‘You worry too much. Don’t forget, when Jimmy Wade first escaped, the whole MCIU failed to make any significant progress. At least we’ve found a possible lead, with this sighting of a mystery blonde at the pub when Barnes went missing. You never know; there’s still time for Stewart Ainsworth to show up.’
Tina frowned. ‘I doubt that’s going to happen somehow.’
‘You must tell Danny about this Melissa woman. The one Ainsworth had the hot date with. Don’t forget to mention that.’
‘I won’t. It’s nearly eight o’clock. I’ll finish this coffee, then phone him.’
Rachel gave her a reassuring smile. ‘It’ll be fine, Tina.’
The clock on the wall finally showed eight o’clock.
Reluctantly, Tina picked up the telephone and dialled the number for Danny Flint’s office.
It was answered on the third ring: ‘DCI Flint.’
‘Good morning, sir, it’s Sergeant Prowse.’
‘Hello, Tina, I’ve been expecting your call. Good to see you’re nice and prompt. I’ve got an appointment to keep in the city first thing this morning. So, how’s it going on the Wade enquiry?’
Tina took a deep breath and said, ‘To be honest, sir, it’s pretty slow going. We’ve followed up all the enquiries on the disappearance of Jack Williams but made no headway. Nor have we succeeded in finding out anything about his colleague Fred Barnes, who also went missing. Barnes also worked closely with Jimmy Wade when he was first imprisoned at Rampton. Our enquiries so far have revealed that Wade may have been assaulted by Barnes and Williams when he first arrived at the hospital. A blind eye was turned towards these assaults by their supervisors inside the hospital.’
‘Tell me about the second missing nurse, Fred Barnes. Have you carried out all the follow-up enquiries you can?’
‘Yes, we have.’
‘Have you discovered anything interesting?’
‘Barnes was last seen drinking in his local, the Crown and Anchor pub on Eastern Avenue in Retford. We’ve made enquiries there and spoken to the barman who was working that night. He recalls seeing a very attractive young blonde woman come into the pub. This woman had a quick look round and then walked straight back out. This odd behaviour happened just before Barnes left. The barman had never seen the woman before.’
‘Have you any idea who this woman is?’
Feeling slightly deflated, Tina said, ‘No, sir, we haven’t. We’ve drawn a complete blank on that. We do both believe that Barnes was abducted just outside that pub.’
‘Why do you think that?’
‘We recovered his cigarette lighter from the gutter just outside the front door of the pub. Apparently, this lighter is one of his most prized possessions. It’s something he treasures. He would never normally let it out of his sight. The barman at the pub told us the lighter was a gift to Barnes from his regiment when he left the army.’
‘Is that as far as you’ve got, Tina?’
‘There’s one other thing, sir. We had arranged to see Stewart Ainsworth yesterday. He was Wade’s social worker and the person responsible for his welfare inside Rampton. We questioned him briefly a couple of days ago about the allegations of assault that were starting to come to light about Barnes and Williams. He denied there had been any such assaults.’
‘Have you got a statement from Ainsworth?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Why not? I thought you said you’d spoken to him a couple of days ago?’
‘We did speak to him, but we didn’t get a statement from him that night. He had to be somewhere urgently.’
Danny wasn’t easily deflected. ‘What was so important?’
‘He didn’t want to be delayed, as he had a first date with some woman called Melissa. He didn’t want to stand her up.’
‘Bloody hell, Tina! We don’t do our enquiries around people’s social lives!’
‘Sorry, sir.’
‘You said you’d made arrangements to see him yesterday. How come you still haven’t got the statement?’
‘Because since we saw him a couple of days ago, Ainsworth hasn’t shown up for work.’
‘Hang on a minute. So now, we’ve possibly got three members of staff who worked closely with Jimmy Wade, all unaccounted for?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Danny was quiet for a moment, deep in thought.
‘Tina, tell me again the name of the woman Ainsworth was going to see.’
‘He called her Melissa, why?’
‘I’m sure I’ve seen that name in the Wade enquiry before. Give me ten minutes and I’ll call you back.’
Danny put the phone down and walked into the main office.
Fran Jefferies was already at her desk, head down, typing away on the computer’s keyboard.
‘Morning, Fran, are you logged on to the systems already?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Do me a quick favour: Go into the Wade enquiry database. See if there’s any record of the name “Melissa” anywhere? We might just get lucky; it’s not a terribly common name.’
Fran’s fingers flew over the computer keyboard. After a brief pause, she said, ‘Here we are; there’s only one. Melissa Braithwaite. She was seen by DC Phil Baxter and DC Martin Harper quite early in the enquiry. Phil and Martin were tasked to trace, interview and eliminate Braithwaite from the enquiry. The reason for the allocation of this enquiry was that visitors’ records at Rampton revealed Braithwaite had visited Jimmy Wade on quite a few occasions.’
‘What was the outcome?’
‘They went to her home address, which is shown as South Lodge, Retford. They interviewed her and took a brief statement, showing her whereabouts on the day of the escape. The reasons for her visits to Wade were given as research into a master’s degree course she was doing.’
‘So, no concerns, then?’
‘Not according to this, sir.’
‘Did they search the premises?’
‘It says here, “a discreet search was made that revealed no male presence at the property”. Apparently, Braithwaite lived alone at the address.’
‘Thanks, Fran. I thought the name rang a bell.’
Danny started to walk away, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He turned and said, ‘Did Phil and Martin complete a Personal Descriptive Form for Braithwaite?’
Again, Fran’s fingers were a blur on the keyboard. ‘Yes, they did.’
‘What’s the description of Braithwaite, according to the PDF?’
‘Very briefly, the woman was in her late twenties, petite, blonde hair, five feet two, medium build.’
‘Okay, Fran, thanks.’
Danny returned to his office, picked up the telephone and dialled the number for Retford CID.
Tina answered the phone: ‘Hello, Retford CID, Sergeant Prowse speaking.’
‘Tina, it’s Danny. I think the Melissa that Ainsworth was going to see is Melissa Braithwaite. She’s known to Jimmy Wade and was a regular visitor of his while he was in Rampton. Her description’s similar to the woman you described going into the pub where Barnes was abducted.’
‘Oh my God! Do you think Ainsworth is being set up?’
‘I don’t know. I think we need to start looking at this woman a lot closer. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that she’s assisting Wade. I want you and Rachel to reconnoitre her home address at South Lodge, Retford. Do not, under any circumstances, go to the house itself. Be very discreet; just have a look, then get back to me. If Wade’s hiding there, I want to set up on the grounds properly. I don’t want to give him the opportunity of slipping away again. Do the recce this morning, and then get straight back to Retford nick. In the meantime, I’ll talk to the Special Operations Unit and see if they’ve got the capability to do an armed raid today. Good work, Tina. I wouldn’t have made the connection without the sighting of the blonde at the pub. It still might turn out to be just a coincidence, but it’s got to be checked out properly.’
‘We’re
on our way, sir. We’ll go out to the lodge in my own car. It won’t stand out so much.’
‘Okay, Tina. Like I said, I just want a recce. No heroics.’
‘No heroics, sir.’
81
2 July 1986
South Lodge, Retford
The two detectives had spent an age studying the Ordnance Survey map of the area around South Lodge at Retford.
The cottage was in the centre of what was once the vast Retford Hall Estate. It backed onto the meandering river Poulter and was surrounded by vast areas of woodland.
The former estate was now owned, almost entirely, by the Forestry Commission. The woodland that surrounded the cottage was strictly managed. It consisted mainly of row upon row of conifer trees, with smaller areas of native deciduous trees planted in pockets to preserve the natural wildlife.
The area was interlaced with a myriad of lanes and dirt tracks, and this was the reason for the time spent poring over the map. The last thing the detectives wanted to do on a recce was blunder upon the cottage. They needed to know exactly how to get there, and where to park their vehicle, so they could complete the recce by approaching the cottage on foot.
Having satisfied themselves of the best route in, they had set off from Retford Police Station on the twenty-minute drive to the edge of the estate.
Tina was driving her own Vauxhall Astra car very carefully along one of the potholed lanes.
The maroon-coloured hatchback was her pride and joy. There were one or two spots of rust starting to show on the wheel arches at the front, but it was a good runner and a solid car. She kept it immaculately clean and tidy, inside and out.
Rachel sat in the passenger seat, with the folded Ordnance Survey map in her lap.
Rachel held up her right hand. ‘Take the next track on the right. According to the map, South Lodge is on that track. Once you’ve made the turn, find somewhere to pull off the track and park up. The cottage is about three hundred yards further along.’
Tina said, ‘I’m so glad I put my flats on today. I wouldn’t fancy walking through these woods in heels.’
‘I keep telling you to wear practical shoes for work. Some of your heels are ridiculous.’
‘They’re part of me, Rachel. Not all of us can look as glamourous as you do in flats.’
Rachel shook her head and smiled.
Tina turned right and drove the car onto the final track. She found a suitable place to pull over and stop after another fifty yards. The two women got out of the vehicle and were surprised at just how dark the woods were.
Surrounded by tall conifers, hardly any daylight penetrated the thick canopy. It felt really cool, even though the sun was out, and the weather was set fair for another hot day. The smell of the pine trees was heady and strong. The ground underfoot felt soft and spongy from the fallen needles that formed a brown carpet.
Rachel said quietly, ‘Jesus, if Wade’s hiding out here, it’s no wonder we haven’t found him. This place is definitely the back of beyond.’
‘It’s bloody creepy, too. Have you noticed there aren’t any birds singing?’
‘No, I hadn’t until you mentioned it. But you’re right, it’s definitely creepy in here. Why would anyone choose to live right out here on their own?’
‘Come on, the cottage should be down here. Watch your footing.’
The two detectives stealthily made their way along the side of the single dirt track. After almost two hundred yards, the conifer forest abruptly stopped and was replaced by deciduous planting.
The trees here were smaller.
The planting was native species of birch, beech and oak trees.
Immediately, the detectives felt warmer as they emerged into the dappled sunlight.
Rachel suddenly stopped and squatted down; Tina immediately followed suit.
Rachel turned and whispered, ‘The lodge is over there. Look.’
Tina looked beyond Rachel and could see the sandstone cottage some forty yards ahead. The tree line stopped ten yards in front of the detectives.
The cottage stood alone in a clearing framed on the other three sides by heavy conifer planting. The pines here were mature and tall. They offered a very dark backdrop to the small stone cottage.
‘Let’s get a little closer,’ whispered Tina.
The women edged themselves slowly forward until they were behind the last of the trees. From their new vantage point, they had a clearer view of the property and were still in good cover. They could hear the sound of running water from their immediate left. They knew the water they could hear would be the small stream that was shown on the map as the river Poulter.
The map showed the stream clearly adjacent to the rear of the property. Here the birds were singing loudly. A marked contrast to the dark, almost lifeless, conifer forest.
‘Look, Tina. Can you see the wisps of smoke from the chimney? Somebody’s home.’
‘I see it.’
‘There are two outbuildings at the back of the cottage, which aren’t shown on the map. I’ll make a note of them on here.’
She took a biro from her jacket pocket and quickly drew two rectangles onto the folded map, marking the location of the outbuildings.
Tina pointed towards the front of the cottage. ‘There’s a couple of vehicles parked outside the front. If we skirt around the tree line, back that way, I think we should be able to get close enough to get a look at the registration numbers.’
‘Take your time. We’re pretty close here; we need to be careful.’
Never taking their eyes off the cottage, the two detectives began to circumnavigate the property, sticking to the tree line. Eventually, they reached a position almost opposite the front door of the cottage, where they could clearly see the registration numbers of the two vehicles.
One of the vehicles was a Fiat Uno; the other a Daihatsu Hijet van. Rachel scribbled the numbers down on the back of the map and said, ‘I think we’ve seen enough. Let’s not push our luck.’
‘You’re right. Come on, let’s get out of here.’
Moving stealthily, they skirted back around to their original position and then backed into the woods, away from the cottage. Staying on the side of the track, they began to make their way back to Tina’s Vauxhall Astra.
Suddenly, from behind them, they heard a car door slam. Then a second.
A car engine burst into life, followed by the lower rumble of a diesel engine.
Rachel grabbed Tina and pulled her off the track into the trees. She hissed, ‘Get in here, Tina.’
They scrambled deeper into the woods, got down behind a fallen pine tree, and looked back towards the track. Both the Fiat Uno and the Daihatsu van were being driven along the track. Although they both craned their necks to see, neither of the detectives were close enough to see who was driving the two vehicles.
As soon as the Uno and the Daihatsu had passed them, Rachel said, ‘Come on. Move!’
They both stood up and began to carefully make their way through the woodland, back to where they had left their car.
From a distance of seventy-five yards, the two detectives could see a man snooping around their car. From that distance, they were unable to make out any facial features; they could only see the man’s long dark hair. The driver of the Daihatsu van remained in the vehicle, totally out of sight.
After a few minutes walking around the Astra, the long-haired man got back in the Fiat Uno and drove off, followed by the van.
Tina whispered to Rachel, ‘Jesus, I’m glad I decided to drive my own car here and not the CID car. Do you think that was him?’
‘Jimmy Wade with long dark hair? I don’t think so. I couldn’t really see who it was. If you remember though, Ainsworth’s got long dark hair, hasn’t he?’
As soon as the two vehicles had been driven off, Rachel said, ‘Let’s get back to Retford nick and get these vehicle numbers checked. We can phone the boss and tell him what we’ve seen. It will be up to him what he wants to do next.’
Were they going off on completely the wrong tangent? Was it just an infatuation between Stewart Ainsworth and Melissa Braithwaite? Were they just a young couple spending a romantic time together at her secluded home?
Finally, they emerged from the forest lanes. Tina turned the car onto the tarmac road and began the short journey back to Retford Police Station.
82
2 July 1986
Retford Police Station, Nottinghamshire
It was approaching eleven o’clock by the time Rachel and Tina drove back into the car park at the police station.
Tina parked her Astra, got out, and frowned at the mud spatters all along the side of her car.
‘Look at that, Rach! It’s bloody filthy!’
‘Never mind the mud; it’s a bloody good job you took it.’
‘I know what you mean. Can you believe that? Another couple of minutes, and we would’ve been sat in the bloody car as they drove by.’
‘Whoever “they” are.’
The two women walked into the police station and went straight to the control room.
Rachel handed the map on which she had written the car registration numbers to one of the control room operators and said, ‘I need two PNC owner’s checks on these numbers, please. As a matter of urgency, if you can?’
The civilian operator took the map, noted the two registration numbers on a pad, and then handed the map back.
He tapped the relevant code into the computer, and a few seconds later said, ‘The first number relates to a Fiat Uno. There’s no markers on the vehicle; registered keeper is a Stewart Ainsworth. The address shown is a local one: 23 Grosvenor Road, Retford.’
Rachel scribbled down the information.
‘The second number comes back as a Daihatsu Hijet. Again, there are no markers on the vehicle. It belongs to another local keeper, Melissa Braithwaite. Her address is South Lodge, Retford. Can you give me the reason for the checks, please, Detective?’
‘Ongoing crime enquiries, thanks.’
A Cold Grave: A DCI Danny Flint Book Page 28
