55
The incident room had fallen silent again now Umpire and the others had departed. The few officers who stayed behind were hunched over at their desks, eyes trained on their computer screens. Maggie didn’t know any of them to talk to, but that was often the case when an SIO was brought in from another part of the county to run a Major Crime Inquiry, as Umpire was, and had their own team to work alongside local Force CID officers like Maggie, Steve, Renshaw and Nathan.
She decided it was time to head back to the hospital and gathered her coat and bag. On her way to the lift she paused to get a drink of water from the dispenser and shivered as the ice-cold liquid it supplied set her teeth on edge. She was gulping down her third cupful when she saw Steve barrelling down the office towards her, beaming widely.
‘That’s not the face of a man who’s just told his boss he screwed up,’ she said shrewdly.
‘I need to talk to you. Come on,’ he said.
She followed him to the lift.
‘Steve, what’s going on? Have you told Umpire yet about seeing the suspect on Tuesday?’
‘I might not have to. I’ll tell you everything once we’re outside.’ He pushed the button on the panel to take the lift to the ground floor.
‘I’ve got to get back to the hospital.’
‘Just hear me out.’
He led her into the car park at the rear of the station. As they stepped outside onto the tarmac, it was drizzling again. Maggie briefly raised her face to meet it, enjoying the coolness against her flushed cheeks. Then she turned to her friend.
‘What’s with all this cloak-and-dagger stuff?’
‘I managed to get another look at the CCTV from Tuesday morning while you were talking to Ballboy,’ he confided. ‘I still can’t tell whether Sinclair and the suspect were arguing, but I did get the licence plate for the Peugeot he was driving. I ran it through the system and the registered owner is a woman living in Mansell and – get this – the electoral register says there’s a man living at the same address. It must be him.’
‘Steve, that’s brilliant. Umpire’s on his way to arrest Sinclair now at the Umbra office in Haxton. Ring him and tell him.’
‘Not yet. I want to do some more digging first. I need to sort this out without telling Ballboy I missed the suspect first time round.’
‘Steve, you can’t do that, Rosie’s life’s at stake. Umpire needs to know now. You know that.’
He tried to argue but Maggie wouldn’t back down.
‘Look, you made a mistake with the CCTV but you’ll make things a million times worse for yourself if you go off on some reckless chase on your own. Umpire needs to know who the suspect is right now.’
He sighed. ‘You’re always right, aren’t you?’
Maggie grinned. ‘Of course. I can’t believe it’s taken you this long to realize.’
Steve tugged his phone out of his suit pocket with one hand and flipped open his notebook with the other. As he scrolled for Umpire’s number, Maggie caught sight of the name written on the page and gasped. She reached out to still his arm.
‘That’s not the woman whose car it is?’
‘Yes. Lisa Charleston,’ Steve read from his notes. ‘Lives at 4 Shelby House, Hawthorn Close, Mansell.’
‘Oh, fuck.’ Maggie groaned.
Steve looked at her, alarmed.
‘Christ, you don’t know her, do you?’
‘In a manner of speaking. She’s the woman Rob left Lou for.’
56
‘What happened to telling the DCI everything and not going off on a reckless chase on your own?’ Steve grumbled as he shifted in the driver’s seat, the light grey fabric of his suit trousers, shiny from over-wear, pulling tightly across his thighs as he tried to get comfortable. He kept the engine ticking over as they parked outside the gym.
‘I have to talk to Rob first,’ she beseeched. ‘He’s still technically married to Lou and he’s Mae’s dad and the boys’ stepdad. He’s family.’
‘Umpire’s not going to be happy if he finds out.’
‘But we already know Rob isn’t our suspect. He’s six foot two, which is at least four inches taller than the bloke pictured in the garage queue and in the paper today.’
‘That doesn’t mean he’s not involved, Maggie.’
‘No, it doesn’t. But I know Rob and, while he’s an idiot, I know he wouldn’t hurt anyone, least of all a fifteen-year-old girl. I’d stake my job on it.’
That was enough to convince Steve.
‘Okay. You speak to him first. Show him the pictures of the suspect and find out if he knows who was driving Lisa’s car on Tuesday.’
‘You don’t want to come in with me?’
‘Like you said, it’s family. It’s probably better if you speak to him alone. I’ll wait here.’
As Maggie climbed out of the car, she received a text from Belmar.
‘He’s asking when I’m getting back to the hospital,’ she told Steve.
‘Tell him you’ll be half an hour. This shouldn’t take that long.’
She found Rob on a rowing machine, grunting loudly as the seat slid back and forth. She put her foot on the frame to stop his momentum.
‘I need to talk to you about Lisa,’ she said.
‘What about her?’
‘Not in here.’
Maggie led him to a quiet corner in reception where they couldn’t be overheard.
‘What’s going on, Maggie?’ he said worriedly.
She told him about Lisa’s car being spotted in Burr Way on the day Rosie Kinnock went missing.
‘That’s bollocks. It must be a mistake. Why would she be in Haxton?’
‘Where is she, Rob? We need to talk to her.’
‘I told you, she’s visiting a friend in Manchester.’
‘Still? When did you last speak to her?’
‘I dunno,’ he said sulkily.
She began to lose patience.
‘Rob, this is serious. Lisa’s car has been seen near the scene of a serious crime. Is there anyone else she allows to drive it?’
‘Only me, and I’ve not been anywhere near Haxton.’
She decided to show him the photograph of the suspect in M&S with Lesley. Using the Google app on her phone, she found it on the website of the newspaper it had been published in.
‘Do you know the man on the left?’
‘Yeah, that’s Adrian Farley, Ade.’
‘How do you know him?’
‘He works here. He’s a sports massager or whatever it’s called, for injuries. An osteo-summat.’
Maggie was seized by an overwhelming sense of apprehension.
‘Is he here now?’
‘I haven’t seen him since yesterday.’ Rob frowned. ‘Why are you asking about Ade? Where’s that picture from?’
‘I can’t say right now.’
His reaction to seeing Farley’s photograph convinced her Rob knew nothing about his involvement in Rosie’s disappearance. He wasn’t clever enough to lie with conviction. But there was still something in his expression to suggest he knew more than he was letting on.
‘How well do you know him?’
‘I don’t, really.’
There was that look again.
‘You’re not in trouble, Rob, I just need to know.’
He shrugged. ‘Can’t help you.’
‘If he works here, does he have an office or a treatment room?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Show me.’
The door was locked.
‘I need the key,’ she told Rob. ‘We’ve got to get this open now.’
As she double backed to reception, she tried calling Steve outside. To her annoyance it went to voicemail and she hoped it was because he was already on a call to Umpire. The girl on reception handed over a Chubb key after Maggie flashed her warrant card and explained it was an emergency.
Farley’s room was small but accommodated a treatment table pushed against one wall, a desk, two chairs and a fil
ing cabinet. The walls were covered with posters featuring anatomical diagrams of bodies stripped of skin and their muscles exposed, red and raw. She began searching through the papers stacked neatly on the desk.
‘Don’t you need a warrant to do that?’ Rob remarked.
‘Not if there’s a potential threat to life. If Farley’s got Rosie or knows where she is, I’d say that qualifies.’
‘I know where he lives,’ Rob suddenly blurted out. ‘Cedar Crescent. Number sixty-two.’
‘The road by the top end of the park?’
‘Yeah, that’s the one. It was his mum and dad’s place and he got it when they died.’
So not only did Rob know where Farley lived but he also knew the house’s provenance.
‘I thought you didn’t know him that well.’
Rob flushed red as Maggie crossed the room. Even though she was tall, she was no match for Rob’s height. Yet it was him and not her who cowered as they stood toe to toe.
‘Don’t fucking play games with me, Rob,’ she said in a quiet but firm voice. ‘I’m not in the mood. There’s a young girl missing and if you’re covering for Farley I’ll nick you for obstruction. Just have a think about what it would be like for Mae and the boys seeing you once a month at prison visiting time.’
Rob’s eyes widened. ‘I’m not covering for him,’ he blustered. ‘I don’t know nothing about that girl.’
‘But you are keeping something back, I can tell. It’s written all over that ugly mug of yours.’
Rob squirmed. ‘I’ve been sorting him out with some gear, that’s all, I swear.’
‘You’re supplying drugs?’ said Maggie, shocked.
‘No, well, not really. Just steroids. Stuff you usually need a prescription for . . .’ He tailed off.
Maggie wanted to shake her brother-in-law for being so stupid.
‘Just steroids? Like that’s somehow okay? So what is Farley taking?’
‘You name it. It’s what’s known as stacking. It’s, like, mixing them up to make them work better, but he takes way too much. I’ve told him that.’
Maggie took a step back. ‘I can’t say I know much about steroids but I know enough that if he’s abusing them, he may well be experiencing violent mood swings, sexual urges he can’t control, even psychotic hallucinations. They could be making him very dangerous and unstable. We need to find him before it’s too late, Rob.’
Her brother-in-law stared at her for a moment, his face creased in a deep frown. Maggie could almost hear the wheels turning.
‘You asking me about Lisa’s car . . . are you saying he was driving it?’
Maggie nodded. ‘How well does she know him?’
‘Only to say hi to when she’s on the front desk.’ Rob paled. ‘He must’ve stolen it and that’s why she’s not come home yet. If that fucking bastard’s hurt her, I’ll kill him.’
‘Hang on, you said she’s at a friend’s in Manchester.’
‘She should’ve been back days ago,’ said Rob miserably.
‘Shit, is that why you were asking me about missing persons the other day? Is Lisa missing?’
‘I don’t know. She didn’t come home when she said she would and she’s not picking up her phone. I thought she was narked off with me about something. She’s like that.’
‘When did you last speak to her?’
‘Monday night. She was due home on Tuesday.’
Now she wanted to throttle him for his idiocy.
‘You should’ve told me the truth. Right, I need to speak to my boss so he can get a team round to Farley’s house.’
Adrenaline surging through her, she dashed out of Farley’s office and headed outside to let Steve know what was going on. Rob followed her.
‘How long will it take to get your lot round there? What if he’s hurt Lisa?’ He was almost crying now. ‘I know you hate me for what I did to Lou, but I love Lisa. You’ve got to help her.’
Maggie ignored him. As she passed reception the girl behind the desk called out to her.
‘DC Neville, I’ve got a message from your colleague DC Berry. He’s had to go home for a family emergency. His baby boy’s sick.’
Maggie groaned. ‘Please tell me you’re joking.’
The receptionist smiled prettily. ‘Sorry, that’s what he said.’
Maggie pushed through the revolving door into the street and, just as the receptionist said, Steve and his car had gone.
‘Shit, shit, shit.’
She called Umpire but he didn’t pick up. She left a breathless message: ‘Sir, I think I know who the crayon writer is. Please call me urgently.’
Rob hovered beside her.
‘That’s it? You’re just gunna wait for him to ring back?’
‘I can’t go round there on my own,’ she said. ‘I need back-up.’
‘I’ll come with you. We can go in my car. He won’t touch you if I’m there. Please, we’re five minutes away. I love her, Maggie. I’ll go mental if anything’s happened to her.’
Maggie felt a sudden pang of sorrow for Lou. Her sister would be devastated if she could hear the way Rob was talking about Lisa right now. But she also knew Lou would want her, would expect her, to do the right thing.
‘Okay, let’s go.’
57
Cedar Crescent was one of the more salubrious addresses in Mansell. A long cul-de-sac, there was no uniformity to the houses that lined it: some were made from flint, others the standard red brick, while a few were painted varying shades of white and cream. Most of the driveways were empty of vehicles but Maggie imagined that whatever cars were usually parked there were probably top of the range.
As they cruised slowly along the road in Rob’s old Ford Focus, Maggie scoured the front of the properties for house numbers. Frustratingly, most didn’t appear to have one. Was Farley’s home the bungalow half screened by bushes or the impressive detached house that reminded her of a child’s drawing, its front door slap-bang in the centre and four windows equally spaced around it? Or perhaps it was the ivy-clad semi on the corner?
‘This is it,’ said Rob as he pulled up outside a whitewashed detached house with a tarmac driveway that was empty. The front garden was neat and ordered. It looked like a house whose owner took pride in it.
‘You stay here,’ she ordered Rob.
‘No fucking way. I’m coming too.’
She didn’t argue. Umpire still hadn’t called back, despite her also leaving a message at the incident room for him to call her, and Steve wasn’t picking up either. In desperation, she’d called Belmar at the hospital and told him what she was doing. She’d expected him to talk her out of it but to her surprise his reaction was calm and considered.
‘There’s no harm in going to check out the address, but if for a second you think there could be a problem, you step down and call for back-up.’
‘What about Mack and Lesley? I should be there with you.’
‘It doesn’t take the two of us to sit around until Mack wakes up. Lesley’s fine for now. Go and make yourself useful.’
‘Thanks, Belmar, I appreciate you saying that.’
‘Well, it’s like you’re always reminding me – we’re still detectives when it comes down to it.’
Belmar’s encouragement didn’t change the fact Umpire would have a fit if he knew what she was up to. When she looked up, Rob was already at the front door and she had no choice but to follow him up the garden path, which was wet and slippery from the rainfall.
Rob went to hammer on the door but she stopped him.
‘Let’s try ringing the bell first. If we go storming in, he might run.’
The bell was loud and Maggie pressed it twice.
‘Did you hear that?’ said Rob.
‘No, what?’
‘I can hear banging inside.’
He was right. As Maggie strained to listen, she could hear thumping coming from somewhere downstairs. She went to peer in the front window but the curtains were drawn. She rapped on the glass and
was answered by more thumps.
‘Let’s go round the back,’ she whispered.
She and Rob raced down the side of the house. There was a high wooden gate separating the narrow pathway from the back garden but mercifully it was unlocked. However, the back door to the kitchen and the patio doors, also obscured by drawn curtains, were all firmly shut.
‘I’ll kick the back door in,’ said Rob, raising his foot to take aim.
‘No! If you do that, you’re breaking and entering. I’ll have to do it. It’s legal forced entry then.’
Rob stood back. ‘Be my guest.’
But Maggie wasn’t going to kick the door in. She pulled her baton off her belt and crouched down by the patio doors. Remembering the advice given to her by Craig, the firefighter she’d dated last year, she hit the corner of the glass – the weakest part – until it shattered. Then she held her breath, convinced an alarm would start screeching at top volume and Farley would suddenly appear. When neither of those things happened, she grabbed one of the metal garden chairs and continued to smash through glass until there was a hole big enough for her to climb through.
The room she entered was long and open plan. Baton still raised, she eased round the dining-room table and crept towards the living area where the sofa and television were. She suddenly stopped. Face down on the floor, hands tied behind her back, was a girl dressed in a T-shirt that was at least three sizes too big for her. She didn’t appear to be wearing any underwear. Small and slight, her dark hair fanning across her back, she was using her feet to bang on the floorboards.
Maggie’s heart skipped a beat.
‘Rosie?’
She raced forward and gently lifted the girl up off the sofa. But when she turned her round to sit her up, she was stunned.
‘Lisa!’
Her face was battered, swollen and tear-stained but there was no mistaking Rob’s girlfriend. Maggie removed the gag from her mouth.
‘Get me out of here before he comes back! He’s a fucking psycho. Please, get me out of here!’
‘Lisa? What the fuck?’
Rob had followed Maggie inside.
‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,’ she sobbed over and over as Maggie quickly untied her wrists and ankles with trembling fingers. ‘Don’t hate me, please don’t hate me.’
Gone Astray Page 30
