Round the corner from the flats in Scarborough an array of police vehicles were pulling in. Browne had Holloway with him together with an quantity of uniformed officers. The plain clothes officers came to meet them.
"Well no one at all has left or gone into the flats whilst we've been here," one said. "Of course she could have bolted before we got here."
Browne nodded. "Although she's no cause to because as far as she knows no one is on to her," he said. He took a deep breath. "Lets hope this young 'un is Katie Rowan."
"Must be sir, how else would her dolly be lying in the hallway of the flats?" pointed out Holloway.
"I'll be convinced when we've got Katie Rowan safe and not before." Browne looked grim and tense. "Right lads lets go. And remember how much we've got at stake here."
As the uniformed officers moved off Holloway murmured, "It'll be fine sir."
"Will it?" Browne looked at Holloway with whom he had worked a long time."It needs to be. Because if not I'll have the job of breaking the news to Nick Rowan, and you've seen the state he's in. It'll finish him. Any road." He took a breath. "Lets concentrate on t'job in hand shall we?"
The officers clattered into the communal hallway of the flats. A resident was coming down from the upstairs flats. The man stopped, startled
"Its fine sir," Browne said. "But if you could go back to your flat, just briefly. Which one are you in?"
"Just here at the top of the stairs. My name's Grant, Peter Grant."
"Thank you sir. Someone will be up to speak to you in a bit."
The man nodded, turned and fled back to his flat not remotely wanting to get involved.
The officers grouped around the flat door. They glanced at each other as they heard a child screaming inside.
"We need to get in there," Browne said. He banged on the flat, hard. "Can you open up please? This is the police!"
Other than the child's cries nothing happened. Browne glanced through the letterbox but could not see much.
"Hope she's not buggered off Sir," muttered Holloway.
Browne glanced at a stolid uniformed officer standing on the opposite side of the door and nodded. The officer moved to the centre of the door. "Stand away from the door!" he shouted. "We're coming in!"
Two well placed kicks from his boot and the flimsy door was in. The officers piled into the flat.
They found Katie standing in her cot, screaming. Her nappy was wet, she was grubby and hungry but Browne's face broke into a broad smile of relief. He went over to her and scooped her out of the cot.
"Katie Rowan. We've been looking for you," he said.
"Sir!" Holloway was shouting from the bedroom of the flat.
"Here, can you take her?" Browne asked the policeman who had broken down the flat door.
"Aye. Come here young 'un," the big policeman said. "Its all right luv, you're safe now."
Browne went into the bedroom of the flat. The woman was lying across the bed, unconscious. On the bedside table was an empty bottle of tablets and an empty small whisky bottle.
Holloway had two fingers on the woman's neck feeling for a pulse. "She's still alive," he said to Browne.
"I'll get an ambulance," a uniformed constable said, feeling relieved to have a reason to get out of the grubby, fetid flat and out into the fresh air to use the radio.
"She'll need someone staying with her at all times," Browne pointed out. "If she lives she'll bloody pay for what she's done."
Another constable was looking through the woman's bag, lying in a corner of the room. He pulled out a blonde wig
"Bag that," snapped Browne.
As the wig was placed in an evidence bag the officer took out the woman's purse. "Driving licence here sir," he said. "Her name is Laura, Laura Dixon. And there's an address here an' all, in Leeds."
"Follow that up," Browne told Holloway who nodded, and proceeded to make a note of the details.
"Sir!" The officer who had hold of Katie called from the living room. Browne went back in to see what the officer wanted. The child was quieter but still whimpering.
"Sir, look," the constable said. His face was taut with anger.
The dress Katie was wearing had lifted slightly with the child being lifted and Browne took a deep breath as he saw the marks on her legs. "She's been smacked sir, quite hard I'd say," the constable said. "And look." He indicated marks on Katie's arm. "Them's marks for being pinched I reckon."
Holloway had come to stand behind Browne. "Bitch," he swore.
Browne shook his head. "Its not right," he said, "but of course the bairn was upset wi' being wi' a stranger. And of course she cried and her in there probably couldn't cope wi' it. So she hurt Katie."
"Tell you what sir," the Constable holding Katie said. "I think we've been lucky on this one she only tried ter top herself. She could have tried to take the little 'un wi' her an' all."
Over at the Police House when the telephone had finally rung Blaketon had answered it in the Police House office. Nick got up from the table and moved to the window, looking out. Maggie Bolton, who had come up in response to the latest development, took Eileen's hand as she sat rigidly waiting for Blaketon to finish the call and come and speak to them. Phil watched Nick anxiously wishing Blaketon would hurry up - even bad news was probably better than this excruciating wait. And then the door opened and the Sergeant walked in. The relief on his face was evident. It was clearly good news.
"They've got her, haven't they?" Nick asked.
"Aye they have lad." Blaketon cleared his throat. "There's a couple o' things I need to explain ter you but Katie's not hurt. Its over, lad."
It was just too much. Sitting down at the table again Nick, putting his head in his hands, broke down. Phil stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Its all right Nick," he said speaking with a catch in his own voice. "Katie's safe."
"Hey," Maggie said gently. "Come on, both of you," because Eileen was in tears as well. "I know, I know but Katie's been found. She's coming home."
Nick sat back in his chair rubbing at his eyes. He smiled weakly at Eileen and put his hand on hers. "All right?" he asked her
She nodded, managing to return the weak smile. "Lets just get Katie home," she said.
"Well that's what she needs now - to be home wi' yer both - so Nick, you and I are going over to Scarborough Police Station - that's where Katie's been taken to be checked over. She's fine lad, she were found grubby and a bit neglected but fine." Blaketon took a breath. "There are one or two things you and Eileen do need to know.. When Browne and his lads got in the flat the woman who took Katie were found in the bedroom. She'd took a overdose. We don't know yet if she'll pull through."
"I don't care if she does or doesn't," Eileen said. "Its evil what she's done."
But Nick picked up there was more to be told. Looking up at Blaketon he said, "And there's something else isn't there?" he asked. "Has she hurt Katie?"
"Not badly. Katie does have one or two marks on her consistent with being slapped and pinched." Eileen gasped and Nick flinched. "She's not badly hurt but she were found in a bit of a state, nappy not changed, she were hungry and so on. It seems the woman took her but just couldn't cope with looking after a little 'un. I'm not making light of it Nick, I'm just saying Katie will be fine. Bit agitated for a while maybe but she'll be fine."
"I need to see her Sarge," Nick said. "I just want to bring my daughter home."
"Aye. You come wi' me now and we'll go and get her."
Nick looked at Eileen. "Stay strong for me Eileen," he said gently. "Katie's going to want you when I get her home. We've got her back, that's all that matters."
She nodded as Maggie said, "Don't worry Nick. Eileen will be fine with Phil and me."