Free A Place of Execution by Val McDermid

couldn’t fancy Derek.’
    ‘What about Charlie, then? Your big cousin? I hear they spent a lot of time together round at his gran’s.’
    Janet shook her head, one finger straying to a tiny yellow-headed spot beside her mouth. ‘All only goes round to listen to Ma Lomas’s tales. Charlie lives there, that’s all. Anyway, I don’t understand why you’re going on about who All fancies. You should be out looking for whoever kidnapped her. I bet they think Uncle Phil’s got loads of money, just because he lives in a big house and owns all the village land. I bet they got the idea off Frank Sinatra’s lad being kidnapped last week. It must have been on the television and in the papers and everything. We don’t get television down here. We can’t get the reception, so we’re stuck with the radio. But even down in Scardale we heard about it, so a kidnapper could easily have known about it and got the idea. I bet they’re going to ask for a huge ransom for All.’ Her lips glistened with butter as the tip of her tongue darted along them in her excitement. ‘How does Alison get along with her stepfather?’
    Janet shrugged, as if the question couldn’t have interested her less. ‘All right, I suppose. She likes living in the manor, I’ll tell you that for nothing.’A sparkle of malice lit up Janet’s eyes. ‘Whenever anybody asks her where she lives, she always says, right out, ‘Scardale Manor’, like it’s something really special. When we were little, we used to make up stories about the manor. Ghost stories and murder stories, and it’s like All thinks she’s really the bee’s knees now she’s living there.’
    ‘And her stepfather? What did she say about him?’
    ‘Nothing much. When he was courting her mum, she said she thought he was a bit of a creep because he was always round their cottage, bringing Auntie Ruth little presents. You know, flowers, chocolates, nylons, stuff like that.’ She fidgeted in her seat and popped a spot between fingernail and thumb, unconsciously trying to mask the action behind her hand.
    ‘I think she was just jealous because she was so used to being the apple of Auntie Ruth’s eye. She couldn’t stand the competition. But once they got married and all that courting stuff stopped, I think All got on all right with him. He sort of left her alone, I think. He doesn’t act like he’s very interested in anybody except himself. And taking pictures. He’s always doing that.’ Janet turned back to her toast dismissively. ‘Pictures of what?’ George said, more to keep the conversation going than because he was interested.
    ‘Scenery. He spies on people working, too. He says you’ve got to get them looking natural, so he takes their pictures when he thinks they’re not looking. Only, he’s an incomer. He doesn’t know Scardale like we do. So mostly when he’s creeping about trying to stay out of sight, half the village knows what he’s doing.’ She giggled, then, remembering why George was there, covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide. ‘So as far as you know, there was no reason why Alison should run away?’
    Janet put down her toast and pursed her lips. ‘I told you. She never ran away. All wouldn’t run away without me. And I’m still here. So somebody must have took her. And you’re supposed to find them.’ Her eyes flicked to one side and George half turned to see Maureen Carter in the kitchen doorway.
    ‘You tell him, Mum,’ Janet said, desperation in her voice. ‘I keep telling him, but he won’t listen.
    Tell him All wouldn’t run away. Tell him.’ Maureen nodded. ‘She’s right. When Alison’s in trouble, she takes it head on. If she had something on her mind, we’d all know what it was.
    Whatever’s happened, it’s not from Alison’s choice.’ She stepped forward and swept Janet’s teacup away from her. ‘Time you and the little ‘uns were over to Derek’s. Kathy’ll run you up to the lane end for the bus.’
    ‘I