Читать книгу In Safe Hands - J. P. Carter - Страница 17

It was the end of Anna’s first week as a detective constable in the Met. She was feeling tired but upbeat as she left the station in Eltham and headed home at the height of the Friday evening rush hour.

She knew it might take her up to an hour to get to Vauxhall, but that was OK because she had the whole weekend to look forward to. She’d be able to relax and unwind while spending quality time with Chloe.

She still found it hard to believe that her daughter was two already, and would soon be three. The time had flown by; it seemed like only yesterday that she’d given birth to her little bundle of joy.

Back then everything was perfect. She and Matthew had just celebrated their third wedding anniversary, and the future had looked really bright.

But that was before he began to change. It started when he was overlooked for a promotion at work. It was a big blow to his ego and he didn’t try to hide the fact that he was jealous of his wife’s success as a copper.

He became argumentative and controlling. And then he embarked on an affair with a woman in his office which lasted for five months. When Anna found out, he was contrite and begged her to forgive him. But she couldn’t because she knew she would never trust him again. She also knew that Matthew Dobson was no longer the man she had married.

At Anna’s insistence, he moved out into a rented flat. And he wasn’t happy when she applied for a divorce. Throughout the process he pleaded with her to take him back. But the voice of reason in her head convinced her not to.

The divorce was finalised six months ago but Matthew had not given up trying to win her back. When his widowed mother died two months later, leaving him and his sister a sizeable inheritance – over a quarter of a million pounds each – he actually believed it would make her change her mind. But, of course, it didn’t and he was mortified.

They’d been granted joint custody of Chloe. Matthew had her every other weekend and occasionally, by mutual agreement, on weekdays. Chloe had actually spent the last two nights with him at his flat in Chiswick. He’d asked to have her so that he could take her to his sister Charlotte’s birthday party.

But by now Chloe would be back home where Anna’s mother would be taking care of her. Without her mother’s help Anna would never have been able to hold down a full-time job, especially one that entailed such unsocial hours.

The drive home was slow and uneventful, and she was relieved when she pulled up outside her terraced house at just before seven. She couldn’t wait to see Chloe, and was glad she’d told her mother to keep her up so that she could read her a bedtime story.

For that reason she expected to see her daughter in her mother’s arms when the door flew open as she approached it. But her mother was alone and had a face like thunder.

‘Why haven’t you answered your bloody phone?’ her mother said. ‘I’ve called and sent you two messages.’

Anna felt her heart miss a beat. Her phone was in her handbag, but she knew without looking what had happened.

‘Oh shit,’ she said. ‘I had a meeting just before I left the office and put it on silent. And because I was in such a hurry to get away I didn’t think to check it.’

‘Well, you should have.’

‘Why mum? What’s wrong? Where’s Chloe?’

‘That’s just it,’ her mother said. ‘You told me that Matthew was supposed to bring her back at three but he hasn’t shown up yet. I’ve tried ringing him but there’s no answer. And quite frankly I’m worried. You know I don’t trust that man.’