Lost Innocence

by M A Comley

Sally nodded. “I’m inclined to agree with you on that count. No one in their right mind would do such a thing. It’s up to us to figure out who carried out the gruesome deed and why they felt the need to dispose of the body in such a shameful way. Everyone deserves a proper burial in this life. Of course, we’ll ensure that happens now that the victim has been discovered. First, we have to go through the onerous task of finding out who the victim is. I have a feeling that’s going to be difficult.”

  “I feel for you as well as that poor person’s family. Mind you, if the person has been missing this long, I’m sure once they learn the body has been discovered, it will be a relief to them. That is if the relatives are still alive. Who knows about that? ”

  “Agreed. I can see this case will be fraught with many journeys going down avenues that will be closed to us just because of the timescale involved.”

  “I don’t envy you one bit. I only hope that what I’ve managed to remember will help you solve the case and lead you to that poor person’s family.”

  “I have no doubt about that. My partner is organising a few things for Sara, such as accommodation for the next few days. Once he’s done that, we’ll head back to the station to begin our investigation in earnest.”

  “I haven’t given you much to go on, lovey, but it was the best I could come up with under the circumstances. Something might crop up in this old mind of mine later. If it does, I’ll be sure to ring you.”

  Sally extracted a card from her pocket and gave it to Vera. “Ring me if you either think of anything or if something ends up concerning you about the case.”

  Vera walked towards the sofa and placed the card on the coffee table. “I’ll be sure to do that. Is Sara all right?”

  “She’s struggling, I think. I’m sure I’d be the same if something like this had shown up on my doorstep. My partner is contacting her husband now.”

  “They’re good people, Inspector. I’ll be sure to support them in any way I can. They’re welcome to stay with me for a few days. I’ll suggest it to Sara, but I’m thinking she’ll want to be as far away from here as possible.”

  Sara walked into the room and heard the tail end of the conversation. “You’re exceptionally kind, Vera. I just wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I stayed around here a moment longer. I think I’m going to stay with Mum for a few days until things die down…oh dear, did I really say that?” she said, shaking her head regretfully.

  “Don’t worry about a slip of the tongue. It happens to the best of us at times.”

  Jack entered the room. “Sara, I’ve rung your husband. He’s going to try and get home just after lunch, once he’s organised his day around a little. I’ve made arrangements for an officer to go to his place of work to take down his statement, and I’ve also sorted out a double room for you at a local hotel. Do you know the Dolphin Hotel? It’s the closest one I could find that had any vacancies, what with the bank holiday coming up. ”

  “You’re very kind. I think I know it. Would it be possible for me to pack a bag for Brian and myself?”

  Jack looked over at Sally, who nodded. “We can arrange for someone to accompany you inside the house. There’s no problem with that, Sara.”

  “Thank you. I assure you, it will be a case of shoving any necessary items in a few bags and getting out of there as fast as I can. When do you think we’ll get the house back? Not that I ever want to step foot inside the place again. I intend putting it on the market as soon as possible.” She sighed heavily. “I doubt anyone will want to buy it after this, though, right?”

  “I can’t deny that I think you’re right thinking along those lines. Hopefully, I’m wrong about that.”

  “Oh dear, I know I’m coming across as being selfish when I should be thinking about that poor person and what their family must have gone through over the years. However, all our money is tied up in that house.” She covered her face and sobbed.

  Vera stepped forward and gathered Sara in her arms. “There, there, dear. I’m sure it will all turn out for the best eventually.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Sara muttered between sobs.

  Sally’s heart went out to the woman. She wouldn’t know what to do if the same thing ever happened to her. So many people stretched themselves to buy their ideal home. To have something as devastating as a dead body show up in the back garden would knock anyone for six.

  “One last thing before we leave you ladies. Sara, can you give me the name of your solicitor, please?”

  “Of course. Let me think… It’s Mitchell and Thomas Solicitors in Norwich.”

  “That’s brilliant. We’ll be in touch if we need to ask any further questions. Jack, have you taken down Sara’s mobile number?”

  He nodded. “All done.”

  “Excellent. Well, it was nice to meet you both. Sorry it had to be under such dire circumstances.”

  “Good luck,” both ladies replied in unison.

  Outside, Sally arranged for a female uniformed officer to accompany Sara into her home. Then she and Jack returned to the car and drove back to the station.

  “How did it go with the old lady?” Jack asked once they were en route .

  “She was extremely helpful with regards to telling me who the neighbours were over the years. Her father used to be a copper many moons ago, which probably helped.”

  “Interesting. Could she name any likely victims?”

  “Nope. I know usually we’d go down the press conference route, however, that will have to wait for the time being until Simon comes up with some definitive details for us. Such as possible time of death and how old the victim was, of course.”

  “Should prove to be an interesting case if any evidence shows up.”

  Sally nodded. “Although it’s a cold case, I don’t think it can be treated that way just yet. We’ll get Joanna searching the archives when we get back, see what surfaces there.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Let me get on to the solicitor first. Ask them to fax us the deeds to the house before we go any further. Then we’ll all knuckle down to try to locate the ex-property owners. I have a feeling this is going to be a tricky case to solve. We need to prepare for that.”

  “Is there such a thing as an easy case to solve?”

  Sally sniggered. “All right, you’ve got me there.”

  Chapter 3

  By mid-afternoon, Sally and her team had the deeds to the property in their hands and the investigation was well underway. Joanna had worked her magic looking through the archives and made a startling discovery that would be foolish to ignore.

  She called Sally over to her desk to run through what she’d uncovered. “You might want to take a seat, boss.”

  Sally pulled up a chair alongside her and leaned forward on the desk to peer at the screen. “What have you found out?”

  Joanna brought up an article in the newspaper archives she was trawling through. “This. A Jeff Ryland was reported as missing back in nineteen eighty-five. His family address was the house next door, where Vera Harris now lives.”

  Sally sat back in her chair and whistled. “Wow, okay. Print off the article for me to read then try and track down the details of the original investigation. I think you’ve stumbled upon something here.”

  Joanna nodded and pressed a button on her keyboard. The printer churned out five sheets of paper, which she handed to Sally. On the top sheet was the image of a schoolboy taken in his school uniform. At first glance, he appeared to be a gentle character with smiling eyes. Sally’s heart constricted a little, and a small lump lodged itself in her throat as she read the article through to the end.

  “Oh my. In one respect, I hope it is him, if only to give the family some closure, but heck, after all these years, this is going to come as devastating news if it does turn out to be Jeff Ryland. We need to try to find out where the family are now, if they’ve remained in the area or if they’re still alive.”

  “I’ve got the original case fi
le here, boss. The investigation was closed after ten years,” Joanna said.

  Jack glanced up from his desk. “So, we’re dealing with a genuine cold case, after all, if he turns out to be the victim. ”

  Sally’s mind felt as though a tornado had found its way in through her ear. It was spinning off in different directions, confusing matters. She raised a hand. “Okay, we’re talking purely speculation at this point. I’d rather not go steaming ahead just yet, not until Simon has given us something definite to go on. I’m going to give him a ring, let him know what we’ve discovered.” Still in a state of semi-shock, she retired to her office with the article and placed the call. “Hi, Simon. Sorry to rush you, but do you have anything for me yet?”

  “Hi. Why the eagerness on your part?”

  “I spent the morning with the homeowner and the next-door neighbour, then we came back to the station and began digging.”

  “Where’s this leading, Sal? Are you telling me you think you know who the victim is?”

  “Sort of. We searched the database for any reports of people going missing around that time and discovered the neighbours’ lad went missing in nineteen eighty-five. I’ve got the newspaper article in front of me that corroborates the story, plus my team have located the original investigation notes. The case was closed ten years later with the boy still missing.”

  “Boy? What age?”

  “The reports say he was twelve. Why?”

  “Well, it’s far too early to confirm yet, but I’ve found a femur of a young person. If you pushed me to reveal what age I suspected the person it belongs to was, I would put them around the eleven-to-thirteen mark.”

  “Wow! That’s amazing! So we could be onto something then, right?”

  “Sally, rein yourself in a little. I need to ensure I’m right before I can give you the go-ahead. Please remember that.”

  “Okay, so how long are we talking here?” She tapped her pen on her desk as her impatience rose to a higher level.

  “Another couple of days at least. I would suggest you go with your instinct and examine the missing boy’s disappearance from a distance. Don’t be too rash in reaching out to the family for now. Not until I can firm things up at my end.”

  “I hear you. It’s got to be him, though, right? Logic tells you that it must be him.”

  “In your mind, perhaps. We all know how dangerous it can be forging ahead with a case when the proper evidence isn’t in place. You’ll have to excuse me. I have to get back to it now. You caught me having a sneaky coffee while I made some important calls regarding the last PM I completed.”

  “All right, you win. Consider me reining myself in. I’ll see you later. Fancy going out for a meal tonight, or shall I order a takeaway?”

  “Let’s go down the takeaway route for now.”

  “Okay, love you.”

  Simon sniggered and hung up. It was unusual for Sally to show any affection towards him while she was at work, but something about this case had already brought out an emotional side in her that she was finding difficult to suppress. She studied the boy’s photo again and shook her head. She’d only dealt with a few child murder cases throughout her career, and despite her never wanting children of her own, she couldn’t help but be affected when such a case crossed her desk. Maybe it was their short lifespans that affected her the most. She couldn’t put her finger on what else it could likely be that churned up her insides and messed with her head.

  Feeling a little maudlin, she reached for the phone and rang her mother. “Hey, Mum. How are things there?”

  “Hello, love. To what do I owe the pleasure? It’s rare for you to ring during your working day. Is everything all right?”

  She sighed. “Yes and no. Oh, ignore me. How’s Dex?”

  “Missing you, as always. I can barely drag him away from the hallway. He lies there all day, waiting for you to walk through the door. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a more devoted dog before in my life.”

  “Oh, Mum, now the guilt has truly set in, as well. Will you give him a hug from me?”

  “As well? Of course I’ll give him a hug. Come on, love, what’s wrong? If I can help, you know I’ll do my best.”

  “You can’t, Mum. No one can help. I’m feeling a tad emotional today, that’s all. Nothing a call home won’t cure.”

  “Why? There must be a reason, darling. Talk to me.”

  “A new case has sprung up that involves a child. You know how much they affect me, lord knows why.”

  “Oh dear, that’s not good. My heart goes out to you, sweetheart. You’ve done the right thing ringing me if it helps you come to terms with your emotions faster. Best to have a good cry and get it out of your system. It works every time for me. ”

  Sally chuckled. “I don’t think it has quite come to that yet, Mum. How’s Dad?”

  “Improving daily. He’s at the auction house now, in fact. Considering the next bargain for the business. He was driving me nuts being under my feet all day. The doctor gave him the all-clear to start work again last week, and he was chomping at the bit to get to the auction again. I offered to go with him, but he virtually snapped my head off. Said that I wasn’t to overprotect him and that he had to face getting back to work eventually.”

  “He’s strong-willed. You know that, Mum. I doubt he’ll encounter any problems in the future. If he does, let me know, and I’ll intervene like last time.”

  “Who knows when these morons will emerge, love? The attack he suffered was all about the money aspect. People are out to make a quick profit nowadays. Some more determined than others to fulfil their greed. Anyway, you know what your father’s like once he has his eye set on something.”

  “I do. I’m sure that’s the end of the trouble for him now, Mum. Simon is really excited at the prospect of Dad returning to work again. He’s eager to add to their portfolio of properties—if there are any bargains still around to be had, that is. There seems to be so many people searching for derelict or unloved properties to renovate currently.”

  “I hear you, love. But you’re always going to get a gem coming on the market, mostly when an old relative dies and leaves a run-down house in their estate.”

  “That’s true. Okay, time’s marching on. Give my love to Dad when he comes home. Don’t hesitate to ring me if you have any concerns about him. Promise?”

  “We’ll be fine, love. Will you and Simon be coming for Sunday dinner, as usual?”

  “We’d love to, Mum. See you at the normal time. Love you lots, and thanks for the chat to help put life back in perspective once again.”

  “Have a good day, love.”

  “You, too, Mum.” Sally ended the call and replaced the phone in the docking station. Then she left her seat and walked over to the window to admire the flat landscape of the Norfolk countryside beyond. She often did this when she needed to clear her mind. After a few moments, everything seemed a lot clearer. She opened the door and stepped into the incident room with a renewed vigour.

  She made her way over to the whiteboard and noted down all the information they had managed to gather so far. Using her notebook as guidance for the dates, she placed the names of the people who owned the house in chronological order. Beside each name, she jotted down a few questions that were puzzling her. Alongside May Childs, she added, did May have any family in the area? Who inherited the property? Did they sell it immediately? She also wrote down Vera Harris’s name and some of the pertinent information she had supplied. Then she added David Pollett’s name, with a note alongside saying to contact him only if clues dried up elsewhere as nothing so far seemed to fit with his time at the house.

  Finally, she capitalised the name JANET RYLAND, and in the centre of the board, she wrote her son’s name in capital letters and circled it a few times. She turned to her team and asked, “What do we have on the Rylands?”

  Joanna raised her head. “I’m in the process of trying to locate them all now, boss. I think I’ve managed to find the mother
’s address via the electoral roll, but I’d like to check that before I hand it over.”

  “I trust your judgement on that, Joanna. Jack, any news from the solicitor on the deeds front? Just in case Vera’s memory wasn’t up to scratch and she missed a proprietor out.”

  “The solicitor was with a client. I told his PA what information I needed, and she promised to fax through the details before the end of the day.”

  “Good. What else do we have?” she asked, more to herself than the others as she faced the board once more. “Ah yes, just a heads-up for you all—when I spoke to Simon, he roughly confirmed that the bones were indeed that of a child between the ages of eleven and thirteen, but that was off the record until he has carried out his extensive examination. At this moment, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes for all the poppy fields in Afghanistan.”

  “What?” Jack queried.

  Sally sniggered. “Well, everyone says all the tea in China. I was just trying to be clever in my own inimitable way.”

  “I have to tell you, boss, it didn’t work.”

  Sally smiled at him. “Obviously.”

  The information the team needed to take things forward was slow to come in during the afternoon, and Sally became anxious. She turned to the files in her office to see if there was another case they could run alongside the other one rather than have lulls in their days where nothing was going to get done. She had a mantra in life that it was always better to be busy than to tap her feet waiting for the information to come.

  She placed a couple of the files to one side that appeared to be less interesting and picked up one that angered her more than any other case she’d read lately. Christopher Abbott was sitting in prison after pleading guilty to murdering a ten-year-old child, Lynn Jackman. He’d been linked to several other crimes, but nothing definitive had come of the other cases. Over the years, Abbott had maintained a silence about where the bodies of a number of his suspected victims were buried. Numerous officers had tried to break him down, but he’d stood his ground and kept his mouth firmly closed.