He nodded. “You will never guess, not in a million years.”
“If Zoe knows him then you probably do too.” She thought for a moment. “I’m too tired to work it out. Come on Calladine, spill.”
He saw no reason to hold back. “Julian.”
Ruth stared at him in amazement. “Our Julian? You’re right, I would never have guessed. How did that happen?”
“All organised by the IVF clinic, apparently. You were right, they just took their own donor along.”
“I bet Julian loved that!”
Calladine shook his head. “You know what this means? Julian is forever stapled to me and my family. I’m not sure how I feel about that.” He looked at Ruth. “There’s Amy to consider, too. She’s coming for a visit and she’ll want to be involved with the baby.”
Ruth gave him a broad smile. “You’re worrying for no reason. You like Amy. The pair of you get along just fine. Julian’s a good bloke and once he gets the hang of things, I’m sure he’ll make a super dad. I take it he wants to be hands-on?
“Very much so, according to Zoe.”
“It’s Jo I feel for. Think about it. Zoe is carrying the child, Julian is its dad. She’s bound to feel a little left out. Biologically, the infant has nothing to do with her.”
“Zoe and Jo have a strong relationship, they’ll cope. They’ll have to.”
“Can I have a word?” A gruff male voice interrupted.
It was Billy Alder. His sudden appearance at the bar surprised both detectives. “Sit down,” Calladine offered. “Want a drink?”
Alder refused both. “I want you to leave Annie alone. She can’t take any more. Annie isn’t a strong woman. After life with my brother, she’s a nervous wreck.”
“I’d like nothing more than to do just that,” Calladine assured him. “But I think Annie is holding back. She didn’t tell us the truth about Sophie. She had us running around looking for a missing child, remember?”
“She’s explained that. It was the only way we could escape from Rick. He’d never have let her have Sophie”
“Do you know a man called Conrad Stokes?” Calladine wanted to see his reaction.
Billy took a step back. He looked from Calladine to Ruth in turn, as if trying to weigh up what they knew. “No. Why, should I?”
“I’ve no idea, but his name has come up. Do you think Annie might know him?”
“No!”
He answered too fast for Calladine’s liking. “I find that odd, Billy. You see, Frankie knew him. The sisters will have spoken, shared confidences.”
“You know nothing,” Billy said. “Frankie was good at keeping secrets. From now on, stay away from us, or you’ll regret it.”
Chapter 29
Day 7
“Have they got anything?” Alice asked after Rocco put the phone down. He’d been talking to Calladine about yesterday’s events.
Rocco shook his head. “It’s more of a ‘to do’ list. Do we know who Frankie’s friends were?”
“Yes, but she didn’t hang out with them much. They’re mostly people she knew at school or college,” Alice said.
“Boyfriends?”
“The only one we know about is Billy Alder, and that was all one-sided.”
“So how did she know Conrad Stokes? Their paths must have crossed at some point.”
“Perhaps on a night out?” Alice suggested.
“So where is he now? Where does he live, work? Someone must know this man. Tracking back through Frankie’s movements might help. We need to know where Frankie went and who she was with during the last couple of months. Others might know about this Stokes.” He waved Sean Barber’s notebook at her. “The answer might be in here. Trouble is, there are just so many names and addresses.”
“They’re the potential victims of the cuckooing scam,” Alice reminded him. “Not those involved. If Stokes is ‘Street,’ then he’s behind that scam too. Perhaps Frankie found out.”
“DC Rockliffe.” It was a uniformed PC from downstairs. “We’ve got a situation. Bill Geddes is downstairs asking for DI Calladine. He’s got a young lad with him and won’t let him go.”
“What d’you mean?”
“Geddes has him by the scruff of his neck and is refusing to release him. I thought it best to come and get one of you lot.”
Rocco was intrigued. He followed the PC down to reception and found a right ruck going on. A young lad was kicking and shouting, but Geddes would not release him.
“Here, he’s all yours.” Geddes hurled the lad at Rocco, sending him slipping across the tiled floor on his backside. “Little runt was setting up a bloody drug den in a mate’s house, just like they did with my Alex.”
Geddes chucked a sports bag at Rocco. “Full of white powder. Cocaine, I reckon.”
Rocco took a quick look inside the bag. Geddes was right. “Is this a vigilante thing?”
“No, it’s a looking out for your neighbour thing. Pity no one did the same for my son.” Geddes dusted himself down and turned for the door. “Found him on Clough Road,” he said on his way out.
Rocco looked at the lad. He didn’t recognise him. “Name?”
“Get lost!”
“Lock him up. Better put this somewhere safe, too.” He handed the bag over to the uniform.
Rocco went back upstairs. “We’ve got a fortune in cocaine stashed downstairs. God knows where the kids are getting it from.”
Alice looked up from her computer. “They’re shifting it, too. Alex Geddes, Rowena Hargreaves, and the old chap who lives up near Ruth. Goodness knows how many more. That’s a lot of gear. It’s getting into the area somehow.”
“According to the boss, this Stokes is a well-known dealer from Glasgow. It’s too much of a coincidence that we’ve got this drug problem and he’s in the area. We need to find him.”
Alice frowned. “The only thing we’ve got is that profile the Glasgow police sent us.”
“We know he was hanging out around the Hobfield. That’s where he killed Frankie.”
“Who’s the kid Geddes brought in?” Alice asked.
“Wouldn’t give his name.”
“Want to have a go at him?”
“I’ll ring Calladine first.”
* * *
“We’ve another one in custody, guv,” Rocco said. “This time we’ve got the drugs too, all thanks to Bill Geddes.”
Calladine shook his head. Even after the killings and the police involvement, it hadn’t stopped. “They’re a brazen lot,” he said. Someone was making them believe they’re untouchable.
Calladine frowned. Were they being protected by a high-ranking police officer? It was not a comforting thought.
“We’ll have another word with Annie and then hit the road,” he told Rocco. “We need to get back to Leesdon.”
Ruth and Calladine drove the short distance back to the cottages in Ynyslas. Annie and Billy’s place was locked up tight, doors shut and curtains drawn. “I hope they’ve not done another runner,” Calladine groaned. “What is it they’re so scared of?”
“Richard Alder’s revenge,” Ruth replied.
“So take him through the courts, get an injunction, accept our protection. She’s his wife, she’s entitled to something out of their marriage. She has options, she doesn’t have to run.”
Delyth Hughes walked across the yard to meet them. “They’ve gone. Thanks for that.” She was cross. “Seems you scared them off. Shame, they were a nice family.”
“Do you know where they went?” asked Calladine.
“No. I asked, in case any mail comes for them, but they refused to say.”
Ruth sighed. “So much for that. Bit of a wasted journey.”
“Do you mind if we take a look around the cottage?”
“Help yourself.” Delyth handed them the key.
“She blames us,” Ruth whispered as Delyth left. “Apart from holiday lets, I bet this is a difficult place to get tenants for.”
“We can’t worry abou
t that, we’ve got a job to do.”
The pair went inside. It looked very much as Annie and Billy must have found it, little in the way of furniture but clean and tidy.
“Take a look upstairs,” Calladine told Ruth. He wandered around, opening drawers and cupboards. There was nothing to suggest where they’d gone.
“They must have had phones,” Calladine said to Ruth when she came back. “Annie said Joanne would help sort out Frankie’s funeral. If Annie makes contact, we might catch up with her again. We’ll get her mobile data once we’re back.”
“Good idea,” said Ruth. “But I don’t think Annie will miss Frankie’s funeral, Tom. They were sisters. She’ll make the effort, danger or not.”
Calladine continued his search in the kitchen. The cupboards and drawers were empty. He put on a pair of latex gloves and tentatively lifted the lid on the rubbish bin. There wasn’t much, an old newspaper and some empty bottles. Then he spotted it. Lying at the bottom was a sheet of paper. Calladine lifted it out. It was a registration document for a car, a black Audi. The name of the registered keeper was Giles Pennington.
Chapter 30
Rocco and Alice sat in the interview room opposite the young lad who’d been brought in by Bill Geddes. With him was the solicitor, James Delaney. A uniformed PC stood in the corner.
“This is costing someone a fortune,” Rocco quipped as they readied themselves. “Twice in one week. Business is good.”
Delaney didn’t reply.
“Your name?” Rocco asked the lad.
The boy nudged Delaney, who nodded in response.
“Andrew Harvey,” came the sullen reply.
“How old are you, Andrew?” Alice asked with a smile.
“What’s it to you?”
“We need to determine if we should get your parents down here,” she explained.
“I’m nineteen, and they’re not interested.”
“Are you sure? I could ring your mum, ask her to come in.”
“Do one, copper!”
Rocco had written the lad’s name on a pad and handed it to the PC. “See what’s known.”
“Are you sure you don’t want your mum here, Andrew? It might help to know that she’s waiting for you.”
The lad scowled. “She threw me out. Believe me, she’s not interested.”
“Where did you get the sports bag from, Andrew?” Rocco asked. He wanted to get on with this. Whether the lad had a parent here or not didn’t interest him.
“It weren’t mine. It were a set-up. That bloke shoved it in my arms and dragged me in here.”
“Is that a fact? The gentleman who brought you in told us he picked you up on Clough Road. We can easily check both your stories. There’s plenty of CCTV cameras around there.”
The lad’s eyes narrowed. “You ain’t pinning this on me.”
“Who should we pin it on then, Andrew?” Rocco asked. “Your friend Street, maybe?”
The lad swore under his breath. “Don’t know him. And that stuff weren’t mine.”
“What stuff? Do you know what was in the bag?”
“Bloke that brought me in said it were cocaine.” He shrugged. “I thought it was my mate’s sports gear.”
“You knew very well what that bag contained,” Rocco said sharply. “What mate?”
The lad smirked. “Forget his name.”
“Would you like to tell us about your little gang?” Alice asked. “It doesn’t seem fair that you should take the rap all on your own.”
“I’m no grass.”
“No, but you want to save your own skin, I’ll bet. You see, Andrew, if we don’t get any more names, you’ll be charged and take the blame for the lot. It’s in your interest to talk to us. Stay silent, and it won’t help your case. You’ll go down for a very long time.”
Andrew leaned back in his chair. “That won’t happen. I’ll be out later today, you’ll see.”
Rocco stared at the lad. He was worryingly confident about that, he even had a smirk on his face. After what had happened with Laycock, Rocco was concerned. “What makes you think that?”
The lad shrugged. “Know folk, don’t we.”
“What folk, Andrew? Tell me about them.”
The lad turned to Delaney. “I’ve got a headache. The bloke who dragged me in here knocked me about.”
“My client would like a drink and time to recover,” Delaney announced. “He can’t think straight after suffering at that man’s hands.”
“Okay. Take him back to the cells and get him something to eat and drink,” Rocco told the PC.
When they were alone, Rocco slammed the file onto the desk. He hadn’t shown it during the interview, but he was seething. “They’re playing us, Alice! He’ll walk just like Dean Laycock, and there isn’t a damn thing we can do about it.”
* * *
Ruth and Calladine drove in silence for several miles. Calladine was trying to work out what the registration document meant. Billy Alder had obviously left it for them — but why? The only reason Calladine could think of was to point the finger.
Ruth broke the silence. “Giles Pennington? Why him? Apart from being Richard Alder’s new best chum, he’s an unknown.”
“But is he? Did we ever get the background on him? Where is he living, for instance?”
“I don’t know. I’ll need to speak to Alice.”
“Ring Rocco. Give him the VIN number off that document and get him to check the burnt-out car. Ask him to chase up Pennington’s background while you’re at it.”
“If we are to believe everything Annie and Billy told us about Richard, perhaps Pennington is involved somehow.”
“I think he might be involved with the drug dealing. Hence Sean having his car.”
“Sean could have stolen it,” Ruth pointed out. “And what about the knife? Did that belong to Sean or Pennington?”
“According to his mother, Sean went everywhere in that car. He wasn’t afraid to be seen in it, so I don’t think he stole it. If Sean was stabbed with that knife and it was his, how did it end up taped to the underside of the driver’s seat after it was burnt? Too many puzzles, Ruth. I need to think.”
Calladine pulled into a lay-by. “You ring Rocco, I’ll have a word with Kat.”
Calladine got out of the car to make the call. Kat picked up at once. “Quick question,” he began. “That car of Sean’s, where did he get it?”
“He came home with it one night. Said he’d been given it for work.”
“The building job?”
“No, it was before that, when he was doing a stint up at the biscuit factory.”
Calladine had no idea Sean had worked there, but what Kat had told him made sense. “Did he know Richard Alder or any of his colleagues?”
“Our Sean? I doubt it. He didn’t stay up there long enough to get to know anyone.”
“And the car? No one came looking?”
“No, he parked it across the road and drove it most days. He can’t have nicked it, if that’s what you think. The police would have stopped him.”
She was right. “Thanks, Kat. Speak soon.”
That was all very well, but surely the car should have gone back to Alder’s factory when the job came to an end.
“Rocco isn’t happy,” said Ruth, joining him. “The lad Geddes brought in with the drugs thinks he’ll be released too. He’s not taking any of it seriously. What’s going on, Tom? These kids think they’re above the law. We bring them in, they laugh it off and within a couple of hours — they walk.”
Calladine wanted answers. “I’m going to speak to Birch.” He took out his phone again and rang the DCI’s direct number. “Ma’am, there is a young man in the cells. He was brought in with a bag full of cocaine in his possession. He’s got Delaney looking out for him. We’re a couple of hours away. Don’t let him walk before I get there.”
The line was silent for several seconds. “Did you find Annie Alder?” Birch asked.
“Yes, ma’am. But I’m mor
e concerned about this lad. He holds vital information. We’ve got two bodies, a growing drug problem, and youngsters wreaking havoc around the area. I must speak to him.”
He heard the DCI sigh. “Okay, Calladine. I’ll do what I can.” She ended the call.
“I have no idea what’s going on with Birch,” he said to Ruth. “We can’t make anything stick. Someone is doing everything they can to pull the rug from under this investigation.”
Chapter 31
Calladine sat down opposite Andrew Harvey, Rocco at his side. “Right, Andrew, time to get serious.” He and Ruth had made it back from Wales in record time and Calladine was keen to start the interview.
“Told him.” The lad nodded in Rocco’s direction, “I’m not saying owt.”
“I’m afraid that’s not how it works, lad. Talk to us and we’ll help you. Persist with the attitude and you’ll regret it.”
Harvey looked at Delaney. “Is he threatening me?”
“No need,” Calladine replied with a half-hearted smile. “Whoever is behind this will sort you out.” He paused. Harvey looked puzzled. Time to enlighten him. “You got caught, Andrew,” the DI explained patiently. “That wasn’t in the plan. You lost the dope, worth a small fortune too. How d’you think the big boss feels about that?” He pursed his lips, shaking his head. “Bet he’s angry, gunning for you probably. We let you go and your life won’t be worth tuppence. Or perhaps that’s not his plan. Perhaps he’ll just let you rot in here. No one’s come to help you get out so far, have they?”
Harvey nudged Delaney. “Is he right? I don’t understand, why am I still here anyway? You said a couple of hours tops.”
Delaney gave the detectives a smarmy smile. “May I have a private word with my client?”
“Ten minutes.” Calladine and Rocco left the room.
“Have we got anything back on the knife?” Calladine asked when they were back in the incident room.
“I’ll ring Julian.”
“Can I have photos of Sean Barber and Frankie Halliwell?” Calladine asked Alice.
“How’s it going?” Ruth asked.
“Reality is about to hit,” Calladine said. “He’s on his own, this one. No drugs, so I reckon the big boss doesn’t want to know.”
Dead Guilty Page 14
