Captive Reaction

by Dawn Marsanne

  ‘Dan, this is dreadful!’

  ‘Shush,’ hissed Dan, glancing over at the desk sergeant who was typing away at a computer.

  ‘Someone was targetting me, it could have been me in the hospital, oh no, oh no!’ and Dan started to rock backwards and forwards on his seat. ‘Oh, God, I might never be safe in Persford. This is a complete nightmare. What are we going to do?’

  **

  Detective Sergeant Andy Walters and Detective Inspector Mike Harris arrived at the field containing the burnt out van. The uniformed branch had already blocked off access to the road by the general public and was in the process of erecting a police cordon around the entrance to the field. The forensic science team had been notified and were reported to be on their way along with a police pathologist.

  Inspector Mike Harris showed his identification to the police constable at the entrance to the lane and was allowed through the cordon. They parked a few yards along from the assembled vehicles so as to allow access for the remainder of the team and any mortuary vehicles which would be attending. They opened the boot on their car and removed their shoes and put on rubber wellies, tucking in their trousers to protect them from the mud. The recent rain had rendered the ground very soft underfoot and they picked their way carefully towards the wreck of the van.

  ‘Morning,’ they both said to the uniformed officer standing by the van. He returned the greeting and the two CID officers walked slowly around the blackened shell of the van. It was impossible to see the original colour nor the number plates which would no doubt be false anyway but he hoped they should be able to match the chassis number or some distinguishing features to match against any reports of stolen vehicles.

  Andy Walters took out his mobile and activating the torch shone it into the interior of the van. ‘Jeez, that’s a grim sight,’ he said to his colleague. ‘Look, I can see some teeth and a jaw bone.’ They both exhaled. There was still the strong smell of burning trapped in the interior. They stood in silence examining the scene.

  ‘Well, unless the body has two heads I reckon there’s more than one poor sod in there,’ said Inspector Harris. I’m sure I can see another skull, but it’s a horrendous mess in there. I pity the forensic guys even more than usual with a case like this.’

  They turned as they heard some more footsteps squelching across the quaggy field.

  ‘Morning, chaps,’ said the pathologist, Doctor Alistair Gordon. He donned overshoes, surgical gloves and a protective suit. He handed his bag to the detectives and climbed carefully into the van. He moved around silently, carefully examining the contents. ‘Can I have some light in here?’

  The constable took out his torch and illuminated the interior. The pathologist continued his examination in silence. He alighted from the vehicle and delivered his verdict. ‘Obviously, I can’t tell you much until we get the remains back to the mortuary. No need to state the obvious that the victims are deceased and someone has saved the crematorium a bit of work,’ he added drily.

  ‘Any idea of the age of the two victims?’ asked Mike Harris.

  ‘Not at the moment and I need to correct you, there are three unfortunate souls in there, not two.’

  ‘Really? God, what a tragedy.’

  ‘Yes indeed. Don’t quote me but I’m pretty sure we have two males and one female in there. As I say, I will confirm that once I conduct my detailed investigations.’

  ‘Thanks, doctor,’ said Andy.

  ‘When can you schedule the autopsies?’

  ‘I can make a start later today. I can’t promise to finish all three.’

  ‘OK, thanks,’ said the detectives in unison. There was nothing more to be done here so they walked slowly back to their car. Back at the station, they would start the investigation properly, getting staff to trawl through reports of missing persons and stolen vehicles. Firstly they would interview the farmer who was now standing by his car watching proceedings. The forensic officers would be in place for the rest of the morning before the bodies would be removed. This bore all the hallmarks of an underworld assassination and disposal of people who had become either superfluous to requirements or who had overstepped the mark. There were unlikely to be any witnesses to the torching of the vehicle as it was so remote. Their best hope was that they could spot something on road traffic cameras. They would be working long hours today, they now had a triple murder to investigate.

  **

  Dan and Jessica had been waiting about twenty minutes when the door behind the sergeant’s desk opened and a plain clothes officer emerged and came out to greet them.

  ‘Mr Lythgoe and Miss Howard? DS Shani Patel,’ and they shook hands. ‘If you would follow me please?’

  The party of three went into the main part of the police station and followed the detective sergeant up some stairs and along a grey painted corridor. She opened a door and ushered them inside.

  ‘Please take a seat, she indicated. Now, I’ve read through the details you gave to my colleague PC Dave Martin last night but I’m afraid I need you to go through them all again so we can make sure we have everything correct. As this is a serious crime it’s been passed to us in CID.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Jessica, coughing due to a nervous tightening of her throat. ‘Sorry,’

  Shani smiled encouragingly and waited in silence.

  ‘On my way to work on Monday morning I was abducted by two men in a van who stopped me to ask for directions and they held me captive until yesterday evening when I managed to escape. I seriously injured someone in order to escape, I might have killed him.’ Jessica paused to take a breath as she had delivered the information at high speed without pausing to breathe naturally.

  Shani’s eyes widened. PC Martin had taken some details so she knew that an abduction had taken place but the young lady had mentioned nothing to the sergeant about possibly having killed in self-defence.

  ‘I see, Ms Howard. Can you tell me why you didn’t report this earlier?’

  ‘It’s complicated,’ she said lamely.

  ‘And you sir, when were you aware that your girlfriend was missing?’

  ‘Monday evening,’ said Dan, looking down at the desk.

  ‘I see. It is now three days since you realised that your girlfriend was missing and you didn’t report it. Why was that?’

  ‘They threatened to kill her! I was too frightened!’

  ‘Did they ask for any ransom money?’

  ‘Not money, not a ransom. But they asked me to steal something.’

  ‘What was that sir?’

  ‘A compound, I mean a biologically active compound from my lab at the university.’

  Shani’s mind was now in overdrive. Was this a case of terrorists demanding chemicals for bomb making or biological warfare? Was Persford going to be on the terrorists’ map?

  ‘Could this material be used as an explosive or a dirty bomb?’

  ‘No, not something for a bomb, it was our front-runner compound to treat cancer.’

  Shani continued to take notes. The abduction seemed to have turned into something much more complex.

  ‘Why do you think that you were chosen to steal this material?’

  Dan paused before speaking. It was so embarrassing to have to admit he was a drug user. ‘They must have got my name from a dealer I buy drugs from,’ he said quietly.

  ‘And who is this dealer?’

  ‘I only know his first name, Wayne.’

  ‘Can you describe him?’

  ‘He’s not that tall, slightly built. Local accent. About forty I should think. He’s rather untidy, scruffy short brown hair. Rather ordinary really. Shifty looking.’

  Shani couldn’t be sure but it sounded very like Wayne Roberts. Small time thief, drug dealer and regular visitor to Persford nick and several prisons. There was so much information to take in and she needed to seek guidance on this, it was time for a short break.

  ‘I’d like to pause at this point and consult one of my colleagues. Can I offer you some tea or coffe
e perhaps?’

  No, thanks, some water if possible,’ said Jessica.

  ‘And you sir?’

  ‘Yes, water, thanks,’ replied Dan.

  They were left alone with their thoughts. It certainly sounded like a bizarre story but hopefully, the details would enable the police to catch the criminals who had caused such pain to them. Dan looked around at the depressing surroundings. They would doubtless be here for several more hours yet. He reached over to hold Jessica’s hand and she smiled at him nervously. At least they were safe for a few hours in these environs. What would happen when they left was another matter.

  Chapter 45

  By mid-afternoon, RB decided to ring Lee Percival’s phone once more. He’d tried several times but merely reached the voicemail. The first time he’d left a message asking that he contact him but Lee hadn’t returned his call. He’d seen the reports on the local news websites about the assault the previous evening at the university. To his great relief, there had been no accurate description given that could identify him or his colleague Sonny. He just wondered whether Lee, who had accompanied him on Monday evening had heard anything on the grapevine. Lee had been busy up at Cole’s place so he might have some further details.

  He decided to call one more time. ‘Lee, it’s RB, is that you? Why the fuck haven’t you been answering your phone?’ he shouted.

  ‘Lee’s unable to come to the phone at this moment, can I take a message,’ said the voice.

  RB froze. He fumbled with his phone and it fell to the floor. Snatching it up he disconnected the call and flopped down on his bed. His heart was pounding. He would recognise that voice anywhere and it wasn’t Lee. Someone had Lee’s phone and in RB’s opinion, it meant one thing. Lee would never be able to answer his phone ever again.

  **

  Brett had taken a taxi to Persford station in time for the 11.30 a.m. train to London and he had about fifteen minutes before its departure. He was excited but at the same time slightly nervous. He knew how important this meeting was to PersCure and he did not want to screw up. He’d packed a few overnight things in his bag and had some glossy promotional brochures to hand over to the interested parties. After his late night visit to Polly at the Accident and Emergency department he’d managed to get about six hours sleep and had set his alarm for 9 a.m. His sleep had been broken. Hearing that Nick was again in hospital had triggered memories of the accident at BioQuex and that had combined with the fateful trip to the Hurlingham Club in London which had been the start of the insider dealing accusation. Waiting on the platform he tried to commit these recollections to history and to focus on the fact that this was the beginning of a new chapter.

  The automated announcement told passengers that the train for London was approaching platform two. Brett moved a little further down the platform towards the front of the train where it was usually less busy. He had been going through in his mind the important things he wanted to cover. For his meeting in the wine bar, Jake Marsfield had sent another message to Brett to say that his financial adviser Theo Henchard would be accompanying him. The train slowed to a halt and he boarded the second carriage which was about half full. He chose an empty pair of seats and settled into the journey, removing his papers from his briefcase to go over the details one final time.

  **

  Nick Thomas had now completed both his scans and was being wheeled back to the ward. He felt very sleepy due to the sedation they’d given him prior to his MRI scan. He’d not requested any for the CT scan as it wasn’t such a long procedure but having his whole body inside the magnetic tube was more alarming and he didn’t want to suffer a panic attack. He felt slightly nauseous being driven feet first down this corridor and that and then into a huge lift and was willing the trip to end.

  He hoped that once on the ward he would be able to have a short nap before they brought his evening meal and Polly arrived at visiting time. He was also expecting the arrival of his parents who had been due to get the train down from Manchester. Polly had contacted them late at night and had woken them up. She had told Nick how shocked they had been but she had counselled them against driving through the night and they had agreed to come down by train during the day. They had booked into a hotel on the outskirts of Persford initially for two nights. He was worried about his parents’ reaction and whether his appearance would be too much of a shock for them. They were both now in their late sixties and his mother wasn’t in particularly good health. He felt guilty and not for the first time for being such a source of worry for them.

  The porters manoeuvred Nick’s bed back in position and pressed down the brake. Finally, his head stopped spinning and the nausea passed. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. After a few minutes, he was aware of a voice saying his name. He opened his eyes to see two medical staff at the end of his bed. He immediately recognised Dr Joseph from the previous day, his colleague looked familiar but Nick couldn’t quite recall who he was or when he’d made acquaintance with him.

  ‘Mr Thomas,’ said Dr Joseph, ‘I’ve brought Dr Brakeshire along to see you.’

  Suddenly Nick remembered who the other doctor was. He’d been in charge of Nick’s care when he’d suffered a previous assault.

  ‘Hello, Dr Brakeshire, yes, I remember you.’

  ‘Well, Mr Thomas, we must stop meeting like this. You seem to be making a habit of being someone’s punch bag, don’t you think?’

  Nick smiled weakly. If he’d felt better he would probably have quipped back that he wasn’t trying to get himself into the hospital to get some free meals but he felt too ill. He remained silent.

  ‘Yes, well, Dr Joseph was speaking to me about you and I thought your name was familiar, so I thought I’d pop along.’

  ‘Very kind of you,’ acknowledged Nick.

  ‘Well, we have some good news for you,’ said Dr Joseph. ‘Your CT scan looks fine, remarkably, I might add. But, I think your head has had more than enough trauma for one lifetime. If you have another incident that may not be the case. So do not take up any dangerous sports please.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I won’t,’ added Nick.

  ‘We are still waiting for the full report on the MRI scan but I had a quick look at the scans and apart from some severe bruising which we knew about, your internal organs look unscathed. Your spleen has escaped any trauma. The ribs should heal naturally.’

  ‘Thank you, doctor, that’s a huge relief,’ said Nick and felt close to tears.

  ‘If you hadn’t been found when you were, I think we might not be having this conversation,’ added Dr Brakeshire, ‘Well, I must be off now, lots of other patients to see. Look after yourself,’ and he waved cheerily as he left the ward.

  ‘We want to keep you in for a further few days but hopefully, you can sleep more easily tonight,’ said Dr Joseph. ‘I will see you in the morning.’

  ‘Thank you, doctor,’ said Nick and he closed his eyes, tears falling from them silently.

  Chapter 46

  In a building adjoining Persford Hospital was the county mortuary and pathologist Alistair Gordon was in the middle of examining the three charred remains discovered in the field. Detective Andy Walters and his boss Inspector Mike Harris were in attendance wearing protective gowns and gloves. They had placed blobs of Vicks VapoRub ointment under their noses to protect them from the awful stench of burning flesh. The three charred bodies were laid out on adjacent tables. Two were clearly larger in height and build than the other one, the obvious conclusion being two males and one female.

  Alistair began his examination of the smaller body. ‘This body appears to be female. It is less badly burned than the other two because it was found under one of two other bodies. This has protected it from some of the fire. Also, it was carefully wrapped in a tarpaulin.’

  The two detectives made notes throughout Alistair’s description which was being dictated into a handheld recording device.

  ‘Prior to your arrival we found some pieces of metal in the nose and in the navel
which appear to be jewellery from body piercings. The teeth have survived relatively unscathed so we should be able to check dental records. From first observation, the deceased has lost several molars and premolars so dental care has been negligent. She is most likely from a poor background. Several teeth are filled so we can examine the amalgam to check whether it is one used here in the UK.’

  ‘Any sign of trauma to the body or cause of death?’ asked Mike Harris.

  ‘Very difficult to say due to the extent of charring. Toxicology is unlikely to be of any use. We may be able to obtain a DNA sample from the brain. The skull can protect the brain against damage by fire. We will take samples and send them off for analysis.’

  ‘Now, moving along to body number two. This is the shorter of the two males. There is even more extensive damage as this body was not wrapped in any tarpaulin. However, we did find something interesting from the examination of the skull.’

  Andy and Mike’s ears pricked up at this statement as it usually meant one thing.

  ‘We extracted two bullets from the skull. Nine millimetre to be precise. The usual calibre in street crime or gangland assassinations. We will send them to ballistics for identification. The victim would have died instantly from the head wounds. DNA extraction may be possible from some of the less damaged teeth but it could be a lengthy and expensive process. You will have to decide whether we follow that route or whether we can check dental records as a priority.’

  ‘We will check missing persons and get back to you doctor,’ said Andy.

  ‘Now for body number three. The largest specimen. Six feet two inches is my estimate although only an estimate I should emphasise as fire can cause contraction and shrinkage of bone. No bullets I’m afraid in this unfortunate man. However, we do suspect there was some sort of trauma in the eye socket.’