Run To Me

By Milly Reynolds

DI Mike Malone is given a puzzle to solve by a friend, find his sister. However, before he can even begin to delve into this mystery the case he has always feared arrives in his little market town - a missing child. Join DI Malone as, together with his faithful DS Alan Shepherd, they look for the child and stumble across another serious crime on the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Milly Reynolds
• Release date: May 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463079751

Milly Reynolds

As you may have already guessed, Milly Reynolds is not my real name. Like my 'hero' Detective Inspector Mike Malone, I also hide my real identity. Having 'retired' from my job, I was a full-time teacher in a secondary school, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a writer. So why Mike Malone? I love all things detective and wanted to create my own series. However, I decided not to go for the deep, dark thriller - I could never compete with the masters of that genre, like Jo Nesbo whose books I adore? Therefore I came to the decision that the Mike Malone series would be off-beat. I like to think that there is humour in my books; I don't want to scare people, I want to make them chuckle - there is not enough laughter in the world at the moment. As the series has progressed, I have become very attached to Mike; he is the comfortable pair of slippers that I put on at night. My husband has also become attached to Fi and I am under strict instructions not to let anything happen to her - yet. Living in Lincolnshire, I love the flat, endless landscapes and want these to be seen in my books alongside places that I know and love. Mike Malone has moved from the city to Lincolnshire and has fallen in love with the place; me, I was born here and can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. However, although Mike was my first creation, he is not the only one. I have also created Jack Sallt, another Detective Inspector. Jack is grittier than Mike and there is not the humour in his stories that there is in the Mike Malone stories. I wanted to write a more 'grown-up' detective story. When time allows this will be developed into a series as well. With two male detectives under my wing, I also decided that it was time for the girls to take centre stage and 'Scorpion's Tale', my first novel featuring Liv Harris, a character in the Jack Sallt novels, was published in 2013. I am hoping that Liv will make another appearance at some point in the future. Not content with crime, I have also wandered into the realms of romance; my first stand-alone novel 'The Unseen Sky' was published August 2011. I'm lucky, I enjoy writing and find it just as relaxing to sit and create as it is to read, although sometimes a good book can get in the way of my writing. I read on average 50/60 books a year and always keep my blog updated with reviews. Anyway, I hope you like my novels. I have fun coming up with ideas for Mike -...

Book preview

Run To Me

By Milly Reynolds

Copyright @ 2020 by Milly Reynolds

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The little girl sat on the grass and plucked up a handful of daisies. Her mother had made her a daisy chain bracelet yesterday but she had broken it. Now she wanted to make another one.

"Hello, dear."

She looked up at the voice and smiled. It was the nice lady who sometimes gave her sweets when she went shopping, with her mother. She waved to her and the lady smiled back. She was just about to go to her and ask her if she knew how to make a daisy chain when the lady’s face changed.

"Quick, dear. Run to me. It’s going to get you. Quick. Run."

She didn’t have time to look behind her or to go and find her mother, the lady had frightened her. She started crying and scrambled to her feet, losing a shoe and dropping the daisies as she did so. The lady was holding the open gate for her so she ran through it and buried her face in her coat. She was so glad when the lady picked her up and they started walking. She was safe. It couldn’t get her now.

In the garden the little shoe lay on its side among the scattered daisies.

One

Steph Marshall held her daughter Maisie close to her, enjoying the moment. There really was nothing to beat sitting in the autumn sun while her child slept. A moment’s peace and a moment to savour. One day Maisie would be too big to sleep on her knee. Why did babies ever have to grow up? Inside the house, Dan was clearing out his late father’s room. At least George had had the chance to meet Maisie, to hold her before he died. Steph had been helping her husband, knowing how difficult he would be finding the whole situation, but Maisie had wanted her feed. Still, she could always hold Maisie tomorrow. She got to her feet and gently carried her inside.

She’s asleep, she whispered to her husband when he turned around after hearing her footsteps. I’ll pop her down on the bed.

Let me.

Dan pulled the pillows down to create a little space for Maisie to sleep between and to stop her rolling off then watched his wife settle the baby down.

So, how’s it going? Steph asked him, noticing that his eyes were red. Is it very hard?

Dan Marshall ran a hand through his blond hair. Harder than I thought it would be. There are so many memories.

All good memories. Hang on to those.

He picked up a navy jacket. He wore this when I graduated. It was his go to jacket every time he went somewhere a bit smart. I found this in the inside pocket. He fished in the pocket again and pulled out a folded up document. It’s the running order for the Graduation Ceremony. He kept it all these years.

He was proud of you, why shouldn’t he have kept it.

But don’t you see, he never took it out of his pocket. Every time he wore this jacket, the memory of that day was always with him.

That is so sweet.

Dan turned back to the wardrobe that he had been going through, setting the better items in a pile on the bed ready for the charity shops and the more worn items on the floor ready for the rubbish bags.

I’ve finished the wardrobe, just the suitcases from the top of the wardrobe and then time to start on the dresser.

Do you want me to start going through the drawers?

I think he kept his socks and underpants in the top drawers.

Lovely.

While Steph opened the first drawer and found, just as Dan had said, a colourful array of socks, he pulled a chair in front of the wardrobe and stepped up on it. On top of the wardrobe he found a layer of dust. Evidently his father had not been able to reach to clean for some time. He pulled the first suitcase down.

Steph, just come and grab this from me.

He handed it to his wife and reached for the second one which he also handed her. That should have been it, but Dan found that there was a box right at the back which had been concealed by the cases. He leaned forward and pulled it to him, sending clouds of dust into the room.

Don’t know how long this has been sitting there, he called softly to Steph. Pass me one of the old shirts, will you. The dust on this is years old.

Steph watched him sweep the layers of dust into a little pile on the floor. What a gorgeous little box, she exclaimed. "Those inlaid roses are just exquisite.

Dan placed the box on the bed. I don’t ever remember seeing this before.

It must be special or he wouldn’t have kept it.

Maybe, Dan considered, but if it was that special, it wouldn’t have been left on the top of the wardrobe. No, it’s something he’s forgotten about.

So what’s in it?

Dan opened the box and pulled out a small deep tan Starte-rite sandal.

Was that yours? Steph asked.

No. I don’t think so.

He put it down on the bed and took out the documents that had been underneath the shoe. As he read, Steph watched the colour leave her husband’s cheeks, a look of disbelief creep over his face and shock take over his body so that he had to sit on the edge of the bed.

Dan. What’s the matter? You’re worrying me.

He held out one of the documents and she took it. As she read it, she too sat down.

I don’t understand. Who is this?

Look at the date. This girl was born two and half years before I was born. I had a sister. Why didn’t they tell me?

So where ….

Dan held out the other documents that he had been holding.

She was abducted. When I was her age, she was taken from the garden.

Oh, Dan.

All they found was her shoe. Look at these newspaper reports, they looked everywhere, for months. There’s no death certificate here. It looks as if they never ever found her.

I walked into the office carrying a mug of tea and a mug of strong coffee which I placed before Shepherd. One look at him when he walked into the office and all my paternal instincts had leapt into action. Little Katy Helen had been born five and a half weeks ago and at the moment she was giving Shepherd and Cat disturbed nights. I had been over the moon when she had been born. A little girl to spoil, it was beyond my wildest dreams. As for her name, as soon I knew Cat had had a daughter, I had crossed my fingers that she wouldn’t be called Charlotte. This obsession for calling children after Royal babies was beyond me. So when Shepherd told me that her name was Katy which was a version of Cat and Helen after his aunt, I had been satisfied.

Coffee, lad. I put some sugar in it to give you energy.

Thanks.

It does get better, you know.

I know, I know. I don’t remember having as many disturbed nights when David was born.

That’s girls for you, always wanting attention.

We sipped our drinks in silence before starting our work for the day, not that there was a lot on. After the lipstick murders, things had been relatively quiet. Maybe all the criminals were still on holiday.

Excuse me, Sir. Grayson popped his head around the door. Mrs Marshall wonders if you can spare her a few moments.

It took me a couple of moments to realise that Grayson was referring to Steph Marshall, the gorgeous wife of the local vet, Dan. Send her in.

A couple of minutes later and Steph appeared with Maisie in her pushchair. I pulled a seat up for her beside Shepherd. She was as beautiful as ever, her dark hair was swept up in an untidy bun and her skin was glowing. Maisie was fast asleep but even now I could see that she was going to be a mini version of her mum, although she seemed to have inherited Dan’s colouring. She was going to be a little blonde bombshell.

Thank you for seeing me, she said as she settled herself down. Oh, Alan, you look awful.

Thanks.

Is Katy being naughty?

She doesn’t know the word ‘sleep’ yet.

Steph laughed. Maisie was just the same, three months before I got a decent night’s sleep. Dan always slept through her crying, dead to the world. Cat’s lucky she has you to share the burden.

Three months, Shepherd groaned. I’ll never live that long.

Steph patted Shepherd’s arm. I’ll call in on Cat on the way home.

So, Steph, to what do we owe this pleasure? It was time for me to take control in my own office.

I don’t know whether you can help, but this has really knocked Dan for six. He’s all over the place.

Shepherd raised his head and took notice.

What’s the problem, Steph? I asked gently. I knew that Dan’s father had lost his battle with cancer a month ago and the death of a parent can affect people in all sorts of ways.

Well, when we were clearing his dad’s house, Dan found something. We waited, not wanting to rush her. I haven’t told him that I was coming to see you, not yet. I thought I’d see what your opinion was first.

Go on, Steph.

He found a box that his dad had hidden away and it contained documents about his sister.

I wasn’t aware that Dan had a sister, Shepherd commented. The coffee seemed to have revived him.

"Neither did he. His parents never mentioned her. She was a couple