Page 40 of Then She Vanished

‘Where do you park your van when you sleep?’

‘In a car park at Cleevesford Nature Park.’

Gina tried to envisage the route from the nature park to the back of Cleevesford High School. There were no automatic number plate recognition cameras along that route. He could have easily driven to the location and attempted to kidnap Keeley Moore.

‘Where is it now?’

‘On the road behind the bookies.’

‘Do you know someone called Keeley Moore?’

‘No. I mean, yes. Oh shit.’ He stared at her. ‘I, err, she… I want a solicitor. No comment.’

He knew Keeley.

He was in the area and he had a van that matched the description given to them. Before he could hide anything, they needed his van and phone.

‘Mr Ferguson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the attempted kidnap of Keeley Moore. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court.’

Gina exhaled. They were hopefully one step closer to finding the girl.

TWENTY-FIVE

RUTH

Ruth passed Gary a black coffee, just how he always enjoyed it. He took a sip before placing his hands on the kitchen table. ‘Who would leave a chess piece outside my door?’ She checked her watch and hoped that Eric wouldn’t turn up while Gary was in the house. He’d been livid at the state of his car, but Ruth believed Gary when he said he didn’t slash Eric’s tyre. And why would he make up some story about a chess piece being left at her door?

‘How am I meant to know? It is odd though, isn’t it?’ He pulled a small, red velvet jewellery pouch from his pocket and placed it in the middle of the wooden kitchen table. ‘Here it is. I shouldn’t have taken it. It was obviously meant for you. Again, I’m sorry. I’ve been such an idiot.’

A flutter in her heart made her hold her breath for a few seconds. The Gary sitting opposite her washerGary, the Gary she loved before years of heartache; before taking each other for granted had ruined what they had. Before his secretive behaviour and the longer hours at the farm had bothered her. It was definitely another woman orwomen.

Then she thought of Eric, the man she was in love with now. ‘We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?’ She grabbed the velvet pouch and tipped the white queen out.

‘What’s that?’ The diamond in her ring glinted and Gary stared at it. ‘Are you marrying him?’

‘I, err, yes. I said yes. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out this way.’

He shook his head and looked into his lap. ‘I never thought it would come to this. You’ve always been my only one, Ruth, always.’ She half rolled her eyes. ‘You can’t marry him. He’s not the man you think he is.’

She stood. ‘You know, for a minute I felt like we were getting somewhere, moving on. Do you think I don’t know Eric? I’ve been seeing him for months.’

Gary smirked.

‘Stop that.’

‘What?’

‘That smirk, like you’re looking down on me. You always did it, and God I hated it. Get out.’ She pointed towards the hallway.

His smile dropped. ‘I miss her. Do you still think about her?’

A lump formed in her throat. ‘I am not talking about this now. You know where it took me and I don’t want to go there again. I’m happy now, but you had to try to bring me down again by mentioning the past.’

He slammed his hand down on the table and stood. For a split second, she feared he might throw her table over. ‘The past? You want to talk about the past? I bought this table. We had family meals here. Christmases, birthdays, we both cried at this table each time we lost one of our precious babies, after…’ She could see he still felt that pain, too. The monthly disappointment after the hopeful positive tests, and then the loss. ‘I never thought I’d lose you. Never.’

‘You made sure I did. You drove me away with your horrible drunken behaviour and the cheating you’ll never admit to. You’re such a liar, Gary.’

‘You make up so much shit. I drove you away? For years, I didn’t know who I was anymore, but I thought you would have stood by me. I was always there for you, but when I needed you, you abandoned me, and now you are wearing that cheap-as-shit-looking rock on your finger.’

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