The Girl You Lost: A gripping psychological thriller (19 page)

‘That’s Christine, his ex,’ Ginny says. ‘I wonder why he’s bothered to keep them.’ I click out of the photos and then notice there is also a video. I immediately press to play it and the side of a woman’s face fills the screen. She is not Daniel’s ex, she seems much younger, with blonde bobbed hair and high cheekbones covered in blusher. I ask Ginny who she is.

‘I don’t know,’ she says, peering closer at the phone.

I continue to watch and then I realise something isn’t right. Whoever is filming moves further back so now I can see the woman’s eyes are closed and her head flops to the side. Within seconds the camera zooms out further and I am stunned to see there is a man on top of her, yanking her hair back and forcing himself into her from behind, while she is clearly unconscious.

Beside me, Ginny lets out a shriek. ‘That’s Daniel,’ she says. ‘What the—?’ And then she realises what I have already understood and her face drains of blood.

I’m sure we both feel we shouldn’t continue watching, but neither of us makes any move to stop the video. We have to know what’s going on. Realising there has been no sound so far, I quickly turn up the volume, bringing to life Daniel’s heavy grunts, and the woman’s silence.

And then another voice shouts out. It is a male voice, and I can only assume it belongs to the person filming. ‘Stupid whore. Fuck her till she takes her last breath.’

Hearing this, Ginny erupts into tears, while I feel as if my legs will give way beneath me.

‘Do you recognise that voice, Ginny? Who is filming this?’

Through her tears she manages to speak. ‘That’s … Lucas.’

For a few moments longer we watch, until Daniel forces the girl onto her back and rams his fist into her face, a sickening thud the last thing we hear before the screen becomes black.

Ginny falls to the floor and I scoop her up and lead her to a chair. I fill a glass with tap water and coax her into drinking some. ‘You need this. And then we’ve got to get out of here. We have to find Lucas, now – and I know who can help us.’

P
arked
up outside the Brays’ house, I feel as if I’m going around in circles. I have no idea if my plan will work, but there is no other option. I called Hannah Hall from Daniel’s house, but her phone went straight to voicemail, so for now at least she won’t be able to help us. Part of me is relieved I couldn’t get through to her; I am dreading telling her what we’ve found. But I will have to do it. Lucas knows where Grace is. I’m sure of that.

We stopped at Ginny’s to pick up my car, and on the drive here she begged me not to go to the police with Daniel’s phone yet. Against my better judgement I agreed. At least for now. I know they will be able to help track down Lucas, but by the time we’ve gone through everything, and they’ve verified that the voice on the tape belongs to him, valuable time will have been wasted. But if this last shot doesn’t work then I will go straight to the police; something I’m beginning to wish I’d done at the very beginning.

I turn to Ginny. ‘So you’re certain that’s Lucas’s voice in that video?’

‘Definitely. I’d know it anywhere. It’s him, Simone. Do you think he’s got Grace?’ Her voice trembles.

I have thought of little else for the whole drive here. After receiving his text, Hannah thinks he is in France, but that could just be his cover story. Although he’s nervous about Gabby going to the police, escaping to France, especially if he has Grace with him, seems risky. It is a possibility, but I also need to consider that he is still here. And only one person can help me find that out.

‘So this woman knows Lucas?’ Ginny says, unbuckling her seatbelt. She seems distracted now; the shock of realising what Daniel is capable of must be making her question her whole life. And neither of us has dared to mention that we fear Grace ending up in the same situation as the woman in the video.

I have filled Ginny in on what happened to Charlotte, but it’s difficult to know how much she is taking in.

‘Yes, Charlotte definitely knows him. She tried to deny it but accidentally let it slip out. I think they were sleeping together. Look, do you have a recent photo of Grace on your phone?’

Ginny frowns. ‘I think so, why?’

‘Can you text it to me? I’ll explain everything later. After I’ve been in there.’ I flick my head towards the house.

Ginny does as I ask and after a few seconds my phone pings with a text message. I open it and Grace stares back at me, smiling and fresh-faced. Before her world was shaken to its core.

It is nine o’clock now and I’m sure Elliott will be in the shop, but I doubt Tamsin will have left Charlotte alone. This is good; if Charlotte is on her own the chances of her letting me in after our last conversation are slim. Tamsin, on the other hand, will just think I’m here to try and help her daughter again. I feel no guilt for taking advantage; I am here for Grace.

‘I’m going in, but you should wait here,’ I tell Ginny. ‘It’s … difficult with Charlotte, and I don’t want to have to explain who you are to her mother.’

Ginny looks as if she’s about to object but changes her mind. ‘Okay. But please hurry.’

The last person I expect to open the door is Charlotte herself. She looks different somehow, neater and more together, and it takes me a moment to realise it’s because she’s dressed, her hair freshly washed.

‘Oh,’ she says, her forehead creasing. ‘My parents aren’t here. They’re at the shop.’ She begins closing the door.

‘Wait, it’s you I need to see. Just for a minute. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t so important.’ I produce a large smile, even though after our last meeting, being friendly to Charlotte is the last thing I want to do.

‘Look, if this is about Lucas then I’ve got nothing to say.’

To give her the impression it’s not about Lucas, I shake my head. ‘Just two minutes. Please, Charlotte.’

After considering my plea for a moment, she finally steps back and lets me in, and I glance briefly at Ginny before I shut the door.

‘Can we sit down?’ I say, when Charlotte makes no move to leave the hall.

She shrugs and heads to the living room, and I know the task ahead will not be easy. ‘I know it was a bit awkward when I was here a couple of days ago, but I kept my word, Charlotte. I didn’t mention anything to your mum about you and Lucas.’

She nods. ‘I know. Thanks.’

‘But I’ve still not been able to find him and it’s even more important now that I do.’

‘I’ve already told you, I don’t know—’

‘Do you know his wife got a text message from him saying he’d run off to France with some French woman?’ I throw this out there – Charlotte’s reaction will tell me what I need to know.

‘What?’ She screws up her face. ‘That’s rubbish. He’s not … he wouldn’t … Why are you saying this? You’re lying!’ Her voice rises and she starts scratching at her arms. It’s not concrete evidence, but she seems to be concerned about what I’ve said. Which can only mean she might be telling the truth about not knowing where he is. But even so, she can still help us.

‘So you really don’t know where he is?’ I ask.

‘Why?’ she says, folding her arms. ‘Why are you looking for him?’

‘Actually, the person I’m looking for is a girl. This girl.’ I bring up the picture of Grace on my mobile and show it to Charlotte.

‘She’s pretty,’ she says. ‘Who is she?’

This is the exact question I’ve been trying to answer for over a week now ‘Her name’s Grace,’ I say. ‘She’s only eighteen and is missing, just like you were.’

Charlotte passes my phone back to me. ‘Well, I’m sorry. But what’s this got to do with Lucas?’

‘Listen, Charlotte. I know you have feelings for him and want to protect him, but I believe he knows where Grace is.’

‘No.’ she shakes her head, her hair fanning out as she does so. ‘Why would he? You’ve got it wrong.’

This is exactly how she reacted last time, but now I am prepared for it. From my pocket I pull out Daniel’s phone and bring up the video, every frame of which is still ingrained in my memory. But I instantly reconsider. How can I let Charlotte see this? It is cruel and I can only imagine what it will do to her. I hesitate and almost turn it off again, but then I think of Grace and how I must do this for her.

‘I’m sorry to show you this, Charlotte, but I have to.’ Full of guilt, I press play and hold the phone in front of her.

Her eyes widen as she takes in what she is seeing, but it is only when she hears Lucas’s voice that she looks away.

‘That’s him, isn’t it? You recognise his voice, don’t you? Please, Charlotte, you must see now how important this is?’

‘I … I don’t understand. That’s not Lucas. It can’t be.’ She avoids looking at me and I’m sure it’s because she knows the truth.

‘Yes, Charlotte, it is. And you can help me find him.’

There are tears in her eyes now, and she tries to wipe them away, but it is too late. I have seen the effect the video has had on her. But I don’t say anything. If she is a decent human being she will come to the right conclusion. I just have to give her a minute. And right now, that is all I can spare.

Eventually, perhaps weighed down by the silence, she speaks. ‘Do … do you really think that’s him? That he’s hurt that woman?’

I move closer to her and take her hand. ‘I’m sorry, but yes. I know the other man was actually … you know … but they were in it together. He’s just as guilty, and I happen to know he’s done this to another woman.’

‘But … he was so nice to me,’ Charlotte says. ‘I don’t understand it.’

‘Neither do I.’ I think of Hannah and how Lucas must have been good to her for her to end up married to him, so it’s possible he was kind to Charlotte. This reminds me that I still don’t know why she went missing. But now is not the time to ask. ‘Charlotte, please will you help?’

She looks at me directly and gives a hint of a nod. ‘But how?’

Finally I have made progress. ‘Okay, I need you to tell me everything you can about Lucas. Where you met. The kind of places he took you. Anything you can think of.’

Silence again, and I wonder if I will ever get through to her.

‘Um … we just used to go to his place mostly.’ Her cheeks redden and I assume she realises the significance of this. ‘But the first time we met in a bar. In Soho. I’d never been there before. It was nice.’

I don’t have time for Charlotte’s reminiscing. ‘So you mostly went to his flat in Embankment? I say.

She shakes her head. ‘No. His place is in Wood Green. But I can’t remember the road name. I know where it is, though.’

This is better than I could have expected. Lucas has another property that we knew nothing about. I have no idea what we’ll find there but at least it’s something to go on. ‘Right, grab your coat, Charlotte. I need you to show me where this place is.’

She opens her mouth, probably to protest, but shuts it again and stands up. ‘But if he’s not there, what are you going to do?’

‘Get in somehow,’ I say. ‘See if my friend’s daughter is there.’

‘But how do you think we’ll get in?’

This is a good point – I haven’t thought this far ahead. ‘I’ll worry about that when we get there,’ I say.

‘Well, we might need these, then,’ Charlotte says, reaching in her pocket and pulling out a set of keys. There are so many dangling from her purple heart key ring that it takes her a moment to find the ones she’s looking for. ‘These are Lucas’s spare keys. He gave them to me so I could just let myself in to wait for him.’

This surprises me. Lucas must have liked Charlotte a lot to give her a set of keys. But then again, if this flat in Wood Green is anything like the one in Embankment then there would be nothing to trust her with. It could all just be for his convenience. To have her there waiting whenever he wanted.

Before we leave, Charlotte scribbles a note to her mum, telling her she’s gone to a friend’s house and will be back soon. ‘I don’t want her to worry if she comes home and finds me gone,’ she explains.

Once we are in the car, I introduce Charlotte to Ginny, explaining that she is Grace’s mother. She seems shocked to find someone in the passenger seat, but quickly recovers.

‘I don’t think he’ll be there,’ she says, and I wonder if this is what she’s hoping.

It’s been a long time since I was in north London, but I don’t have time to set the Sat Nav. I have a vague idea how to get to Wood Green station, and thankfully I am right.

When we pass the station on our left, Charlotte calls out that I’m going the wrong way. ‘I used to turn right out of the station,’ she says. So I make an illegal U-turn and follow her directions.

We head along Green Lanes, back the way we have just come, and I wonder if Charlotte is lying and has no intention of leading us to Lucas. ‘But we’ve just come this way,’ I say, trying to keep my annoyance at bay.

‘I know, but I’m not used to it from that way,’ she says, staring out of the window. ‘Here, take this left.’

Her warning comes so late that I have to slam on the brakes to avoid missing the turning. Ginny clutches the dashboard but doesn’t say anything. She has been almost silent since Charlotte joined us.

‘Sorry,’ Charlotte says, ‘I’m not great with directions.’

‘Are you sure this is it?’ I ask.

‘Yep. I remember because it’s the turning just before the betting shop. Just keep going up to the end.’

‘It’s Belsize Avenue,’ Ginny says, as we pass the road sign.

I wonder why Lucas would have a property in this area. It’s run down and grotty; nothing like his house in Notting Hill, or even the flat in Embankment.

When we reach the end of the road I realise it is a no-through road, cut off with bollards and a steep pavement. I turn the car around and slot it into a parking space.

‘Which house is it?’ I ask Charlotte, as she undoes her seatbelt.

‘Over there. The one with the blue door.’

We all turn to our left and see the house she is talking about. It is mid-terrace, and is in need of maintenance.

‘Why would Lucas have a house here?’ Ginny asks, finally finding her voice.

Charlotte huffs. ‘To get away from his wife, maybe? I dunno. But I’m not lying. That’s his place.’ She turns to me. ‘So, should I go and knock first? And what am I supposed to say to him?’

‘No,’ I say. ‘Let’s think about this. We need to be careful. The main thing is that we find Grace, and there’s a chance he knows where she is. That’s all that matters for now. The police will have to deal with whatever else he’s done.’

In the passenger seat, Ginny unclicks her seatbelt and leans forward. ‘I feel sick,’ she says, and there is no need to ask why.

‘Right,’ I say. ‘I’ll go and knock on the door. If there’s no answer then both of you join me and Charlotte can let us in.’ It’s not exactly a master plan, but it’s all I can think of.

I take their silence for agreement, and leaving them in the car, cross the road to Lucas’s house. The paint on the blue door is peeling and there is a huge dent in the lower panel. It is only when I see there are two buzzers that I realise the house has been split into two flats. I turn to the car and wave my arms to get someone’s attention. Charlotte rolls down the window and shouts out that it’s flat B. Turning back to the door, I press the buzzer and wait.

I can feel their eyes on me as the seconds tick by with no sign of life from inside. Stepping onto the grass, I check the window, but the curtains are drawn. I don’t even know if flat B is the downstairs or upstairs property. Leaving it a few moments longer, I head back to the car. As I cross the road I glance back and see that the upstairs curtains are also closed.

Before I reach the car, both Ginny and Charlotte clamber out, the slam of the doors echoing into the silent street.

‘Okay, we’ll need your key,’ I say, holding my hand out to Charlotte.

‘What if he’s in there?’ Ginny says. She wraps her arms around her body but it doesn’t stop her shivering. I have only just noticed that her coat is too thin for this weather.

‘Let’s just be prepared for anything,’ I say, leading the way to the house. I don’t know what I feel at this moment, but it’s closer to anger than fear. Since I heard Ginny’s story I am even more desperate to find Grace, so nothing will keep me out of that house. Once we’ve found her we can all deal with the mess our lives will be in. Thinking of this reminds me of Chris Harding and his missing sister, and how he should know I have managed to track down another property of Lucas’s. I also need to tell him about the video so I will text him once we’ve searched inside.