by L M Krier
He quickly brought her up to speed on his preliminary identification of a room at the hotel from the photos, and of his decision to bring in the manager for questioning. He also mentioned the deliberate wiping of the hotel's computer system, at which her eyebrows went up visibly but she didn't comment.
'You can leave the search warrant for me to organise while you get on with questioning him,' she told him. 'It sounds to me as if we need to keep him here for as long as possible, until we can get that place thoroughly searched. Do you have a holding charge in mind, if needs be?'
'I'll think of something, ma'am, even if it has to be speaking Italian badly,' he told her dryly.
To his surprise, she smiled at his humour and said, 'That sounds fair enough to me. Good luck, and keep me posted. I'll let you know as soon as I have your warrant, and I'll bring Inspector Turner up to speed as well.'
Ted headed for the interview room. Rob O'Connell was sitting there with Ross, waiting for him. There was a uniform officer standing just inside the door. Ted asked the officer to wait outside when he arrived, in case he was needed for anything. He then took the seat opposite the hotel manager.
'I've called my solicitor, it will take him a while to arrive,' Ross told him. 'I'm not saying anything at all until he gets here.'
'That's absolutely fine, Mr Ross,' Ted told him pleasantly. 'That is your right and I'm quite happy to wait for as long as it takes.'
'You're going to regret this,' Ross told him with a sneer. 'You have absolutely no idea of the type of people you are messing with.'
'Are you trying to threaten me, Mr Ross?' Ted asked.
The man gave a hollow laugh. 'You'll see,' he said. 'You have nothing at all on me and even if you did, it wouldn't go any further.'
'I think, perhaps, Mr Ross, that it would be wise for you to follow your stated intent and saying nothing further, until you have legal representation,' Ted told him. 'In fact, I'll get someone to find you a quiet cell and a cup of tea, or coffee, whichever you prefer, so you can wait for him.'
'You can't put me in a cell, I'm not under arrest,' Ross told him.
'It's merely for your own protection, so that you don't inadvertently incriminate yourself,' Ted assured him. 'If necessary, I could find a charge on which to hold you, if that would make you happier?'
He had Ross taken away, protesting, and he and Rob went back upstairs.
'What d'you make of that?' Ted asked Rob on the way.
'Is he hinting this mystery boss of his has a long arm that can protect him, even from Sicily or wherever he is meant to be?' Rob speculated.
'He certainly thinks someone, somewhere, is going to protect him,' Ted said, as they reached the main office. 'Let's give him a nasty surprise and show him he's wrong on that score.'
Most of the team were out. Steve was still working away at his computer and Mike Hallam had just come back in.
'Mike, stand by for a search on the Sorrento,' Ted told him. 'The super is organising a warrant. I'll want SOCO all over those bedrooms like a rash. We've got the hotel manager downstairs and we're just waiting for his brief to arrive.
'We found a match on at least one of the rooms there, from photos seized in the raid at Rory's place. Some of the activity almost certainly took place there. I need as many of the team as you can rustle up to get down there and start finding out about this dead waiter. Where he lived, where his car might be. We desperately need to start pulling all these links together.
'We also need someone looking into their employment records. It's possible Ross was taking on illegal immigrants knowingly. At the moment I'm looking for something, anything, that I could charge him with to hold him longer if I need to.
'Rob, can you nip to that sandwich place on the corner and grab something for me, and for yourself, so that we can hopefully eat quickly now, before Ross's lawyer arrives. I've a feeling we may be in for a long session.'
He pulled a note out of his wallet and handed it to Rob, who disappeared out of the door.
They managed to munch their way through most of their baguettes before they got the call that Ross's solicitor had appeared and they could go back down to interview him.
Ted was surprised when he saw the solicitor whom he knew by sight. He was from a real street-fighting outfit that certainly didn't come cheap. He wondered who was picking up Ross's legal bill and whether it was an indication that the manager had wealthy friends in high places.
Ted knew he was going to have to play everything by the book, but he didn't have a problem with that. He was a old-fashioned, orthodox type who generally stayed within the rules. He set the tapes running and began by identifying those present. Before he had time to say anything else, the solicitor announced, 'I have advised my client to say nothing at all at this stage, Inspector.'
'That is, of course, his right, Mr Richards,' Ted said calmly. 'I have to tell you that we have applied for search warrants for the Hotel Sorrento and Mr Ross's home. I am making enquiries into the rape and murder of a young boy. Mr Ross, I think it may be possible that you can help me with those enquiries.'
Ross opened his mouth to speak but the solicitor immediately put a restraining hand on his arm and said again, 'I have advised my client to make no comment on anything at this stage.'
'Mr Ross, are you aware that rooms booked in your hotel may have been used for sexual activities with under-age children?'
Ross glanced at his solicitor, who shook his head. Ross replied, 'No comment.'
'Are you aware that video footage showing this abuse and appearing to identify your hotel as the location is circulating on the Internet?'
'No comment.'
'We believe that a young boy, a child, might have been killed in your hotel as a result of this activity. What do you have to say to that?'
'No comment.'
'Have you any explanation as to why one of your hotel waiters appears to have been killed by a single gunshot wound to the head?'
'No comment.'
They continued relentlessly, like an endless tennis volley with no advantage to either player. After some time, there was a knock on the door and Mike Hallam came in. Ted introduced him for the tape.
The DS came up close behind Ted and bent down to speak to him quietly, so no one else could hear. Ted listened to what he had to say then thanked him and announced his departure for the record.
'Mr Ross, I have just had confirmation that the warrant has been issued,' Ted told him, full of silent admiration for the speed with which the Ice Queen had arranged it. She clearly knew which strings to pull to move an enquiry along. 'We will shortly be carrying out a complete and thorough search of your hotel and your home. This will require anyone staying at the hotel to move out until the search is finished. Obviously, we apologise for any inconvenience caused.'
Ross half leapt to his feet. 'You can't do that!' he shouted. 'I need to be there, I need to sort this out. This is very damaging to the hotel's business. The owner is going to be very angry.'
His solicitor was doing his best to get him to sit down and stay quiet, but Ross was starting to look very agitated.
'Mr Ross, if we find absolutely nothing untoward, I will personally apologise to any of your guests who have been inconvenienced in any way,' Ted said. 'However, we are investigating very serious offences here, so I am sure you will understand that we must do everything possible to try to find out what has gone on in the hotel, which you manage and for which you are responsible.
'As I've already outlined to you, photographic evidence appears to show at least one child being abused in one of your rooms. We are hoping that our search and the forensic testing can confirm or disprove that premise. In addition, there is the question of your former waiter who appears to have been murdered, and the fact that you tell us all your hotel records were lost in a computer crash.
'I have to tell you, Mr Ross, that our initial enquiries lead us to believe that those records were not lost but systematically deleted, very professionally. I'm sure
that, in these circumstances, both you and your solicitor can see why we are keen to question you at length.'
Ross was starting to look panic-stricken. Ted noticed the tight set of the solicitor's jawline as he once again shook his head at his client.
Ross's voice was much less steady this time as he replied, 'No comment.'
'In addition, Mr Ross, I also require you to provide me with a DNA sample and your fingerprints. Your solicitor will explain to you that I am within my rights and will no doubt advise you to co-operate. As I told you, I am also applying for a warrant to search your house and, in particular, to seize and search any computers that you have there.'
This time Ross couldn't find his voice to reply at all.
CHAPTER Twenty-five
'Good morning, Edwin,' a brisk voice said when Ted answered his office phone the next morning. Ted smiled to himself. There was only one person other than Trev who knew what his full name was.
'Morning Bizzie, how are you?' he asked. He was already growing rather fond of the decidedly eccentric new senior pathologist.
'I'm very well, thank you, and I hope I may be the bearer of some good news, at least,' she replied. 'I've been shamelessly slave-driving underlings to try to rush some results through for you. Your colleagues at City sent me the DNA of their body, which I gather might be connected to your case. I can confirm that traces of his touch DNA appear on the clothing worn by your little boy in the skip, and on parts of his body. So he definitely came into contact with him, though in what capacity, I'm not able to tell you yet.'
'That's brilliant, Bizzie, thank you, I really appreciate your speed on this one,' Ted told her. 'We're pulling out all the stops to find the dead man's car to see if it might have been him who dumped the body, which is my hunch. We've also started searching the hotel where we think young Aiden may have been killed. Hopefully we'll get a DNA match that will definitely put him in the hotel. It's progress of sorts, but still very slow.'
'Slow and steady wins the race, Edwin,' she told him breezily. 'The tortoise and the hare. You'll get there in the end. I have every confidence in you.'
Somehow her words cheered him and he started the day feeling positive.
Despite the solicitor's protestations, Ted had kept Ross in overnight, telling him he was being held on suspicion of involvement in the murder of young Aiden. It was flimsy, but he was anxious not to let him go anywhere he could start warning others off, people higher up in the operation.
The solicitor was on the offensive from the start this time. 'You have no right to hold my client, you have nothing on him at all and you know it, Inspector.'
'I beg to differ, Mr Richards,' Ted said politely. 'I have photographic evidence of a graphic nature. It appears to show serious sexual abuse of a child in the hotel which Mr Ross manages. I would be willing to show you the photographs if you wish?'
The solicitor grimaced in distaste. 'I don't think there is any need for such shock tactics. I think you were considerably out of order showing them to my client.'
'Mr Ross, I apologise if I caused you any distress. I felt you had a right to see the photograph. It appears to show quite clearly an act of sexual abuse taking place in one of your hotel rooms,' Ted told him. 'Do you accept that the photograph showed the room you and I were in at the time of our conversation?'
'No comment,' Ross said again. Ted had a feeling they were not going to get any more out of him for the moment, so he called for a break. The solicitor was even less pleased at this.
'I've come in to advise my client, now you are breaking off again already? It's time you showed your hand, Inspector. You clearly have nothing with which to charge Mr Ross, so you must let him go.'
'Oh, I think we both know we're not even up to the first twenty-four hours yet, Mr Richards,' Ted said smoothly. 'And an application has already been made to hold Mr Ross for longer, as this is a murder investigation.'
The solicitor was clearly furious. He went off, muttering darkly, in search of coffee. Ted dreaded to think what his firm's bill would be for so much waiting time. He would put money on the fact that Ross was not picking up the tab himself. He was just making a mental note to ask Mike Hallam to find out who the registered owner of the hotel was, when his mobile phone rang and it was the DS himself.
'Great minds, Mike,' Ted said as he picked up the call. 'I was just about to call you.'
'You first, boss, then I have some news for you.'
'Just to say to make sure you find out who the mystery hotel owner is, though I'm sure you'd already thought of that. Now what have you got?' Ted asked him.
'Hidden cameras in some, but not all, of the bedrooms. Certainly in all those with the four-poster beds, which seems to be where the main action has taken place,' the DS told him. 'That's clearly how the videos of Rory the Raver were taken, and he presumably knew about them since he had copies. I'm just wondering, though, if some of it may be covert, for blackmail purposes?'
'Quite likely. Now make my day and tell me you've found some film,' Ted told him.
'No can do boss, sorry,' Mike said apologetically. 'At a guess, whoever wiped the computers also cleared out all photographic evidence. I reckon Steve's your best bet there, sir. I understand that there are places on the Internet where this filth is posted, like Rory was doing. That means that there may be more out there.
'In the meantime, we've got forensics crawling all over everywhere for the slightest trace of anything. Oh, and we have a possible address for the waiter, so Virgil and Maurice have gone round there, to see what they can find out and check out if the car is there.
'The staff are tighter than clams, they're saying as little as possible. They're clearly very scared, and obviously under orders from higher up not to talk.'
'Nice work, Mike, thanks. I'm still not having much luck with Ross and his heavyweight brief,' Ted said. 'Keep me posted of any new developments, no matter how small. And can you remind SOCO, with my compliments, that I need the results yesterday, if not the day before.'
Ted had made it back to his office before Mike's call came through. Now he went back into the main office and said to Rob, 'We're back on with Ross, I've got new intel from the hotel search. Can you rustle up his brief again and let's get back to it.'
As soon as they were all sitting in the interview room once more, Ted said, 'Mr Ross, the officers searching the Sorrento Hotel have discovered a number of hidden cameras in the bedrooms. What do you have to say about that?'
Ted caught a sudden change of expression on the solicitor's face but couldn't easily interpret what it meant. Shock? Anger? It was gone in a flash. Ross was easier to read. He looked absolutely petrified. His mouth opened but he was unable even to articulate his usual 'No comment.'
'Were you aware of the presence of those cameras, Mr Ross?' Ted asked.
The solicitor looked furious now. 'Inspector, I request a break in order to take further instruction from my client,' he said icily.
'Really, Mr Richards?' Ted asked smoothly. 'We're only just back from a break, one to which you objected, if I remember correctly?'
'In light of your further allegations, I insist that I speak further with my client in private,' Richards replied.
'Then of course you must,' Ted said pleasantly. 'DC O'Connell and I will be just outside the door, out of earshot I assure you. Please let us know when you are ready to continue.'
He and Rob went outside and, true to his word, Ted led the way a short distance down the corridor before stopping and saying, 'DS Hallam wondered if the delightful Mr Ross was doing a little bit of work on his own initiative. Was he perhaps filming the goings on either to sell them, as looks like someone did with the Rory tapes, or even to do a spot of blackmail. At the moment the search hasn't found any more film, but they're still looking.'
'Did you see the way his brief looked, sir?' Rob asked him. 'The hidden cameras were clearly news to him. If Ross does have people higher up protecting him to save their own skins, I don't give much for his cha
nces if they find out what he's been getting up to. He'd probably feel safer going down for a stretch, rather than being back out, if they get wind of that.'
'If Ross has been moonlighting to line his own pockets, there's at least a chance that there is evidence out there to find. Wouldn't be the first time we got lucky when someone posted something they shouldn't on the Internet,' Ted replied. 'People complain that they're being watched by Big Brother, but in a case like this I hope they are. And I hope it will throw up something we need. I'll talk to the super, see what we can come up with. She knows how to go about it.'
At that moment, the interview room door opened and Richards, the solicitor, put his head out looking for them. 'You are welcome to resume your interview now, Inspector,' he said, 'but I should warn you that my instruction to my client remains precisely the same – to say nothing at all at this stage in the enquiry.'
CHAPTER Twenty-six
Richards was right. They got nothing more than several 'no comments' from Ross for the rest of the day. It was frustrating but to be expected. A solicitor of the calibre of Richards was not going to let his client say anything until he knew exactly how much evidence there was against him.
Ted's one consolation was that they had been granted another twenty-four hours to question him, because of the possibility of serious charges arising out of the interview. He hoped another night in police custody would loosen Ross's tongue somewhat, although there was no sign of it at the moment.
He couldn't put his finger on what exactly, but there had been a definite change in atmosphere between the solicitor and his client since the revelation about the hidden cameras. It was almost as if Ross was now even more afraid of his solicitor than of the prospect of being charged with murder.
Ted was pinning his hopes on getting good news from Mike Hallam and the team, and especially that forensics were going to turn up something for them. Mike had phoned him to say that they had found where the waiter had been living, in cramped, shared accommodation with several other illegal immigrants, as it now seemed certain that he had been as well. They had also found his car at the address and it had been taken away for testing.
