Turner left the office in a dilemma. Now it would be almost impossible to keep Mary Cole's disappearance ‘low-key’, as requested by his secret service contacts. Massey seemed intent on linking it to the murder investigation, yet M.I.5. or whoever they were, wanted to keep it ‘under wraps’ until they were ready to make their move. How could he placate two parties who were pulling in opposite directions? Fortunately, a higher-ranking officer was about to resolve his enigma.
A short time later, Massey sought out D.C.I. Wainwright to put him in the picture. “We have a problem,” he announced before explaining the situation although little information was yet available.
“Maybe it's only a coincidence,” suggested Wainwright. “It only becomes a problem if we discover a link. The main priority is to keep the media out of the picture. If they get a sniff of it, they'll create widespread panic. There will be hints of a serial killer on the loose. How much fuss is the sister creating?”
“Quite a lot unfortunately…but mostly with us. I don't think that she is making too much noise in public.”
“Impress upon her that we need to make discreet enquiries in case we scare off any potential perpetrator. That should gag her for a while.”
“I'm worried that, if there is a link, our case against Howard could be diluted or, even worse, in jeopardy.”
“In what way?”
“If, for example, we find another body in a bin bag with no connection whatsoever to the Howard – Crawford relationship, the two deaths could be attributed to another suspect, weakening our case against him.”
“Are you having doubts?”
“The truth in all criminal cases is often clouded; it is never totally black and white. A conviction is seldom based on irrefutable evidence. There is always some element of doubt. Too much doubt and the jury will side with the defence. If we suddenly find that we have yet another rape and murder on our hands, the case against Howard would be further still from stacking up. C.P.S. would never allow it to go to trial. Even more disturbing would be the fact that the real killer would still be out there.”
“Let's cross that bridge if and when we get there. Keep this Mary Cole business amongst selected team members unless D.C. Turner's enquiries reveal otherwise. If he wades in with two feet at the Barleycorn, it will be headline news by the end of the day. Call him. Tell him to be discreet. You should focus on building the case against the current suspect.”
Massey turned to leave. Wainwright stopped him by the doorway.
“How did D.S. Kingdom get on with tracking down the girl's real mother?”
“D.C. Jones accompanied him…luckily. Apparently, her ‘birth mother’, even though she had ditched the baby shortly after its birth, was somewhat distraught because of the dreadful news that they had brought. However, D.C. Jones came to the rescue. I would have thought that the intermediary agency would have already informed her about the murder. The outcome of the visit was of little value. There had been weeks of tracing her daughter which had resulted in one brief phone call from Lara to agree to a proposed meeting between them. That call had been the sole contact but, of course, the meeting had not materialized.”
“I'm surprised that she had not picked it up from the television or the newspapers. It has been headline news over the Easter period.”
“Maybe there's been less coverage than here in the northwest.”
“Is Mrs. Crawford aware of this business involving the adoption people?”
“She's never mentioned it.”
“She should be informed. It's the funeral this week. All we need is for the other mother to turn up uninvited…there could be consequences, if you get my drift.”
“I'll speak with her.” Massey finally left the D.C.I.'s office. There were too many grey areas evolving for his liking.
*****
There were only a handful of customers in the bar when Turner and Jones entered the Barleycorn.
“Good afternoon,” said Sean. “What can I be getting you?”
“It's not a social visit, Sean,” replied Turner. “Can we have a quiet word in private?”
“Certainly,” said the licensee confidently, despite being somewhat on edge, aware as he was of the probable reason for the visit.
They disappeared into the catering kitchen where a small window afforded a clear view of the bar.
“I understand that you employ a cleaner by the name of Mary Cole,” said Turner.
Sean nodded, believing that the least said the better.
“When did you last see her?”
The licensee scratched his head as though in thinking mode. “Saturday, yes Saturday morning.”
“What time did she leave here?”
“Not sure. I went to deposit the takings at the bank. By the time I returned, she had finished her shift and gone home.”
“You're sure she went home?”
“No, I'm not certain. I just assume that's where she goes whenever she leaves work.”
“Does she work here every day?” asked D.C. Jones. “Monday, today, is her day off.”
“What about yesterday?” asked Turner. “Did she arrive for work at her normal time?”
“No. For some reason she didn't turn up.”
“I take it that she didn't phone in sick or for some other reason?”
Sean shook his head.
“Did you not find that strange?”
“Not really. Staff are often like that. I presume that she'll turn up tomorrow with some plausible excuse.”
“Her sister contacted you about the fact that Mary was missing. Did that not concern you?”
“What they do in their private life is nothing to do with me.”
“You have residents here. Could they have possibly seen her on Saturday morning when she was cleaning upstairs…I understand that she also cleans the letting rooms?” Turner was probing based on Mary Cole's phone call.
Sean hesitated slightly, wondering where this was leading. “They would have been out for the day on some training course. She would have left the building before they returned.”
“She does clean the bedrooms, then?”
“Not every day.”
“Can we see the guests’ register?” asked Jones.
Turner was concerned about how far they could take this line of questioning, considering his other commitment.
“It's a block booking by a company,” said Sean. “The guy in charge has the list of delegates’ names, but they're away all day on their training activities.”
“Okay,” said Turner, content to conclude it at that point. “We can check that with you at some other time. Give me a call if you hear anything.”
Sean sighed with relief as the detectives left the pub.
“It's against the law for his guests not to have signed in,” said Jones, as they walked across the car park.
“Our priority is Mary Cole's disappearance not Sean's licensing misdemeanours. You know as well as I do that it's a tax dodge and, for a manager, it's an opportunity to cream off a little private income. I'm sure that the brewery will sort that one out.” Somehow, he had to convince his colleague that their investigation had to be limited until it was evident that a crime had been committed.
“Do you think the cleaner has met the same fate as Lara Crawford? Could there be a connection?”
“Difficult to say. I hope not, because our prime suspect was in custody when Mary Cole disappeared.”
“What's our next step?”
“Maybe we should talk to the sister and find out a little more about our missing cleaner. Let's face it, our other victim led a double life that wasn't apparent until D.I. Massey delved more deeply.” Turner was uncomfortable with the situation. He was stalling to appease two sets of interested parties, but how could he explain that to D.C. Jones without being totally honest?
*****
Massey decided to take the D.C.I.'s advice and press on with the case against Howard. He asked Roker to join him in his office in order to re
-assess the evidence that they needed to collate towards their suspect's prosecution. They studied a copy of the report given to C.P.S., extracting every key point that would strengthen the case against the suspect.
“These naked photos of her,” said Roker. “Do they really exist?”
Massey smiled. “I've deliberately kept them away from prying eyes. Unfortunately, the originals taken by him no longer exist; we only have his statement that he took pics of her naked at the mill. However, her aunt Caroline has copies of the studio photos if we need to use them as evidence to exemplify his sexual predilection towards her niece. In fact, I could pay her a visit and hold them as further support on that count.”
“If I didn't know you differently, I'd say that you have a thing for this Caroline woman. I believe that she's a bit tasty.”
“You don't know me at all,” replied Massey, laughing. “Mind you, I must admit that she is extremely personable. I'll phone her. She will probably be attending the funeral on Thursday, so she can deliver the package personally.”
“Would you use Fiona Wilson as a witness?”
“She is useful to some degree but would have to be well-briefed by the prosecution. Giving evidence about the pregnancy, the proposed clinic visit and the various timings of her departure, et cetera, would be fine, but I have concerns that a good defence would tear her to shreds over the bag.”
“It's a strange case, this one. There is little forensic evidence and even most of that is questionable. There are hardly any witnesses apart from a licensee, whose pub is a melting pot for local villains. Even the victim herself has led a dubious double lifestyle. How on earth did C.P.S. agree to committal proceedings?”
“The prosecutor hinted at a charge of manslaughter as opposed to murder. I admit that I'm also having second thoughts. I was certain that Howard was our man. Everything pointed towards him. This other woman's disappearance throws up other possibilities.”
“There's been another?”
Massey divulged the details of the Mary Cole affair including Turner's hesitance in reporting it.
“You're thinking serial killer,” said Roker.
“As yet, no corpse has been discovered, but there are similarities. It could be that our original proposition of an impromptu rape and murder may be correct after all. The superfluous evidence surrounding Lara Crawford may have diverted our attention in the wrong direction. Maybe we are looking at some local maniac on the loose out there.”
“If that is the case, what are we going to do with this current suspect?”
“We have to progress that investigation unless evidence surfaces to suggest otherwise. Turner and Jones have reported that they learned little from their visit to the Barleycorn. Their next point of call is the sister with whom the missing woman shared a flat. In the meantime we press on with consolidating the case against Howard.”
The two detectives pressed on with their deliberations until D.S. Turner interrupted them on his return from the shopping centre. His interview with Mary Cole's sister had yielded little more than the information already on record. The cleaner from the Barleycorn had now been missing for more than forty-eight hours. Massey's concern was growing as each minute ticked by.
“We don't have any evidence to suggest that the two cases are connected,” said Roker, hoping to allay Massey's concerns. “It may be merely coincidental that two women disappeared from the same area within ten days of each other.”
“I'm sorry, but I cannot accept that,” said Massey. “I believe that there is some connection, which, if my assumption is correct, would undermine the case against Howard.”
Turner looked uncomfortable. He slumped into a vacant chair.
Massey looked across at him. “What do you think? You're involved in both cases. Do you believe that they're connected in some way?”
Turner coughed nervously. “Can you and I have a word in private?” He glanced towards Roker.
Massey followed his gaze. “What's the problem?”
“I need to tell you something,” replied Turner, “something that I'm not supposed to divulge to anyone, but I need to say something which can stop or at least change this confusion.”
Roker spoke. “If it's something personal, I don't mind. I need a coffee anyway.” He turned to Massey. “I'll be at my desk. Call me when you're through.”
Turner moved his chair closer to Massey's desk. He leaned towards the inspector and spoke quietly. “I have a confession. I'm entrusting myself to your confidentiality, because what I'm about to tell you could finish my career.”
Massey was intrigued. “I'm also your brother-in-law. Whatever you say to me here remains within these four walls.”
Turner related everything that he had experienced since his first involvement with the security services. Massey listened impassively. When Turner finished, there was a short silence.
“Thank you,” said Massey. “I only wish that you had opened up sooner, but I can understand your reluctance. Your story certainly explains many reasons for your behaviour. The question now is where we go from here. Maybe we start with the Mary Cole situation. What's your gut feeling about what has happened to her?”
“I don't think that it has any relevance to the Howard case. I think her disappearance could be attributed to whatever is going on at the Barleycorn. My contact warned me about Jimmy Moran, the guy who's putting pressure on O’Malley…he's dangerous. Maybe she got too close or even discovered something untoward. My contact said that they would handle the situation, but how do we appease her sister?”
“You need to call them and ask for some fairly rapid response. In the meantime, we have to assure her that we are pursuing her sister's disappearance in earnest. At least I now feel more positive about the case against Howard. Rest assured that nothing you have told me goes any further. I will work with the team, including you, to consolidate the case for the prosecution against Howard. I suggest that you keep me informed on a one-to-one basis of progress with regard to the surveillance at the Barleycorn.”
Massey sighed. “I find it incredible that they have put you in this difficult position…the devious bastards! Thanks for being so open with me. You're a good copper and I'll do my utmost to protect you.”
“How shall we explain this rather clandestine chat to Roker?”
“I'll think of something to keep him happy.” Massey smiled. “I'll tell him that you have woman troubles!”
“Bloody hell! He'll think that I've put someone ‘up the duff’!”
“Let him think that. He'll tell the whole team and they'll think you're some kind of hero! Let's face it, when you were acting strangely, there was a rumour that you were in love. Play along with them. It'll keep them amused for a while. When the shit hits the fan and the truth is out, they'll be the ones left with ‘egg on their faces’. Let's grab a coffee and ask Roker to join us to discuss a game plan to nail Howard.”
*****
Following the committal, Howard was remanded in custody to await trial, bail having been refused on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence. Massey continued to work closely with C.P.S. to ensure that all the evidence was ‘watertight’. Turner phoned his contact to ask for more urgency in resolving the security concerns regarding Moran and his associates at the Barleycorn. Roker was asked by Massey to form a small team to conduct a ‘low-key’ investigation of Mary Cole's sudden disappearance.
Massey continued to have negative thoughts about the case against Howard. He had reluctantly accepted Turner's explanation, appreciating the predicament in which the young detective had found himself. The interest shown by the security services suggested that there was something untoward happening at the Barleycorn. If that was the case, maybe the missing cleaner had been a ‘sacrificial’ victim not of her own curiosity, but of their demands for her vigilance. Consequently, the question remained about her fate.
Was she temporarily held somewhere against her will. Was she another murder victim? Had Lara Crawford also stumbled into s
omething and met the same fate? If the Barleycorn was the crime scene, how did she end up dumped at the landfill site and where was Mary Cole's final resting place? Was Sean O’Malley, the licensee, involved? If so, did he lie about seeing Lara walking towards the mill? Maybe this mysterious Jimmy Moran was the culprit, but according to D.C. Turner, Lara disappeared before he arrived on the scene. The pieces of Massey's jigsaw puzzle were scattering like leaves in an autumn wind.
The inspector returned home early on Tuesday night, mentally exhausted. Without greeting his wife, he poured himself a whisky and slumped into an armchair. Twelve days had passed since Lara's murder and the lingering doubts were playing on his mind.
Helen, his wife, appeared. “You're home early. Hard day at the office? In need of a little ‘pick-me-up’?” she asked sarcastically, as her eyes focussed on the glass.
Massey looked up. “I'm thinking.”
“Well, think about this. I'm having a night out with some friends. If you think about food, think microwave!” She left him with his thoughts and headed for the shower before changing.
Ignoring her jibe, Massey continued to mull over the possible scenarios spinning within his head. He concluded that, despite the concerns of Turner's contact in the security services, more pressure had to be applied on the licensee at the Barleycorn. Between several glasses of whisky, he began to formulate a new approach. Gaining satisfaction from his game plan, he eventually drifted into a deep sleep.
Dehydrated and bleary-eyed from a heavy alcohol-induced sleep, Massey arrived at police headquarters the following morning hungry for something to eat and even more hungry for some purposeful action. Having purchased a bacon sandwich from the canteen, he sought out D.C. Turner.
“I want you to ask your contact to fax over a copy of Jimmy Moran's mug shot. Sean O’Malley's having too easy a ride. I need to put more pressure on him.”
“I can't do that,” protested Turner. “They'll know that I've ‘spilled the beans’. Where will that leave me?”
“They asked you to keep tabs on Moran, but also to steer clear, yes?”
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