Page 102 of The Vanished

“Max,” she called out to him, but the child turned around and ran towards Jude, who was walking down the corridor. He threw himself into his uncle’s arms and buried his face in his chest when Jude picked him up.

“Leave it for now,” Jude said as he approached. “Are we free to go?” he asked DI Sherman.

“Yes, but you can’t drive with Max without a child seat. You can ask someone to bring one, or purchase a seat before you leave. There’s a shop just down the road.” She pointed in the direction of the place she meant. “Have a peaceful day,” the policewoman said, somewhat caustically.

She could have given Jude a fine for driving without a car seat earlier, but, since he had never expected to be driving with Max, he could hardly be held accountable.

Quinn trailed after Jude as he walked out of the station and made his way to the shop. Once they were ready to go, Jude strapped Max into the car seat and they got on their way. Quinn and Jude had much to talk about, but they would have to wait until they were alone. Nothing they had to say was suitable for Max’s ears, and, given how deeply upset he already was, they had to consider their every word.

SIXTY-NINE

Once Quinn and Jude returned to the boathouse, it was decided that they would all leave for London right away. And it wasn’t until they got back, had dinner, and sent the kids to bed that Quinn and Jude could finally speak privately. By that point, she was no longer angry with him for not calling, just grateful that he had spotted Max and made sure he was safe.

They stepped outside into the garden, and Quinn wrapped her arms around Jude and pressed her face to his chest. He’d changed so much since she had first met him. Then, he had been an angry, disgruntled young man who’d found solace in his music, booze, and drugs. Now, he was a husband, a father, and a career soldier, and his demeanor reflected his need to guard and protect. He hugged her back, and they remained that way for a few seconds, their mutual concern for Logan and love for Max binding them.

“Why didn’t you ring me?” Quinn said when Jude finally let her go.

“I did. Several times.”

“I don’t have any missed calls from you.”

Jude’s expression was pained. “I called from a pay-as-you-go phone. It wasn’t until I was already on my way that I realized I left my phone at the rental car counter. I didn’t want to waste time going back to the airport, so I bought a burner at an all-night kiosk and headed straight up to the Lake District. I rang the rental car company and asked them to hold on to my mobile until I return the car.”

Quinn sighed in exasperation. Of all the times to forget his phone, this was probably the most inconvenient, but she now knew who’d tried to reach her from an unregistered number that she’d blocked.

“Why didn’t you leave a message?”

“Because Max was in a state, and then you blocked the number. And then I realized I was being followed by a patrol car. I tried to explain, but they were under the impression that I had kidnapped Max and had me in handcuffs before I could produce my ID.”

“I’m sorry about that, but I was in a panic,” Quinn explained. “I honestly believed Max had been taken.”

“Yeah, I figured. It’s all right, Quinny. You did the right thing. Imagine if someone else had seen him first, or if no one had and he’d kept going.”

“You would think someone would call the police if they saw a little boy on his own,” she said.

“Most people would, but there are some who would see it as an opportunity.”

“What a sad world we live in when an unattended child is a pleasant surprise.”

“There has always been evil in the world. We didn’t invent it,” Jude said soberly. “And sometimes people you think are basically decent will do terrible things when they know they’ll get away with it.”

Quinn didn’t think they were speaking about Max anymore. Jude had been to war zones and had seen the victims of war crimes. He knew all about evil and lack of accountability. But now wasn’t the time to put the world to rights. All she cared about was her brother and nephew.

“Jude, what’s happening? Where can Logan be? DI Malone suggested that he torched his car for the insurance and took off voluntarily. They’re not doing anything to find him.”

“Perhaps that’s not a bad thing,” Jude replied.

“What do you mean?”

“Look, whatever happened will not look good for Logan. So maybe it’s better that the police don’t focus on him. At best, they could send in social services to take Max, and, at worst, he could be arrested.”

“On what charge?”

“He clearly got involved in something he shouldn’t have, and the scheme went tits up.”

“What scheme? Do you know something?” Quinn asked.

“I don’t. I’m just speculating.”