The Dead Ground by Claire McGowan Page B

kind of abductor often doesn’t know how to care for them. Or else they’d be found through police work. But to voluntarily return him—’ She shook her head. ‘They don’t do that.’
    ‘I’m glad we bother making all those appeals asking them to then,’ said Corry. ‘Anything else?’
    She was thinking. ‘Why a church? I mean, they needed somewhere safe and anonymous – back at the hospital would be the most obvious. It’s cold in here and there’s not much chance he’d be found by casual visitors.’
    ‘Is it left open all the time?’ Guy had a Londoner’s instinct for security.
    ‘Churches are supposed to be open at all times, Inspector. To offer a place for prayer.’ From Corry’s delivery, it was impossible to tell if she believed this herself.
    ‘Sanctuary,’ Paula murmured, thinking aloud. ‘Maybe it’s somewhere she feels safe. The abductor.’
    ‘ She .’ Guy stressed. ‘You’re sure?’
    ‘Fairly. We had the CCTV too.’
    ‘It’s a woman,’ said Corry confidently.
    ‘How do you know?’ demanded Guy.
    ‘The nappy. How many men would have known to do that?’
    Paula couldn’t help it. She let out a short, startled laugh and covered her mouth. Guy’s frown deepened. ‘Some of us have changed plenty of them, Chief Inspector. Anyway, what can the unit help with?’
    Corry said, ‘We’re still doing interviews with hospital staff – so far no one remembers a thing. We had a sketch artist in with Damian Pachek, but same story there. It was so busy, anyone could have been through the place that day.’
    Guy said, ‘Dr Maguire had some thoughts on interview techniques.’
    ‘Good.’ Corry nodded. ‘Have you anything to add to the offender profile, Doctor?’
    Paula said, ‘I’d like to go over the literature further. There’s a lot of research on infant abduction and it might give us some idea where to focus inquiries.’
    ‘That’s what I like to hear.’
    Paula had a terrible urge to please Helen Corry, like a strict schoolteacher. ‘I think—’ she hesitated. ‘The thing is, and we need to be aware of this – this person, they will have wanted a child. Unless possibly it was done for revenge, to hurt the family, but that seems so unlikely.’
    ‘They had no enemies, the father said, and I don’t buy this sectarian motive that’s been floated.’
    ‘So this person desperately wants a baby, enough to walk in and take one – but now, for whatever reason, they don’t have him any more. You see what I mean?’
    ‘I see.’ Corry’s mouth twisted. ‘It’s going to happen again.’

Chapter Ten
    ‘Saoirse?’ After another late night tying up ends on the Pachek case, Paula was back working at her desk the next morning. She was looking for other cases of abducted babies when the phone rang, her friend’s voice on the end. ‘What’s up?’
    Saoirse said, ‘Don’t be cross. I’ve made you an appointment for today. They had a slot.’
    She genuinely didn’t get it for a moment. ‘An appointment for what?’
    Saoirse sighed. ‘ Paula . Antenatal, of course.’
    Paula felt as if the front half of her body was trying to run away from the back. ‘Oh, I can’t. We’re really swamped here, we just found Alek Pachek, and—’
    Corry’s face hadn’t been off the news since Alek had been found safe and well the night before – she was taking all the credit, and as Guy hadn’t even wanted to call in the psychic in the first place, the unit hadn’t come off well. Paula was up to her eyes in research on child abduction and the phone was ringing off the hook with worried parents, wondering if the baby-snatcher might strike again, and journalists looking for a quote from a ‘child abduction expert’. She was not keen on that label. It sounded as if she gave lessons.
    ‘You’re going.’ Saoirse was stern. ‘No arguments.’
    ‘But I’m not ready. I don’t know what to do yet.’ Paula could hear the panic in her own voice. ‘There isn’t