DI Lorne Simpkins 08 - Hostile Justice

by M A Comley

  “Come in. What?” Katy put down her pen and sat back in her chair, her expression intimating that she welcomed the intrusion.

  “I’ve just received a phone call.”

  Raising her eyebrows Katy asked, “And?”

  “It was from a man saying, ‘I know.’” Lorne did air quotes to emphasise his words. “At first, I couldn’t comprehend what he was getting at, then it dawned on me that it was probably about the TV feature last night. I asked him if his call was in reference to that case, and he hung up.”

  “Interesting. And that’s all he said?”

  Lorne threw herself into the chair. “Damn. He wasn’t on the phone long enough to trace the call either. AJ reckons he’ll make contact with me again, but I’m not so sure.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “He sounded…‌I don’t know…‌scared, I guess. I don’t think it was just because he was talking to the police either. His final words to me were, ‘I didn’t want to be part of it.’ It’s weird. If he didn’t want to make a confession, then why ring? And if he wanted to come clean, why hang up without giving us further information?”

  “Maybe someone joined him unexpectedly, and that’s why he ended the call.”

  “I’m not so sure. Damn, now I have a real dilemma on my hands.”

  “Which is?”

  “I wanted to start questioning the partygoers today to get a few statements down for Wendy’s case. Now, the idea of this man is going to bug me—what if he calls and I’m not here?”

  “Okay, let’s take a step back and consider this logically for a second or two. Until this man makes contact again the Jane Doe case is pretty sedentary at present. Go ahead and make a list of all the people we need to question who attended the party, ring them up, and ask them to come in to make their statements. That way you can still be here for that man, if he calls again, or any other potential leads.” Lorne nodded, satisfied with this solution. “Okay, I can work with that.”

  “Also, if you make the arrangements, the whole team can help take down the statements. It’ll save a lot of time, and we might be able to catch the culprits that much quicker.”

  Lorne frowned. “That’s a lot of resources to throw at one case, Katy.”

  “Yeah, but what else are they up to at the moment? This case, and it’s not just because Charlie is involved, should take priority. Who’s to say where these guys are going to turn up next? You know how these things go. If these lads get their kicks from this, then the odds are they’ll do it again, and soon. We need to be prepared for that.”

  “You’re right. I’ll start making the calls right away.” Lorne moved towards the door.

  “Get Karen to help you. The sooner that’s completed, the sooner your line will be free in case the mystery caller rings back.”

  For the next hour, Lorne was pumped up with adrenaline as she cajoled the various partygoers—some lacking enthusiasm for the task—of turning up at the station to give statements. Everyone on the list was either booked in for that day or the next, and she sensed it was going to be a very long day ahead. She rang Tony and warned him not to expect her before ten that evening.

  “All right, do what you have to do. Just remember to eat, won’t you?” he reminded her.

  “It’s all in hand. They usually order pizza when we work overtime. I promise to bolt down a slice. How’s Charlie?”

  “She’s coping better than I would in the circumstances. Good thing she has the dogs to distract her.”

  “Give her a hug from me and let her know that I’m thinking of her.”

  “She’s aware of that, but I’ll say it again. I’ll let her know what you’re up to, is that okay?”

  “Sure. See you later, hon.”

  Lorne hung up and reclined back in her chair, exhausted by her efforts. The phone rang, breaking into her bout of contemplation.

  “Hello, this is DS Warner, how may I help?”

  “Ma’am, it’s John at the front desk,” the desk sergeant said, his voice quieter than normal.

  “Yes, John? Everything all right?”

  “It’s hard to say. I’ve got a young man down at reception asking to speak with you.”

  “Did he say what it’s regarding, John?”

  “Nope. He looks mighty nervous though. Can you come down?”

  “On my way.” Lorne slammed the phone down and shot out of her chair. “Tell Katy, there’s a nervous young man asking for me downstairs, AJ. It might be the man who rang earlier.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Lorne ran down the corridor and the concrete staircase of the station. She was out of breath when she arrived in the reception area. The desk sergeant smiled and motioned with his head in the direction of a young man pacing nervously. “What’s his name?” she whispered to John.

  He shrugged. “He wouldn’t give it.”

  “Is there an interview room vacant?”

  “Room two is free. Do you want me to arrange for a PC to accompany you?”

  She thought the suggestion over, her gaze drifting over to the man and back to John. “It might be an idea. He does seem a little agitated.”

  “I’ll get on it now.”

  Opening the secure door, she walked through and approached the man. She estimated that he was in his mid- to late-twenties, thinning on top, tatty clothes hanging from his frame. She suspected he hadn’t eaten a proper meal in days, if not weeks. Is that due to stress or some other reason?

  “Hello, I’m Detective Sergeant Warner. You wanted to see me?”

  He anxiously surveyed the area. “Not here.”

  Three other people were sitting on chairs, waiting to be seen by other officers. “Okay, walk this way. We can talk in private down here.”

  The man followed her brisk pace. When they reached the interview room, they found a constable waiting outside the room.

  “Are you joining us, Paul?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The three of them entered the room. Lorne heard the man let out a relieved breath, and she invited him to sit opposite her. Opening her notebook, she asked, “First things first, can I have your name?”

  The man shook his head. “No name. Not yet.”

  She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “May I ask why?”

  “Not yet. Later,” he insisted.

  “What nationality are you?”

  “Polish.”

  It’s the same guy. After stewing about the phone call she’d received earlier, she thought perhaps the man might have been struggling with the English language, not just because he was nervous. This was no doubt the reason he didn’t want to part with his name: likely, he was an illegal immigrant. That wasn’t her priority right now; she could deal with that later. At this instant, she wanted to know what this man knew about Jane Doe.

  “Okay. You wanted to tell me about a crime I’m investigating…‌the one on the TV special, I think. What do you know?” The door eased open, and Katy stepped into the room. She sat down at the table next to Lorne. “This is my senior officer, DI Foster, my partner.”

  The man’s head bowed lower, he sat back in his chair, his hands shoved in his pockets, his chin resting on his chest. “I was forced to do it.”

  “To do what exactly?” Lorne asked, taking notes.

  “You don’t know what it is like to come to strange country. People take…”

  Lorne could tell the man was trying to find the appropriate English word. She took a gamble and offered, “Advantage? People take advantage of you? Is that what you mean?”

  He nodded. “Yes, that is it. Advantage. I came with my family. My wife and two babies. No money. This man offer me work.”

  “What man? Does he have a name?”

  “No. I just call him boss man. He give me place to live. Huh, that’s a laugh, disgusting place. No beds, my family forced to sleep on floor along with other families.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe if you tell us what you know, we can help you and your family?” Lorne felt Ka
ty nudge her knee with her own, as if to warn her of making any rash promises that couldn’t be kept.

  The man looked up, hopeful, grey, watering eyes latching onto hers. “Really? You’d do that for me? My wife, she said I must do right thing and come to police. I don’t want trouble. We came here to live good life. I don’t want to live like this. I love my family. This was supposed to be good move for them. We better off back in homeland, not here.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. There are some terrible people out there who do take advantage of people such as yourself. Please, tell me about the woman?”

  His hands left his pockets, and he rubbed them together, perhaps for warmth, maybe it was his way of preparing himself to reveal a horrendous crime and his part in it.

  “This man told me to drive car. First I had to change plates on car. He said to me to go and wait at a junction. I was to meet two men. Our mission…‌that maybe the wrong word…‌our job was to go collect a debt—that’s what he told me.”

  “So you picked up two men…‌do you know where?” Lorne asked, smiling briefly to reassure him.

  “Connaught Way junction.”

  “And did you know or recognise these two men? What nationality were they? Any idea?”

  “No. Neither of them spoke to me. I never see them before that day. Can I have a drink?”

  “Sorry, I should have offered. Coffee?” He nodded. “White with sugar?” He nodded again. “Can you get the gentleman a coffee from the machine, Paul?” She gave the constable a pound coin she kept in her pocket for emergencies.

  “Please, carry on,” Katy urged.

  Lorne added, “So, you picked these two men up and then what happened?”

  “They gave me directions where to go next. I didn’t know the area. After few minutes, one man tapped me on shoulder and put his hand up to stop. Still no words. I slammed on the brakes.”

  “Can you tell us where you stopped? Any significant landmarks?” The man frowned, shook his head. He didn’t understand. Lorne tried to find another word. “Umm…‌landmarks, a well-known, easily recognisable building or area? Does that help?”

  “Ahh, I see. A bus station.”

  Lorne jotted down the information. “Okay, then what happened?”

  “The men pulled up their jumpers to hide their heads and got out of the car.”

  “Their hoods?” He nodded. Lorne continued, “And you waited in the vehicle for them to return?”

  “Yes, with engine turned on. I watch men run inside the station and return with a woman a few minutes later.”

  “Was the woman struggling?”

  “Yes, she struggle. She was crying when she got in car.”

  “What happened next?”

  “The man behind me flicked his hand, make me drive. I watch in my mirror. The men, they start attacking the woman. Made me feel sick. I slowed down car and say, ‘Hey, stop it. You can’t treat woman like that.’ But one man hit me on head, hard, and flicked his hand for me to go on.”

  Lorne glanced at Katy, and they both shook their heads in horror.

  The door opened, and the constable entered and placed the cup in front of the man. He held it between his trembling hands.

  “Then what?” Lorne asked.

  After slurping his coffee, he carried on. “They beat her. She went to sleep. The men laughed.”

  “Sleep? Do you mean she died? Did they kill her?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I think she was un…‌unconscious, but not sure. I drove to warehouse. They dragged her out of back of car and went inside warehouse. I stayed in car. No, I get out of car to get fresh air. I feel sick.”

  “How long were the two men in the warehouse?” Lorne asked him.

  “Two, maybe three minutes. They were angry when they saw me out of vehicle. I jumped in quick. One of men had bag in his hand. The other had a weapon.”

  “What kind of weapon? Do you know what was in the bag?” Lorne had a suspicion that the contents of the bag contained the woman’s head. If they could find the head, this case would be solved in half the time, she felt certain.

  “The weapon, a big knife. And I saw red on part of bag.”

  “Red as in blood, do you think?”

  Tears welled up in his lifeless eyes. “Please, I don’t know. I scared, these men scared me. I feared for my wife and children. If I didn’t do what they said, I knew my wife and children would suffer. They could still suffer.” He rose from his chair. “I shouldn’t be here. What if they come look for me?” He ran his shaking hand across the bald spot at the top of his head.

  Lorne leaned over and whispered to Katy, “We have to offer him protection. He’s going to be the key to this case.”

  “Okay, I’ll have a word with Roberts. You continue to question him, and I’ll be right back.”

  The man freaked out when Katy’s chair scraped loudly on the floor. She raised her hands to placate him. “I’m leaving the room for a moment. Continue to tell DS Warner the whole story, please?”

  He slammed his backside against the wall and nodded. “Okay, but I need help. My family needs help. They kill us like they did that woman.”

  Lorne smiled. “Sit down again. I can assure you, we’ll do all we can to help you and your family. Did you drop the men somewhere? What occurred after the warehouse?”

  He reluctantly sat down and intertwined his fingers together in front of him on the desk. “We drove back to Connaught Way. I dropped men there. Still they said nothing to me.”

  “And the bag? Was it a carrier bag? What about the weapon? Did they leave those things in the car or take the items with them?”

  “Sorry, I should have said…‌yes, carrier bag. We stop by river and one man threw the weapon in water. We drove on a bit before one of men tapped me on shoulder. I stop car, and he threw the bag out of back door.”

  “My God, really? Where?”

  “I don’t know area. I can’t tell you.”

  Disappointment swamped her. “Could you take us to the spot? Both spots?”

  He thought her question over for a few seconds then nodded slowly. “I think so. They are between pickup and warehouse.”

  “Good. I’ll arrange for you to go with one of my associates. Can you go this morning?”

  “Of course.”

  Lorne let out a deep sigh of relief. “That’d be great. We can really get things moving if we find that bag…‌and the weapon would be a real bonus. Is there anything else you can tell me?”

  “I think that’s everything. I can’t sleep or eat. Since that day, my head is filled with images, sick images of those men beating that woman.”

  Lorne reached over and patted his clenched hands. “You’ve done the right thing. Won’t you tell me your name?”

  His sad eyes glanced at hers and he finally succumbed. “It’s Marcin, Marcin Piziorski. Please help me. I beg you, don’t let this man kill my family.”

  “You have my word. Thank you for trusting me; it means a lot. We’ll get these men and punish them, thanks to your courage.” Her hand left his, and she folded her notebook away, ready to leave the room. “Stay here. I’ll get a colleague to come for you. You will take him to the locations where they threw out the weapon and the bag. Okay?”

  “Yes, I stay here and wait. What about my family?”

  “I’ll have an answer for you within the hour about that, I promise. Please try not to worry too much now.” Again, Lorne was promising the man something that she might not be able to achieve. However, she knew that Katy would be trying to twist Roberts around her finger upstairs, doing her utmost for this brave man and his family.

  Lorne ran up the stairs and into the incident room. “AJ, I was right. The man I’ve just been questioning was the driver who took the victim to the warehouse. Can you go downstairs and meet him? He’s going to take you to where two men he picked up threw out a carrier bag at one place, and a weapon in the river at another. I suspect the contents of that bag will be our Jane Doe’s head. I’ll be very
surprised if it’s still there. I’m sure stray dogs will have feasted on it by now—it’s been almost two weeks, after all. We’ll need to inform the police dive team to investigate the river area once we pinpoint the actual spot. If we can find that weapon, I’ll personally do a happy dance.”

  “Funny. Okay, he’ll take me to these locations. Then what?” AJ shrugged his suit jacket on as he spoke.

  “We need to offer some protection for this man and his family. I’m going to see how Katy is getting on with Roberts regarding that. The man has a wife and small children. We might need to go and pick them up.”

  “Put them in a safe house?”

  “I’m hoping so, yes. He has given us valuable information. It’s only right we should look after him. Give me five minutes. I’ll catch up with you downstairs.”

  • • •

  Chief Roberts’s secretary motioned for Lorne to enter the chief’s office. The door had been left ajar, and she heard another woman’s voice as she neared the door. Lightly tapping the door, she walked in to find three people turn her way—two with smiles on their faces and one looking too strained to bother.

  “Lorne, come in,” Roberts said.

  “I’m just saying that if we dished out safe houses to all and sundry, we’d soon run out. Am I wrong, Chief?” Superintendent White continued the conversation Lorne had interrupted.

  Lorne had a feeling the smiles on Sean’s and Katy’s faces were expressions of relief that she had arrived to support them. She pounced on her opportunity to input. “Forgive me for speaking up, ma’am.” She paused to gain the clearance to proceed from the super. Ann gave a brief nod. “In all my years on the force—and I know the chief will back me up here—I’ve never once asked for witness protection. However, this man’s entire family is at risk of being killed if we don’t intervene. I’m not sure I’d be able to live with myself if anything happened to this man’s wife and two young children, knowing that I failed them as he tried to help us. He’s already given us exceptional leads and assured us that he will speak up in court. Not many folks are willing to help us like he is prepared to do.”

  “I appreciate your point of view, DS Warner, but as I’ve already pointed out, we cannot be blackmailed into giving these people protection.”