Empire after spotting an advert for a graphic designer and seeing off other contenders for the post. He settled quickly into the lively and hectic life of the company. His joy held no bounds when he found a soul mate in his colleague Bob. He, too, had met young Lucy at her home and was distraught at her plight.

“Whenever I look at that poor mother, I want to dissolve in tears. I have to keep strong and support the firm by carrying on as normal, but things are anything but normal now. Lucy has such a musical ability, sir, amazing in one so young. Please God that she is found safe and well and that there is a reasonable explanation for her absence.”

His alibi checked out, as did Bob Lees. They were eliminated for the moment from the enquiry.

Detective Harvey still had misgivings about Ron Scott and his wife despite intensive enquiries throwing up nothing of concern. The couple seemed genuine and squeaky clean. Harvey could never dismiss a coincidence and the subsequent selling of their yacht, which was somewhere in the Caribbean under new ownership, bothered him greatly. He interviewed them separately.

Olivia Scott joined Mears shortly after Justin. Her main remit as a director was to liaise with customers, obtain contracts and ensure that Mears honoured them quickly and professionally. She knew that she and her husband were fortunate in working for such an inspirational boss. They each had different skills, which they utilized to the full to ensure Mears Empire went from strength to strength.

Having recently secured a lucrative contract, Brenda, delighted with their success, had granted extended holiday time to allow the couple to indulge in their passion for sailing.

“We flew to Barbados, picked up our yacht,
Stella-Night
which had been moored there since our last holiday.” Olivia continued. “Ron's brother, Sam, who lives in Bridgetown had use of it too. We stayed with him and his family for a few days before we set sail. Not long into our trip, we heard Ron's mother had taken ill with a suspected stroke. We returned to port and took a flight to be with her.”

It was during that time that Myra Hill had contacted them with the devastating news of Lucy's abduction.

“Ron spoke to Brenda,” said Olivia, “offering to return home immediately, but Brenda insisted we stay and attend to his mom.”

“When did you sell the yacht?” probed Harvey.

“Not long after that. We had a family conference,” she continued, “and decided the cash would be needed to fund the old lady's long-term care, as it was obvious that she would never live an independent life again. Ron dealt with that.”

Harvey thanked Olivia and proceeded to interview Ron Scott. He confirmed in detail the account given by his wife. He swore allegiance to Mears Empire and was eternally grateful to his employer for her understanding during his mother's illness, especially in the horrendous circumstances in which Brenda found herself struggling on a daily basis.

“We were distraught to hear about Lucy, but Brenda insisted we stayed where we were, promising to keep in touch via Myra's Skype. About the sale of
Stella-Night
, we felt it was the right time to sell; we were so immersed in work that we had little opportunity to sail.” Ron paused, as if mourning the loss of his beloved yacht. “My brother used it on occasion but not often enough to warrant continuing ownership. We wanted to secure a future for our mother who needed to be in an assisted care home. So we decided to sell up.
Stella-Night
is now under new ownership.”

Ron produced a bill of sale, which his brother had faxed, giving details of the new owners.

Harbour authorities co-operated with Detective Harvey's team. They located
Stella-Night
and escorted it to port for inspection. The new owners, a local couple, stunned to be involved in any questionable dealings regarding the yacht, were in dread of losing their recent purchase, but accepted reassurances that they were not under suspicion and agreed to allow a search of the vessel.

They were interviewed in depth in order to satisfy officers of their non-involvement and were quickly removed from enquiries. Their fingerprints were taken for elimination purposes. After several days the boat was returned to them when officers had completed their examination, lifting several prints to be investigated further.

Sam Scott, Ron's older brother, was questioned about the sale of the yacht. He was partially disabled and used a walking stick to aid his mobility.

“As you can see, officers, I am not a fit man. I had an accident some years ago that left me with walking difficulties. I don't get around too well. Occasionally, I would sail
Stella-Night
around the bay, more to keep her ticking over than anything else.” His eyes lit up as he described the yacht. “She was a beauty! A forty-eight-foot motor yacht, a Skipper liner motor yacht. Ron loved that boat, but with his high-powered job, he seldom had opportunity to sail her. When our mother got sick he made the brave decision to sell
Stella-Night
to help pay for her long-term care. He gave me a generous allowance to help fund my trips to visit her. Couldn't find a better brother, officers, if you searched the world! Neighbours of ours who loved sailing jumped at the opportunity to purchase her. The sale of
Stella-Night
went through without any hitch.”

Harvey was unsure of Myra Hill.

“She's too cool, too calm. She knows more than she lets on. Bring her in for more questioning.”

Myra Hill had had an interesting career. A high flyer since college days, she sailed through courses and landed lucrative work in the financial industry, and moved up and onwards through several firms. She had a great capacity for lifting failing companies out of difficulties. She came to the attention of Brenda Mears who recruited her not because Mears Empire was in any financial danger, but to secure its already high standing in the business world.

Focusing on her career, Myra's marriage failed. She was ready for a change of direction when Brenda Mears secured her for her firm. Brenda had her checked out, contacted previous companies she had worked for and gave her a six-month trial period, at the end of which Myra Hill was rewarded with a permanent position.

Bucking the trend during a recession, Mears Empire increased its productivity, amassed yet more millions in profits and elevated Myra Hill to the inner circle of Brenda's trusted team. Despite probing, Detective Harvey could not fault Myra Hill's honesty and concluded that the woman had a hard shell around her, seldom allowing people to crack it open and get to know the real Myra.