The Missing Hours (39 page)

Authors: Emma Kavanagh

I stand on the single-track road and at first I think that I have begun to hallucinate, that the mountain air is creating a vision, a movement of light. But then I look closer, and no, it is real. It is a car, winding its way beneath the steep overhangs to where I stand.

They are coming.

I am bringing Ed home.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book has been a work of many contrasts for me. There have been times at which the complexities and demands of it have driven me to utter distraction. At others, it has been a complete joy. Yet, as with any book, this is not a journey I have undertaken alone.
The Missing Hours
has become what it is thanks to the assistance of many wonderful people.

Firstly, inevitably, the ever-supportive Camilla Wray, agent extraordinaire. She has cheered with me, comforted me, and, on more than one occasion, told me to step away from the computer and eat some cake. I could not do what I do without her as my trusty sidekick. To the rest of the wonderful Darley Anderson Agency, thank you for all that you do. I’m so proud to be able to call myself one of your authors.

Jenny Geras, publishing director of Arrow, your incisive editorial mind and your passionate support for my work have truly made this the career of my dreams. Francesca Pathak, thank you for your insightful editorial work and for just generally being an utterly lovely person. Philippa Cotton, wonderful publicist and friend – I still think fondly of our extensive tromp around London bookstores. Millie Seaward, thank you for taking over where Philly left off, attacking the role of publicist with zeal. Matthew Ruddle, for all your marketing brilliance and for rescuing me from the horror of building a Facebook page.

To my many, many crime-writer friends – you know who you are. You keep me sane when I’m beginning to unravel (haha, just kidding!) and support me in tough times. Thank you. And to the many bloggers and reviewers who have supported me unfailingly throughout my career. You guys rock!

Kidnap and ransom is a murky world. It keeps many secrets, and so attempting to research this book was challenging to say the least. I am incredibly lucky that I have had so many wonderful people willing to help me. Martin Medcalf, after years treading the NATO boards together, it is an utter delight to be back arguing rugby scores with you. As always, thank you. (PS Wales won, which means lunch is on you.) Chris Williams, who went far above and beyond the call of duty in finding me the information I needed. You are a star. And to my friend in Hereford – thank you for introducing me to the sometimes dark, always fascinating world of K&R, and for answering my many, many questions whenever they should happen to occur to me. It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to talk with you.

To Zoe Cadwell, my old friend and constant source of forensic information. You are brilliant and I am very sorry that I made you miss your train stop!

Finally, and most importantly, to my nearest and dearest.

Matthew, my greatest and most unswerving supporter. Thank you. To my boys, Daniel and Joseph, for just being your wonderful, brilliant selves. To Mum and Dad, you always have been a fantastic cheerleading team. To Ma and Pops – life has thrown much at you, and yet you have come through it all with humour and a positive spirit. You are incredible! Deb, Dai, Ffi and Beth – mwah!!! Donna and Sarah, my sisters in arms, thank you for all the tea.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I am a passionate advocate of research and accuracy in writing. And yet the world of kidnap and ransom is one that is awash with secrets. And for good reason. If the level of ransoms paid becomes common knowledge, then the next kidnapper will ask for more, and so on and so on. The terms of insurance policies are closely guarded secrets, and consultants within this field operate under a cloak of secrecy. And so the problem – how do I tell a story set in the K&R industry without giving away more than I should? The events contained within
The Missing Hours
, including the case studies, are all fictional and are entirely unrelated to real-world cases. All of the workings of the K&R industry reflected here are from open source material. There are people who do what Ed and Selena do. They operate in an incredibly dangerous world, putting their own lives on the line in order to ensure the safety of their clients. In the interests of protecting these individuals, I have occasionally fictionalised certain procedural elements within
The Missing Hours
.

The book also contains references to a number of military operations – most notably the events at Musa Qala in Afghanistan and the road to the presidential palace in Basra. Again, although these events did take place within the real world, what is included here are the accounts of fictionalised characters. Many servicemen and women carry the wounds, both physical and psychological, from battles such as those depicted in this book. If you would like to help support them as they continue the fight on their road to recovery, please consider donating to Help for Heroes at
helpforheroes.org.uk
.

One final point – although I have done my utmost to ensure accuracy in police procedure, there is one area in which I have strayed from reality. The police force depicted here is entirely fictional and has responsibility for an area that would in reality be covered by a number of different forces.

Thank you for reading.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

Epub ISBN: 9781473535596

Version 1.0

Published by Century 2016

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Emma Kavanagh has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Century

Century

The Random House Group Limited

20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 2SA

www.randomhouse.co.uk