Free Behind Closed Doors by Elizabeth Haynes

she was dressed – jeans, T-shirt – looked like she was just doing reception for them, housekeeping maybe. Or it could have been her night off. She’s not answered that particular question. There was also a phone call from a number we believe was in use by Maitland to the phone that was seized from Scarlett during the warrant this morning.’
    ‘That’s interesting – so she definitely knows him?’
    ‘We asked her about it, but she was vague. Said at first it must have been a wrong number, then she said she used to get calls on her phone for people who might have been in the flat, because they knew she was there most of the time. Wouldn’t commit to anything.’
    ‘But you really think the Maitland-McDonnell network trafficked her? I mean – we did consider that she might have run off, didn’t we? Why would they kidnap her in Greece, just to transport her all the way back home? And were they even involved in trafficking ten years ago? Maybe she’s just worked her way back to Briarstone and she’s working for them?’
    ‘Oh, that’s what we considered, too. But she won’t say a word about them. It’s like she’s scared – terrified.’
    Lou shook her head. Poor Scarlett. As desperate as everyone was to find out where she’d been for the last ten years, they were going to have to take things slowly with her.
    ‘But she’s also terrified of meeting her family again.’
     
Intel Reports on Carl McVey – Op Trapeze  
5x5x5 Intelligence Report
Date:1 October 2013
Officer:PC 9921 EVANS
Subject:Op Trapeze – murder of Carl McVEY DOB 29/09/1970
Grading:B / 2 / 4
It is believed that Carl McVEY was involved in money laundering for the MAITLAND-McDONNELL Organised Crime Group (ref: OCG 041). He used his businesses in Briarstone town centre including the Railway Tavern in Queen Street and the Newarke in Cavendish Lane in order to do this. He also owned the Ferryman pub and restaurant in Baysbury.
     
5x5x5 Intelligence Report
Date:1 October 2013
Officer:PC 9921 EVANS
Subject:Op Trapeze – murder of Carl McVEY DOB 29/09/1970
Grading:B / 2 / 4
Following the death of Carl McVEY (Op Trapeze), the McDONNELL brothers are not happy. They believe the murder was due to McVEY falling out with an associate over a drugs debt and they are looking for someone to blame.
(Research shows: Lewis McDONNELL DOB 21/10/1953, Harry McDONNELL DOB 06/07/1956)
     
5x5x5 Intelligence Report
Date:1 October 2013
Officer:PC 9921 EVANS
Subject:Op Trapeze – murder of Carl McVEY DOB 29/09/1970
Grading:B / 2 / 4
Carl McVEY was not thought to be a drug-user himself. He was very careful to keep the dealers away from his licensed premises as he wanted to ‘keep his nose clean’.
     
     
SCARLETT – Tuesday 19 August 2003, 23:35
     
    Juliette had taken ages to get to sleep. Scarlett had known that this would be the main problem, as the younger girl usually spent a long time reading before turning her light off, often only doing so after Scarlett had nodded off. She didn’t know how long she was going to have to wait. She lay in bed – having changed into her pyjamas early and after suggesting an early night – yawning, going on and on about how tired she was in the hope that some of it would subliminally rub off on to her sister – and waited.
    Juliette read.
    Lying in the semi-darkness, Scarlett had been worried that she might fall asleep after all, wake up to the bright sunshine and stifling heat of the non-air-conditioned room as she had done every other day; but in fact she felt fizzy with excitement at what she was planning to do.
    She lay still with her eyes closed and thought of Nico, thought about kissing him and what it would feel like. She constructed an elaborate fantasy around him asking her to marry him, and how she couldn’t tell her father and so she just eloped, pretended to be sixteen or eighteen or whatever the legal age for marriage was here in Greece… and she moved into Nico’s apartment with him. Long hours spent