Locked Away (DI Sara Ramsey Book 13)

by M A Comley

  “Oh! Why’s that?” Sara asked, feigning surprise.

  Carla’s eyes formed tiny slits for a few seconds. “Because I have a dinner engagement.”

  “You have? With whom?”

  “You’re so full of bullshit, Sara Ramsey. You know who with. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if you had a hand in the invitation.”

  Sara flung herself back in her chair and raised her hands. “I haven’t got a clue what you’re going on about. Who is this date with?”

  Carla tutted and sighed. “Please, don’t insult my intelligence.”

  Sara chuckled. “Okay, I won’t. Des Williams, right? Or should I say, your hero, Inspector Williams?”

  “He’d love that status, I’m sure. Yes, he asked me earlier. Which kind of rocked me a little.”

  “Why? He’s obviously a man with good taste, knows a beautiful woman when one is staring him in the face.”

  Carla circled her face with her finger. “Hardly, I look like a defeated pit bull after an illegal fight.”

  “You’ve got that right. It was illegal what Gary did to you, therefore he needs to be punished. Maybe Des will be able to persuade you to do the right thing. Having him as a genuine support might make you reconsider filing charges against Gary.”

  “Possibly. We’ll see. One tiny step at a time for now, right?”

  “Indeed. Baby steps. For what it’s worth, I think Des would be an excellent catch for you.”

  “Another string to your bow, eh?”

  Sara inclined her head. “What is?”

  “Matchmaker.”

  They both laughed.

  “I’ll wear that as a badge of honour if he makes you see sense and gets you away from Gary the lout.”

  “FYI, I am away from him. I’m coming around to your way of thinking, Sara, I promise. It’s the guilt factor that’s lying heavy on my heart, something I’m doing my best to battle at present.”

  “Guilt factor? For him being arrested?”

  “No, for the accident and what he’s had to deal with.”

  Her partner’s words shocked her. “Oh, love, you can’t go through life feeling guilty about what happens to others. He’s had the best medical advice around to help him get through his ordeal. Let’s face it, his injuries weren’t really that bad in the end, were they? He still has all his limbs and is able to walk. To some, that would be regarded as a definite bonus.”

  Carla sighed, stretched her neck out and circled her head. “Possibly. You think he’s guilty of laying it on thick, to gain more sympathy from people, including me?”

  Sara shrugged. “I’m not really one to cast aspersions, you know that, but all you can do is weigh up the possibilities. How did he treat his mum throughout his rehabilitation? Any different to how he treated or spoke to her normally? That’s often a guide.”

  Carla paused to think. “You’re right, I’m such an idiot. He regarded her the same way he always had. No change whatsoever. God, why didn’t I see that?”

  “You were too close to the truth and you felt sorry for him. Feeling sorry for someone isn’t the same as love, Carla, you need to realise that.”

  “It’s beginning to dawn on me now. What the fuck? Why didn’t I see him for what he was when we were together? I thought I loved him, but why would anyone love someone who used them as a punching bag?” Fresh tears formed. Carla swiped them away in anger. “That’s the last tears I’ll be shedding for that fucker. He’s not worth it.”

  Sara clapped. “Good girl. He’ll get what he deserves, when the time is right.”

  “I have some serious thinking to do now that my head has cleared. I never, ever thought I would find myself in such an untenable position. I suppose until something as drastic as this affects you on a daily basis, you just don’t know how you’re going to react. I can see why so many women defend the men who abuse them, I’m guilty of doing just that. Maybe it should be compulsory that women who have ever been struck by a man get some form of counselling. Perhaps then they’d be able to sit back and take stock like I have. Thank you for sticking by me, I’ll be forever in your debt.”

  Sara’s eyes misted up, and she pulled a tissue from the box sitting next to her in-tray. “God, now you’ve gone and started me off. You’ll get through this, love. Don’t put pressure on yourself as far as Des is concerned. Take things nice and slowly. It’s obvious he cares about you, otherwise he’d have run a mile the second he saw your bruises. Give him a chance to romance you a little. Get to know him for who he is. Yes, he’s your senior officer, I wasn’t really talking about that. To me, he seems a genuine, trustworthy guy. I have a nose for those types of fellas, so it would seem,” she added with a wink.

  “Thanks, Sara. If I end up half as happy as you are, I’m going to count that as a major win.”

  “Why settle for half? Just sit back and enjoy what’s ahead of you. You know I’m always here for you if you need to run anything by me, okay?”

  Carla smiled. “What would I do without you beside me? I’m so grateful for your friendship and ashamed at the way I acted yesterday. You could have easily ditched me as a friend as well as a colleague. Instead, your resilience showed and taught me a lesson or two. Thank you for opening up your home to me as well. You’ve gone above and beyond. I’m going to do my very best not to outstay my welcome.”

  “I know you won’t. Promise me one thing, though?”

  “Go for it.”

  “Take your time to get to know Des before you take things any further.”

  “You mean before I have sex with him? Yes, Mum, I’ll take my time in that respect, you have my word.”

  “Good. Right, let’s rejoin the others, see what they’ve got to offer us. Final word on the subject: have fun tonight, relax and enjoy yourself, don’t sit there dwelling on the past, and for God’s sake, don’t start making comparisons either.”

  “I won’t, I promise.”

  They left the office and joined the rest of the team. Sara circulated the room. The phones had died down a little, but there was still the odd call coming through.

  “Any news on the dashcam footage yet, Craig?”

  “Yes, boss. Greg Marsden brought it in about five minutes ago. I’m in the process of loading it onto the computer now. Can you bear with me?”

  “Of course. Let me know when you’ve managed it.” Sara brought the board up to date as another call came in.

  “Boss, I have the footage lined up now,” Craig yelled.

  Sara briefly finished off the rest of the notes she was making and raced across the room to see the footage for herself. “Okay, run it.”

  The image was shaky to begin with but it settled down to show a white Golf leaving the car park at just gone six-ten p.m. “Hmm… interesting. Can you home in and get the number plate, Craig?”

  “I’ll try.” He tweaked the image, and success. “There it is. I’ll try and get it clearer.”

  Sara’s heart pounded. “Brilliant. Well done, you.” She patted Craig on the shoulder. “At last, we’ve got something for us to go on. Am I pushing my luck asking you to try and get a closer look at the driver? I appreciate the picture isn’t the best.”

  “Leave it with me, boss.”

  Sara did just that and made her way across the room to Christine. “Pre-empting what Craig is trying to obtain for us, can you bring up a list for me of all the white Golfs in the Hereford area, Christine?”

  “I will. Looking at the social media side of things for all four women, we’ve linked most of them on Facebook, bar one. Marissa and I are checking out the other accounts now.”

  “Are they just friends, or do they meet up occasionally?”

  “To me, they appear to be just friends. I searched their photos, and there weren’t any group pictures anywhere, not that I could spot, anyway.”

  “That’s all right. The fact that you’ve discovered they’re linked could be the key to why they’ve all been targeted. A loose connection is better than none at all. Don’t forget
two of them went to the same school. Can you check to see where the other two went?”

  “Of course. I’ll keep digging, once I’ve compiled a list of Golf cars for you.”

  Sara smiled. “Appreciate it.”

  “I’ve got it,” Craig shouted.

  She flew back to his desk, and there, sitting large and proud on the screen, was the registration number of the Golf. “Good man.” She wrote the information down and took it back to Christine.

  “Your job just got a little easier.”

  “Here we go. The vehicle is registered to an Elizabeth Johnson of two Harchester Road, Warham. I’ve not heard of that. I’ll bring it up on the map.”

  Sara watched her punch in the keys swiftly and efficiently.

  “Ah, yes, I know where it is now. Small village on the outskirts of the city.”

  “That’s good enough for me. Carla, let’s take a ride out there, see what we can find. Stick with it, guys, I sense we’re getting close now. Christine, begin a background check on the woman for me. See if there’s a connection to the other women.”

  “Leave it with me. I’ll have the information ready for you when you get back.”

  “You’re a star.”

  Sara and Carla rushed down the stairs and out to the car.

  Carol Price was in the car park, just getting into her vehicle. “Hey, slow down, what’s the rush?”

  “Good news. Possible suspect. We’re just going out there now to see for ourselves.”

  “With backup, I hope,” Price warned.

  “Umm… no, leave it with us. We’re just going to see if the woman is there or not, first.”

  “Okay, don’t go doing anything rash, you hear me?”

  “Yes, boss,” Sara barked before she slipped behind the steering wheel.

  “Sucking eggs comes to mind,” Carla mumbled.

  They fastened their seatbelts and set off. “Yeah, the thought had crossed my mind to say something sarcastic back to her, but I held firm.”

  Carla sniggered. “That’s because you’re a wise woman.”

  “Debatable at times. Let’s hope we’re on to something good here.”

  “Have faith.”

  Sara nodded and put her foot down. They reached Warham, and the satnav led them to the house they were after. “A small community by the look of things. No Golf here, which is a shame.”

  “Maybe she’s out at work,” Carla suggested.

  “That’s a distinct possibility. Why don’t we see what a few of the neighbours have to say?”

  “A small community, it’s possible they could close ranks, keep schtum and tell Johnson that we were here looking for her.”

  “You’re right. Okay, let’s see if we can have a discreet scan around the property without any nosey beaks being alerted. My first impression is that the property looks too small to keep the women here.”

  “Yeah, I was thinking the same. So where is she keeping them?”

  “That’s the sixty-four-million-dollar question right there. I’m going to take a walk around the rear, see if there’s a facility in the back garden either above or below ground.”

  “Ooo… get you. All right, I’ll take a leisurely stroll up the road, see if I can glean anything from the other houses around here. She could be using one of them, you never know.”

  “True enough. Look for any signs of a basement in the properties.”

  They separated, and Sara casually but discreetly went around the back of the cottage, but to her disappointment she was greeted with a tiny lawned garden at the rear. No other possible buildings in sight, and the area was too small for Sara to consider any form of hideaway being underground. So where is she keeping them? If she has them. Maybe she’s kidnapped them and sold them on or something of that nature. I can’t rule anything out, not at this stage.

  Sara reluctantly returned to her car where she caught up with Carla who appeared to be as dejected as she was. “Anything?”

  “Nope. Nothing. There’s a farm up the road. I tried to get a look at the buildings set back from the road, however, from what I could see, they’re all being used to store hay. Chock-full of bales, so I think we can count those out.”

  “That’s a shame. The back garden is smaller than mine, no chance of hiding four women there. I’m going to call Christine, see what she’s managed to dig up on the woman so far.”

  “Good idea. It would be a shame to go back to the station if we could be out here, ready to pounce, as it were.”

  Sara rang the station. “Christine, it’s me. What have you got for us, if anything?”

  “Not very much at the moment, to tell you the truth, boss. I’ve researched her background. As far as I can tell, she doesn’t have a social media account to her name, so she could be using a pseudonym.”

  Sara’s eyes narrowed, and she stared at the cottage. “It’s possible. Does anyone else live at the address?”

  “Nothing is coming up in the search. I’m about to do some more digging, go back a few years on the electoral roll.”

  “Excellent. All right. Well, until we manage to find anything else on her, our hands are well and truly tied. We’ve drawn a blank here. Carla and I believe the house is far too tiny to house the missing women, and there are no structures in the garden which could be used as suitable hiding places. It’s a small community; we’re going to hold off questioning the neighbours for the time being, just in case word gets back to her and she gets spooked. For now, she believes she’s under our radar, let’s keep her thinking along those lines. Christine, do your best, see what you can come up with. We’re going to drive around the area, see if anything strikes us as a potential hideaway. Ring me if you find out anything worth following up on.”

  “I will, right away. Good luck.”

  “You, too.”

  Sara started the car and drove around the area. Apart from the farm buildings that Carla had already spotted and disregarded, there was nothing that struck them as being a possible storage facility. In the end, frustration got the better of Sara. She gave up and returned to the station.

  “Sorry, guys, nothing out there from what we can see. Any luck with the background checks, Christine?”

  “According to the electoral roll, up until June this year, there was a Mildred Johnson residing at that address.”

  “Interesting, mother perhaps?”

  “I’m searching the death records now, but the site is giving me some grief, it keeps crashing on me.”

  “Stick with it.”

  Christine nodded and pounded on her keyboard.

  “Anything else?” Sara asked, ever hopeful of her team finding a hidden gem that would ramp up the investigation.

  Silence greeted her. “Okay, you’re going to hate me for this, but I think it’s a necessity. We’re going to have to set up a stakeout. Any volunteers?”

  Craig didn’t disappoint. His hand was the first to shoot up in the air.

  “Thanks, Craig. Anyone else?”

  Will huffed out a breath. “Go on then, if I have to.”

  Sara winked at him. “Brilliant, thanks, Will. Why don’t you guys head off and get something to eat before you start?”

  “A chippy sounds a good idea,” Craig was quick to suggest.

  “If you’re subjecting me to one of them then I must insist we go in your car,” Will retorted, his expression one of disgust.

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  The two men left the incident room.

  Sara brought the whiteboard up to date with the snippets of information the team had gathered, which wasn’t much. “Okay, I’m going to call it. Let’s leave things there for this evening. The boys have got the house covered. There’s little we can do for now. Go home and we’ll start again in the morning. Well done on what we’ve achieved so far.”

  Carla followed her into the office. “Really? How come?”

  “We’ve got nothing substantial to go on as yet. For all we know she might have temporarily relocated to where she�
��s keeping the women. We won’t know that until the morning. I think we’d be better off going home, getting some rest, in readiness for what lies ahead of us.”

  “I get that. I just feel we’re letting the women down by not being here.”

  “We’re not. That’s daft of you to even consider that. We’ve done our very best throughout the day. The appeal will be aired on the evening and late news. I’ll get the calls transferred and tell control to contact me if anything important comes to light.”

  “I hear you. Sorry to have doubted you.”

  “Don’t be. You’re doing a great job, using your initiative. Hey, anyway, I thought you’d be revelling in the chance to finish on time for a change, what with your hot date ahead of you.”

  Carla tutted and shook her head. “Get lost. Actually, would it be really cheeky of me to ask if I can have a bath when we get home?”

  “Of course not. I’ve got some extravagant bath foam Mark bought me for Christmas you can use, if you like?”

  “Thanks, you’re the best. Umm… one last thing…”

  “Ask away.”

  “Would you be up to helping me choose an outfit and maybe correcting this?” She pointed at her bruised face.

  “Correct it? How? Doh, forget I asked, you mean help you with your makeup, right?”

  Carla beamed. “If it’s not too much to ask.”

  “It’s not, and I’d be delighted to help out.”

  Once they were home, Sara checked there was enough hot water for Carla to jump in the bath. Whilst she waited for her partner to have a soak, Sara began preparing the dinner for herself and Mark. She decided on a liver stir-fry, it was one of her husband’s favourite meals. She peeled and sliced all the veggies and finished all the preparation in good time. Footsteps thundered overhead. She climbed the stairs to find Carla going through the rail in her wardrobe.

  “You need something smart but casual for a first date, it’s all downhill after that.” Sara chuckled.

  “How to keep a man interested, page sixty-five in your handbook, eh?”

  They both laughed. Carla withdrew a couple of possible outfits which Sara rejected with a firm shake of her head.