Never Return

by Stephen Barnes

  Much effort had gone into preventing access to the end of the underground carriageway. A barrier constructed from old classroom furniture reaching almost to the roof of the tunnel had blocked the route and it had taken considerable time and endeavour for Paul and Peter to progress beyond it. Having succeeded, Peter guessed they were little more than a few meters from the west wing of Thorbury Hall.

  The barrier had been a clear indication that there was something worth protecting inside the hall and the two intruders recommenced their journey with heightened caution.

  “The carriage entrance should be here on the right just before we reach the hall,” Paul said.

  Moments later, their torch beams illuminated the entrance to the hall just ahead of the point where the tunnel widened out.

  “It must have been done to provide a turning circle for the carriage,” Peter said before they reached the metal door.

  “It’s still bolted,” Paul announced.

  “That means if Carol is in the hall, her captor must be too,” Peter said.

  “There might be another way in and out. We’ve come this far. Let’s not give up now.” Paul slid back the bolt and pushed the door open revealing the night sky and admitting a welcome inflow of fresh air which they breathed with relish after their exertions. “This is our escape route.” He picked up the ladder and raised it through the hole before returning to the tunnel. “Let’s get on with this,” he said.

  Just ahead, they could see in the torchlight a short flight of steps leading to an open entrance. They climbed the steps and found their way to a corridor on the ground floor of the west wing. Their search for Carol had begun.

  *

  Nearly half an hour after the DC’s decent into the subway, Garton reappeared at the top of the ladder. “There’s hardly any air down there Boss,” he said as he began to climb out of the hole. “We need to go outside for a breather.”

  “Come on Garty,” Fuller said from behind Garton on the ladder. “Get a move on before I suffocate.”

  “How was Australia?” Evans asked as the DCs emerged.

  “There are people down there boss,” Fuller announced. “Can we talk outside? We need fresh air. It’s no joke.”

  There were no remaining signs of life on the Lord Alfred Trading Estate when the four detectives stepped outside.

  “I know you said to come back when we reached the end of the subway,” Fuller said. “But there were fresh footprints on the floor at the head of the tunnel so we thought we’d take a look. The tunnel’s very long and dark and there isn’t much air but we kept going. After about ten minutes we saw torch beams ahead and heard voices. We couldn’t make out what was being said.”

  “What did you see?” Evans asked.

  “Not much. There were two men. Garty switched off the torch and we edged closer but the voices stopped and their lights disappeared. When we switched our torch back on we could see a barrier blocking the tunnel, a big pile of old furniture. The two guys must have climbed over it. It didn’t look safe so we came back.”

  “Wouldn’t the SOCOs have noticed the tunnel entrance at the end of the subway?” Evans asked.

  “Maybe not Boss. It isn’t that easy to spot from a distance.”

  “They concentrated on the drugs lab,” Marsh said. “They may not have checked the rest of the subway.”

  “Any guesses about who was in the tunnel?” Evans asked Marsh.

  “I’d go for Paul Cahill and Peter Greening. Is that what you’re thinking?”

  “Yes. Paul and Peter risking their lives to rescue Carol. Very chivalrous but whoever’s using the hall has gone to a lot of trouble to prevent any intrusion and if they’re in there now, they’ll almost certainly be armed. It’s time to summon up our armed support.”

  Chapter 51

  The two lecturers were unfamiliar with the building which had once been the domain of the Thorbury City University Business School. Finding themselves inside the dark and expansive hall with it’s long corridors and numerous rooms brought home to them the enormity of the task they had set themselves.

  “I doubt if there’ll be anyone on the ground floor,” Peter whispered. “All the larger rooms would have been at this level. They converted them into classrooms for the business school. If I was holding a captive inside the house, I’d use one of the former bedrooms on the first floor or the upper floor.”

  “That makes sense,” Paul said before checking his phone in the torchlight. He ignored the missed call from Colin Evans. “I’ve got a signal now. Just in case we need to split up, put your phone on silent. I’ll call you and we’ll keep the line open. If we loose the connection, I’ll call you back.”

  “Okay,” Peter agreed and they established mobile contact before heading for the stairs at the front of the house. They crept silently along the main corridor and reached the entrance hall before ascending the winding staircase to the first floor. There was no noise, nothing to indicate any occupation of the building but the barrier in the tunnel had been enough to suggest that they were not alone in Thorbury Hall.

  “A number of the bedrooms on the first floor were used for tutorials,” Peter said when they reached the top of the stairs. “I would image they’ve all been kept locked since the Business School moved out which means we’re looking for one which has been forced open and bolted or padlocked on the outside.”

  Paul tried the first door he reached on the corridor. It was locked. “Well up to now, it’s a good theory,” he said.

  “There may be a master key held by the caretakers,” Peter said, trying the next door along which was also locked.

  “How many rooms would there be on each of the upper floors?” Paul asked.

  “I’d say there must be at least twenty on each floor.”

  “In that case, it would save time if we split up. I’ll go this way,” Paul said, taking the east side.

  They began checking the opposite sides of the first floor but only succeeded in proving Peter’s theory. They met again on the landing after checking every room.

  “No luck so far,” Paul said. “Let’s try the floor above. Would that have been where the servants quarters were?”

  “Yes. Probably at the top of the east wing. Originally, there would have been more guest bedrooms up here as well. They used part of the top floor for the Business School offices.”

  After climbing the stairs, they split up again to continue the checking process.

  *

  One of the five firearms officers Hinton had placed on standby had been dispatched to unit twelve to guard the potential escape route and Fuller and Garton had escorted another to the carriage entrance in the grounds having been given detailed directions by Sergeant Marsh. The three remaining firearms officers accompanied Evans and Marsh to the front of Thorbury Hall where Evans unlocked the doors with the keys provided by the caretaker.

  “I need you to guard the entrance,” Evans said to one of the firearms officers before Marsh and the other two followed him into Thorbury Hall.

  *

  After a prolonged silence, Peter heard Paul’s voice through his phone.

  “I’ve found an open door,” Paul announced. “Looks like it’s been forced open but there’s no lock on the outside.”

  When Peter reached the eastern end of the corridor he could see Paul directing his torch beam into the room. “It must be empty,” Paul said. “There can’t be a captive in an unlocked room.”

  “Might as well take a look,” Peter said as Paul followed him inside.

  As they began to scan the room with their torches, an unknown male voice called out, “Who’s there?”

  “Where are you?” Paul asked, shocked to hear a voice which seemed to come from nowhere.

  “Paul is that you?” A softer voice enquired.

  “Carol!” Paul exclaimed.

  “Not so loud. He might still be in the house,” the first voice said.

  “Who might be in the house? Where are you?” Paul asked again.
<
br />   “Behind the wall. Get us out,” the man demanded.

  “How?”

  “There’s a lever under the mantel shelf of the fireplace. Find it and pull it down.”

  Peter beat Paul to the lever. A faint creaking noise was heard when he pulled it down and a glow of lamplight filled the room from a gap in the wall to his left. The door to a hidden room had opened and a young man emerged, quickly followed by Carol.

  Carol and Paul embraced in the lamplight before the other captive disappeared into the dark corridor.

  “That’s Eddie Thorbury,” Carol said.

  Peter followed Eddie and with Paul and Carol close behind they headed down the stairs. Eddie had no light to guide him and Peter was quick to catch him up. In the dim light of his torch beam they all found their way to the steps which led to the tunnel but once inside it they were forced to a sudden stop. A man holding a lamp stood facing them. With his free hand he reached into his jacket pocket and removed a gun. “Bad timing Eddie. I was just leaving,” he said. “You told me you didn’t have any mates. But here they are.”

  “They’re not my mates,” Eddie replied.

  “Whatever,” the gunman said. His lack of refinement set him apart from the man he was addressing.

  “You can have the money,” Eddie said before the man with the gun was alerted by the noise of more footsteps and Evans, Marsh and the two firearms officers entered the tunnel.

  The man pointed the gun at the PCs who stopped reaching for their weapons. “Take out the guns with your left hand and throw them over here,” he instructed. The officers complied with the request. “Now join Eddie and his friends,” he told the new intruders who were quick to obey. He placed the lamp on the floor and pocketed the surrendered handguns. “How did you arrange the rescue Eddie?” he demanded.

  “There are armed officers covering all the entrances,” Evans said before Eddie could respond.

  “Thanks for the warning,” the gunman replied. “Move down the tunnel,” he demanded.

  Everyone followed as the man backed down the tunnel, stopping as he neared the carriage entrance. With the gun raised, he walked towards the group and dragged Carol away, pointing the gun at her head.

  Marsh restrained Paul as he attempted to protect his partner. On reaching the carriage entrance, the mystery man, still clutching Carol, turned to the officer guarding it. “Drop the gun,” he said to the PC who had drawn his weapon on hearing the voices inside the tunnel. Fuller and Garton with typical cunning, had hidden behind the door seconds earlier.

  “Join us,” the officer was told. “Hands on your head. Kick the gun into the tunnel.”

  The officer complied, joining the group under the control of the gunman who tightened his grip on Carol and stood with his back to the tunnel door. “Walk down the tunnel,” he instructed. When the captives reached the barrier, he released his grip on Carol. “Run,” he demanded.

  Carol ran down the dark tunnel but before their captor could leave, two figures emerged from the carriage entrance. The brick in DC Fuller’s hand came down on the man’s head and Garton scooped the gun from his hand as he fell.

  “You can come back now,” Fuller shouted down the tunnel as the forlorn group turned and saw the DC, now holding the lamp, beckoning them towards him.

  Seconds later, the uniformed officers had restored some pride by pinning the semi-conscious gunman to the floor. It took a little longer for Evans and the rest of the group to arrive inside the circle of light surrounding the triumphant figures of Detective Constables Fuller and Garton.

  Chapter 52

  The mystery gunman was at the hospital receiving treatment under guard for the injury inflicted by DC Fuller and in the interview room, Eddie Thorbury was denying all knowledge of the man’s identity.

  “But he obviously knows you,” Evans said.

  “Lots of people claim to know me,” Eddie stated.

  “I doubt if anyone as elusive as you could be so well known,” Evans said. “The man we believe to be your associate isn’t carrying ID and he isn’t talking and we need to know who he is.”

  Eddie shrugged and remained silent.

  “We heard you telling him he could have the money,” Marsh said. He was sitting next to Evans, opposite the recalcitrant aristocrat. “Why would you say that if you didn’t know him?”

  Eddie shrugged again.

  “I assume there’d be another shrug if I asked you where the money is and where it came from,” Evans said.

  The Inspector’s expectation was obligingly met.

  “How well did you know Michael and Simeon Gilbert?” Evans asked.

  “I don’t know who you mean. I’ve never heard of them,” Eddie replied.

  Marsh tried a different angle. “What were you doing at Thorbury Hall Eddie?” he asked.

  “I was taking a look with my solicitor.”

  “For what reason?”

  “I’m making an offer for the property.”

  “It isn’t on the market Eddie. The university are still considering their options. You must have had a different reason for taking Carol Jones to the hall.”

  Eddie stared at Marsh but didn’t respond.

  “We’re investigating the murders of Simeon and Michael Gilbert and Michael’s girlfriend Sarah Smith,” Evans said. “Is there anything you can tell us which might assist our investigation?”

  “I don’t know anything about any murders,” Eddie insisted.

  “We believe the murders are linked to the activities which led to your arrest,” Evans said. “It would be in your interests to tell us everything you know about the Gilbert brothers.”

  “My honourable client has already denied any knowledge of the Gilbert brothers,” said the young duty solicitor seated to Eddie’s right. The statement was followed by a hint of a smile.

  “That’s right,” Eddie confirmed. “I didn’t know them and I didn’t ask for a piss taking solicitor. We have our own lawyers.”

  “Then why don’t you make a phone call and arrange for your lawyer to be here tomorrow morning?” Evans said. “And in view of your arrest on suspicion of manufacturing class A drugs, we’ll be more than happy to provide you with overnight accommodation.”

  With that, Evans and Marsh headed for the door. “Return him to the custody suite,” Evans said to the PC standing in the corner.

  Paul and Peter were sitting in the waiting area while Carol gave her statement to DC Fuller in one of the other interview rooms. Before arriving at the station, the lecturers had quietly agreed between themselves that they would claim unit twelve had already been broken into before their arrival and Paul had discreetly dropped the chisel on the way out of the tunnel. Their statements had already been written up by the heroic detective constable.

  The other man of the moment, DC Garton, had been dispatched to the hospital with the prisoner who had proved to possess an even greater lack of loquacity than the taciturn DC.

  “Well I hope you’ve enjoyed your return to the dark world of the Thorbury City Police,” Evans said to Paul as he and Marsh joined the lecturers.

  “Can’t say I have,” Paul replied. “Has Eddie Thorbury owned up to anything yet?”

  “Not so far. There’s a lot for him to explain but we’ve left him to dwell on his situation overnight. How long has Carol been in with Fuller?”

  “Only a few minutes. The doctor’s examined her and he says she’s alright. She’s had to eat as well after two days of near starvation.”

  “Okay. Let’s join them Marshy.”

  Evans and Marsh interrupted the interview. Carol looked up as they entered. “How are you feeling now?” Evans asked her.

  “I’ll be glad to get home. Not that I’m ungrateful to your colleague for his efforts with the brick.”

  “Eddie said he didn’t know the man in the tunnel. Does that ring true?”

  “No, I’m certain he knows him.”

  “I’ll look at your statement later. We need as much as you can remember f
rom Wednesday afternoon up to what happened in the tunnel including everything Eddie said but there are a couple of things I need to know now. Were you at the hall from Wednesday afternoon all the way through to this evening?”

  “Yes. I was there all the time.”

  “How did you and Eddie come to be in the hidden room?”

  “I don’t remember how I came to be there but Eddie was thrown in this morning by the man in the tunnel.”

  “Okay. Thanks for your help Carol,” Evans said. “We may need to talk to you again tomorrow. You should go home and rest when you’ve finished your statement.”

  “So she couldn’t have been at Shoresby,” Marsh said when the interview room door closed.

  “If she wasn’t there, Eddie must have used some devilish chemistry on Paul to make him think she was. Hopefully he’ll be more co-operative tomorrow and we’ll learn exactly how he did it. I think the mother must know more about all this than she’s admitted up to now. She hasn’t been entirely straight with us.”

  “She certainly misled Tessa and Gary. Doesn’t that justify an arrest?” Marsh asked.

  “We’ll wait to see what sort of mood Eddie’s in tomorrow and take it from there. I’ll call Chris Hinton and give him the good news. No doubt he’ll try to grab the glory. We also need to arrange tests on the gun acquired from our man in the tunnel. It could be one of the murder weapons. Then we’ll look at Carol’s statement and decide whether there’s any more we need to discuss with her tomorrow.”

  Evans made the call to Hinton and recounted the events at the hall. The Superintendent told Evans he’d be back on duty early the following morning.

  After Carol had finished her statement and left with Paul and Peter, Fuller was summoned to the Inspector’s office where Evans and Marsh were waiting. The DC was clutching the three statements he’d taken and exaggerating the signs of fatigue after all the recent excitement. He handed the statements to Evans who picked out the one Carol had given and began to read it. After struggling to interpret Fuller’s handwriting, he passed the statement back to the DC. “You’ll have to read it out,” he said.