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chapter 13
When I beckon, she comes to me, her eyes bright with curiosity. She should know better, but she’s evidently one of those children who likes breaking the rules.
I spin her my story and then turn as if to leave, knowing curiosity will be her undoing. I’m right. She catches up to me and slips her hand in mine, because she trusts me. We walk together in plain sight along the beach, past dozens of people. No one even tries to stop us.
I can’t believe it’s this simple. This is the moment of greatest risk, the only period of time when, for all my careful planning, events are largely beyond my control. If someone sees her with me and challenges us, I have my excuse ready. But no one even notices. We are made invisible by our very ordinariness, the child and me.
I walk a little faster. The clock is already ticking. The child may be missed at any moment. Time is of the essence.
I turn onto a stony path leading away from the shore. She’s barefoot, though she doesn’t complain. But she is slowing us both down as she hops gingerly from foot to foot, so I pick her up and she doesn’t protest.
We reach my rental car, which I’ve parked in a church car park chosen because it has no security cameras. The ID I gave the car hire company is obviously false; you’d be shocked how quickly you can obtain a fake driving licence online. The ‘dark web’ is not some distant, sinister land in Middle Earth; it’s right there, Mordor at your fingertips, just a click away.
I used the same ID to rent a cheap hotel room. I didn’t even have to deal with a human being; a security key code was sent to my burner phone.
The child frowns for the first time when I open the door to the back seat of the car.‘Where’s my car seat?’ she says.
‘Aren’t you too old for that?’ I ask, although of course she isn’t.
‘Yes,’ she says, pleased.
She doesn’t ask questions as we drive to the hotel. I’ve been careful to pick a route with few traffic cameras and no road tolls. We’ve been driving for more than forty minutes when she requests the bathroom, but I tell her we’re nearly there. I have no intention of making any unscheduled stops anywhere I haven’t had a chance to reconnoitre first.
I park behind the hotel. I will abandon this car soon, but there’s something I have to do first.
Opening the car boot, I take out a generic navy holdall.
Inside it is a roll of black plastic rubbish bags, some wire ties and a large pair of scissors.
