Blood Sport: A Yorkshire Murder Mystery (DCI Harry Grimm Crime Thrillers 7)

by David J Gatward

  ‘What were the dogs doing?’ Harry asked.

  ‘I didn’t see them, I just heard them,’ Mrs Peacock said. ‘All howling and barking and whining. It was horrible. Gave me nightmares!’

  Harry tried to collect together what he’d heard so far.

  ‘So, you followed your husband, and when he arrived at his destination, you heard some dogs barking.’

  ‘Not some dogs, lots of dogs!’ Mrs Peacock said, her voice jumping in pitch. ‘I breed dogs. I know what it sounds like when you have lots of them together and when something bothers them. There was howling, so much howling! God, you should’ve heard it! And I don’t want to think about it because if he’s involved, then he’s broken his promise to me, hasn’t he? The promise he made when we moved here. That he was finished with all of that. Every bit of it!’

  ‘Finished with what?’

  Mrs Peacock didn’t answer. Instead, she just grabbed Harry’s arm.

  ‘Please! You have to go and see! You have to! Please!’

  ‘Did it sound like the dogs were fighting?’ Harry asked. ‘Is that what you heard?’

  ‘They were howling and yapping,’ Mrs Peacock said. ‘The sound of it, I mean, it just filled the woods, it really did, but it didn’t matter, because no one would ever hear. And that’s the point, isn’t it? To have no one hear? Those barns, there’s nothing anywhere near them, is there? No footpaths, nothing! And the land is private.’

  Harry didn’t want to think it, but right there and then he was starting to wonder if, against all the odds, he was suddenly not only hearing information that would finish this investigation quickly and neatly, but that inside the community centre, they also had the two men at the centre of it all, particularly after what he’d heard from the pathologist. He knew that it had to be too good to be true, but that didn’t stop him from hoping. It also had to all be checked out.

  ‘Do you have the address?’

  ‘Here.’

  Mrs Peacock removed her phone from a pocket and showed Harry the screen. On it, a pin was dropped onto a map.

  ‘I’ll send you the location. But please, you can’t tell him I’m here. You can’t! He’s not a nice man when he’s angry. Not a nice man at all.’

  As she spoke, Mrs Peacock started to rub her arm.

  ‘How do you mean, not nice?’ asked Harry.

  Mrs Peacock said nothing, just kept on rubbing her arm, and then the expression she gave him nearly broke his heart.

  ‘Is he violent?’ Harry asked.

  Mrs Peacock gave the faintest of nods and as she did so her eyes filled up as tears gathered.

  ‘Can you wait here a moment, please?’ Harry asked.

  Mrs Pea cock grabbed Harry’s arm.

  ‘He can’t know! Please, he can’t! He just can’t!’

  ‘He doesn’t and he won’t,’ Harry said, gently removing her hand from his arm. ‘I promise you. ‘Please, wait here. Just for a minute or two, yes?’

  Harry ducked inside the community centre and called for Matt. Outside, he then asked Mrs Peacock to tell the detective sergeant everything she’d just told him and to show him the map.

  ‘You know where that is?’ Harry asked Matt.

  ‘Out Cotterdale way,’ Matt said. ‘There’s not much there, like, as you can see. Some small woodland, moors, that’s about it. You need a four-wheel-drive to get there, that’s for sure.’

  ‘We can take the Rav,’ Harry said.

  ‘We’ve got our own Land Rover,’ Matt said.

  ‘We have,’ said Harry. ‘But if we go in my vehicle, and if someone’s there, it’s got less chance of spooking them.’

  ‘I’m not so sure.’

  Harry looked back at Mrs Peacock.

  ‘When were you last out there?’

  ‘A couple of days ago,’ Mrs Peacock replied. ‘I didn’t know what to do. Then that polite young PCSO of yours came over and, well, it’s just been going around and around in my head, you see, and I’ve not been able to sleep, and then he was off again today, wasn’t he? So I just thought…’

  Mrs Peacock’s voice broke over her tumbling words and she was unable to finish her sentence.

  ‘Mrs Peacock, I think you should go home and sort out somewhere else to go and stay for a while,’ Harry said. ‘Your husband will be staying with us. And I will have one of my team go with you, okay? Matt?’

  ‘Boss?’

  ‘Give Liz a bell right now, tell her to come back here and to head home with Mrs Peacock. As for Mr Peacock, we keep him here. We can have Liz take a statement from Mrs Peacock, not just about what she’s just told us, either, but about her husband, if you get my meaning. For now, while we sort through all of this, and everything else, I suggest we have Jadyn keep him occupied.’

  ‘He’ll be good at that,’ Matt agreed. ‘Almost too good. What about Eric?’

  ‘I’m assuming Jen has it all under control?’

  ‘She does.’

  ‘Then I’m not worried,’ Harry said.

  He then instructed Mrs Peacock to remain in her car until PCSO Coates arrived to accompany her home. Harry would then liaise with Liz about what was happening, and to ensure Mrs Peacock was safe and had found somewhere else to stay.

  ‘Liz is still at the barn but should be on her way back now,’ Matt said.

  ‘And is there anything to report from the barn?’

  ‘Some fresh tyre tracks,’ Matt said. ‘Nowt else. She’s taken some photos for us.’

  Happy that everything was in hand, Harry headed off, Matt at his side. He wasn’t one for believing in luck, but as they drove off into the darkening evening, he couldn’t help but cross his fingers.

  Out in Snaizeholme, PCSO Liz Coates was scrolling through the photos she’d taken of the tyre tracks she’d found at the barn. She’d headed out to the place on the off-road police bike they’d been given a good few months ago now, and it had been a lot of fun flying along the lane just a little too fast. The tyre marks were certainly fresh, she thought, and clearly different to the rest of the markings in the dirt around the barn.

  Having parked at some trees just a walk away from the barn, she’d then headed in the rest of the way on foot, keeping her eye out for anything unusual. Partway along, she’d been very surprised, and more than a little excited, to see a red squirrel perched up on top of a wall, just staring at her. It hadn’t even bounded off when she’d walked past within only a few feet of the tiny creature, instead just staring at her, watching.

  At the barn, Liz had hoped to find a barn owl or two, though she’d expected to find none. However, upon entering and having a look around with her torch, the beam had caught something glinting high up in the rafters. And there, staring down at her, had been an owl. The beauty of the creature was breath-taking, and for a minute or two she just stared up at it, wondering what it was thinking, how it managed to just sit there, so calm, so still. Then her phone had buzzed and she’d headed outside for a quick chat with Matt.

  With her instructions to head back to Hawes, and to look after Mrs Peacock, Liz had been unable to resist just another quick pop back inside the barn to say goodbye to the owl. Her torch beam traced a line up the wall and there the bird was, still crouching in the rafters, still staring down.

  ‘You take care, now,’ Liz said, and turned to step back outside.

  Then something hard crashed down on the back of her head, filling her skull with bright lights and pain.

  Then nothing.

  Nothing at all.

  Chapter Thirty

  ‘I’m guessing you’ve driven with your lights off before,’ Matt said, as Harry eased his vehicle alone a narrow track cut into the side of the fell.

  The evening was dark now, the sun gone, and the green fells and dales around them were now great shadows that crowded above, threatening to swallow them whole.

  ‘A few times, yes,’ Harry said. ‘If someone’s shooting at you, having your lights on is generally seen as a bad idea.’

  ‘You don’t
talk much about your life before the police,’ Matt said. ‘The Paras, I mean.’

  ‘You’re right, I don’t,’ said Harry.

  ‘Is that because of what happened? With the IED, I mean,’ Matt asked. ‘Must’ve been tough.’

  ‘It was,’ Harry said, staring forward, focusing on the way ahead. ‘But you deal with it, don’t you? You have to. That’s life.’

  ‘Hard to see how,’ Matt sighed. ‘That you came through it at all with any amount of sanity is a miracle.’

  ‘I never said I was sane. I said I dealt with it. Two different things.’

  ‘Don’t sell yourself short,’ Matt said.

  ‘It’s just, I don’t see much need or reason to talk about what I’ve done, that’s all,’ said Harry.

  ‘The best of times, the worst of times, right?’

  ‘Something like that.’

  Harry eased the Rav4 through a narrow gate. Ahead, he saw the darker shadow of a patch of trees set against the grey hulk of the fells behind.

  ‘I’ve never been shot at, you know,’ Matt said.

  ‘I wouldn’t recommend it,’ Harry replied. ‘You’ve not really got time to think about it when it’s happening. Your training just kicks in and you’re on autopilot. It’s only afterwards, when the firefight is over, when you’re out of it and safe, that’s when it really hits home. Like a sledgehammer.’

  ‘I bet,’ said Matt.

  ‘You can get the shakes from the adrenaline,’ Harry explained. ‘The shock, the stress, the excitement, all of it hammering through your system at the same time. Sometimes you just throw up. Then the exhaustion really hits you and you get this thousand-yard stare, where you’re just dead to the world because what you’ve just been through, it’s something that no amount of training or rehearsal or experience can prepare you for.’

  ‘Do you ever get used to it?’

  ‘Yes and no,’ Harry said. ‘If you want to survive, you have to deal with it, manage the stress, the panic. You don’t want to become completely hardened to it, though. Otherwise…’

  Harry’s voice trailed off.

  ‘Yeah, I can understand how that would be bad,’ Matt said.

  ‘I’ve lost as many friends after being in combat, because of PTSD as I did from being in actual live firefights.’

  ‘Makes you think, doesn’t it?’ Matt said.

  ‘Oh, you bet it does,’ Harry said.

  Harry slowed down, bringing them to a stop.

  ‘So, that’s it then, is it?’ he asked.

  ‘That’s the location Mrs Peacock told us about, yes,’ said Matt.

  ‘Nowhere to park out of sight by the looks of things,’ Harry observed. ‘We’ll just have to leave the Rav here and hope for the best. Though I doubt anyone would want to nick it.’

  As they climbed out, Matt asked, ‘What do you think we’re going to find?’

  ‘Haven’t the faintest idea,’ Harry said, shaking his head. ‘But what Mrs Peacock described, well, it sounds like it could be another dog fight location.’

  ‘And you think we’re okay going in alone?’

  Even in the darkness, Harry could see worry ploughing deep lines on Matt’s face.

  ‘This is a recce,’ he said. ‘We’re going to sneak in, have a look, that’s it. If we need backup, we’ll call it in. No heroics.’

  ‘Thank goodness for that,’ Matt said, then added, ‘I mean, I left my cape at home.’

  With that, Harry walked into the trees, the sound of Matt’s soft footfalls following on behind.

  The trees were pine, the area a small plantation, though for what purpose, exactly, Harry wasn’t sure. He knew though that the small woodland would certainly give good cover to whatever activities Mr Peacock and his colleagues were up to.

  A few minutes later, and with the darkness of the trees around them now so thick that it was almost impossible to see where they were going, Harry spotted a greying of the light just ahead.

  ‘Looks like a clearing,’ he said, whispering back to Matt. ‘We’ll go really steady from here on in. Small steps. Eyes and ears open. Understood?’

  ‘Totally,’ Matt answered.

  Creeping forward, the tees maintained their thickness, right up to the clearing’s edge. Here, the narrow track, mostly hidden from the sky by the trees which lined its sides, widened just enough to allow the placement of four low-roofed timber buildings placed in a row. There were no other vehicles around and considering where they now were, Harry was fairly confident that they were alone. But he was still cautious.

  Observing the buildings for a few moments from the cover of the trees, Harry saw that each one had a door to the front, locked by the look of things, and instead of windows, thin mesh-covered slits along their sides. The felt roofs were covered in moss.

  ‘You wait here,’ Harry said, turning back to Matt.

  ‘Not a chance of it,’ Matt replied.

  ‘That’s an order.’

  ‘And I’m ignoring it.’

  ‘No, you’re not,’ Harry said. ‘I’ll go and have a look, check that we’re clear, then you follow on. If anything happens, you head back to the Rav.’

  To emphasise his point, Harry handed Matt his keys.

  ‘You know there’s no chance I’ll be leaving you, don’t you?’ Matt said.

  Harry wasn’t listening; he was already making his way across to the first building. When he reached it, he found that it was locked, so he slipped down the side of the building to see if he could spy anything through one of the slatted windows and get an idea of what the buildings were actually being used for.

  Harry stopped, a thin, whining sound bringing him up short.

  Blood thumped in his head, all of his senses on fire now, adrenaline dumping into his system, readying him for flight or fight.

  The sound came again, from inside the building, another joining it, followed by a faint yap.

  Leaning in close to the mesh, Harry brought up a torch and sent a beam of light into the darkness on the other side. For a moment all he could see were shadows dancing, then bright lights reflected back at him, like a cat’s eyes.

  ‘Bloody hell…’

  The shadows in the darkness of the building took shape, grew fur, and Harry saw then that the reflected lights were eyes after all, and they were all staring up at him.

  ‘Matt! Get here! Right now!’

  Matt raced over out of the trees.

  ‘What is it, boss? What’s happened? What’ve you found?’

  Harry handed him the torch.

  ‘Have a look for yourself.’

  Matt did exactly that and swore under his breath.

  ‘The hell is this?’

  ‘It’s a puppy farm is what it is,’ Harry said, and the rumble in his voice was of a dark, hot anger.

  ‘But that doesn’t make any sense!’ Matt replied. ‘Mrs Peacock, she breeds dogs, right? So, why the hell would they have this as well?’

  ‘It’s not her, it’s him, isn’t it?’ Harry said. ‘Her husband. She had no idea this was going on. And it’s a perfect cover, isn’t it, a legitimate business disguising another more lucrative illegal one?’

  Matt had another look, their presence and the torch beam now causing the dogs to stir. Soon, yaps and barks and howls filled the air.

  Harry stood and walked round to the front of the building. The lock on the door looked strong, but the latch it was holding, not so much. After a quick look around on the ground, he found a fist-sized rock and smashed it into the lock. The latch gave way after the second try. Then he yanked the door open and stepped inside.

  The smell that hit him nearly knocked him off his feet and Harry quickly covered his mouth and nose with his hand. Not that it did any good.

  ‘This is, well, it’s horrific,’ Matt said, standing at his side.

  In the torchlight, Harry saw pen after pen lining the sides of the building, each with a bitch and its pups, all of them bedded down in damp, soiled straw. A bin stood to one side of the door and a
quick look inside showed him what happened to any pups that didn’t make it.

  Harry stepped deeper into the thick, stinking gloom of the building, rage burning through his veins. The pups were all different ages, some just born, others a few weeks old. Their mothers looked exhausted, drawn, so tired that he was amazed some of them were even alive.

  ‘Matt…’

  The detective sergeant, who had walked further down into the building, stopped and turned back to face his boss.

  ‘I can’t believe this, boss,’ he said. ‘I just can’t. I’ve seen some awful stuff, in my time on this job, but this? I… I just don’t understand it. Any of it. I mean, why?’

  ‘Call Jadyn,’ Harry said. ‘Right now. I want Mr Peacock arrested. Immediately.’

  ‘What’s the charge?’

  ‘Animal cruelty, should do for starters,’ Harry growled, and pulled out his own phone. ‘But feel free to add in sadistic evil bastard!’

  ‘You calling the others, then?’

  ‘No,’ Harry said. ‘A vet.’

  Chapter Thirty-One

  ‘Here he is now,’ Matt said, as a bright beam of light bounced through the trees.

  Harry, who was cradling the tiny black body of what he assumed was a Labrador puppy, looked up to watch a motorbike speed into the clearing and come to a stop in front of him.

  ‘Didn’t take you long,’ Harry said, as Andy Bell, the vet, climbed off his motorbike.

  ‘It sounded urgent,’ Andy replied. ‘Toby’s out dealing with something else, so I came straight away.’

  ‘Much appreciated,’ Harry said.

  ‘Who’s your friend?’ Andy asked, walking over. Then he added, ‘And what the hell is that smell?’

  ‘In there,’ Matt said, pointing at the open door. ‘We’ve opened every building, they’re all the same. You may need to call for help. Can’t see how you can deal with all of this on your own.’

  Andy walked past Harry and Matt and stepped into the first building. He was quiet for a few moments, but Harry watched his expression change from urgency and worry to pure, fiery rage.