Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6)

by Robin Roughley

  Lasser set off after his boss.

  36

  Forbes parked the Jaguar outside the large bungalow; the street lined with cherry and apple blossom trees in full bloom. The garden was immaculate; the grass cropped close the borders full of late spring daffodils.

  He'd already been to the apartment of Medea Sullivan having found her address on the electoral role at the library, however, the place had been empty, a 'To Let' sign staked into the front garden. He'd felt the anger building as he made his way back to the library and after another hour of searching he'd found this address though he still wasn't sure if he had the right place.

  On the odd occasion Forbes had asked her about her family, Emma had said only that her mother had died when she was a teenager and her father had been a local doctor.

  Still, how many doctors called Drake could there be in a town this size?

  Unclipping the seatbelt, Andrew climbed from the car and looked up and down the long avenue; the bungalows were all large and imposing with long front gardens and driveways to match. Clicking open the garden gate he made his way towards the front door, the scent from the blossoms was heady and overpowering.

  Knocking once, Forbes took a step back and spread what he hoped was a friendly smile on his face. After thirty seconds, the smile slipped and he knocked again louder this time.

  When he saw the figure approaching through the frosted glass of the front door he cleared his throat. The man who opened it was grey haired and looked to be about sixty, Andrew tried to see a family resemblance to Emma, but in truth, there wasn't any.

  'Can I help you?' The man asked as he pulled off a pair of gardening gloves, he was wearing a check shirt and pale blue jeans slung high like an aging Simon Cowell.

  'I'm sorry to bother you and I don't know if I have the right address but I'm looking for Emma Drake?'

  The man raised a wiry eyebrow in surprise. 'Emma doesn't live here anymore.'

  Forbes smiled and thrust out a hand. 'You must be her father?'

  Ignoring the offered hand the man clapped the gloves together a sprinkling of dried soil fell to the welcome mat. 'And you are?'

  'A friend of Emma's we worked together for a while.'

  'Ah well, you see the thing is, I haven't seen my daughter in a while.'

  'I see.'

  'So, what do you want with our Emma?'

  'Well, I'm up here on business so I thought I'd try and catch up with her.'

  'And she gave you this address?'

  'That's right, she said if I was to ever to find myself up north then I should call in.' Forbes still had his hand hovering in the air.

  James Drake sniffed. 'I suppose you'd better come in.'

  The smile on Andrew's face widened. 'I'd love to.'

  37

  Pulling up outside the house on Taunton Avenue, Bannister pushed the car door open and clambered out. Lasser looked at him over the roof of the car.

  'Let's hope we have a bit of luck this time.'

  'Since when have we ever had luck in this job?' Bannister grumbled.

  Lasser gave a shrug as they headed up the garden path. Ringing the bell they waited, somewhere inside the house a dog yapped and then a woman opened the door and looked out at them in surprise.

  'Sorry to bother you but we're looking for Donald Elliot.' Bannister said with a smile.

  'Well, there's a surprise.'

  'Are you Beth?' Lasser asked.

  She sighed and nodded. 'Look, we don't live together anymore haven't done for over six months.'

  'So, you have no idea where he is?'

  'Well, I can tell you he was here about an hour ago, but...'

  'An hour ago?' Bannister snapped.

  'Is everything alright, Beth?' Dave appeared in the doorway his face etched with concern.

  'I was just telling them about the waste of space.'

  'You said he was here an hour ago?' Bannister repeated.

  'Yeah, he said he'd come to see the kids which was a pack of lies as usual.'

  'Do you have any idea what he really wanted?' Lasser asked.

  'Are you coppers?'

  'Yes, love, we are.'

  Dave snorted. 'Well, that explains it; he turned up here and started to get annoyed then when I threatened to ring you lot he shot off down the street as if he had a rocket up his arse.'

  Bannister scowled at Lasser, the Sergeant lifted his shoulders.

  'Has he been dealing drugs again?' Beth asked.

  'We'd just like a word, now do you have any idea where he could have got to?'

  Beth frowned as if she were giving the question some serious thought. 'Well, it was strange really because normally he goes everywhere in that rusting van of his.'

  'Van?'

  'Yeah, he has an old white transit, but today he was on foot and believe me Donny doesn't like to walk anywhere.'

  'Tell me, Beth is it?'

  She nodded.

  'Do you have any photographs of Donald?'

  'You must be joking, I burned the lot of them the last time he did a runner.'

  Bannister sighed. 'I see.'

  'I'm sorry but the last thing I wanted was to see his ugly mug.'

  Dave grinned and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

  'So, you have no idea where he could be hiding, Beth?'

  She looked at Lasser and shrugged. 'He didn't have many friends though you wouldn't guess it the way he used to carry on.'

  'Liked to act the life and soul of the party did he?'

  Beth snorted. 'He knew everyone but it was only because of the dealing.'

  Lasser fiddled with the keys in his pocket. 'Do you know who he was dealing for?'

  For the first time she looked unsure, 'Look, I don't really want to get involved, Donny was a bastard and I'm glad to see the back of him.'

  'We can appreciate that but this goes way beyond dealing a bit of smack.' Bannister's voice was grave.

  Dave looked down at the woman by his side and shrugged when she looked at him.

  Beth chewed her bottom lip. 'The Mellor brothers,' she whispered.

  Bannister’s eyes narrowed. 'Are you sure?'

  'I don't know if he still deals for them but that's where he used to get his gear from.'

  Bannister smiled. 'Thank you, Beth, it makes a nice change to meet someone who's willing to talk to us.'

  'I just want Donny out of the way, he's poisonous and the kids deserve better.'

  'You deserve better,' Dave said and gave her arm a squeeze.

  If Lasser had had a violin, he would have pulled it out and given them a tune.

  38

  Andrew sat at the kitchen table and watched as James Drake made them both a coffee. The kitchen was huge, the walls were lined with units and the table could have easily seated eight. The French windows were open revealing a large rear garden full of fruit trees and bushes; he could make out a greenhouse at the far end of the garden, the interior brimming with tomato plants.

  'And you say you worked with my Emma?'

  'That's right the same graphic design company.'

  James grunted as if this bit of information was of no interest to him. 'But you don't work together anymore?'

  'I moved jobs and we kind of lost touch, I mean, you know what it's like, not enough hours in the day and I'm always busy with the job.'

  'Well, I haven't seen her in almost five years,' Drake shook his head as if he couldn't believe where the years had gone.

  Forbes faked a look of surprise. 'Really, I hadn't realised.'

  'So, I'm afraid it's been a wasted journey on your part.'

  Forbes looked pained. 'Well, that's a shame I would have liked to have seen her again.'

  Drake slid the cup onto the table and Forbes’s smile grew wider. 'Thanks.'

  'When was the last time you saw her?' Drake asked.

  Andrew gave a slight shrug. 'Probably about four months ago, we met in a wine bar and she said she was thinking of moving back to her home town.'

  'Yes
well, she hasn't turned up here.' James grumbled.

  'I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have called unannounced.'

  The retired doctor waved a hand. 'It's not your fault,' he paused and sighed, 'thing is we don't see eye to eye on most things.'

  Forbes took a sip from the cup and kept his mouth closed.

  'She may very well have moved back to the area but I would imagine I'd be the last person she’d want to know about it.'

  Andrew cleared his throat. 'She did mention that you two had had problems in the past.'

  James slumped down into one of the eight chairs. 'Did she now?'

  Forbes held up his hands. 'Don't get me wrong she didn't go into detail, it's just the impression I got.'

  'Mm, well I suppose there have been faults on both sides.'

  'Hey, nobody's perfect, Mr Drake.'

  Drake gave him a cool look. 'So, how long are you up here for?'

  'A couple of days, I'm actually heading over to Manchester for a meeting but I thought it seemed a waste to come all this way without calling in.'

  'Well, I'm sorry, if I could point you in the right direction...'

  'She did say something about an old girlfriend living locally.'

  Drake smiled and nodded. 'That would be Medea...'

  'Sullivan,' Forbes finished for him.

  'Lovely girl.'

  'Do you think it would be worth calling on her?'

  Drake tugged at his ear lobe. 'Well, if Emma is up here then she would definitely call in on Medea.'

  'Worth a try then?'

  Drake nodded. 'The thing is she used to have an apartment about four miles from here, but she moved.'

  'Ah, so you don't have her new address that's a pity.'

  Drake placed his hands on the table top and pushed himself back to his feet. 'Just hang on there a minute. She sent me a Christmas card and if I remember rightly she wrote her new address inside.'

  'Oh right.'

  Drake wandered over to a huge welsh dresser and slid open the cupboard door. 'Normally I recycle any old Christmas cards but I'm pretty sure I kept hold of this one.' He began to rummage through the drawer pulling out a bottle opener and numerous bits and bobs.

  Forbes waited expectantly, his right hand clasped tight around the coffee cup.

  'Ah, here it is!' Drake turned brandishing the card in his right hand.

  'You've found it?'

  'I knew I hadn't thrown it away,' he said before pulling a writing pad from the drawer.

  Moving back across the room he sat down before pulling a pair of glasses from the top pocket of his check shirt. Forbes felt like snatching the card from his liver-spotted hand, instead he lifted the cup and took another sip of the ghastly instant coffee.

  Glasses on, Drake searched through his trouser pockets before pulling out a biro. 'I was in the greenhouse writing out the labels for the seedlings,' he explained before dipping his head, the pen scribbled quickly across the white page and then he tore it off and folded it.

  'One thing, if Emma is at Medea's new address could you give her a message from me?'

  'Of course I will.'

  The old man smiled gratefully and then lowered his gaze. 'Tell her I'm sorry and that I'd love to see her again,' he said as he slid the paper across the table.

  Forbes slid it into his hand. 'Consider it done,' he lied.

  39

  Bannister pulled hard on the cigarette, his face a mixture of annoyance and glee. 'At least we know where he was getting his gear from.'

  'Do you want to pay the Mellor’s another visit?'

  They were sitting outside the house on Taunton Avenue, a couple of kids trundled past on skateboards.

  'I...' when Bannister's phone droned, he closed his mouth and pulled the mobile from his pocket. 'Hello.'

  Lasser flicked his ash out of the window and watched as the two skateboarders rolled away into the distance.

  'Where did you find it?'

  Lasser turned, Bannister's eyes narrowed through the cloud of smoke. 'So, what's in the back?' He looked at Lasser and grinned around the cigarette. 'Good, I want it checking thoroughly is that understood and keep me informed.'

  'Good news?' Lasser asked.

  Bannister tossed the phone into the slot beneath the CD player. 'They've found Elliot's van in Platt Bridge; apparently there are a couple of bin bags in the back full of clothes.'

  'He was trying to get away?'

  Bannister nodded. 'I think he would have been well on his way by now.'

  'What stopped him?'

  Bannister shrugged. 'I can only presume he had engine trouble.'

  'That's why he came around here without wheels.'

  'He must have thought his ex was still living alone, he probably came to hide out for a few days.'

  'He sees lover boy on the doorstep and scarpers.'

  'Question is, where has he scarpered to?' Bannister pondered as he turned the key.

  'If he knows we're onto him he could have gone to the Mellor’s.'

  'I can hardly see those two acting the ‘Good Samaritan’, Sergeant.'

  'But he might persuade them to give him an old banger to drive away in.'

  'Or they could be feeding him into the crusher as we speak.'

  'Nasty way to go,' Lasser mused.

  'As much as I'd like to see Elliot compressed until he could fit into a matchbox we'll have to check it out.'

  'Fine.'

  Bannister clicked the seatbelt into place. 'Off we go then,' he said as he popped the car into first gear.

  40

  As soon as the door started to open Colly hit it hard with his shoulder, he heard a squeal as it slammed inwards. Stumpy Clark was already running down the narrow hallway, his short legs pumping as fast as they could. Slamming the door closed, Colly barrelled down the passage catching the fleeing man as he reached the kitchen door.

  'Fucker!' he bellowed and lashed out, his fist slamming into the back of Stumpy's head.

  The small man squealed in pain before crashing face first into the doorframe.

  Breathing hard Colly snatched hold of the collar of the man's jacket and heaved him to his feet. 'Where the fuck is Elliot?' he snarled.

  Stumpy Clark looked up with terror-filled eyes. 'I...'

  Colly shook him hard, Stumpy's head lashed back and forth. 'You fucking tell me, Stumpy, or I'll break your scrawny little neck.'

  'I don't know where he is, Colly, honest!'

  Colly Roberts drew back a huge fist and Clark screwed up his eyes as he waited for the blow. Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes and Stumpy cracked open one tear-filled eye.

  Colly glared at him and then Stumpy watched in amazement as the big man swiped a tear from his pale blue eyes.

  'Colly, what's the matter?'

  'Do you know where he is?' Roberts asked again his voice quivering with pent up emotion.

  Stumpy swallowed down the fear. 'I haven't seen him in days, Colly; I'd tell you if I had.'

  'Is he still dealing?'

  'I haven't a clue, I mean, I don't get any shit off him anymore.'

  'You telling me you're clean?' Colly's eyes narrowed as he waited for the small man to respond.

  'A bit of weed, a bit of coke but no hard stuff, not for months now, Colly.'

  'You know anyone who has been getting their shit from him?'

  Stumpy rubbed at the bruise on his forehead wincing when he felt the swelling beneath his probing fingers.

  'I don't have a clue, I mean, he used to go in the Vic regular but I haven't seen him in there in ages.'

  Colly let go of Stumpy's jacket and turned away.

  'Colly man, what's the problem?'

  'If you see him you ring me, Stumpy.'

  'Yeah, no problem but...'

  'You ring me straight away.'

  Stumpy watched as Colly Roberts walked towards the front door his shoulders slumped, a broken man.

  41

  Norvil Mellor chucked a bone to the German shepherd; the huge ani
mal clamped the grizzly gift between its slavering jaws before retreating to the kennel. When he saw the black Audi pull in through the gates Norvil frowned and spat onto the oil-soaked ground.

  'That's Norvil,' Lasser said as Bannister parked well away from where the guard dog lurked between the engine blocks.

  'He looks a charmer,' Bannister said as he clicked off the seatbelt.

  'Yeah well, believe it or not Norvil's the brains of the outfit.'

  'That's a joke, right?'

  Lasser gave a shake of the head. 'Just watch him, boss, he's a slippery sod.'

  Bannister grunted a response before climbing out. Norvil walked down the steps of the cabin and headed towards them.

  'Our Boris said you lot had been sniffing around and I'll tell you the same thing he did, we don't deal drugs...'

  'Have you got a starter motor for one of these?' Lasser said with a wide smile pointing at the gleaming Audi.

  'Very funny, Lasser, now why don't you two bugger off?'

  Bannister slid the car keys into his pocket. 'Donny Elliot.'

  'Never heard of him.'

  'That's strange because we have it on good authority that he was working for you.'

  'Yeah well, you heard wrong.'

  'Apparently he's been dealing around the Platt Bridge area and you've been doing the supplying.'

  Norvil thrust his hands into the pockets of his overalls. 'I'm a scrap metal dealer I don't know anything about drugs.'

  Lasser leaned back against the car and folded his arms. 'Your brother was telling us about the ‘Poles’ you have working on the yard.'

  'What about 'em?'

  'Does the name Iknoff mean anything to you?'

  Norvil Mellor sniffed and shook his head. 'No.'

  'So, he doesn't work here?'

  'Not that I know of.'

  Bannister took a step forward. 'What sort of answer is that?'

  'Look, our Boris takes care of that side of things.'

  'The hiring and firing?'

  A rusting bulldozer rumbled past, the metal treads leaving grooves in the hard packed earth.

  Norvil waited until the noise from the clattering vehicle had diminished. 'Yeah, the hiring and firing.'

  'So, what side of the business do you look after?' Bannister asked.

  'This and that.'

  Lasser pushed himself away from the car. 'Come on Norvil you'll have to be more specific, I mean, do you make the tea, or get the dinners in, perhaps you run the Hoover over the place and have a flick around with the duster.'