Page 79 of Savage Protector
“Nearly eight o’clock. What time do the shops close round here?”
“Shops?”
I slant a glance at the bedraggled child still tucking in to fries and ketchup. “We need something decent for her to wear, then a safe place for both of these two to get some sleep. I saw a Travelodge about a mile away, but we can’t check Sarah in in that state. They’d have social services round in a flash.”
“We need a retail park, something like that with late-night opening.”
“There’s the Steelers mall,” Bilal suggests. “There’s a Next, and M&S.”
“That’ll do. How far?”
“Five minutes?”
“Sounds fine. Have we all done?”
We scoop up the remaining fries and ketchup and take them with us since Sarah seems to be still eating and settle her and Bilal in the rear seats of the SUV. I have to say, though we’ve had hardly a word out of her, the little girl appears a lot brighter now. No doubt the restorative powers of the Golden Arches.
Bilal and Beck nip into Next and return with a couple of outfits. Some jeans, sweaters, T-shirts, shoes, socks, and underwear, enough to keep Sarah looking respectable for a few days. Sarah stares at the clothes in disbelief and hugs the bags to her.
“You can put them on when we get to the hotel,” Bilal promises her.
Her sad, apprehensive face lights up with the first smile we’ve seen since we met her.
At the Travelodge, Beck slips his jacket around her, and we check in. Three twin rooms, though I doubt we’ll be using all of them. We deposit Bilal and Sarah in one, where Beck explains the shower to Sarah and the minibar to Bilal, with strict instructions to lay off the alcohol. We leave Bilal in charge.
“You still got that burner?” Tony asks him before we leave to track down Fred.
“Yeah, I have.” He pats his pocket.
“Phone Ethan back, tell him we’re here and fill him in on what’s happened so far. I’ll report to him myself once we’ve found Fred.”
“Okay.”
“So, where should we start? Where did you last see this guy?”
He chews on his lip, obviously torn.
“Bilal,” I begin. “You need to help us out here. If you know anything…”
“There’s a warehouse,” he blurts, “on the industrial estate near the motorway…”
“Yeah? What about this warehouse? Is it a lock-up of some sort?”
“I’m not sure. I once followed Mum, and she went there. There was someone guarding the door, so I couldn’t get inside, so I don’t know… I waited a while and saw Fred coming out, though.”
I pat him on the shoulder. “We’ll check it out. Okay, you get some sleep now. And take care of your sister for us. We’ll be back as soon as we can, but meanwhile…” I pile some change into his hand. “For the vending machine in the foyer. And there’s a full breakfast in that gastropub next door, served from seven in the morning. Fill your boots, both of you.”
18
Zayn
We locatethe industrial estate easily enough, but the place is vast. We drive round, scanning the rows and rows of identical structures, all made from that bland grey corrugated steel you see everywhere, with apex roofs and huge reinforced steel shutters.
“Did Bilal say what colour the door was?” I ask.
“No, and they’re all the same anyway,” Rome replies, navigating another turn between two of the buildings.
It’s late evening, so there’s no activity on the estate, no one to ask even if we were minded to.
