Time to Go

by Time to Go (retail) (epub)

  ‘Of course, as am I now.’ Tucker chewed on the inside of her cheek as she considered it. ‘A man came to the house one day,’ she said suddenly.

  ‘A man? What man?’ Caelan allowed some aggression into her voice. ‘Who was he?’

  Tucker shrank back. ‘I don’t know. I answered the door, and he asked if he could speak to Lucy.’

  ‘Just “Lucy”? Or did he use her surname?’ Caelan made it clear Victoria Smith was losing patience.

  ‘No, I’m pretty certain he just said Lucy.’ Tucker gave a few rapid blinks. ‘As though her knew her, you know?’

  ‘When was this?’

  ‘A few weeks ago. Soon after she mentioned the new boyfriend. It wasn’t him, though, I’m sure of it. He was…’ She shook her head. ‘No, he wasn’t her boyfriend.’

  ‘Then who was he? How can you be sure? Did he give a name?’

  ‘No, and I didn’t ask.’ Tucker wrinkled her nose. ‘He was filthy, smelt terrible. Not someone I would have assumed Lucy knew. She wasn’t in, and he said he’d come back. I don’t know if he ever did.’

  Caelan thought she knew the identity of the visitor, though how he could be involved, she had no idea. She took out her phone and found James Mulligan’s Facebook page, which was still active. Scrolling through his photographs, she found the one she wanted. The image showed Mulligan standing by a bar, toasting the camera with a glass of whisky. In the background another man lurked – scruffy, thin-faced. Caelan stood, shoved the phone under Tucker’s nose.

  ‘Is this the man who wanted to see Lucy?

  Tucker said, ‘Just a second. Need my specs.’

  She rummaged in her handbag, put on the glasses and peered at the screen. ‘Yep.’

  ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘Completely. I only spoke to him for a few seconds, but I felt I needed a shower afterwards. That’s him, I’d swear it.’

  ‘Did you mention this to the police?’

  Tucker bowed her head. ‘No. I’d forgotten about it.’

  Caelan put the phone away.

  Swear it? Tucker might have to.

  17

  Back on the street, Ewan made sure they were away from the house with no one near enough to overhear before he asked, ‘Who was it?’

  ‘Ryan Glennister.’

  ‘The bloke who worked for Mulligan? The one he kept loyal by paying him in crack?’

  ‘The one I just asked Penrith if we could track down, yeah.’ There was no satisfaction in Caelan’s voice, no sign she was pleased to have possibly been proved right, because she wasn’t. Glennister’s involvement raised more questions.

  ‘Penrith didn’t say no,’ Ewan reminded her.

  They stopped at the kerb, waiting to cross the road. The Underground station wasn’t far, and Caelan was in a hurry to get back to headquarters.

  ‘He didn’t say yes either, which means if I pursue it, he’s covered his own arse,’ she said. ‘He wouldn’t have bothered before, when Beckett was in charge, but now he’s leading the unit he seems to be playing the game.’

  They scurried across the road, squeezing between a double-decker bus and a truck as the traffic came to a standstill.

  ‘Why do you think Glennister went there?’ Ewan asked as they reached the other side.

  ‘I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to asking Mulligan about it.’ Caelan pulled her phone from her pocket and found the alias one of Penrith’s numbers was under. He picked up immediately. ‘Victoria.’ He coughed. ‘A pleasure.’

  She noted his use of her cover name. ‘Can you talk?’

  A pause. Penrith was on the move. She heard a door close. ‘Be sensible,’ he said.

  He meant, anyone could still be listening.

  ‘Acton. Is he still there?’ Caelan asked.

  She could hear Penrith snuffling, but he didn’t speak. There was some mumbling, then he said, ‘For now. Is there a problem?’

  ‘Possibly.’

  Penrith grunted. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘The person we spoke about earlier, the one you told me I couldn’t try to find? He was at our missing person’s house recently.’

  ‘You mean our addict friend?’

  ‘That’s the one.’ Caelan shook her head at Penrith’s choice of words.

  ‘Bollocks,’ he said.

  ‘Exactly.’ Caelan waited.

  A sigh, long and heartfelt. ‘All right, meet me at Acton. If I get the Tube, I’ll be around forty minutes.’

  Caelan considered the route they would need to take. ‘Us too.’

  ‘Can’t wait.’ Penrith was gone.

  * * *

  When they left the train at Acton Town station, Penrith was lurking outside, phone pressed to his ear, pacing up and down a short stretch of the pavement. He made no sign he had seen them and turned away as they passed.

  ‘Keep walking?’ Ewan said softly.

  Caelan nodded, tucking her arm through his. ‘It’s not far.’

  She could hear Penrith lumbering along behind them, still talking. She forced herself not to turn and look at him, but it wasn’t easy. She wanted to slow their pace so she could overhear, but she knew he was too canny for that. Maybe he was organising a search for Ryan Glennister. She hadn’t asked who was leading the investigation into Lucy’s disappearance, but Penrith would want it done quietly, meaning he would be doing it himself, or leaving it in the hands of one of his own team. Since there were only three of them, and Caelan and Ewan were already operational, there was only one person left for the job.

  ‘Richard fucking Adamson,’ Caelan mumbled.

  * * *

  Mulligan was back behind a locked door, wearing prison-issue sweatshirt and jogging bottoms again. When Caelan peered inside, he was lying on the bunk in the same position as she had seen him in the cell at Enfield. The door was opened, and she stepped inside.

  ‘Fancy seeing you here,’ she said.

  Mulligan turned his head. ‘Where have you been?’ He took in her jeans, T-shirt and coat. ‘How come I have to wear prison pyjamas and you’re all dressed up?’

  Caelan smiled. ‘These old things?’

  ‘What do you want?’ He sat up, crossing his legs, lounging against the cell wall as though he was back in his own living room. ‘Who are you today, by the way?’

  She took a quick pace towards him, surprised to see him flinch. ‘Shut up and listen. Why would Ryan Glennister have been to your sister’s house?’

  His mouth opened, his eyes widening. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘It’s a simple question.’

  Now he was angry. ‘The scrawny little fucker. If he’s involved in her disappearance, I’ll kill him.’

  She ignored his bluster. ‘Does he know Lucy? Have they met?’

  Mulligan stood, running his hands through his hair. ‘Not as far as I know. Why would I introduce Ryan to anyone? He’s a liar and a thief, and he fucking reeks. Who told you he was there?’

  ‘Doesn’t matter. The point is, we know he was.’

  ‘When?’

  Caelan told him what little she knew. She and Penrith had agreed that he would need to be told the truth if they were going to find Glennister. Mulligan was agitated, striding around the tiny cell swearing to himself. Caelan moved back against the wall, arms folded, waiting for him to calm down.

  ‘Why isn’t he in prison, anyway?’ Mulligan demanded. ‘He steals – I’ve seen him with my own eyes.’

  ‘Not to mention working for you – a drug dealer and people trafficker.’

  Mulligan wagged a finger. ‘You think I’d have involved Ryan in anything important? He’s a crack addict. He’ll do anything for drugs or money, and I mean anything. I wouldn’t trust him to wipe his own arse.’

  She nodded, acknowledging the point. ‘Is it true he used to be a rent boy?’

  ‘It’s what I heard, but who knows? He worked for me sometimes, aye, but I didn’t exactly ask for a CV or references.’ Mulligan moved back to the bed, threw hi
mself down. ‘Wouldn’t surprise me, though. Like I said, if it could earn him money for drugs, he’d do it.’

  ‘Where can we find him?’

  ‘Ryan? No idea. He never had a proper home, used to sleep wherever he fell.’

  Caelan unfolded her arms, moved so she was standing over him. ‘He was at your sister’s house. If you didn’t send him, who did?’

  He looked up at her, jaw clenched. ‘If you didn’t send him? What are you implying?’

  ‘Maybe you were trying to warn her, maybe you just wanted to see her. But maybe…’ Caelan touched a finger to her lips, making a show of thinking it through, ‘maybe you wanted to use her as bait, allow whoever’s threatening you to take her. Giving her to them would have saved your skin, wouldn’t it?’

  As she had expected, Mulligan leapt from the bed and threw himself at her, fingers curled into claws as though he was going to rip out her throat. Caelan took a step to the side, watched him crash into the wall. As he spun around, she grabbed his arm and stuck out her leg, using the momentum of his body to twist him over her thigh and onto the floor. She kept hold of his wrist, forcing his arm up towards his shoulder blades, her knee in the small of his back. Mulligan cursed and struggled, but he couldn’t throw her off. Unwittingly he had answered her question. Caelan eased the pressure on his wrist slightly, but not enough to allow him a chance to escape.

  ‘I’m going to let go, but you need to listen to me. You didn’t know Glennister had been there, did you?’

  He snarled and bucked, flinging back his head, trying to smash it into Caelan’s face. She was ready, moving well out of reach.

  ‘James, stop. Listen to me. We’re wasting time. I know you didn’t send Glennister – your reaction just proved it. We need to find him.’ She spoke softly, not knowing if he would respond. If not, he could stay here and they would look for Ryan Glennister without him.

  Finally Mulligan lay still. ‘How do you know it wasn’t me? Not exactly known for telling the truth, am I?’ He twisted his head, trying to look at her. Caelan released his arm and scrambled to her feet.

  ‘No, but I can tell by now when you’re lying to me.’ She nodded towards the door. ‘We all can. You had no idea Glennister was involved, you’re not that good an actor.’

  Dragging himself upright, Mulligan rubbed his arm. ‘Aye, very clever. Do you have to be so aggressive about it?’

  She smiled. ‘That was defensive.’

  Mulligan pouted. ‘Felt aggressive to me. You don’t know whether Ryan went to the house again, though, do you? Once he’d heard Lucy wasn’t in, he probably just ran back to whichever squat he’d come from.’

  ‘He might not have needed to, if he was only asked to confirm whether Lucy lived there, whether she was at home.’

  ‘But you said this was three weeks ago. What difference would it have made if they weren’t going to grab her until now?’

  Instead of answering his question, Caelan asked one of her own. ‘I assume you were in Belmarsh three weeks ago?’

  ‘Yeah, squeezed into what was built to be a single cell with another prisoner. He was going through heroin withdrawal, twitching and sweating, pacing like a bastard. Happy days.’

  ‘Did you have the phone then?’

  His look was sly. ‘Why do you want to know?’

  ‘Did anyone contact you? Threaten you? Give you any hint your sister would be hurt if you didn’t keep your mouth closed?’

  He was quiet for a moment. ‘Who’s out there listening?’

  ‘No one.’ Caelan was telling the truth. ‘Penrith’s busy.’ He’d gone in search of coffee, content to allow her to report back on her conversation with Mulligan afterwards. Neither of them believed he would tell them anything new.

  Mulligan frowned. ‘Honestly?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Caelan told him. ‘If there’s anything to say, I’ll let Penrith know. You know how it works. Why?’

  ‘I just…’ For a second, Mulligan looked anguished, and again Caelan almost pitied him. ‘Someone has my sister, and I don’t know who,’ he said. ‘It could be your boss, could be someone I’ve done business with. Whoever it is, whichever way I turn, Lucy’s in trouble.’

  ‘Or you are,’ Caelan couldn’t help saying.

  His mouth twisted. ‘I know what you think of me, but she’s my sister and she’s done nothing wrong. You think I want her hurt?’

  ‘Then give us some names,’ Caelan said gently. ‘Tell us who might have her.’

  Mulligan’s head dropped. ‘I can’t. I’ve told you, I don’t have names to give you.’

  ‘Tell me who contacted you when you were in prison.’

  He looked at her. ‘No one, honestly. I’d say if someone had. It would give you a clue, wouldn’t it? The only person who had the number of the phone I bought would be the bloke I bought it from, and he could have sold the information on.’

  ‘What’s his name?’

  Mulligan hesitated. ‘Bramwell. Kev Bramwell. He’s Belmarsh’s Del Boy, could get you anything you liked. I reckon one of the… the prison officers must have been helping him. Before you ask, I don’t know which.’

  She moved over to the bed, sat down. Mulligan watched her, frowning. ‘What are you doing?’ he said. Caelan patted the bed beside her in invitation. He gave her a suspicious glance.

  ‘There’s no pillow, if you’re thinking of smothering me,’ he said as he sat. She smiled.

  ‘You remember when I spoke to you in the cell at Enfield?’ she asked. Mulligan nodded, his expression wary. ‘And you described what would happen to you if it was discovered you were working with the police?’

  ‘Did I?’

  ‘In detail. You said they’d break every bone you have, strip your skin, burn and cut you, and I was wondering…’ Now she stood, the movement quick and fluid. ‘Were you so specific because you’d seen all that being done to someone else?’

  Mulligan’s mouth opened. ‘No, I—’

  ‘Or because you’d been told, or shown photographs?’ Caelan moved towards the cell door. ‘Maybe you should think again about whether you can help us.’ This was what she had wanted to discuss with Penrith, the thought she’d had in the cafe earlier. She had suggested to Penrith that they should check, look for victims of assaults or murder victims with corresponding injuries. He had agreed, but Caelan knew it would take time, while the man who might be able to tell her more was standing in this tiny room with her.

  Mulligan was on his feet, closing the gap between them. Caelan stood her ground, knowing she could take him down again if she needed to. There were officers further down the corridor outside – if she made enough noise, they’d hear her. Mulligan stopped in front of her, lifted a hand as though he was going to take hers, but held back. There was no violence there now. He looked lost, in need of reassurance.

  ‘Can you help me? Help my sister?’ His voice was low, urgent, as though by saying the words he was betraying himself and the life he had led.

  ‘We’re trying to,’ she said.

  He pressed his lips together. ‘I think Penrith has Lucy and is using her as bait.’

  ‘If that were true, wouldn’t he have allowed her to stay at home? He could have had people watching her constantly, keeping her safe, but she’d have been able to go about her life as usual.’

  ‘I don’t know.’ He held his palms to his cheeks. ‘This is a fucking nightmare.’

  ‘We’ll find her, but you need to tell me what you know.’

  She thought he was going to scream at her, but he took a shuddering breath, allowed his hands to fall to his sides. His eyes roamed the cell and he moved closer still, his voice no more than a whisper. ‘You have to trust me. I’m doing my best to point you in the right direction, but I can’t give you names. I swear I don’t know who’s at the top of the ladder, but someone must.’

  Caelan put her mouth close to his ear. ‘Then you need to trust me too. I’m the only one who can help you. Let’s get out of here, and we can talk.’

/>   Mulligan gave a quick nod and turned away as Caelan banged on the cell door with her fist and called for it to be unlocked.

  18

  ‘Mulligan’s on his way back to the house in Greenford, Ewan too,’ Penrith said. ‘You’ve made a deal with the devil, then?’

  ‘Well, with Mulligan. You aren’t supposed to know about it.’ Caelan leant against the wall of the empty office where she’d found Penrith waiting for her. ‘He doesn’t trust you. He thinks you know where his sister is.’

  ‘And you’re inclined to agree?’ Penrith gave a grim smile. ‘I don’t know where she is. I’ve already told you, she refused a safe house. I could have kidnapped her myself and moved her into my flat, but it didn’t seem appropriate.’

  ‘Did she say why she didn’t want to go?’

  He waved a hand. ‘Busy at uni, assignments to complete, world would stop turning if she didn’t.’

  ‘But you told me she was terrified.’

  ‘Evidently not terrified enough.’

  ‘You said someone followed her?’

  ‘Yes, as she was going home from the university.’ Penrith frowned. ‘It’s a forty-minute walk and she didn’t know whether the tail was there when she left the building or if she picked him up on the way.’

  ‘Him?’ Caelan ran through the possibilities.

  ‘She thought so.’

  ‘Could she give a description?’

  ‘Not really. Average height, wearing a thick coat so no idea on build, hood up, head down.’

  ‘Then it could have been Ryan Glennister.’

  ‘You’re not going to look for him, Caelan. He knows who you are, who you really are, and he’s a drug addict. He’d probably part with information for a pound.’

  ‘Which is why we need to find him.’

  Penrith pulled at his tie. ‘We will. You can’t. I’ll talk to Adele Brady about it.’

  She decided to change the subject, knowing he wouldn’t be moved, and told him about Kev Bramwell, the man in Belmarsh who could provide prisoners with whatever they wanted. Mulligan had said no one had used the phone to contact him with threats about Lucy, but Caelan was sceptical and knew it was worth having a quiet word with Bramwell all the same.