Chapter 1
‘Well done, Molly! Well done, sweetheart, that was absolutely fantastic.’
The father beamed after witnessing his eldest daughter take first place in a junior equestrian event. He, his wife and their youngest daughter, Fiona, stood among lots of other proud parents, most of whom were known to the family in their close knit community.
‘Hi, Charles!’
The father turned to see who had called him. ‘Oh hi, Mark! How’s the wife and kids?’
‘They’re good thanks. I saw your Molly out there, she’s really on her game today!’
‘Yes, isn’t she? We couldn’t be prouder! Well, I’ll see you at church on Sunday, okay?’
‘Sure, see you!’
As Molly continued on her victory parade, soaking up the applause, she couldn’t help but notice as she passed by her parents that her father’s eyes were no longer on her as he was too transfixed checking his watch for the time.
Upon realising he was running late, Charles quickly glanced over at Molly and pointed to his watch, informing her that he would have to leave before she had even had time to collect her victory trophy and rosette. She couldn’t help but drop her smile as she watched her father kiss his wife and her younger sister goodbye before waving one last time, then getting into his car and driving off. Her mother, seeing the disappointment in Molly’s eyes, just offered a sympathetic smile and hug. She made sure to get some pictures of her receiving her rewards to show to her father upon his return from work that evening.
***
‘Help! Help! Somebody, please help! Can anybody hear me? Please, if you can hear me, I beg you, please help! I don’t know where I am, please somebody help me!”
The words pounded through the lone man’s head as he calmly left, picking his way through the dense forest. He walked the four miles of the nature trail before making his way to his parked vehicle.
He casually drove away, without a second thought for the fifteen-year-old schoolgirl he had not long since abducted, tied up and abandoned in the six foot deep by eight foot wide underground cell he had earlier prepared. He grinned as he imagined her trapped inside with only a small ration pack and a bottle of water for company, forced to breathe through a thin ventilation pipe hidden by shrubbery. Alone in the dark without a phone and no clue to where she was.
Looking around blearily, still disorientated from her Ketamine-induced unconsciousness, panic started to settle into the girl’s mind. She needed to get out — and fast.
***
Twenty minutes later, the man arrived back at his warm family home and was greeted by his wife, two young daughters and his border collie, Tess.
‘Charles, darling! You’re just in time for dinner.’
He and his family sat down at the table to say their prayers before tucking into their evening meal and discussing one another’s day as a solid, loving family unit.
Once the meal had been consumed, the children politely asked if they may leave the table and go to their rooms to do their homework and prepare themselves for the evening. The girls were excused, and set about carefully folding and hanging their school uniforms before changing into their pyjamas and taking care of their homework assignments. Upon finishing, they then returned to the sitting room and settled down for the evening in front of the television. Molly’s discontent at her father leaving earlier in the day still showed by the scowl on her face.
The parents, meanwhile, busied themselves with everyday household chores, taking care of the dishes, tidying up and doing whatever else needed done. Fiona was desperately trying to get their attention by singing and dancing in the centre of the living room, much to Molly’s dismay.
‘Sit down and shut up, Fi!’ she snapped, jealous at the bond between her younger sister and their father. Charles then decided to go out for his customary evening walk with Tess to get some fresh air and clear his head of the day’s stresses and challenges, leaving the mother to do the laundry and arrange his veterinarian’s uniform for the following day. As she did so she caught a glimpse of her younger self in a photo in the hall that showed her proudly standing in her old nurse’s uniform; she paused for a second to think back on the career she had given up to raise their family. She then gently grasped the cross that hung around her neck, and thanked God for the life and family she had been blessed with before returning to her chores. Just an average day in the Lee household.
For all intents and purposes, everything appears to show a ‘normal’, well respected, loving family. Unbeknown to the ladies of the household however, everything was not as it appeared. Charles Lee had plenty of serious, unresolved issues and demons of his past; things he has never discussed with anybody till this day — not even his wife. Demons that he struggled with on a day to day basis, his mind a prison encasing all the torture, anger and frustrations of his childhood. He was hell bent on revenge, determined to have his pound of flesh. In doing so, he would inflict onto others the horrendous nightmares of his past, things that could have been so easily avoided if somebody had just bothered to listen to him and believe in him.
Abandoned Description:
Debut author releases fast-paced, controversial and perplexing psychological novel.
Terrified. Drugged. Abandoned.
A rural area in the north of England is thrown into disrepair as teenage girls start to go missing, and local authorities are at a loss in their search for the one responsible.
Charles Lee lives a very normal life, in stark contrast to his troubled past. Putting years of abuse, neglect and loss behind him, he has built a new life in the countryside with his beloved family and border collie. Yet all is not as it seems as his past soon starts to haunt him, as burned bridges are resurrected, old grievances resurface and a lust for revenge takes over.
Will Detective Taylor and psychological profiler Georgina Riley uncover the clues and piece together the jigsaw in time to stop the disappearances?
In this controversial new psychological thriller, we are introduced to first time novelist Lee Shepherd. After spending years writing in his spare time, producing anything from poetry to children’s stories for his own two children, he decided that the time was finally right to attempt to fulfil his life-long ambition of creating a full length novel. Lee lives in Carlisle in the heart of Cumbria, having moved north from Lancashire in his mid-teens; he has a first-hand knowledge of all the areas mentioned in Abandoned, and now calls this idyllic setting home.
Although Lee one day dreams of becoming a full time author and screenplay writer, he currently spends the majority of his working week caring for and mentoring teenagers in care as a Child Support Worker throughout Scotland. His hobbies include snooker, boxing, fishing and exercising in his local gym – whenever the rare opportunity of down time presents itself – in between being a father and a husband to his wife, Kelly.
Loved this book. Read it a few weeks ago now and have read at least two books since and this one stays at the forefront of my memory. Fast paced and gritty, it’s a real page turner with characters with whom you get to know quickly therefore get immersed in the story deeply. Will be buying subsequent books by this author.