by K Leitch
‘FUCK!’ said Nellie his head in his hands…what the fuck was he supposed to do now, he couldn’t tap Freddy up for any money and old Tutt was in hospital…FUCK!
He sat for a long time weighing up his options. There was no way he could get to Freddy in a police station…but old Tutt was another thing. If he could get into the hospital he could make him tell him where the money was…fuck it, he’d enjoy making that old pervert tell him where the money was.
He made himself another bowl of cornflakes and began to make plans.
CHAPTER 62 - CARLA
Carla walked through the busy station lobby and swiped her security card before pushing open the double doors that led upstairs to her office.
‘I haven’t a clue if there’s anything in it Dorothy,’ she was saying into her phone, ‘but I am just checking if a) there was an old blanket found in the cellar and b) that your boys kept hold of it.’
‘Of course we did Carla,’ said Dorothy a touch testily. ‘It has been bagged along with everything else that was found there…’
‘Oh of course I knew you would love,’ Carla said hurriedly, ‘it was just that I promised Tracy I would make sure. Can you make it a priority, check for DNA etc, Tracy is convinced that she saw a dead woman wrapped up in it…yes I know there’s a good chance she imagined it but she is adamant so…’
‘Ok I’ll get on to it…although I’m not sure what you expect me to find. There could be any amount of DNA on it if it was an old, well used blanket, but I’ll give it a go and let you know ok?’
‘That would be brilliant Dorothy, I owe you one.’
The incident room was buzzing with chatter as she pushed her way up to the white board that had been erected by the back wall.
On it were pictures of all the men that had been arrested the day before and pictures too of the little girl in the rug and Tracy and Linda. But at the top of the board was Nellie and this is where Carla started.
‘Right…we are pretty sure Nellie is injured, he is a hunted man…where will he go to find shelter? What is there in this area,’ she drew a circle on the map around the woods, ‘that he could use to hide in?’
‘Small holdings…farm buildings maybe,’ Sam said. ‘We couldn’t see any at all when we searched yesterday but who knows how far he got…’
‘Right well we need to widen the search area today. Sam and Midge you are back out there…we need him found, this man is truly dangerous. DI Lucton has sent over some more officers to help us, and he and DS Ford are pressing on with interviewing Freddy Robinson and David Wesley. Mayor Wesley is singing from the roof tops as I understand it which will help when we interview the others. This afternoon I’ve got a little lad coming in…Andy Hunt,’ Carla pointed to the picture of the girl in the rug, ‘Lucy Hunt was his sister, his mother Kathy Hunt has disappeared and he has been left in a council run children’s home, Marshall Street to be precise. Now he is claiming that Clive Tutt, who you may remember was attacked last week at the children’s home, has been buggering little boys in the home and also procuring them for Freddy Robinson’s parties. I know, I know it turns my stomach too. Anyway I will be showing him pictures of the men we have here and I’m hoping he will be able to identify most of them as the men at the parties…’
‘Didn’t he witness his sister’s death as well?’ Frank put in.
‘Oh yes that’s right…according to Andy it was Nellie that killed Lucy and Turk that helped to hide the body. Seems that Kathy was off her face at the time, didn’t have anything to do with it. Anyway he will be coming in later and he is scared stiff so bear that in mind ok?’
‘Bloody hell Ma’am we’re not monsters are we?’ said Mandy indignantly.
‘Well from Andy’s perspective we are…he blames us for bringing Nellie to his door, when we were questioning him about Amish Patel…so I’m not expecting him to be very receptive, we are the cause of all his troubles it seems.’
‘Oh nothing to do with having an alcoholic prossie for a mother then,’ said Midge sarcastically.
‘There but for the grace of god, Midge,’ said Carla looking sternly at him, ‘this little boy has been through more in the last couple of months than hopefully any of us will ever have to go through.
‘Right, Frank and I will be going to the hospital this morning…yes thank you,’ she said as a few rude suggestions were forwarded to Frank who was interviewing Linda. ‘Superintendant Drew is coming in sometime today to interview DCI Riley, Frank and I will deal with Tutt as well, seeing as we will be at the hospital. The main priority today though is to find Elliot Dentch…the longer that man is out there the more likely that he will attack again especially as he becomes more and more desperate, so you leave no stone unturned. Gary has brought a couple of dogs to help so…let’s get a result okay?’
There was a murmur of chattering as the meeting broke up and they all went their separate ways. Carla and Frank headed straight for the hospital. ‘Would you believe it,’ Carla was saying in between mouthfuls of bacon butty, ‘I got a call from Tracy, of all people, at about two this morning.’
‘That’s a bit random,’ Frank said slurping an enormous coffee whilst trying to drive.
‘I know…she was banging on about a blanket that was left in the cellar. She is convinced that she saw Louisa Boulter, or rather the dead body of Louisa Boulter, wrapped in the blanket when she was first kidnapped. I asked Dorothy…they did find a blanket; she’s going to check it for me…’
‘Who is this Louisa Boulter?’ asked Frank as he pulled into the crowded hospital car park. ‘Bloody hell it’s going to be murder to find a space this morning,’ he grumbled under his breath.
‘Ooh there’s one…oh never mind,’ said Carla as Frank carried on past a perfectly good space. ‘She is an international singing star apparently,’ Frank pulled a face, ‘I know I’d never heard of her either, but Helen loves her and anyway she and her husband live sort of next door to Tracy and Simon. Tracy’s been spending a bit of time with Louisa lately…she’s in a wheelchair, climbing accident or something.’
‘It could just be that Tracy’s conjured her up in her mind because she’d seen a lot of her just before she was kidnapped…’
‘I know…I had thought of that…ooh there’s one, quick before that Nissan Micra gets in there,’ Carla shouted hanging onto the door handle as Frank screeched into the tiny space seconds before the blue rinsed old lady in the Micra. She shouted something obscene at Frank and stuck up a finger as she drove on by.
‘Oh my god would you believe it,’ laughed Frank, ‘she’s someone’s granny as well.’
‘What are the older generation coming to,’ said Carla giggling. ‘I blame Mick Jagger…giving geriatrics ideas above their station.’
They continued on into the hospital which was bustling with activity at this time of the morning. The two girls were in rooms on the fourth floor and, as the lift was full of wheezing patients being wheeled on trolleys to x-ray, Carla and Frank took the stairs.
They went to see Linda first, she was sitting up in bed looking much better than she had the day before. Her face was still a bit swollen and she had a dressing on one cheek covering her stitches, but she attempted a smile when she saw Carla and Frank. Sitting in the chair next to her bed was her Aunt Kat, she stood up and came over to Carla giving her a hug. They had first met at Ted’s funeral a few years earlier, and had kept in touch on and off since then.
‘Kat…how are you?’ asked Carla when they were seated again.
‘Oh so much better now this one is back safe and sound I can tell you,’ said Kat in her brisk way. There was so much about her that reminded Carla of her brother, she was all stiff upper lip and carry on just as Ted had been, it made Carla smile. She couldn’t help smiling too at the glowering looks that Kat was giving Frank every time he got too close to Linda, not that she could blame her. Frank with his dark good looks and confident swagger was enough to send alarm bells ringing in most parents hearts; he just reeked of unsuitable b
oyfriend material. But if the smitten looks that Linda was giving him were anything to go by, it looked like the damage had already been done whether Kat liked it or not.
They took a statement from Linda as best they could with her mouth swollen as it was. Unfortunately she had seen no one other than Tracy and Nellie during her time in cellar so there was no way of knowing if the Robinsons had even been aware of the two girls hidden there. She was excited about the arrests of the men from the parties though, she had already sent her copy into the newspaper and the exclusive story was due to run the next day, much to the delight of her patronising editor, who was taking all the credit for promoting her in the first place.
‘Linda,’ Carla asked, ‘Tracy is adamant that she saw a woman in the cellar, wrapped in an old blanket…did you see her?’
Linda shook her head painfully. ‘I didn’t see anyone else Carla, but Tracy kept on and on about this Louisa woman…I put it down to her being so ill if I’m honest.’
‘So you think that maybe she was hallucinating when she saw the woman?’ Carla asked.
Linda nodded and then shrugged her shoulders in sympathy for Tracy.
‘We did however find the blanket that Tracy say’s the woman was wrapped in,’ Carla said, ‘Do you know how that got there…was it there when you arrived?’
Linda nodded again, ‘I found it in a corner of the cellar…it reeked to high heaven but it kept us a bit warmer.’
Carla smiled and squeezed her hand, ‘I think that’s all we need for now love. You were so brave Linda, thank you…thank you for rescuing my friend, I am aware that but for you she would be dead.’
Linda grasped her hand and shook her head dismissing her bravery, but Carla knew what she knew.
Carla let Frank have a few more minutes with Linda as she went down the corridor to Tracy’s room. Simon was there already sitting on the bed next to Tracy and Tilly was asleep in her buggy in the corner.
Carla gave Tracy a kiss, ‘How are you this morning sweetheart?’ she asked.
‘Oh so much better honey…did you check on that blanket Carla?’ Tracy asked before she could sit down.
‘Bloody hell Tracy give the woman a chance she has only just got here,’ Simon admonished with a laugh, ‘she has been going on and on about it all morning Carla…please tell me you’ve found it,’ he added to Carla.
‘Yes,’ Carla said pulling up a chair, ‘there was an old blanket and forensics have it and I have asked that they make it a priority, but Tracy love I don’t know what you think we are going to find.’
‘Surely if it had been wrapped round a dead body there would be some sort of evidence on it wouldn’t there?’ Tracy said.
‘Well yes I suppose there would be hairs and fibres and possibly DNA but the blanket could have belonged to any number of people couldn’t it, it’s bound to have lots of different stuff on it from lots of different people…’
‘Yes but if you got some DNA from Louisa’s house you could match it couldn’t you?’
‘Tracy love I have no way of getting any of Louisa’s DNA, she hasn’t been reported missing, when asked, Tim Boulter said that his wife had gone to perform in Amsterdam and I have no reason to disbelieve him…’
‘Of course he’s going to say that isn’t he…Tracy said getting very agitated, ‘he’s killed her Carla I know he has. He killed her and then he hid her body in the cellar. And then, I don’t know when, but someone moved it.’ She turned and looked at Carla, ‘but not before I saw her…I am not imagining it Carla, you have to believe me I saw her and she was dead…wwwrrapped iiin tthaat bbllankket.’ Tracy dissolved into tears and Simon glaring at Carla gathered her into his arms.
‘It’s alright love…come on now, I’m sure Carla believes you…don’t you Carla?’
Carla sighed, ‘I will go round to Tim Boulter’s house later and asked him myself where his wife is…and then we’ll see won’t we,’ she told Tracy who wiped her eyes and hugged Carla.
‘Please find her Carla; he’s hidden her somewhere I know he has,’ she said tearfully.
‘Right, well I have to take a statement from you now honey so let’s focus on what else you can remember.’
Tracy told her all that she could. It was definitely Nellie that had taken her from the common, but she hadn’t seen anyone else after that, apart from the time that he Nellie had punched her in the face. After that she remembered Linda being thrown in with her, but then she became so ill that everything else was pretty sketchy until she made a rush for the van doors and found herself in the mud at Carla’s feet.
‘Oh god thank goodness he rolled the van,’ Carla was saying, ‘who knows where he was taking you, it just doesn’t bear thinking about.’
Tracy shook her head tearfully and Simon wrapped his arms around her once again.
‘Well I think we’ve got all we’re going to get from you today aren’t we?’ Carla said getting up, ‘I wonder where Frank has got to, he was supposed to be following me in here. Between you and me I think there’s more going on with those two than meets the eye…’
‘Frank and Linda do you mean?’ Tracy asked with interest. ‘Oh I do hope so…she is so lovely Carla…she genuinely saved my life. He better not mess her around or he’ll have me to answer to,’ she finished fiercely.
‘Oh join the queue love,’ Carla said with a laugh. ‘Her Auntie Kat’s watching his every move let me tell you, he will have to be on his best behaviour if he wants to impress her.’
Tracy giggled, ‘Poor Frank…I remember Auntie Kat…he won’t know what’s hit him.’
Carla left Tracy with a hug and a wave and went back down to Linda’s room where it seemed Auntie Kat had stepped out for some fresh air and Frank had taken full advantage and was whispering sweet nothings into Linda’s ear. They must have been very suggestive sweet nothings too because her face was bright red beneath the swelling.
‘Er hum,’ Carla cleared her throat noisily at the door. ‘I’m sorry to break this up folks,’ she said not looking sorry at all, ‘but we have to get on. Frank you might have to come back later and interview Clive Tutt if you don’t mind. Andy Hunt will be at the station soon and I want to be there when he arrives, and I want to pop round and speak to Tim Boulter on our way there so…’
Frank’s face turned mulish and it looked for a minute as if he was going to refuse. ‘Do I have to, can’t someone else do him?’
Carla shook her head, ‘No sorry, Sam and Midge are tied up looking for Nellie and Steve Lucton has got his hands full with all those twatty councillors…sorry Frank I need you to do it.’
Frank was not happy, and Linda was looking at him in a concerned way, Carla had the feeling that she was missing something. ‘Is there something that you’re not telling me Frank, some reason why you can’t interview Tutt?’
Frank sighed and shook his head. ‘No not at all…just makes my blood boil that’s all. No that’s fine Carla I’ll come back this evening, I’ll be coming back here anyway so…’
‘Yeh well…that’s what I figured,’ Carla said not quite believing him, ‘anyway as I said before I hate to break things up but…’
‘Yes yes I’m coming,’ tutted Frank, he leaned over and kissed Linda goodbye, ‘be back later love…say nice things about me to Auntie Kat won’t you?’
‘Ha,’ laughed Carla, ‘it’ll take more than nice things to bring her round matey…she’s seen right through you. I think you might have met your match there Frank.’ she finished with a smirk.
Frank growled something very uncomplimentary under his breath and followed Carla out to the car.
Tim Boulter was not at all what Carla had expected; Tracy had described him as a slightly older Hugh Grant lookalike, all charm and sophistication. But the man that answered the door to them was the very antithesis of that. His eyes were blood shot, his hair was un-brushed and greasy, and he obviously hadn’t shaved for days. There were numerous unidentifiable stains down the front of his shirt and quite frankly he smelt.
The house wasn’t much better, although Carla could see that beneath the mess it was a beautifully restored cottage…but it was in desperate need of a good hovering and there was a stale smell coming from the stack of dirty plates in the kitchen sink.
‘Louisa has gone to Amsterdam as I told another of your lot the other day,’ Tim said testily, when asked. ‘I don’t know why you are so interested in her whereabouts all of a sudden anyway.’
‘We are just acting on some information that we have received sir It’s probably nothing but we have to follow up on it, you understand I’m sure,’ Frank said smoothly.
Tim looked like he didn’t understand at all and was just about to say as much when Carla jumped in. ‘So if we could just have your wife’s travel details sir, the flight she was on, the hotel she is staying at…then we can be on our way.’
Tim Boulter looked like a rabbit caught in headlights, totally unprepared for those questions and for the first time since entering the house Carla began to feel a trickle of suspicion.
‘Look,’ Tim began running his hand through his hair in an agitated way. ‘She’s not in Amsterdam ok…the truth is I don’t know where she is…she’s left me if you must know.’
