Evie Grace (Repost)

Carol returns from South Africa.

When I wrote this fic to start (almost a year ago) I was a very new writer. I want to have another crack at this fic, so enjoy. Will probably post some new content as well.

Chapter 1: The Missing Link

Tony Hill sat in the incident room of Bradfield Police, rigorously studying the case of Darcy Calgary, a 3 year old girl taken from her mother at the airport after flying in from Ireland.

His eyes diverted to her picture that was stuck to their incident board in his incoherent thought chain. She was a very pretty girl, he noted, with beautiful long dark hair and intense blue eyes. She was the image of piety and innocence, and it was starting to reach Tony on a personal level that someone so small and pure had been taken away, and at such a young age. He could not help but empathise with the poor child, something that he constantly found it a struggle to accomplish.

From what he had seen, in his opinion, it was obvious that it was a male who took Darcy, mid 40's, a trusting face that children could identify with, respectable exterior, like a businessman perhaps? He figured that the man could be a foreign national, the crime being one of opportunity at the airport. The motivations were very obviously sexual, reflecting in the randomness of attack that ruled out relatives, the perpetrator in question having an unhealthy attraction to young female toddlers.

'He doesn't have kids,' said Tony. 'If he does, he tries to remain as detached from them as possible. He may abuse them, but probably not. I'm guessing that he's not married and not in a relationship, probably sees himself as a lone ranger, travelling from place to place.'

Alex shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

'Sorry Alex,' he said. 'I should have kept my thoughts to myself.'

'No,' she replied. 'It's okay. Think out loud all you want.'

She carried on filling out some paperwork at her desk, ignoring the fact that what Tony had said, the lines he was thinking along were disturbing her. She knew that she had to face up to that disturbance and be as objective as she could. It was all about getting Darcy home safely to her parents. The monster that took her would get his comeuppance, she would make sure of that. That's if she ever caught him...

She shuddered at the thought. How she even dared to imagine that scenario, she would never know...Her mind steadily diverted to the possibilities, morphing once more into an application of the situation to her own life. What if someone took Ben?

Shuffling her chair backwards slightly, she attempted to clear her mind of that. God this case was getting to her.

Looking over to Tony, she sighed. He'd never understand how she felt about children being hurt. He wasn't a father, and she figured that even if he was, he lacked the empathy to identify with the situation. She could be wrong, but from the years she'd known Tony, it seemed evident that was the case.

The phone at Alex's desk rang loudly, echoing throughout the silent room.

Picking it up, she said, 'DI Fielding. Kevin, what do we know? What flight was he on? Interpol? Wow, heavy duty criminal. Last known address? Ah, have they been chasing him? How long? 4 years? Wow, long time. Did you speak to their Captain? Right, she's coming over here. The flight leaves in 2 hours, 13 hour flight, so she'll be here at 9am? She's bringing someone? Do you know who? Okay Kevin, thanks. Bye.'

Sitting up, Tony said, 'So? What's new?'

'Only one sex offender came in on any international flight to Bradfield Airport, which is surprising. Dinyang Fengane. Came in on a flight from Johannesburg 20 minutes before Darcy was taken. Wanted by Interpol for sexual assault on toddlers and a kidnap/murder of a 3 year old girl in Colorado. Does he fit the profile?'

'It depends,' said Tony. 'Married? In a relationship? Children? Occupation? Age?'

'No, no, none, businessman, owns an export company and he's 44,' said Alex, rattling off the information that Kevin gave her.

'It fits,' said Tony, nodding. 'So, who's flying over?'

'Captain of the Johannesburg Police,' said Alex. 'They've been chasing Fengane for 4 years, ever since the Captain has worked there. They haven't got enough concrete evidence on him for an arrest. He's still in the wind. The Captain wants to come over here and liase with us on finding him. She knows his criminal tendencies, might come in handy. She'll be here at 9am with her guest, God knows who that is...'

'Colleague?' asked Tony.

'No idea,' replied Alex.

'Family member?' asked Tony.

'I don't know!' exclaimed Alex. 'Just go home Tony, you're irritating me. And don't forget to be at the airport by 9am.'

'Will do,' he replied, taking his trademark blue carrier bag with a flourish and beginning to leave the room. 'And tell Ben that football Friday will have to wait, am really behind on grading papers for my students.'

'Okay,' she replied.