Chapter 26

Pembroke woke up at 5 am. He needed to be up early to drop his mother off at the care home, but he had a different reason for getting up even earlier. He didn’t want his neighbors to know he had rented a white van for the past few weeks. Confident he had kept it hidden, parking it either at the park-and-ride or in his garage, he decided to leave with the van while the streets were still quiet.

He checked to ensure no dog walkers were around before pulling out and driving to the park-and-ride, where he left the van and walked back home. The morning air was crisp, and the birds were chirping, promising beautiful weather ahead. He waved at a neighbor walking their dog and continued on his way.

Once back home, he got his mother ready. He told her he loved her, then explained she needed to be away for just one day. Although she might not have fully grasped the details, her smile was all he needed to know that she was okay.

Sophie had no such smile for him, she fully understood who he now was. “OK Sophie here is your breakfast and a towel and some new clothes. Now quick, I want those clothes back. I am going to be away all day, and I really want those sweet panties you have on, I hope they’ve got your scent nice and deep, I need something to remind me of you while I’m out! I am going to return that van. Remember it? Maybe its the last thing you saw before I hooded you and brought you in here. Well, I’ll’ miss it too, but it’s got to go. Don’t want to leave clues, do we?”

Sophie ate her meal and then showered. As she changed clothes, she tried to ignore Pembroke’s lingering eyes from outside the cell. She tried to be as modest as possible while drying off and changing into the sailor girl outfit he had given her. The outfit was a classic blue and white with a short skirt, white knee-high socks, and a small sailor hat. The blouse was fitted with a square collar and a red neckerchief, completing the look.

Pembroke smiled as he saw her in the outfit, commenting, “Looks cute! I look forward to seeing you when I get back,” before winking and heading upstairs. Sophie sat back down in her cell, her face a mix of frustration and boredom. She played with her uniform wondering how to fill the hours of boredom and monotony ahead of her.

Pembroke drove his mother to the care home, where Leah, the care assistant who usually looked after her, greeted him. Leah had a special gift for connecting with older patients, even those with dementia. Her warm personality and gentle communication style could sometimes bring moments of clarity to the residents, or at least that’s what Pembroke and others believed. She had a calm demeanor, and despite being simple and plain in appearance, her consistent smile always reassured Pembroke that his mother was in good hands.

After thanking the staff, Pembroke left the care home and drove to the park-and-ride, where he picked up the rented van. He had a long and arduous journey ahead of him. He hoped to return the van to the rental company before 5pm, but it would be tight. As he drove, he sighed, knowing that after returning the van, he’d face another long train ride back home. The lengths he had to go to cover his tracks and erase any evidence were exhausting but necessary. It wasn’t just a matter of practicality; it was essential for his plan.

The Tuesday morning ferry from Harwich to Rotterdam was bustling with travelers. Hans Roeffer stood on the deck, taking in the sea breeze and reflecting on the cycling holiday he had just enjoyed. Eastern England had been a beautiful backdrop for their ride, with picturesque landscapes and quaint villages. As he and his group chatted about their trip, recounting the scenic routes and the fun moments, a fleeting memory crossed his mind.

A few days ago, they had passed a white van parked on a small country road. It had seemed out of place, and the driver appeared to be struggling with something—maybe changing a tire or dealing with a branch. Hans and others noticed the brief encounter, and some commented on it at their next food stop, but it hadn’t seemed important.

Now, as the ferry made its way across the North Sea, Hans’s focus returned to the present. The white van incident had almost slipped from his mind, soon to be replaced by the myriad of happy memories from the trip. Back in Germany, none of his group would likely connect that van to the news reports of a missing girl in the UK. They were headed back to their busy lives in Munich, where stories from the cycling holiday would soon become just another part of their personal histories.

Teresa was frustrated and angry after Tommy called her with another ‘job’ offer. Tommy had got rave reviews from Corey Metesse while Tommy chuckled as he heard all about the stories of Teresa drinking piss and taking it up the ass. Teresa squirmed at the notion that her old ‘friend’ Tommy knew the details. Tommy figured she needed some time, but she could be a great earner if he kept this up. He wondered if he could do it on Teresa himself if he played his cards right. He wondered also about her oldest daughter coming home and Sophie’s photos. Being a slut must run in the genes, he must keep tabs on that goldmine of a family.

Teresa had just spent the money she’d earned the day before to loan her daughter money for her trip home. Now she was back to square one, needing money but unable to face work, either cleaning/care work or Tommy’s kind.

The situation became even more stressful as she started getting calls from unknown numbers—some were pranksters, while others were from journalists. Teres felt overwhelmed and began reaching out to anyone who would listen, resulting in a warning from the police. They warned her about discussing personal matters online, emphasizing the risks of oversharing and its impact on the investigation.

The case surrounding the missing red-headed girl, Sophie, became more chaotic as Pembroke’s online friends and various fantasists bombarded the police with false information. Some claimed Sophie was living in a squatter’s community in South London. This rumor stemmed from Pembroke’s research into a location that had become the focus of racist and classist remarks in neighborhood groups. The police investigated thoroughly, bringing in the press, but found no trace of Sophie.

Meanwhile, sightings of red-headed girls in Manchester, Greece, Morocco, and other places added to the confusion. Sophie’s distinctive hair color turned out to be a curse in this context, as people would quickly jump to conclusions when they saw a red-headed child in seemingly suspicious circumstances or with adults of different hair colors, assuming she was the kidnapped victim.

The flood of information made it hard for the police to manage the case effectively. Amidst the chaos, two critical leads—one from a Mr and Mrs Lawson, who had seen Sophie on TV again, and another from Joe Galdaze, a train ticket inspector—were pushed to the back of the queue, overlooked in the rush of false reports.

Time dragged on endlessly for Sophie in her cramped cell. Without any way to tell time, her sense of reality began to blur. The bizarre costume she wore added to the surreal feeling within the tiny confines of her cell, which barely allowed her to take more than a few steps in any direction. The isolation and sensory deprivation started to take a toll on her mind, leading to hallucinations.

She imagined herself in various familiar places: her classroom, her home, and even back on the train to Mallowby. The lines between dreams and reality blurred so much that she couldn’t tell whether she was awake or asleep. This was the longest time she had spent without her captor’s presence. His absence, coupled with the monotonous surroundings, increased her disorientation, and she struggled to keep a grip on reality.

Pembroke was relieved by how impersonal the van rental process turned out to be. A Polish man quickly inspected the van without engaging in much small talk, which rendered Pembroke’s prepared story about his family’s trip to the highlands unnecessary. He’d almost forgotten to remove Sophie’s fragrant knickers from the dashboard before handing over the keys.

Afterward, he took public transport to Glasgow train station, then boarded a train back to London. It had been another expensive and exhausting day, leading Pembroke to think wryly that this kind of operation was better suited for the wealthy. He mused that he should probably take on some contract work before school started to boost his finances which had been depleted by this whole adventure.

It was evening when he got to Liverpool Street. He walked around and reminisced about Friday morning. He traced his steps from Friday morning, there were so many people here, that the police would have an uphill task asking anyone who remembered anything.

Pembroke sat in the station, sipping his coffee as he waited for his train to Willowbridge. His eyes followed the young women moving through the station, some walking briskly with purpose, others chatting or sitting casually. As he watched them, a dark thought crossed his mind: how vulnerable they seemed. It could be so easy for one of them to disappear, just like Sophie. They would have no idea of the lurking dangers until it was too late, no idea of the cruel and hidden world that existed just beneath the surface of ordinary life.

The café worker came over to wipe his table. She was a young Eastern European girl. “Hello, hope your shift is ending soon?” Pembroke asked casually, attempting to strike up a conversation. The girl blushed and laughed lightly. “Yes, I can’t wait, haha.”

Pembroke knew she likely had no interest in him, yet her lack of awareness about the danger she could be in fascinated him. “What’s your name?” he asked.

“I’m Karolina,” she replied, quickly correcting her expression. She found Pembroke’s demeanor slightly unsettling and wondered if he was drunk or just creepy, regretting giving him her name so readily. Despite her discomfort, there was no law against someone being uncomfortable, so Pembroke continued staring at her, his gaze lingering.

Karolina avoided his eyes but occasionally glanced back, catching his stare and visibly blushing, which made Pembroke smirk. He took in her appearance—black hair, likely dyed, pale skin, and a fit figure. She looked to be around twenty. As he sipped his coffee, he entertained a fleeting thought of making her his next project. Despite her clear discomfort, he found her reactions amusing, relishing in her unease.

He laughed at the thought on the train home. ‘Don’t be greedy, Edward.’ his mother would have told him.

Pembroke’s relaxed easy manner was shattered when he checked on Sophie as he got home close to midnight after having to walk from the station to the park and ride and finally drive his car to his house.

She was in a ball on the ground and looked to be bleeding from her face and hands. He rushed down and she started screaming at him through the glass. She had been banging her hands head and feet against the glass of the cell and the walls. She had tried to rip out the toilet and shower but had done minimal damage to the facilities themselves, only to herself.