30

Rachel's birthday party was well underway when Dom received the call.

Tom and Freddie watched as Dom frantically scribbled a note, before gathering his keys, wallet and warrant card.

"We've got a lead on Adrian," he told them as he went out to his car. "Can you watch Rachel and the others? She's having four of them stay over tonight, in case I'm back late. Their parent's numbers are on the side, in case anything happens."

"No problem," Tom said. "Is Adrian alright?"

"No idea. I'll call when I know more. Don't tell Rachel anything yet, in case the lead doesn't pan out."

Dom clambered into his car, and roared off down the driveway.

He soon joined the motorway, and pushed his car up to a hundred and thirty miles an hour. He ignored the flashing speed cameras he passed, swerving around the other cars and lorries.

He followed the directions given to him by the policeman who'd called and finally drove up the long driveway of an old castle.

He saw two policemen stood beside the castle's front door and went over to them, pulling out his warrant card as he went.

"Detective Dom Marafioti. I was called about a lead you have on one of my missing persons."

One of the policemen nodded.

"We received a call this morning from a woman who said she'd been given a note by a man in a shop. He said he was in trouble, and asked her to call the number on the note he'd slipped her. Your number. She called her cousin, one of our PCs, instead. We pulled the record for your mis-per, and the lady ID'd him. That's when we called you."

"What did the note say?"

"That someone called Adrian Sloan had been abducted by a man called Jamie King. They're staying on a boat, the Orion, which two of my men have secured down at the marina. They're somewhere in the castle grounds. We've got six plain-clothed officers searching now. We don't want to alert King to the fact we're here."

Dom nodded.

"Have you heard from them yet?"

"They're not inside the castle. We've secured all the exits, and the two gated driveways. If King wants to escape, he'll have to go cross-country."

Dom nodded again.

"What about the search of the gardens?" He asked. "How's that going?"

"We're asking everyone who comes out of the gardens if they've seen them. So far, no-one has. They could be exploring the small woods behind the castle."

Dom ran a hand through his hair, about to insist they call more officers to the search, when a uniformed officer ran over from the entrance to the gardens.

"Sir, one of the couples leaving the gardens recognised your mis-per. They're near the rose gardens, having a picnic."

Dom couldn't stop a laugh slipping out.

Only Adrian could organise a picnic with his kidnapper.

"Are any members of the public near them?" The first officer asked. "King could turn violent when we approach."

"Only Sergeant Grey and PC Driscoll. They're in plain clothes, heading towards the pair."