DEAD BAD a gripping crime mystery full of twists

by Helen H. Durrant

  “I’m making for Ullapool,” Calladine said.

  The man laughed. “That’s one helluva walk. Why didn’t you stay with your truck? Someone would have found you in the morning.”

  “I had no choice, believe me. But it’s a long story.”

  “Get in. I’m going to Ullapool to pick up my daughter from the station. You can tell me your story on the way.”

  His rescuer introduced himself as Jim Munro. Unable to believe his luck, Calladine opened the vehicle door. As he hauled himself into the passenger seat, the first thing Calladine asked was if Jim had a mobile he could use. “I must contact the local police urgently, get them to raid that house, arrest the people there.”

  “I have, but there is no signal out here. I’m afraid you’ve no choice but to wait until you get to Ullapool.”

  “How long will it take?” Calladine didn’t want the pair he’d met absconding.

  “Another ten minutes and we’ll be there. Tell me what happened to you.”

  Calladine gave the man a brief rundown, including a description of the huge old house.

  “From what you say, it sounds like you were kept at Moortop Manse. Weird place. Folk around here have no idea who actually owns the old house. It used to be the home of the McCloud family. After the old woman died it was sold off.”

  “Once I get back, I’ll find out all I can about that place.” Calladine was determined that whoever had kidnapped him wasn’t going to get away with it.

  “I’ll drop you off at the ‘Highland Laddie.’ You can use the phone and rest up. It’s a good little pub and they have rooms to let. Morag does a mean supper. Bet you’ve not eaten all day, have you?”

  “Thanks, Jim. If you hadn’t come along, God knows what I’d have done.”

  * * *

  Jake said he wanted to talk about the move, but Ruth wasn’t keen. She’d arrived home late, with too much on her mind. Harry, their toddler son, was teething and consequently cranky.

  “All I want is to settle Harry, shower and then get to bed. If we start debating your career, we’ll be at it till morning,” Ruth said.

  Ruth had plans for the following day. Before the team went into the nick, she wanted them to meet up at a local café and discuss what had happened to Calladine. That way, they wouldn’t be too surprised when Greco turned up.

  “The school rang me today. They need to know my decision by the end of the week,” Jake said.

  Ruth was only too aware that time was running out. She didn’t need to have it thrust down her throat every time they spoke.

  “The move will be good for all of us, Ruth. I really want this.”

  The problem was, Ruth didn’t. But if she refused, she was certain it would mean the end of their relationship. The prospect was horrendous. For her sake and Harry’s, she couldn’t contemplate a life without Jake. “I’ll sleep on it,” she said. “Tomorrow we’ll talk, I promise.”

  “We could be there for the start of the new academic year in September. That gives us six months to find a new home.”

  Jake was jumping the gun — again. Had he even been listening? “You’re presuming I’ll agree to go. This is massive for me, Jake. I’ve spent my entire life in this area. I have my career here, friends.”

  Jake opened his mouth, but the ring of Ruth’s mobile cut him off. She went out onto the landing to take the call.

  “Listen closely lady and don’t interrupt.” The voice was male, rough and not one she recognised. “You and that copper friend of yours will keep your mouths shut. Come looking, turn up the heat and you’ll both regret it.”

  There was a pause. Ruth didn’t understand what this was about. “Who is this?”

  There was a harsh laugh. “Like I’d tell you. Be warned, if that DI of yours does anything about what happened to him there will be consequences.”

  “Making threats against police officers is a serious offence,” she warned him. “This call will be traced.” Her voice was sharp, Ruth was angry.

  “No, it won’t, this mobile is single use.” He laughed. “Can’t be too careful. And in case you’re in any doubt about how serious this is, that’s a nice nursery your boy goes to. Shame security is so lax in the playground. I’ve had a look for myself. Snatching a kid would be easy. That copper friend of yours has family too. Do both of yourselves a favour, leave it alone, say nothing.”

  At that he hung up. Ruth felt sick, dazed. She had no idea what the man was going on about, but from the tone of his voice, he’d meant every word. What should she do? She was still deliberating this when her mobile rang again.

  “Tom!” she shouted. “Where the hell are you? I’ve been going crazy with worry.”

  “It’s quite a tale,” he said. “But I’m fine now. I’m in Ullapool at a pub. I’m just about to raise the troops, get the bastards who kidnapped me arrested.”

  Now she understood what the previous call was all about. “Don’t,” she said. “I’ve just had a call from a man I don’t know. He threatened to snatch Harry if we do anything about what happened to you.”

  “Did he give any clue who he was?”

  “No. But he was one scary man. He meant it, Tom. Leave telling the police for now. It’s too risky, just come home and then we’ll decide what to do.”

  The phone went silent. Ruth knew that Tom was considering what she’d told him.

  “We can’t do that, Ruth. It’s too dangerous.” He said soberly. “The people who took me are determined and ruthless. You have no guarantees. Tomorrow you tell Birch about the phone call. You tell her where I was held, the place is called Moortop Manse, it’s north of Ullapool. She can arrange to have the place raided. You tell her about threat made against Harry too. She will arrange proper protection. It is the only way.”

  “What do I tell her about you?”

  “I should be back sometime tomorrow. I’ll speak to her myself, explain what happened.”

  “It’s not that simple, Tom. You’re in real bother.”

  “Why?” he said. “It’s not my fault I was kidnapped.”

  “There is another aspect to this this. You disappear, leave no word . . .” She paused.

  “Go on. I sense a punchline coming.”

  “Birch is saying that someone put a small fortune into your bank account. Birch and the rest of them think you took a bribe. You have online banking, don’t you? You need to check it out as soon as you can.”

  “You’re joking!” Calladine said.

  “Not about this, I’m not. They’re investigating you as we speak.”

  So that’s what this had been all about. Blackening his name. But why?

  “I’ll check it on the phone when I get one. I’ll text you.”

  “What do I tell Birch about you? She will ask where you are, where you phoned me from.”

  “Tell her I was vague, that we got cut off, and you don’t know where I was heading for. The important things are arresting the people at that house and keeping Harry safe. I’ll come back and take care of myself.”

  “They made threats against your family too. What about Zoe?”

  “Tell Birch. For now don’t say anything to Zoe. I’ll speak to her.”

  “I’ll meet you at the station,” Ruth said. “I’ll find you somewhere quiet and out of the way to stay. Perhaps Doc Hoyle would put you up? Once you’re safely back, we’ll talk.”

  “For now, I need you to bail me out. The people who took me, they’ve kept my things I’ve lost my phone and my wallet. That’s why I rang you first before contacting the police. I want you to speak to the landlord, pay for my room and get him to give me some cash, enough to get back.”

  “Okay, put him on.”

  The landlord agreed to help. He took enough money from Ruth via debit card to pay for the room and give Calladine the cash he needed for the train fare home and to buy a cheap pay-as-you-go mobile from the small supermarket in the town.

  “I’ll text you when I get into Manchester Piccadilly.”

  C
hapter 12

  Day 3

  In a narrow back street behind Leesdon bus station, there was a small café. It was an old-fashioned greasy spoon, with old Formica topped tables and steamed-up windows, but it served the best fried breakfast for miles around.

  Ruth had texted the team and asked them to meet her there at seven thirty. She’d also invited Doc Hoyle to join them. Sebastian Hoyle had been the senior pathologist attached to Leesworth hospital. Before privatisation and the advent of the Duggan, Doc Hoyle had dealt with all the post-mortems. Over the years, he and Tom Calladine had become fast friends, and Ruth was hoping he’d help them now.

  Rocco was the first to arrive, muffled up against the unseasonal frost they’d had overnight. “My mum’s complaining that it’s killed off all the buds on her hydrangeas. Simple problems. Wish I lived in her world.”

  Ruth grinned at him. “No, you don’t. You’d be bored. You’d miss the drama of the job. You thrive on it.”

  Alice and Joyce arrived together, followed by Doc Hoyle.

  “What’s this all about?” he asked. “Don’t tell me — it’s our missing friend, isn’t it? Julian told me you couldn’t find him. What’s happened?”

  Ruth merely handed a slip of paper to Alice. “Write down what you want to eat and pass it on.”

  “You’re not having much,” Rocco said when his turn came. “Just tea and toast. No appetite, eh? Clandestine early morning meeting. Must be summat up. You’ve got me on edge now.”

  Ruth waited for the tea to arrive before she spoke. “Tom isn’t at home recuperating. He never got the chance. He was attacked outside his house and kidnapped.” Everyone gasped. “He’s okay now. He escaped and is on his way back from the north of Scotland. I’ll be picking him up later.”

  “Why take him up there?” Rocco asked. “It makes no sense. And who took him?”

  “Someone wanted him out of the way. We have no idea who or why.” Ruth could see they were having trouble taking all of this in. “While Tom was being held, a great deal of money found its way into his bank account. Birch still doesn’t have proof of that — the warrant is taking its time to come through. But last night, Tom checked online and confirmed to me that it’s true. He is one hundred grand richer than he was before the kidnapping. Birch is convinced he’s taken a bribe. I’m guessing she suspects that he’s in cahoots with Costello. Remember, the trial’s coming up—”

  “No! No way.” Rocco was shaking his head. “The boss would never do that! Birch is barking up the wrong tree. Why would she even consider it? What evidence does she have?”

  “Calladine would never do anything of the sort,” Joyce said. “He’s as honest as the day is long. Birch needs to think again!”

  “I agree, but I can’t do much on my own. I’ve tried to speak to Birch, but I’m a voice in the wilderness. That’s why we’re here. I want us to work together to find out what really happened. I’m also thinking it was Vinny Costello, but not the way Birch sees it. I’m sure Costello set this up to make Tom look bad, and to stop him giving evidence.”

  “Would Costello be able to get his hands on that much money?” Rocco asked. “You know the law and the proceeds of crime. I doubt Costello has done an honest day’s work in his life. Won’t his ill-gotten fortune be well out of his reach?”

  “He may have offshore accounts that no one knows about.” Privately, Ruth doubted this, but they had to follow the money trail. Until they did that, it was all speculation.

  “Tom won’t be allowed back to work while he’s under suspicion,” Doc Hoyle said. “They’ll appoint someone to investigate. You’ve presumed it’s down to Costello, but you can’t be sure. I don’t want to tell you how to do your jobs, but that needs establishing first.”

  Ruth sighed wearily. “I know that. But who else can it be? He and Tom have plenty of history between the pair of them. Tom is giving evidence against him this coming week. And they have appointed someone to investigate. DCI Stephen Greco arrives this morning. That’s partly why I wanted to see you all. I’m not supposed to tell you why he’s with us, but that would never have worked. It was Birch’s idea, not mine.”

  “Greco, of all people!” Rocco said. “The boss isn’t too fond of him and vice versa. As I recall, last time they met they almost came to blows.”

  Ruth looked at Alice. “Greco will have Tom’s office. He’ll need someone to help him. You’d be good at that. Greco will appreciate your methodical approach and organisation.”

  “My nerdy ways, you mean.” Alice wasn’t smiling.

  “He’s a stickler for doing things properly,” Ruth said. “He does his research. You’ll work well together. You’ll also be able to keep us informed of what he turns up.”

  Alice’s face darkened even further. “I don’t know if I can do that. I mean, if I’m working with the man, and he trusts me to keep everything confidential.”

  “I understand, Alice. But you have to ask yourself where your loyalties lie. I’m sure I speak for the others when I say that we are one hundred percent behind Tom Calladine. We’ll do everything we can to prove his innocence, and find who set him up. I realise you’re new to the team, but you have to trust us.”

  “You want me to work with Greco, and report back to you about his findings?”

  Ruth nodded. “Exactly.”

  “Can I think about it?”

  “Don’t take too long.” Ruth checked her watch. There was very little time. She’d just have to trust that Alice saw sense. The others were listening to them while they ate.

  Rocco nudged Alice. “He’s not the ‘Mr Perfect’ you think he is, you know.”

  “I’ve heard people speaking about him. He’s highly regarded. He must be good.” Alice frowned at him.

  “He got his DC, Grace Harper, up the duff.” Rocco said. “Have you heard that one? A few days in Brighton, one drunken night, that’s all it took.”

  Alice looked at the others. “Is that right?”

  “But we don’t know the whole story, so it’s best not to spread gossip.” Ruth glowered at Rocco. “Grace Harper and Greco were an item, I believe. I’m not sure that they didn’t get engaged at one point.”

  “Not pregnant now though, is she?” Rocco persisted. “No more engagement either. Tells you a lot, that does, both about the situation and the man. You have to stick with us, Alice. We need Calladine back where he belongs. Quite apart from him being a friend, the alternatives don’t bear thinking about.”

  “Rocco’s right,” Ruth said. “And, please, no one else must know that Tom’s escaped. The people who took him’ll be looking. His life could be in danger.”

  “Tom didn’t take any bribe,” the doc said firmly. “If it was money he wanted, he could have had a fortune by throwing in his luck with that cousin of his years ago. Apart from which, that newfound family of his is worth a fortune. What are you going to do with him once he’s back?”

  “I was hoping he could stay with you. He can’t go home, the kidnappers will be watching.” Ruth crossed her fingers under the table.

  Doc Hoyle nodded. “Okay, bring him to mine. I live at the back end of nowhere. He’ll be well out of the way there.”

  * * *

  Back at the station, Ruth went straight to Birch’s office. “I’ve had a call from DI Calladine, ma’am.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He was kidnapped and taken to a house in the north of Scotland.” She handed Birch a slip of paper with the name and partial address on it. “It’s north of Ullapool, that’s all I know. But local police will no doubt be familiar with it.”

  “You want me to mobilise the force in a different area on the say-so of a DI currently under investigation?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Last night I also received an anonymous call from a man who threatened harm to my son and DI Calladine’s daughter if I did anything about what I knew.”

  “If that’s true, then it changes things. I’ll do as you suggest. I take it Calladine has escaped. Whoever was holding hi
m must have realised that he’d contact you. Where is he now?”

  “I’ve no idea,” Ruth lied. “The reception was bad. I could hardly hear him, eventually we were cut off altogether.”

  Ruth watched Birch consider this. “I’ll organise an immediate watch on your son and Zoe Calladine. Does Zoe know?”

  “I don’t think so, ma’am. The DI won’t want to frighten her.”

  “Nonetheless she needs to be told. I also need a breakdown of where your son is and who he is with during the times you’re working.”

  “I’ll do you an itinerary.”

  “Make it quick. This needs sorting quickly.”

  * * *

  Stephen Greco was sure the Leesdon team didn’t want him in their old-fashioned, poky building any more than he wanted to be here. The heating wasn’t up to scratch, and it was cold. The windows were double glazed but the installation was out of the ark. The unit in Calladine’s office had a gale blowing through it.

  “DS Bayliss will make sure you get all the help you need, Stephen. Any hesitation, just let me know,” Rhona Birch said.

  That, Greco presumed, was the DCI’s idea of a welcome. He sighed. He knew the score. The top brass had looked at this case and condemned Calladine without benefit of trial. Well, he wouldn’t make the same mistake.

  It was eight thirty before the team began to arrive. Rocco was first. He was studying the incident board when Greco called out to him.

  “Late start. Is this the usual routine?”

  “No, sir. We had a case meeting over breakfast. We’ve got a perplexing murder on our hands. Not much to go on and as yet no ID for the victim.”

  Greco stared at the incident board. The case looked dreadful, but it was the board itself that irritated him. The images, pinned up haphazardly, had messily-written notes beside them, all in different colours. Some were blue, some red. Not the way he worked.

  “A while before she was found, by the look of the body,” Greco said.

  “Yes, and not much to go on. I’m about to go and interview the owner of a local business.” Rocco meant the toy shop. “DS Bayliss won’t be long. She’s right behind me.”