The Value of Life

by Andy Crowson

  Chapter 23: Shea Bilham

  They all arrived in Langley Drive at about the same time. There were no parking spaces so they just stopped in the street outside number thirty. Moments later a patrol car arrived with two officers in it. Bentworth gave them orders to go door to door.

  "Ask about a white van," he said. "That's what he used to take Daniel Martin and probably the others too. One with a side door."

  The officers walked off towards opposite ends of the street. A car had already pulled into the street and been stopped by the roadblock.

  "And block the street off," Bentworth called after them.

  Inside the house two women were sat on the stairs crying, their arms around each other. A man was stood near them. Josef followed Bentworth into the house.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Bilham?" he asked, pulling out his ID. Josef did likewise.

  The man nodded.

  "I'm Frank Bilham, and this is my wife Katherine," he said, pointing to the larger of the women.

  "I'm DCI Peter Bentworth and this is DC Josef Lindahl," he introduced Josef without breaking eye contact with the man. "Why don't we go into the living room and then you can tell us what happened."

  "Come on love," Mr. Bilham said, helping his wife to her feet. He put an arm around her, leading her to the living room. Josef approached the other woman who was left on the stairs. A quick glance at Josef and Bentworth followed the couple into the living room.

  Mason appeared in the doorway, took a look at Josef and followed the retreating Bentworth into the living room.

  "Are you okay?" Josef asked.

  "I walked him home," she said.

  "You walked the boy home?"

  "From school. I only live a few doors away. I shouldn't have left him." Josef read between the lines, he didn't need the details.

  "Listen if this is who we think it is then it wouldn't have made any difference if you'd handcuffed yourself to the kid. This guy's magic. He takes kids from under people's noses every day."

  "What?" she said.

  "Four kids in five days," Josef said. "He took this boy knowing that we were just the other side of the rec. He's just ransomed a boy to a family over there, he gave the boy back a couple of hours ago. We were just interviewing the boy when he snatched this one."

  "Gave the boy back?" she said.

  "Unharmed," Josef comforted. She looked stunned.

  "But I was just a few doors away, we went into our house, he came here. How could he?" she asked.

  "He's very clever," Josef said. "You should come into the living room and tell us what happened. The woman now looked more confused than upset. It was what Josef had intended. She stood and allowed Josef to guide her into the living room.

  "Please, take a seat," Bentworth said as they appeared in the doorway.

  "Sir, I'm just going to check something," Josef said.

  "Ward is checking the garden if that's what you're thinking," Mason said aggressively.

  "Don't you think a more superior officer should do it?" Josef said as he walked out of the room. He looked for Whitlock in the garden.

  "Where's Whitlock?" Ward looked up from his crouched position. He had been looking behind the wheelie bin.

  "Mason told her to help with the door to door," Ward said. He saw the expression on Josef's face and shrugged.

  "Can't like everyone you work with," he said philosophically.

  Josef went back inside. He found a spot in the living room, pulled out his dictaphone and put it on the little coffee table recording.

  "Sorry," he said to Bentworth.

  Bentworth turned his attention to the Bilhams.

  "So you got a phone call from a man who said he was Mr. Lawler from your son's school? Please carry on."

  "Yes, that's what he said. He said that Shea had banged his head and was vomiting so they sent him to hospital in an ambulance to get checked up. He said the school secretary went with him. He said the teacher would tell Rebecca what happened," she pointed at the woman Josef had spoken with.

  "Go on," Bentworth coaxed.

  "He asked if I was going to pick up Shea, when I said yes he said he'd tell Mrs. Hill that I was coming." She stopped and looked around the room.

  "You said you can't remember exactly what he said but can you remember if he actually said Mrs. Hill?" Bentworth asked.

  "Oh yes. He knew everyone's names and everything. I've only spoken to Mr. Lawler once but it sounded just like him."

  "And then you went to the hospital?"

  "I went to the nursery and then to the hospital. When I found out Shea wasn't there I rang the school. I thought I'd gone to the wrong hospital. The school said they hadn't called and Mrs. Hill was still there. When they checked with Miss Langdon she said Rebecca picked Shea up. We thought it was a hoax. I called Rebecca and that's when we knew something was wrong. She came straight here and when Shea wasn't home we called the police."

  "Is there anything else you can remember?"

  "Not really."

  "Do you remember anyone watching the house when you left to pick up your daughter? Anyone in the street, or any white vans?" Bentworth asked.

  "I didn't really notice I was in a hurry," she said. Bentworth turned his attention to Rebecca.

  "You picked Shea up from school?" he said.

  "My son and Shea are in the same class," she explained. "I live just a few doors away. I collect Shea every day because Kathy has to pick up Jade from nursery the same time school finishes."

  "I'm usually here when they get home though," Mrs Bilham said defensively.

  "That's right," Rebecca said. "Anyway, I picked up Shea from school as normal and we came home. I went in my house and Shea came here," she said.

  "Where do you live?" Mason interrupted.

  "Number forty two," she said.

  "You didn't notice the car wasn't here?" Mason said. He was blunt and to the point and it was almost an accusation.

  "You don't always get the same spot," Rebecca said. "Not in this street."

  "Meaning?" Mason persisted.

  "Meaning that most houses have two cars," Rebecca said.

  "Do you remember if there was a white van parked in the street?" Bentworth asked, defusing the situation.

  "I didn't take any notice, I'm sorry," Rebecca said.

  "Thanks okay," Bentworth replied. "It's just an idea."

  Whitlock came into room in a hurry, Ward at her shoulder.

  "Sir a word," she said to Bentworth. He made his excuses and left. A moment later he came back into the room.

  "Mrs. Bilham, what shoes does Shea wear for school?" he asked.

  "Black lace ups, just normal, nothing special," she said standing up. "Why?" Her husband stood too. Bentworth looked at them. "There's a shoe in next door's garden, can you come and take a look at it?"

  They stood on the pavement looking over the wall at the shoe.

  "Yes it's Shea's," Mrs. Bilham said. Josef was stood back a bit, beside Whitlock.

  "Who found it?" he asked.

  "I did. I was going door to door. I tried here and I saw it."

  "Well done," he said.

  Bentworth had the phone in his hand.

  "What do you make of it," Whitlock asked.

  "I don't know," Josef replied thinking. "Schoolbag, money and football boots in the garden, shoe in the neighbor's garden. What's he trying to tell us?"

  "You really think all this means something?"

  "Abso-fucking-lutely."

  "How are we gonna figure this out then?" she asked.

  "I'm working on it."

  "Lets go back inside," Bentworth said. "SOC are coming."

  Inside the house Bentworth laid out for the Bilhams the whole business with K. He explained the ransom and return of Daniel Martin. He explained the notes and deadlines of the other boys. When he'd finished the couple were in tears. So was Rebecca.

  "I can get money," Mr Bilham said. "I work in a bank."

  "You might need to do that. It seems as th
ough the money is all he wants," Mason said. As he did so he looked at Josef.

  "Never the less," Bentworth said, "we hope it won't come to that."

  Ward stuck his head in the room.

  "SOC are here," he said. Bentworth stood.

  "I need to talk to them. Josef a word," he said. Outside the house Bentworth said,

  "I don't like this atmosphere between you and Mason, when it starts affecting the case I have to pull one of you."

  "But Sir," Josef protested.

  "Wait a minute," Bentworth said, hands up. "I'm going to tell him the same thing, last chance. Got it?"

  "Yes Sir," Josef conceded.

  "Now what do you make of it," Bentworth said, looking at where SOC were taking pictures of the shoe.

  "I can't figure out what he's trying to tell us Sir. There was the schoolbag, the money and the football boots, now the shoe in next door's garden. I don't know what it means but I'm sure we're supposed to know."

  "The money?" Bentworth looked puzzled.

  "Yeah, at the Beachams' SOC found money in the garden. At the time we thought it was just, you know, lost money. But that was me being a twat. He left it there for us to find." Bentworth sighed.

  "What happened to the money?"

  "SOC took it, said they were going to buy a pint with it."

  "You sure?"

  "Saw one of 'em put it in his pocket. My fault." Josef examined the pavement.

  "What now then?" Bentworth asked.

  "The post office I guess," Josef said.

  "How many officers?" Bentworth asked.

  "As many as we can, but minimum three," he said.

  "OK. What time? where?"

  "Quarter to five at Vicarage Lane sorting office."

  "I hope this works," Bentworth said.

  "I've got another idea too," Josef said. "I think we should get everyone involved, families and friends and get them together. Maybe between them they can figure out what the connection is between all these kids."

  "What are you suggesting?"

  "Well, bring them all up to CID. Sit them down and get them talking. They might come up with something," Josef offered. "Better than making the tapes and quicker."

  "I think that's probably the best idea we've got and that's saying something. We don't even have the time to write up a report. Speaking of which the Collridges' computer turned up nothing."

  "Didn't think it would," Josef said. "He's not luring the boy's away. He's taking them."

  "Mmmm," Bentworth agreed. "I'll try and get everyone together but I don't think we could do it tonight. Maybe we can arrange it for tomorrow."

  "We should make it in the morning before the Beachams' deadline. Mason can handle the Beachams'. I can take the post office and the meeting. We can drive the Beachams home in time to make the transfer." Josef suggested.

  "Sounds good. About ten tomorrow?"

  "Nine thirty," Josef said. "We need time to act on any information we turn up."

  "Okay, I'll fix it," Bentworth said.

  Josef waited around until Mason and Bentworth and the SOC team had gone. He wandered up and down the street. Whitlock followed. The uniform at the house was a young PC called Macintosh. A nice kid who was keen to help. Josef left him watching from an upstairs window.

  "What's the matter?" Whitlock asked.

  "When you put together the schoolbag, the money and the football boots, now the shoe right. The fact that all the boy's look the same, that they're all about the same age, they're all taken from their own front garden and the ransom note leaves it up to the parents how much to pay. The fact he gives the kid back unharmed. It all means something and I just can't figure out what. It's pissing me off, I'm really stumped here."

  "You're too frustrated. Go home and relax." Josef looked at her.

  "Can I drop you somewhere?"

  "My car's at the station," she said.

  "Okay."

  They drove back in silence. Josef stopped on the main road outside the front entrance to police headquarters.

  "Thanks," she said and got out.

  "Pick you up here at four thirty tomorrow morning," he said.

  "What!"

  "Four thirty tomorrow morning," he said again.

  "What for?"

  "The post office," he said.

  "Right," she nodded. "Four thirty," and shut the door.

  Josef didn't go straight home. He stopped at his local Thai restaurant and ate there. While he waited for his food he called the postmaster on his mobile and arranged to accompany the vans the following morning. His waitress, an attractive oriental girl flirted with him when she delivered his food. It was a fantastic meal and he ate greedily.

  When he got home it was after eight. Josef went straight to bed and although he didn't sleep immediately, his mind was unable to focus on the case. After ten o'clock he slept soundly until his alarm woke him at three