"I…I know who you are…Matt." Elle said, spitting out the last word as though it was poison. "I know what you did to my Mum. I know how you frightened her, how you abused her." Elle continued as Matt's face contorted with pain and fury.
"Tell you all about me did she? Tell you what a little slapper she was and how she needed punishing?" Matt asked taking several steps closer to Elle.
"She didn't have to. I've seen the marks, the permanent scars that you left on her. I know that after the abuse she suffered at your hands that she was told she may never be able to have children. The one thing you wanted from her most was what you went and destroyed. It was a bloody miracle that me and Mikey ever made it to the planet. Mum was so happy when she found that she was pregnant with us. She tells us every day that we're the best things she ever did. She loves us so much and for your petty revenge you've taken me away from her. How do you think she'll be feeling right now?" Elle replied, her words dripping with contempt.
"Okay you've had your time now sit down and shut it. Don't you try and pull the little psychologist act on me, a copper's daughter you truly are. Do you know how long I was sent down for, just for giving your Mum what she deserved. Eight years I stayed in that hellhole. Eight years I wasted of my life. Then I got out and that man noticed me from the paper. Seven years I've done for manslaughter. Out on parole for…good behaviour now though." He smirked at Elle's petrified face.
"And do you know why I did all that time? Just so that Superintendent Heaton made sure that Emma could go off and play happy families with Will!" He shouted taking another step towards her. "Stupid, cheating whore." He added nastily.
"But Mum said she never did cheat on you. She only slept with Dad when you two had had an argument and split up." Elle replied defensively.
"Oh very good Elle she's got you well trained. She hasn't told you about her current fling though, has she? With the handsome Sergeant Smith." He said casually.
Elle's mouth opened and shut several times as she tried to think of something to say. She eventually gave up and resumed her silence. "Ahh but just like Emma you need to learn your lesson. We can't have you ending up like her can we?" Matt added as he grabbed Elle's arm and threw her back into the wall.
"No! Please, please don't hurt me." She said cowering away from him. "Please." Matt rolled his eyes and walked briskly from the room.
Emma meanwhile was sitting nervously on the edge of a chair in the soft interview room. The door handle turned and Jo stepped into the room, shutting it behind her. "Hi Emma." She said quietly as she took out a sheet of paper and a pen. "Can you explain to me what's happened?"
"I got home about six yesterday and Mikey was sitting in the living room watching telly. I asked where Elle was because she usually comes straight home. He said she hadn't been home and her friend Jess who she was supposed to meet said she never showed up. I started panicking so I phoned Will and the whole night we stayed up and waited for her to come home." Emma replied, trying to steady her voice.
"What frame of mind do you think Elle was in, has she been under pressure recently?" Jo asked, thinking fast.
"Well for the past month or so we've all been a little stressed but for the last 2 days she's been really happy and friendly and helpful. I mean she got pregnant and we found out a month ago. She had a termination but it was what she wanted and she couldn't wait to put it all behind her. Everything was great for a while but then she got this new boyfriend and she became really closed. A week later Will caught them having sex. He'd apparently been pressuring her into doing it and she was confused. Will took her to the clinic and it was all sorted out. I talked to her about it and that and really she seemed okay." Emma said pausing for breath.
"That's really good Emma. Now has anything else happened over the last few days? Any arguments or things that may have upset Elle?" Jo asked pointedly as she'd heard a little about what had occurred between Will and Emma.
"Um yes Will and I argued." Emma said looking at the carpet. "He…he thought I'd been cheating on him with Smithy, which I hadn't." She added, looking up to make sure Jo understood her. "He brought up some stuff from the past and I walked out. When I got back Elle was crying but Will was talking to her. I got kind of upset and was finding it hard to breathe so Will took me to hospital. The kids have been really great the last few days and Will and I made up." Emma finished, emphasising the 'made up'.
"Urr okay." Jo replied feeling slightly uncomfortable hearing all about Emma's private life even though it would help Elle's case. "What about Matt?" She asked warily. Very aware of how much Matt's abuse had once destroyed her as she and Gina had been the investigating officers and had seen Emma at her lowest point.
"Oh he's in prison and he ain't that vindictive surely." She said casually waving her hand.
"Thanks for all this Emma. I'll look into some things and get a few people out to look for any possible witnesses." Jo said as she got to her feet and left the room.
Once safely back in CID, she checked out known associates of Matt and then a highlighted paragraph appeared on the page. It read:
Matthew Lewis Hinckley released on parole for good behaviour 4th May due to return to Longmarsh Prison 10th May.
Jo sucked in her breath. Matt had been out roaming the streets for 24 hours without Emma's knowledge. Now her daughter was missing. Coincidence, I think not!
Quickly she dialled in the number listed below. "Ahh yes hello this is DC Masters from Sun Hill CID could I please speak to Matt Hinckley's Probation Officer?" Jo asked politely, while agitatedly picking at her thumbnail.
"Hello Miss Masters. You were enquiring about Matt?" The man on the other end replied after a few minutes.
"Yes I was wondering why procedure has been ignored and he has been released on parole without his ex-wife, the victim of one of his violent assaults has not been informed." She said, trying to keep her tone civil while the anger was bubbling up inside her.
"We sent a letter to Miss Emma Keane over a week ago. It mustn't have got there." He replied indignantly. "We are not at fault love."
With that Jo slammed down the phone and stormed from CID. By the time she reached the interview room she had calmed down slightly and her breathing had returned to normal. On entering the interview room again, she saw that Will and Mikey had joined Emma there. She was curled up on her side with her head resting on Will's lap and he was ever so gently stroking her hair. In her hands she held a length of thin blue cord with a small heart pendant suspended from it. Elle's favourite necklace, treasured in Emma's grasp.
Mikey yawned and stretched before going back to playing his Nintendo DS. Although he was trying to act like nothing was wrong, he had a worried frown on his face and dark circles under his eyes.
Jo cleared her throat and the three of them looked up eagerly; it nearly broke Jo's heart. "I um…Matt was released on parole from Longmarsh Prison yesterday, you were sent a letter but it must have got lost in the post." Jo said awkwardly.
"He's got her." Emma said softly. "He always wanted children so bad from me, if he couldn't have my children maybe he didn't want me to have Will's and mine as well." She added, thinking it through.
Smithy walked in through the door, having heard the last few sentences. "Elle's friend Jess confirms the CCTV footage showing Elle getting into a silver Vectra. It appeared both times to be of her own free will. That doesn't mean to say it wasn't a trap but we have to now consider that she left voluntarily." Smithy said, wincing as he saw the pain in Emma's eyes.
"M…Matt owns a silver Vectra. I don't know if Elle's seen a picture of him more than once, she may have recognised him from somewhere but not have put two and two together." Emma replied.
"Maybe Emma should consider going into Witness Protection until we can rule him out of it. After all, look what happened last time he got parole." Will said to Jo.
"Uh I don't think I can authorise that but…" Jo began before she was interrupted by Smithy.
"She can stay with me for a little while if you like. I'll protect her Will." He said smiling at them.
Emma looked up at Will and nodded fearfully. "Yeah okay but can I have a quick word." He said kissing Emma before following Smithy from the room.
"I appreciate your concern and I know that you want to help but I swear you lay a finger on my wife and you're dead mate. Don't take advantage, just look after her and keep her safe." He said slowly. Smithy nodded mutely, knowing Will meant business and then he guided Emma out to his car, to take her home to pick up a few things.
Matt walked into the basement with a piece of toast on a plate for her. Elle however was too upset to notice and was still crying noisily in the corner. "Shut up or the neighbours will hear!" He whispered menacingly. This only made Elle more frightened and she screamed as he drew closer. "You'll pay for that bitch." He said, pulling out the knife and dragging it across her collarbone, ripping her shirt as he did so.
"Don't…please don't." Elle begged and Matt smiled triumphantly. He hadn't managed to break Emma but watching her daughter fall from grace was equally as satisfying.
YAY! I'm actually almost finished writing this...still I'd like pointers and tips for the future chapters and the possible spin off I may be persuaded to write. xxxxpip