Definitely Dead

by Kate Bendelow

  ‘Absolutely.’ Maya could barely contain her enthusiasm. ‘Thanks so much for the opportunity.’

  She stayed in her seat as Kym turned her attention back to the computer and started typing away for a few moments until she turned back to Maya.

  ‘Still here? If there’s nothing else I suggest you go and check your van is adequately stocked for tomorrow. Then see if there are any other jobs that need doing today.’

  Maya stood to leave, marvelling at the sudden change back to frosty Kym. She appreciated she was only new, but Maya sincerely believed that if she worked with Kym for the next thirty years, she would never figure her out. Maybe Amanda could give her some pointers on how best to work with the boss.

  Walking back into the main office, Amanda was waiting for her.

  ‘No time to tell me about yesterday, I’m afraid. You’ll have to fill me in later. Sergeant Jeffries has just phoned up. They’ve discovered a cannabis farm on Copeland Road. He reckons at least 250 plants. The electricity has been abstracted but the supplier has already sent an engineer out to make it safe, so you’re good to go.’

  ‘Don’t tell me, they want me there yesterday.’ Maya picked up the van keys.

  ‘You’re learning, kiddo.’ Amanda laughed as she handed over the paperwork and bundled Maya out of the office.

  Despite the stifling summer heat, Maya shivered as she made her way out of Beech Field police station. The relief of realising that Kym had not discovered her secret was short-lived. The sobering reality hit her. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out. And then what?

  5

  Maya arrived at Beech Field at 3.30am. As she alighted her motorbike and removed her helmet, she received the usual curious looks from onlookers who had not expected to see a female rider. Her orange-and-black Triumph Bonneville T120 had a retro appeal that caused even non-bikers to stare in admiration.

  She was surprised to see the station in the midst of such activity despite the ungodly hour. The few officers she had already met from the robbery unit usually worked in plain clothes, but this morning they were strapped in body armour and boots in preparation for the warrant. The morning briefing had clearly finished, and the unit gathered in the car park preparing their equipment and stocking up the marked police riot vans.

  There was also a specialist police search team gathered around a heavily armoured police riot van. Two search officers were leaning on the bonnet attempting to stay cool in the early morning breeze. Despite the early hour, the temperature was still holding out at fifteen degrees and feeling much hotter in full uniform and body armour. Nodding acknowledgement to people as they buzzed to and fro, Maya headed up to the SOCO office.

  As she arrived on the first-floor landing, she saw Detective Inspector Alison Mitton walking towards her. Alison was in her late fifties, tall and lithe. Her chin-length dyed blonde hair was smattered with grey roots that belied her age. She was well known at Beech Field, having worked there for most of her career. Alison was renowned for her affable personality and she always had an anecdote to suit every occasion. She had already gone out of her way to introduce herself to Maya on her first day and let her know her door was always open if ever she needed anything.

  ‘Good morning, Maya, you’re in early. Everything okay?’ Alison held the door ajar for her.

  ‘Yes, ma’am. Kym asked me to come in early and help out with a warrant.’

  ‘Hmm, Operation Chrysalis. Let’s hope we get a good result. Donnelly and Nowak are slippery fuckers who have kept us on our toes for far too long. The sooner we make some arrests the better. Good luck with it, I have every confidence in you.’

  ‘Thank you, ma’am.’

  DI Mitton strode up the corridor, poker-backed and crisp with efficiency. Maya continued towards the office. The glow from the corridor indicated the lights were on, and the pungent aftershave that lingered like a fog suggested that Andy Carr was in the office. Her heart sank. Not only was she still reeling from his racist comment the previous day, but she generally considered him a repugnant individual. He was a good-mood-hoover, the way he constantly spewed negativity. He was bad enough company when the office was full, so she wasn’t relishing the thought of spending any time alone with him.

  Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and headed through the office door. She was greeted by the sight of Andy reclining in the office chair, boots up on the desk, as he tapped away on his iPhone. Despite the fact he had three divorces and several ex-girlfriends under his belt, he was still an active womaniser.

  Rumour had it that Andy’s rugged good looks attracted women like flies around shit. Maya could only assume that he made more of an effort with his charm and personality on such occasions than he did when he was in work. She wondered who he could be texting at this time of a morning. Was he on a dating app or worse, sexting someone? She shuddered at the thought.

  ‘Hi, Andy, how are you?’ She strained with forced politeness as she placed her belongings on the desk opposite him.

  ‘Bleedin’ knackered. Got called out to a stabbing. Been pissing about for the last few hours because of ma’am fuckin’ Mitton. I really wish she’d just fuck off and retire. The case isn’t going to go anywhere by the time the victim’s sobered up, so I really don’t know why we’ve bothered.’

  He dropped his feet off the desk and back on the floor and leant forward, not hiding the fact he was staring at her chest.

  ‘I shouldn’t even be on call, I’ve been rubber dicked into covering one of Chris’s. It would have been easier if Kym had kept me free for this warrant, whatever it is, rather than paying for you to come in on overtime,’ he whined. ‘What’s the score with it anyway?’

  Maya shrugged. ‘They haven’t told me anything. I was told what time to come on duty and that I’d be escorted to an address. I don’t know anything more than that.’

  ‘So, you don’t even have an address?’ She shook her head and Andy stared levelly at her, weighing up whether she was telling the truth. ‘Actually, Maya, I’m glad I’ve seen you. Just wanted a quick word about yesterday, like.’

  ‘Oh?’ Maya raised an eyebrow quizzically as she assessed him. Was he going to apologise?

  ‘Yeah, it’s just that sometimes I might stay stuff and that. Stuff that you lot might not find “PC”,’ he said, using his fingers as quotation marks. ‘I just wanted to make sure we were all right, darlin’, and to tell you that there’s no need for you to go running to Kym about anything you might get in a huff about. It’s just the way I am, so no offence meant or anything.’

  Maya was aghast. ‘You really are an arrogant bastard, aren’t you? Just so you know, any racist, bigoted shite that comes out of your mouth in my direction will be dealt with as I see fit, whether that’s “running” to Kym or going straight to human resources. If you treat me with respect, I’ll do the same to you.

  ‘I appreciate I’ve not been here that long, but don’t for one minute think that I’m a walkover, okay?’ She jabbed her finger in his direction, punctuating the words as she spoke. Her mouth curled with disgust as she turned away from him. She was fuming but determined to rise above it. She had dealt with bigger bullies than Andy Carr and she’d be damned if she would let him know he had rattled her.

  ‘Oh, right. Time of the month is it, love?’ he sneered as he turned his attention back to his precious phone.

  Maya refused to bite at this last comment. Instead, she took deep, calming breaths and turned to the computer. Rather than allowing herself to be riled by a shit like Andy, she was going to focus her thoughts and attention on the warrant ahead. She was determined to make a good job of it and win herself some brownie points from Kym.

  Just as she was gathering her keys, police radio and camera kit, there was a knock on the door frame by way of introduction. An officer from the Tactical Aid Unit filled the doorway, his large hand open in a welcoming gesture.

  ‘Good morning, SOCO, who’s with me for the warrant?’

  ‘She is,’ Andy
snarled, not even bothering to look up from his scrolling.

  ‘Hi, good morning, I’m Maya. Maya Barton.’

  ‘Cliff Mitchell,’ he replied as they shook hands. Maya turned to Andy. ‘See ya then.’

  ‘Yeah, whatever,’ he replied, still not bothering to look up.

  ‘Blimey, is he always that warm and fluffy?’ Cliff quipped as they made their way down the corridor.

  ‘Mmm, don’t ask,’ Maya replied with a shake of her head. She followed Cliff as he whistled his way down the stairs. He jaunted ahead of Maya, swinging open the fire doors so she could pass through with her camera kit. Once outside, they settled themselves into the SOCO van and watched as the arrest team clambered into the waiting police carriers.

  ‘It might look a bit over the top, but our suspect, Aiden Donnelly, is known to be a nasty piece of work, so we’re not taking any chances. We’ll follow the convoy as they set off and keep at the back. When we get to the location, wait at the end of the road in the van until the address and the suspect are secured, okay?’

  Maya nodded. She felt exhilarated with the drama of the situation. She had never accompanied officers on a warrant before. Normally, the warrant had already been executed and the property secured before SOCO were requested. Having her in attendance and ready to be deployed showed the severity of the suspect they were dealing with. They needed to get in and secure any evidence as quickly as they could before anything could be compromised.

  While they trailed behind the convoy, Cliff told Maya that several other officers were preparing to strike on other addresses on the neighbouring divisions once their suspect was detained. They believed it was possible that his associates might be tipped off about the raid and try to get rid of any items of interest they might be storing in their properties.

  She followed the line of police carriers as they snaked down the dual carriageway before eventually turning off one of the A roads which led toward the leafier side of town. Unlike the estates which rooted close to the city centre, here the roads were wider, boasting tree-lined avenues. Grass verges had been neatly cropped and railings were adorned with tubs spilling summer blooms.

  Rather than scatterings of litter, loose petals from the floral displays adorned the clean streets like confetti. Instead of the graffiti tags which stained the sides of buildings in town, the library and post office had purpose-built display cases which housed an array of leaflets advertising anything from toddler groups to Tai Chi sessions.

  The police vehicles certainly seemed out of place in such a serene setting. The growling of the diesel engines sounded almost offensive as they punctured the sleepy stillness of the early hour. Eventually the convoy slowed to a stop in the middle of an impressive housing estate which backed onto the canal, near the moorings. The area boasted an array of large houses, some with electronic gates and impressive water features, as well as a popular gastropub called The Farmhouse.

  Maya was familiar with the pub as she had visited it a few times. It was in a beautiful location and the perfect place to sit outside on a balmy summer’s evening while watching the comings and goings on the canal.

  ‘Just pull over here, Maya. I’d rather us stay back a bit until the scene is secured. I’ll stay in the van with you unless I’m needed, in which case just you wait here until you’re given the all-clear.’

  ‘Is this it, our address. The Farmhouse?’ Maya was surprised; she assumed they were going to target one of the palatial houses they had just driven past.

  ‘Yup, this is the place. Take it you’ve been? Not only is it a nice little business, but we suspect that this place has been used as a front for money laundering as well as for storing various items. Just hope you weren’t planning to eat here anytime soon because if we find what we’re hoping for, I expect it’s going to be shut for quite a while.’

  Maya strained toward the windscreen as the entry team quietly exited the carriers and approached the front of The Farmhouse. One of the officers was carrying the large, red, metal Enforcer – nicknamed The Key or wham-ram – which was used to force doors open, allowing entry to the premises. The team remained crouched in a tight-knit unit as they headed toward the front of the pub.

  Cliff turned up his police radio and they both concentrated hard until the silence was broken by the urgent request for the entrance team to strike. A flurry of activity ensued as the armoured cops approached with stealth. Maya could hear a couple of quick thuds, which she surmised was the Enforcer being used, and the muffled cries announcing the presence of armed police.

  There was a pregnant pause, filled only with the sound of Cliff’s heavy breathing. Suddenly the police radio screamed out garbled instructions. The emergency button was activated, filling the air with a shrill bleeping. Amongst screams and swearing, one of the patrols in the address shouted for backup. Chris had already leapt from the van like a scalded cat leaving the door swinging open and Maya dry-mouthed and panicking.

  6

  Maya sat in silence and waited with bated breath. She chewed at her fingers while she listened to the carnage being played out on the radio. In emergency activation mode, the speech switched between the open mic of the person who had pressed the button and other officers. She could hear guttural screaming and threats to kill, whilst the comms officer issued instructions for urgent welfare checks and an update. It was terrifying to hear such violence and not be able to do anything about it.

  Suddenly the threat of a taser was announced which was followed by more swearing and eventually a scream which suggested that the taser had indeed been activated. She recognised Cliff’s voice as he shouted up to let comms know the suspect had been detained. The relief was palpable. Maya listened for the request for leg restraints and a spit hood. After what felt like an age, he returned to the van.

  ‘Sorry about that.’ He smiled ruefully as he leant in through the passenger door, swiping at his face.

  ‘What the hell happened? Has anyone been hurt?’

  Cliff laughed. ‘Only Donnelly. Kicked off big time, stupid bastard. He’s been Pava sprayed and tasered.’

  Maya caught another request over the air. ‘Foxtrot Sierra three four, can we have a second van for the other prisoner.’

  ‘Two?’ Maya mused.

  Cliff nodded. ‘Aiden Donnelly and another chap in the property who we assume arrived last night. He must have landed at the address while the observation team were on handover. We certainly weren’t expecting him. Just hang fire until we’ve got Donnelly out and you should be okay to come in.’

  Now things had calmed down, Maya was impatient to get out of the van and into the scene. It seemed like an age until Cliff emerged, waving her over. He chatted to her as she gathered her kit out of the van.

  ‘Suspect two is cuffed and compliant and he’s not giving us any cause for concern. The arresting officer, Emma Reid, is babysitting him. He’s told her he’s been out of town for a while and has rolled up here as he’s been appointed the position of new bar manager.’ Cliff shrugged. ‘He reckons he met Donnelly through a friend of a friend but doesn’t actually know him. We’ve currently got him under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy. We’ll see what he says in the interview and whether his story checks out. We’ve got him sat in the bar area, I’m more than happy he’ll give you no trouble if you want to come in.’

  Maya grabbed her camera equipment and bag containing her scene notes and other paraphernalia and followed Cliff into the bar area of The Farmhouse. It had been refurbished since she’d last been and looked even nicer than she remembered. It felt surreal to be there out of hours. Almost as if she was trespassing. Although the familiar cacophony of chattering customers and staff was absent, the aroma of carvery and coffee lingered alluringly.

  The search teams were gathered in the doorway ready to be given their paperwork. Each area or room of the pub, including the residential area upstairs, was allocated a zone number. This allowed each officer to sketch a map of their area and follow a pre-agreed strategy. The strategy
was a list detailing all the items of interest that they were hoping to find, including quantities of cash, drugs, firearms, mobile phones and specific items of clothing and footwear.

  ‘There are three bedrooms upstairs. Two are en suites, as well as the lounge, kitchen, bathroom and a loft space. The search teams are going to concentrate up there for now, as well as the kitchen and storage area down here. We’ll even work through the toilets and bar area once matey boy is shifted out. Can you just hang fire a moment, Maya, until the teams are allocated and then if you could take photographs for us before we start the search?’ Cliff nodded to the seating area.

  ‘That’s fine,’ she replied. ‘Shout me when you’re ready.’

  Heaving her camera bag onto her shoulder, she walked through to the bar area where she saw Emma, who she already knew from Beech Field. Emma was sat at one of the tables; the suspect seated on a large, brown leather sofa. The two were chatting quite affably. From where she was stood, she could tell he was a similar age to her – mid to late twenties. He was white with a muscular build; his long, toned legs were stretched out in front of him as he lounged back.

  He was dressed in khaki-coloured combat shorts and a navy-blue T-shirt. He must have heard her come in as he paused mid-conversation and turned towards her. His brown, unruly hair looked endearingly flattened on one side, suggesting he had been asleep when the search teams entered. Maya was struck by his startling, electric-blue eyes which were framed by long, dark eyelashes, which would be the envy of any woman.

  ‘Another police officer. There’s no need – I’ll come quietly. Not like that crazy bastard,’ he quipped. Maya’s uniform of black police trousers and dark-coloured shirt with epaulettes, meant it was easy to assume she was a police officer as she was dressed so similarly to officers from the search team.