by Linda Coles
And waited.
And waited. Beryl stood silently nearby, Brandy now quiet at her heels, and then reached for her cell phone to call the police, thanking their son silently for having given her such an extravagant Christmas present. ‘To keep you both safe should you need it,” he’d said. Well, they needed it right now, and as she pressed for emergency and waited for a connection, Malcolm shouted three little words that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
“She’s still alive!”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
It had felt good to drop a bag of food off to Billy and his girl, not that Jack had managed to meet her yet, but he doubted she was a figment of Billy’s imagination. He might beg like someone from a Monty Python sketch, but he seemed genuine enough. And cheeky. Jack smiled again just thinking about the young man. Janine would like him too, he was sure. Jack looked across at DI Morton’s still-empty office and wondered yet again how he managed to keep himself out of events, and how the brass higher up never seemed bothered. Eddie was obviously taking a leaf out of his book, and since Morton was hardly there to witness what his team were up to, that also never got dealt with. Jack and a handful of others were the only true coppers in the squad that gave a damn.
News had spread that Leanne and Kate had been found, alive and relatively well, and the morning briefing had been completed for those present. Jack was heading for the coffee cupboard when Mo, the civilian researcher, caught up with him. Even the small journey from her desk to where they both stood made her breathless and she stood for a moment trying to gather some control before she spoke. Jack waited patiently for her to say whatever it was she wanted to tell him. The woman could do with losing three or four stone to get down to a healthier weight, he reflected. There were biscuit crumbs stuck to her ample cleavage and Jack tried not to notice.
“What’s up, Mo?”
“Christmas Day evening, late on,” she panted, then carried on. “Traffic cops on the M25, Sussex. Stopped a van. Our van. Nothing inside. The driver wasn’t Martin. He wasn’t there. A man called Bernard, with no papers on him, and another guy, a passenger. The driver said he’d drop them into a station soon.”
“Right,” said Jack, waiting to see if there was any more. When it was clear she’d finished, he went on. “So, they let the van go?”
“Yes, no reason to hold it, or them. One thing, though. I spoke to the traffic officer. Says there were a couple of sets of vehicle reg plates sticking out from under the passenger seat. The men said they were off a couple of old vehicles back at home and that was the end of it. Unfortunately, the officer didn’t make a note of the plate info. Shame, really.” She was able to speak normally again now. “It was late. Shift was nearly over and they had nothing else to report, but I wondered.”
“I see where you’re going, Mo. You’re thinking about the two burned-out vehicles that were at the house. The plates were off them. Shit! So close. Damn it!” shouted Jack, making the few in the room stop and turn their way. Mo’s neck reddened for no reason other than the outburst from Jack.
“And no, there’s no CCTV footage from that area that night. The cameras were off; there wasn’t enough traffic to warrant them. When will the day come when they are on full time, eh?” Jack stood, thumb resting between his lips, thinking. “The area could fit too. They might have dropped little Kate off and carried on. Which part of the motorway were they stopped at?”
“Not far from the Horsham area, so West Sussex. She was East Sussex. Still would work, though.”
“Right. See if any cameras were working, further along. We could do with a break, though I expect the van’s long gone now. It’s nearly twenty-four hours ago. If they’ve any sense, they’ll have ditched it somewhere and burned it. Can you let the local police know to be on the lookout, or see if they’ve already found it and not realised we’re after it?”
“Right, yes. I’ll get on to it.”
“And Mo?”
“Yes?
“Good work. Thanks.”
Mo’s neck turned an even deeper shade of red.
He turned his focus back to making his mug of Nescafe and piled in a couple of sugars for good measure. Breakfast seemed like an age ago and the instant kick of caffeine and sugar would carry him through a while longer. A sausage sandwich would have been perfect right about now. He was about to return to his desk when the phone in his breast pocket rang, He jumped, slopping coffee over the rim of his mug and on to the stained carpet tiles below. He’d had the phone a while, but still, it gave him a fright when it went off. He cursed under his breath.
“DC Jack Rutherford.”
“Jack, it’s DS Mark Tomlinson here, Merevale Police up the road.”
“Yes, hello. What can I do for you?”
“Well, we brought a young lady in for shoplifting earlier, and when we were processing her, we found your card in her pocket.”
“Oh? What’s the young lady’s name?”
“It’s Chloe Mathews, of no fixed address. I thought you might like to know, since she’s dealt with you in the past.”
The line was silent as Jack searched the memory banks in the back of his head for where he might have come across the girl.
“Right,” he finally said, stumped. “Well, I can’t think who she is. Has she asked for me at all?”
“No, just me thinking I should call you. Anyway, that’s all I wanted.”
Suddenly it dawned on him. “Chloe. Homeless, you say?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m on my way over for a chat. Make her a mug of tea, would you? And find her a couple of biscuits.”
“Eh? She’s been caught nicking sausage rolls, for heaven’s sake.”
“As a favour, then. Tea and biscuits. See you in a few minutes.”
Jack smiled at the phone. She sounded like Billy’s girl, all right, and just as cheeky.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
As Jack turned into the Merevale station yard, he wondered what this Chloe Mathews would be like, and how she’d got hold of his card. Yes, she was probably Billy’s girlfriend, he thought. He pulled his jacket close, climbed out of the car and headed towards the back door as a bitter wind caught him around the ears. Maybe it was time to start wearing a woolly hat, he mused, like an old boy would. He pressed the buzzer and waited for the door to open then made his way in to meet DS Mark Tomlinson. Tomlinson met him halfway, striding towards him with an outstretched hand and a friendly smile.
“Nice to meet you, Jack.”
“And you. Thanks for calling me. I think I know who she is now, though I was struggling to remember her right then and there. How’s she doing, and what’s happening?” he asked as they entered an empty interview room. It looked as comfortable as any other interview room up and down the country – made for criminal confession and not for comfort. Jack took one of the plastic chairs and sat awkwardly.
“She’s been arrested before, but since she had your card, I figured you might like to know that there may another connection someplace. Shoplifters don’t normally carry detectives’ cards about their person – not in my experience, anyway.” He smiled as he said it, and Jack warmed to the man. “She thanked you for the tea and biscuits, by the way.”
It was Jack’s turn to smile. “May I chat with her, off the record?”
“Be my guest.”
“Where are you up to now with her? Has she been charged?”
“Yes. Had to.”
“Right, yes. Okay, if I can see her that would be great.”
“I’ll bring her in. We won’t be listening.”
While Jack sat waiting, he wondered exactly what he was going to talk to her about. He only knew her through Billy, had never met her before now, and of course couldn’t do a fat lot for her at this point since she’d already been charged. Figuring he’d work it out as he went, he turned as the door opened and a young woman walked in.
“I’ll be outside if you need anything,” Tomlinson said, and then he was gone.
Jack studied the girl until she sat down, her head falling forward, making it difficult to see much of her. What he could see of her face looked defeated. He waited, hoping she’d say something to kick the conversation off, but after a full minute, it was obvious that was going to be Jack’s responsibility.
“I’m Jack. A sort of friend of Billy’s. I’m assuming you’re Billy’s girl?” He kept his voice light, hoping to encourage her confidence in him. “What’s your name?”
Silence.
“Look, I may be able to help here. I told Billy to call me if he was ever in trouble, and since he gave that card to you and you are right at this moment in trouble, well, why don’t you help us both out?”
Quietly, she said, “I’m sorry for nicking the sausage rolls. I was hungry. And I thought Billy would like some for later. I hadn’t enough money for them and the cola.”
It was a start; the girl was speaking.
“I understand, Chloe,” said Jack.
“Can you get me off, Jack? I didn’t mean any harm.” Her voice was barely audible; she still had not looked at him.
“It’s difficult now you’ve been charged, but why don’t you tell me the whole story and I’ll put a word in for you.” He waited for another beat before adding, “What have you got to lose?”
And so, still without raising her head, she told Jack the brief story of how a rotten day begging had ended her up at the police station, and how she’d been processed like a criminal for a few sausage rolls that had been stolen out of desperation, not malice. Had she had the money, she would have gladly paid for them. Stealing was wrong, she knew.
“What will happen to me now?” she asked, a tear dropping off the end of her nose onto the table in front of her. Idly, she placed a single finger over it and played with the tiny puddle. Jack felt his heart catch in his chest as he watched.
“Well, you will appear in court, and the judge will decide. I doubt you’ll end up inside. Stealing sausage rolls does actually carry a six-month custodial sentence because the value of the item was under two hundred pounds, and of course, you’ll carry a criminal record. Good job they weren’t really expensive ones; that would have meant even more jail time. Even if you only get a caution from the police here, it’s still a criminal conviction, which doesn’t look good for your future. Employers hate criminal convictions.”
“But if I get a caution, I won’t go to court and people won’t see me?” There was an ounce of hope in her voice.
“That’s correct. You still have the conviction, but no court appearance.” He narrowed his eyes, puzzled. So her need for privacy was more important than jail time. “Is that important to you, that you don’t go to court? Does it have something to do with why you live as you do, with Billy? Maybe away from your parents?”
At the mention of her parents, the girl visibly recoiled, hugging her arms around her, and began to cry in earnest. So this was why she was living almost alone, away from home, Jack thought unhappily.
The girl had been abused.
Jack slipped her his handkerchief and she blew her nose.
“Hey, it’ll be alright. Let me have a word, eh? But why don’t you tell me a bit more about yourself, if you can?”
Chloe blew her nose and looked up at him quickly, then down again. “I’m from Manchester. My parents went to live in Scotland. I live with Billy in a garage on Pitt Road. That’s all I can tell you.”
At least it was something, Jack thought. She lifted her head now and looked him in the eye. He thought she looked familiar somehow but couldn’t place why. He stood to leave.
“Look, I’ll see if they are happy to caution you and leave it at that. Will that suit you?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’ve not managed it yet so don’t thank me quite yet, but I’ll try. And if I do get them to agree, you can’t go nicking stuff again or you will end up in custody next time. Do you understand me, Chloe?”
“Yes.” She sounded brighter already, and he watched as she dried her eyes and handed him his handkerchief back.
“Sit tight. I’ll be back in a minute.”
As he walked in search of the DS, he tried again to figure out why Chloe Mathews looked so familiar.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
To Jack, it didn’t seem fair that the young woman would do time for trying to feed herself and her boyfriend, and it appeared the powers that be agreed with him. So now she wouldn’t have to. The DS had taken Jack’s word for it that she wouldn’t be shoplifting in the future, had learned her lesson – and Jack hoped she wouldn’t let him down. He was on his way to see if he could find Billy, taking Chloe in the car with him for a lift back home. At least this way, they could pick him up too and Jack could check out where they were both living. He hoped Billy still had the picnic Janine had wrapped up for them both. It would make a nice surprise for the girl.
As he crossed town towards where she had suggested Billy was working, he reflected on why he was taking such an interest in the pair of them. He wanted to find out more, but was reluctant to pry. He also knew that excess interest on his part would look odd – Billy and Chloe would wonder why he wanted to know.
Chloe was gazing out the window in silence as they drove.
“So, you think he’s on the high street, you say?” Jack asked, hoping to get the girl talking a bit more. “What’s he wearing?”
“Same thing as every other day: jeans and a sweatshirt and his black parka.” Jack knew what he was wearing. He’d seen him earlier but didn’t let on.
“There he is,” she said pointing across the street. Jack glanced across to confirm and quickly pulled into a space that wasn’t really a parking space. Anyone else would have got a ticket. Chloe looked at him accusingly.
“Perks of the job. I’ll only be a minute. Sit tight.”
Chloe watched as he crossed the street heading towards Billy. When Billy saw him approach, he raised his hand to wave. Chloe couldn’t help but smile, and she watched as a brief conversation took place and Billy collected his things together and picked up an odd-looking bag she didn’t recognize. They both walked back to the car. Billy was smiling broadly as he clambered into the back seat.
“Hi, Chloe. Had a rough day, eh? I see you’ve met Jack, the friendly detective.”
“Yes, I have. To both.”
Jack and Billy exchanged a look in the rear-view mirror as if to say “Oooh, touchy,” and smiled knowingly. They knew Chloe would come around later when she’d calmed down and stopped feeling so sorry for herself.
“I’m only giving you two kids a lift home before it gets much later. Thought you could do with a long chat together, or else I’m going to be in the poo if Chloe ends up back at a police station. Plus, it’s cold as all hell now.”
“We appreciate it, Jack. Thanks. Don’t we Chloe?” Billy prodded her.
Chloe offered a begrudging “Yes, thanks.” It was clearly going to take a while for her to thaw out and relax before their talk could begin. Jack turned up Pitt Street.
“What number?”
“Here’s fine, thanks,” said Billy, and Jack got the hint. No matter. He could find out which garage if he needed to. He could only see half a dozen in total. He pulled over and let them both out.
“Now remember, as much as I’d like to see you both again, let’s not meet at a police station, eh?”
Billy saluted and Chloe kept her head hung low, and again Jack wondered what the girl was hiding. He watched them for a moment as they made their way down the pavement before he turned and headed back towards the station. At least he had a warm house to go home to later, and more than likely Janine would have cooked something hot to tuck into. He hoped it was a turkey supreme or a curry, and he hoped for a quiet night. After missing most of Christmas Day, he could do with a break, a quiet night in with Janine and whatever was on the TV. Perhaps they could watch the recording of Morecambe and Wise, and make a start on that box of Quality Street – yes, this sounded good. He was almo
st back at the station when his phone rang again.
“Oh, what now?” Scrambling before it rang off, he retrieved the phone from his inside pocket. “DC Jack Rutherford.” He pulled into the curb.
“Jack, it’s DS Julie Ford, Horsham, Sussex Police. Sorry to bother you on Boxing Day but thought you’d like to know.”
“No problem. I appear to be working anyway.” Jack could see his evening about to slip away into the distance like a twig on the surface of a river. “What do you have?”
“A young girl was found today by dog walkers, half buried in leaves and whatnot and barely alive. She’s in the hospital here in Horsham, but she matches your description of a missing girl. Lesley Raby, possibly? She’s heavily sedated but we could do with someone to tell us if it’s her first off, then we can notify her parents. I’d hate to get their hopes up and drag them out here if it’s not her. I’ll fax you a photo over.”
“How badly hurt is she?” Jack asked, with his eyes firmly shut in an effort to keep the barrage of horrible images out of his head.
“She’s suffering from hypothermia; there’s evidence of sexual abuse and she’s pretty banged up. The doctors say they’re hopeful she’ll come round and make a full recovery, but they’re keeping her sedated for now. She needs rest.”
“Well, that’s a good thing then. Poor kid. Fax it over. I’m nearly at the station now so I’ll call you straight back.”
In his heart, he already knew it was Lesley, and while it was a good thing she was alive, having seen little Kate and Leanne, he knew it would be a long journey to recovery for Lesley too.
Now all he had to do was figure out exactly what had happened and find the animals responsible before anyone else got hurt.
Chapter Sixty
With both Kate and Lesley now reunited with their parents and being cared for in hospital, things were looking up. Kate was still unable to talk about what had happened. The trauma of it all was too much for her to cope with, and a team of professionals were on standby to aid her recovery. It was going to be a long journey for her and her parents.
