Next Victim

by Helen H. Durrant

  “I’ve met him socially, and we’ve played golf, but never once has he spoken about his family. He isn’t married and has no children. That much I can tell you.”

  “Do you think he could have played a part in this? Could he have been party to the murders and taken Mia?”

  “If whatever is going on risks exposing his other business, he would fight dirty to protect his interests. Like I told you, he’s a bad one. He’s capable of anything.”

  Rachel rang Elwyn on her mobile.

  “Have you found Franklin?” she asked.

  “No. We’ve checked his home and the golf club. His office has no idea where he’s gone. Rachel, where are you? I’ve just had Jason on the phone. He said you’d done one with some bloke in a car.”

  “A friend, Elwyn, that’s all. We’re having coffee and a chat to try and clear my head.”

  She rang off. Coffee and a chat. No way would Elwyn swallow that. Not given the state she was in.

  “My people can’t find Franklin,” she told Jed. “They’ve tried everywhere.”

  “I know somewhere he might be, a place not many folk know about. Anyone who moves in Franklin’s world or has done his research will know about it. It’s his special place, he does a lot of business there,” Jed nodded knowingly. “He took me there once. He was showing off, wanted me to see his then pride and joy.”

  “And that is?”

  “A car, an old sports job from the sixties. Franklin has been doing it up for years. He has it stashed in a unit on one of his industrial estates.”

  It was worth a try. After all, they had nothing else.

  Chapter Fifty-two

  Elwyn and Jonny stood at the door to Alice Brough’s house. She answered their knock immediately and let them in.

  “I presume the visit is because I saw a colleague of yours earlier today,” she said. “I knew you’d be round. You people are so predictable.”

  Elwyn couldn’t fault her logic. He shrugged. “We’d like to know what you were doing at Hugo Franklin’s house.”

  “And if I don’t want to tell you?” She smirked. “It isn’t any of your business. I can go where I like, I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

  Elwyn was not in any mood to play games. “Mia King is missing,” he said. “We believe she’s been abducted, and Franklin may be able to help us. We need your help to find him, Ms Brough.”

  “I see. And if I don’t know where he is?”

  Elwyn couldn’t understand why she was being so cagey. “If you know anything about the man, or where he might be, I urge you to tell us.”

  “What do you want with him? I understand the panic about Mia but what’s Hugo Franklin got to do with it? He didn’t take her.”

  “We think he can tell us who might have.”

  “Why would he? From what little I know of him, he doesn’t go around abducting people. He’s a businessman, a developer.”

  Elwyn was getting angry. It was a simple enough question. “We need to ask him something that will help the case we’re working on. That, in turn, will help us find Mia.”

  “You mean Oliver’s murder? That case?”

  “Yes! Please, Alice,” Elwyn asked, “if you know where he is, just tell us.”

  “I can’t help you. Apart from which, I have no interest in finding Oliver’s killer. Good luck to him, that’s what I say. He was a bastard.”

  “Alice, we’ll arrest you for obstruction if you don’t help us.” Elwyn was losing it.

  He’d touched a nerve. She heaved a deep sigh and reached for a pile of paperwork sitting on the table. “Hugo Franklin can help me with this.” She held up her twin brother’s birth certificate. “You know how important it is for me to find my twin, Alfie.”

  “How can Franklin help?” Elwyn was mystified.

  “Because I know who Franklin really is. I told you when you first came here. I’ve done my research.” She gave him a sly look. “You should try it for yourself, instead of bothering me.”

  “Who is he, Alice?” Jonny asked.

  “He’s my father’s older brother, my uncle. His real name is Hugo Brough. They went their separate ways years ago. Don’t ask me why, because I have no idea. But I do know this much. My dad hates him. I’ve never seen such venom. Whatever happened between the two of them was so traumatic that it split the family apart. Both Uncle Hugo and my dad went into care until Aunt Hettie took my dad on.

  “Why should we believe you?” asked Jonny.

  “Because it’s the truth. Check the records, it’s simple enough. Here, look at this.”

  Alice passed them a sheaf of old photos, showing two boys at various stages of growing up. In the last one they were in their early teens. One was dark and tall for his age, but it was the other one that had their attention. A lad with curly blond hair and fine features.

  “Remind you of anyone?” Elwyn asked Jonny. He was thinking about Oliver Frodsham and Luke Shaw. “When did you last see your father?” he asked Alice.

  “First Hugo and now my dad. Jesus! I’ve no idea. He’s a grown-up, he does what he wants.”

  “Just answer the question, Alice,” Elwyn said, trying to keep calm.

  “He’s back from his business trip. He was in the garden earlier, doing what he always does, messing around with his roses.” She sniffed. “Those bloody flowers get more attention than me.”

  “Is he still there?” Jonny asked.

  “He went out about an hour ago, said he had something to do and hasn’t returned. I’ve tried ringing him but no joy, I’m afraid.”

  “Did he take his car?” Elwyn asked.

  She nodded. “It’s a red Citroen. I’ll get you the registration number.”

  Jonny went to the French windows and stared out at the huge garden. “There’s smoke coming from over there.” He pointed over to a corner half-hidden behind some shrubs.

  “That’ll be the weeds and grass clippings in the incinerator,” Alice said. “It’s okay, it’s a huge thing. It’ll burn away all day. He gets rid of all the garden rubbish that way.”

  Jonny walked out onto the patio. “There’s a funny smell out here.”

  “He uses a lot of pesticide and stuff.”

  “Do you mind if I take a look?” Elwyn asked her.

  “Help yourself, but don’t touch anything. My dad’s very possessive about his garden.”

  * * *

  The expanse of land at the rear of house was large and mostly flat. Alexander Brough had created a landscape of shrubs and paths, and taking pride of place in a south facing bed was a huge rose garden. Elwyn followed a path which wandered around behind a high privet hedge, and came across a brick outbuilding hidden out of sight of the house. The incinerator Alice had mentioned was beside it and was emitting a black, acrid smoke. Surely grass clippings didn’t burn like that?

  He tried to lift the lid and take a look but the thing was too hot to touch. Instead, he ventured towards the open door of the building. It was cool inside, almost icy, a skylight providing what little natural light there was. Shelving around the walls held pots and other gardening paraphernalia, but what took Elwyn’s attention was a heap of something lying in the centre of the floor, covered by a tarpaulin.

  He shivered. Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t say what, but it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He lifted a corner of the tarpaulin and shrank back in disgust and horror. What lay underneath was one of the most appalling things he’d ever seen — the dismembered and charred body of a man. The head, balanced on the burnt torso, was untouched and the eyes, so it seemed to Elwyn, were full of terror. From the photographs he’d seen, Elwyn was in no doubt. He’d found Hugo Franklin.

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Jed McAteer drove Rachel in silence, taking the dual carriageway towards the city centre. Several miles further on, he turned off for Didsbury but bypassed the village, instead taking a road that led towards Chorlton.

  “Keep your eyes peeled. It’s called ‘Franklin I
ndustrial,’” he said.

  “I thought you knew where this place was,” Rachel replied.

  “It’s a few years since I came here last. The area has changed since then.”

  Due to the activities of Franklin’s company no doubt. “There! That sign, it’s pointing down that lane, to the left.”

  The industrial estate was small, no more than half a dozen units. Jed parked up in front of the largest detached unit at the far end of the row. “This is it.”

  “There’s no car. He can’t be here either.” Rachel was beginning to think they’d never find Franklin. Perhaps the killer had got to him too. Or alternatively, he was part of the whole thing and had done a runner.

  Jed got out of the car and scouted around the unit, rattling the doors and peering through the one grimy window.

  “See anything?” Rachel said. “I’ll go round the back.”

  She left him examining the lock. There was nothing at the rear of the workshop but another mud-splattered window. This was a waste of time. Soul-destroying. Where was Franklin, and where was her girl? They were getting nowhere.

  “Rachel, I’m in!”

  Rachel rushed back to find Jed. She’d no idea how he’d managed to get inside so fast.

  “Someone has been here before us,” he said. “The lock has been drilled out and snapped off. From the bits of metal lying around, I’d say it was done recently.”

  “There’s no old car in here,” she exclaimed. “It’s full of rubbish, just boxes and bits of old furniture.”

  “Like I said, the car project was a while ago. Have a look around. We’re in now, we might as well make sure.”

  “You think Mia might be here? We have no reason to suspect Franklin, you know. We simply want to talk to him,” she said.

  “You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Jed said.

  “Why are you so down on Franklin? Is it because he’s your rival in the building trade?”

  He laughed. “No, but he’s a rival in my other ‘business.’ Look around you. Use that copper’s brain of yours,” he tapped her head. “What do you see?”

  Rachel’s heart was hammering again. What other business? The place was nothing but a mess, a dumping ground. But for what?

  “Franklin has been in the building business for less than ten years. Look at what he’s achieved in such a short time. That takes money, Rachel. A whole lot of money. Where do you think it came from?”

  “I’ve no idea.”

  Jed pulled one of the boxes across the floor. “Look at this. Tell me, what do you imagine that white powder is?”

  The box was empty but there was a residue of powder in the bottom. “You’re saying that Franklin is into drug dealing?” Rachel was shocked. “You have to be wrong. We had no idea. Not even the drugs squad are aware of this.”

  “You and your colleagues don’t move in the same circles as me. Let’s leave it at that for now.”

  “But there is precious little security here. You broke that lock in seconds. With that little lot hanging about, it should be like Fort Knox!”

  “The lock had already been broken. Franklin’s people come here to drop off and pick up only. I bet the stuff is delivered and is gone within the hour. For the purposes of the drop-off Franklin will bring his muscle along. The industrial estate is empty and in the middle of nowhere. For the rest of the time, no one is interested.”

  “Did you know what went on here?”

  “I’ve been here before. I suspected Franklin was up to something, so I had him watched. I thought I’d use what I knew to my advantage. The units on this site are empty apart from this one. I offered to buy the land but he refused to sell. I tried to pressure him but it didn’t work. I have stuff on him, but that sort of thing works both ways. In the end, I backed off.”

  “I’ll have to report this,” she said.

  “Not yet. We need to find Mia first.”

  Rachel looked around. There were dozens of boxes. A lot of cocaine. There was no way she could let this go.

  “I have to report this.” Her voice was weary.

  “Drop it, Rachel. We’ve got more important things to worry about right now.”

  Reporting the find and admitting what she knew meant owning up to knowing Jed. But should she even care? Rachel was fed up with wrestling with the rights and wrongs of the job. All she wanted was to find Mia. After that, she might never go back to work again.

  Jed was getting impatient. He was shifting stuff around, throwing empty cardboard containers across the floor, getting nowhere.

  Her mobile beeped. It was Elwyn.

  “Rachel, we’ve found Franklin,” he said. “I’m sorry, but he’s dead. No help there, I’m afraid. It looks like Alexander Brough killed him. We found him in the Broughs’ garden.”

  It made no sense. Alex Brough was practically a neighbour. He was Alice’s dad. Why would he kill someone? “I don’t understand. You must have this wrong.”

  “Brough was Franklin’s brother. According to Alice, he hated Hugo Franklin.”

  “Have you got him?”

  “No. He left here an hour ago. Alice has no idea where he’s gone, and he isn’t answering his mobile. He’s driving a red Citroen. Rachel, I think he killed the others too. Alice showed me a photo. When Franklin was younger he looked scarily like Frodsham and Shaw. What’s more, Franklin’s body has been partially burned.”

  They’d done it, finally cracked the case. But Rachel took no pleasure in their success. Her head was swimming, and she leaned against the wall to stop herself from falling. Brough had to be found, and they had to make him talk. He was the only person who knew where Mia was.

  “You have to find him. He’s our last chance of finding my girl.”

  She stood where she was for a few moments, watching Jed. What to tell him?

  “Franklin’s dead,” she began. “This man I know killed him. My team think he killed the others too.”

  “Have they got him?” Jed asked.

  “No. And we’ve no idea where he’s gone. All we know is that he went out in his car, a red one.”

  Jed picked up a box and hurled it across the room. Rachel winced. He was so volatile, so full of rage.

  “This is hopeless. I’ll take you back.” He made for the door. “Get in the car.” he growled.

  She watched him pull the garage doors shut and take a last look at the other units.

  He started the engine and sat looking at her. “Well? Any ideas?”

  “No. I just want her back.”

  Chapter Fifty-four

  For the first time in years, Alex Brough was truly happy. It was like all his Christmases had come at once. All the practice, all the planning, and even the mistakes had been worth it. He was finally free of his brother and no one was any the wiser.

  By the time he’d finished with him, Hugo was a jabbering wreck. Bloodied and battered, he’d pleaded for his life. He’d even wept. Finally, he’d been able to truly terrify the man who all his life had terrified him. It gladdened his heart.

  Now there was the cleaning up to do. He had already dismembered Hugo and would continue to burn him bit by bit over the coming days. What was left after that would become fertiliser for his roses. Disposing of Hugo wasn’t a problem. It was the girl who was the worry. Sad as it was, she had to go. She knew who he was now. Let her go and she’d tell that nosey mother of hers, and he’d be locked up. He might have a terminal illness, but Brough wanted to spend what little time was left to him in enjoying his garden, and particularly his roses. He couldn’t let a slip of a girl ruin his precious freedom.

  Mia King had served her purpose. If things had got tricky, if the police had come calling, he would have made use of her, held her to ransom in return for his freedom. But that wasn’t necessary now. He was free and clear.

  He’d put her somewhere she was unlikely to be found, but there was always that small chance. Hugo had no more use for his workshop, so he would torch it — get rid of all the evidence.
<
br />   * * *

  “Surely there’s something else we can do?” Rachel asked as they headed back towards the main road.

  “Get real, Rachel. We have no idea what that lunatic has done with her,” Jed said.

  Rachel dabbed at her eyes. “We can’t just give up. What if we don’t find Brough?”

  Jed wasn’t listening. He slowed down and pulled onto the grass verge. “Are you watching the traffic?”

  “No. Why?”

  “This is a back road that eventually leads to the motorway but one has just turned off onto the track that leads to the industrial estate.”

  “Was it red?”

  “I didn’t notice, but there’s nowhere else it could be going. It certainly wasn’t big enough for a drugs delivery.”

  “It has to be Brough! But why come here?”

  Jed looked at her, and said, “Mia.” He swung the car around and headed back. “If he’s hurt her, I’ll kill the bastard!”

  Rachel wasn’t listening, she was on her mobile, ringing Elwyn. “Franklin Industrial estate in Chorlton. We’ve just spotted Brough on his way there. We think that’s where he’s holding Mia. I need backup and an ambulance here, pronto.”

  “The ambulance perhaps, but why the troops, Rachel?” Jed shouted at her. “I’m perfectly capable of dealing with Brough.”

  “You’re not touching him,” she said. “You have to leave this to me now.”

  “In your dreams! No one takes my child like that and gets away with it.”

  He pulled up in front of the garage. The doors were swinging open. Jed leapt out of the car and ran inside. By the time she got out, he’d reappeared with Brough in a headlock.

  “The bastard had a can of petrol. He was about to torch the place with Mia still in it. Where’s your handcuffs? I need something to restrain him.”

  Before Rachel could even think, Jed had spun Brough round and punched him full in the face, knocking him to the ground.

  Jed looked down at him and spat. “That should keep him quiet.”