Missing

by Charlie Gallagher

  * * *

  The passenger door was tugged open and a heavyset man threw himself up into the cab. ‘We’ve got to get going,’ he said, then, ‘who the fuck are you?’

  George Elms did his best to grimace over the collar of his borrowed polo shirt. It had Castle Hire stitched on the chest. ‘You call like that in a fucking panic, telling us we got to get over here and dig you of the shit — you get whoever’s available.’

  ‘Just get going.’

  George selected first, the gearbox crunched as he edged forward. ‘Did they give you any shit?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Cunts in the back. Did they give you any shit?’ George said.

  ‘Only to start with,’ the passenger grinned. ‘I had to slap the fucking copper about a bit. Mouthy bitch.’

  The van swung left and straightened up. It travelled along the road just a few metres, the roadblock ahead clearly visible, made up of police cars fended off at an angle across the road, their blue lights shimmering a disjointed pattern. John Whittaker stood out the front, his hat pulled down firmly on his head, the rim just above his eyes in a perfect line, his hands thrust behind his back. He looked every bit the Major.

  ‘Fuck! Turn this shit . . .’ Tremaine realised that George had a bright yellow Taser pointed at his chest. George watched as the Tremaine’s eyes were fixed on the tiny red dot.

  ‘I’m Detective Sergeant George Elms and you’re under arrest for a whole host of shit. You do not have to say anything, and if you do, you will be Tasered.’

  ‘What the f—’

  The barbs burst from the end of the weapon, lodged firmly in Tremaine’s chest and 20,000 volts of electricity surged between them. Instantly paralysed, he gulped in pain and slumped into the window.

  ‘What did I just say?’ George exclaimed.

  The man moaned, but he had started to make a recovery and his hands moved towards the source of the pain on his chest.

  ‘And this is from the mouthy bitch in the back.’

  George pulled the trigger again.

  Chapter 34

  George’s back was against one of the front wheels of the van, his legs straight out in front of him. Ryker sat next to him and he could feel her pushed in against his hip. Benjamin Tremaine had been conveyed away to custody in Langthorne and someone needed to sit with the van until it could be lifted and seized as part of the evidence.

  ‘He hit me, George.’

  ‘You said.’

  ‘I got hit.

  ‘You mentioned it, Ryker. I’m sorry you got hit. I got him back.’

  ‘Do you reckon I could borrow your Taser and pop down to custody when I get back?’

  ‘I certainly don’t mind. I don’t reckon Whittaker would either.’

  ‘My name in vain?’ Whittaker’s booming voice came first, then his determined march as he stepped out from the side of the lorry, his hands still clasped behind his back. George looked up.

  ‘Ryker here, Major sir, would like permission to attend custody, in order to Taser Benjamin Tremaine in the testicles, Major, sir. I was merely suggesting that you might grant permission to do so, sir.’

  ‘I might indeed,’ Whittaker said. ‘I thought you two giggling school children would appreciate an early heads up. The search teams are in at Castle Car Hire. We’re done rounding up the sorry looking staff down there and we’re already getting reports of finds. Nothing confirmed of course, but bags of white powder in a hire car centre are always going to look a little out of place.’

  ‘I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.’

  ‘I fucking hope not, George. For the amount of shit I’ve caused this weekend, the powers that be are going to want the seize of the century.’

  ‘I fancy your chances there, sir.’

  ‘So do I, George! So do I. The Mercedes has now been stopped by our friends at the Dartford Crossing. Two occupants, both under arrest. Seems they were running home.’

  ‘Wish they’d stayed there, sir.’ Ryker mused.

  ‘I assume you kids are going off duty shortly. Lord knows it’s been a long day.’

  ‘George is taking me out to dinner, sir.’ Ryker nudged George playfully in the side.

  ‘That’s right. I think I might have won a bet, sir. Which somehow means I get to pay for dinner.’

  Whittaker stared down at him. He lingered a little too long, a knowing smile on his face. ‘Well, you have a lovely time. And Emily, my advice if you’re going out with George is to get into one of those places where they can supply something he can colour in.’ Whittaker boomed his laugh out across the elevated view of Langthorne.

  George’s attention was then drawn to the arrival of an ambulance. It pulled past the van and swung onto the drive where Carol, her mum and son were standing with sympathetic detectives. George stood to get a better view and he felt Ryker stand next to him.

  ‘Is someone hurt?’ George said.

  The rear doors opened. Carol and her son swept down the drive as Shaun Carter emerged. A uniformed officer stepped out right behind him. The family embraced, and George could hear the screams of delight from where he stood.

  Whittaker made his way over to the scene. ‘Just five minutes, Shaun,’ he said.

  Shaun pulled away from the huddle, wiped tears from his eyes and took up Whittaker’s hand in an enthusiastic shake. ‘Thanks so much, sir. I really appreciate it. Five minutes.’

  George walked over, too. Shaun saw him coming and offered a pained smile. He stretched out his hand and George took it warmly.

  ‘Sorry, George. I should have kept you informed. But it all got out of hand so quickly.’

  ‘Forget about it. I’m pretty sure I understand.’

  ‘I thought Carol . . . I thought she was dead. He told me he had thrown her off a bridge into traffic. Made me listen to it on the radio . . .’ Shaun broke down, the sobs wracking his body. His son was still wrapped around his waist; he seemed to grip tighter. ‘It looks like it was just some woman — some passing cyclist he must have just grabbed. Someone’s mother.’

  ‘It makes no sense, Shaun. Not to a good man like you.’

  Shaun broke into a tense smile. ‘I’ve got a difficult time ahead, George. I made some bad decisions. People got hurt.’

  ‘You’re allowed to be wrong, as long as it comes from the right place. You’re going to be okay, Shaun. In time.’

  The five minutes were strictly enforced. Shaun was shepherded back down into the rear of the ambulance and driven away. George looked on as his son and ex-wife still embraced tearfully.

  ‘I’ll let you off dinner.’ Ryker’s voice was close to his ear. George turned to her. ‘Go call your wife, George.’

  ‘I tried that, remember? Calling out the blue? I need a pretty good reason these days.’

  Ryker thrust her hands into her pockets. She looked back over at Carol and her son. ‘That’s your reason, George. That’s all that matters to you.’

  ‘There’s a lot that matters to me.’ George said. He thought he heard a chuckle from Ryker as she walked towards her car.

  THE END

  CHARLIE GALLAGHER’S LANGTHORNE SERIES

  Book 1: BODILY HARM

  Book 2: PANIC BUTTON

  Book 3: BLOOD MONEY

  Book 4: END GAME

  Book 1: BODILY HARM

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/BODILY-gripping-crime-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01MR94IP5/

  https://www.amazon.com/BODILY-gripping-crime-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01MR94IP5/

  An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller starts with a vicious stabbing of a pretty teenage girl and her boyfriend on a local bus. She happens to be the mayor’s niece. It’s the final straw for the community. The police are desperate to get results and decide on a risky course of action involving undercover infiltration of the notorious Effingell Estate.

  Detective George Elms knows this hellish place extremely well, and his sharp investigative mind is put to work to solve the crime. The police are under immen
se media pressure and conveniently a local lowlife confesses to the attack. But George is not convinced. There are many layers of criminal and police motivation, and few people are what they seem.

  BOOK 2: PANIC BUTTON

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/PANIC-BUTTON-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01N4WATRV/

  https://www.amazon.com/PANIC-BUTTON-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01N4WATRV/

  Someone is killing the officers of the Langthorne Police one by one. And in a sadistic twist he makes each victim push their radio panic button before they die, thus broadcasting their last moments to the entire force.

  Book 3: BLOOD MONEY

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLOOD-MONEY-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B06XYNY624/

  https://www.amazon.com/BLOOD-MONEY-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B06XYNY624/

  What would you do to save your dying son? Imagine the doctors told you there was a cure, but only if you had the money. What would you do to get the money to save your son’s life?

  FROM CHARLIE GALLAGHER

  Sign up at www.writercharliegallagher.com to be the first to find out about future releases and special offers!

  And if you get a chance, please spend a few moments to leave your review on Amazon.

  I’d also love to hear from you on social media:

  Twitter — @Gloriouscharlie

  Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/writercharliegallagher

  Thanks so much for reading, Charlie.

  VOCABULARY

  A & E: accident and emergency department in a hospital

  A Level: exams taken between 16 and 18

  Aggro: violent behaviour, aggression

  Air raid: an attack in which bombs are dropped from aircraft on ground targets

  Anorak: nerd (it also means a waterproof jacket)

  Artex: textured plaster finish for walls and ceilings

  Auld Reekie: Edinburgh

  Barm: bread roll

  Barney: argument

  Beaker: glass or cup for holding liquids

  Beemer: BMW car or motorcycle

  Belt and braces: using two means to the same end, i.e. thorough

  Benefits: social security

  Bent: corrupt

  Bin: wastebasket (noun), or throw in rubbish (verb)

  Biscuit: cookie

  Bloke: guy

  Blow: cocaine

  Blower: telephone

  Board: as part of the promotion process in the police you will face a ‘board’ or an interview panel.

  Bob: money

  Bobby: policeman

  Breach of Licence: in a lot of cases, UK prisoners can be released early — sometimes having served only half their sentence. In this case the person released is on licence for the time he/she still has to serve and this will have good behaviour conditions. If these conditions are not met then the licence is breached and the person will be returned to prison to serve the rest of their sentence

  Brickie: a bricklayer

  Brown: street name for heroin. Usually the complete reference would be a ‘bag of brown.’

  Brown bread: rhyming slang for dead

  Bun: small cake

  Bung: bribe

  Bunk: ‘do a bunk’ means escape

  Burger bar: hamburger fast-food restaurant

  Buy-to-let: buying a house/apartment to rent it out for profit

  Call sign: characters used to identify who’s broadcasting on police radio

  Cannon: slang for a firearm of any sort

  Car park: parking lot

  Care Home: an institution where old people are cared for

  Carrier bag: plastic bag from supermarket

  Charity Shop: thrift store

  Chat-up: flirt, trying to pick up someone with witty banter or compliments

  Chemist: pharmacy

  Childminder: someone who looks after children for money

  Chinwag: conversation

  Chippie: fast-food place selling chips and other fried food

  Chips: French fries but thicker

  Choring: theft, usually when referring to stealing from shops/shoplifting

  CID: Criminal Investigation Department

  Civvies: civilians who work for the police

  Civvy Street: civilian life (as opposed to army)

  Cling film: plastic wrap for food

  Clock: punch

  Clutch: a pedal that needs to be pushed in order to change gear in a manual car

  Cock and bull: made up, nonsense

  Cock up: mess up, make a mistake

  Common: an area of park land/ or lower class

  Comprehensive School (Comp.): high school

  Co-op: UK supermarket chain

  Cop hold of: grab

  Copper: police officer

  Cough it: a police term for someone admitting an offence in interview.

  Council: local government

  Coverall: coveralls, or boiler suit

  CPS: Crown Prosecution Service, decide whether police cases go forward

  Dabs: fingerprints

  Dan Dare: hero from Eagle comic

  Deck: hit (verb)

  Deck: one of the landings on a floor of a tower block

  Desperate Dan: very strong comic book character

  DI: detective inspector

  Digestive biscuit: plain cookie

  Disability benefit: in the UK, persons deemed illegible to seek or take on employment due to ill health are given an additional monthly payment called a ‘disability benefit.’

  Disqual driver: in the UK you can be disqualified from driving if you accrue twelve points or more (four offences where you receive three points for a simple speeding offence for example). There are also other ways to be disqual, such as being convicted for a drunk-drive offence.

  Do a runner: disappear

  Do one: go away

  Dooby: slang for a rolled-up cigarette containing marijuana

  Doc Martens: heavy boots with an air-cushioned sole

  Dog van: food truck usually found in industrial estates, large hardware store carparks or laybys to busy roads, these are mobile vans or trailers that serve fast food to passing customers.

  Donkey’s years: long time

  DS: detective sergeant

  Eagle: boys’ comic

  Early dart: to leave work early

  Early turn: early shift

  ED: accident and emergency department of hospital

  Effing: euphemism for fucking.

  Eggy soldiers: strips of toast with a boiled egg

  Enforcer: police battering ram

  Estate agent: realtor (US)

  Estate: public/social housing estate (similar to housing projects)

  Fag: cigarette

  Falklands War: war between Britain and Argentina in 1982

  Filth: police (insulting)

  FMO: force medical officer

  Forces: army, navy, and air force

  Fried slice: fried bread

  Fuzz: police

  Garda: Irish police

  Garden Centre: a business where plants and gardening equipment are sold

  Gavver: a popular slang word in some parts of the UK for a police officer. Especially among the gypsy community

  GBH: one of the most serious types of assault — stands for Grievous Bodily Harm.

  Geordie: from Newcastle

  Gob: mouth; can also mean phlegm or spit

  GP: general practitioner, a doctor based in the community

  Graft: hard work

  Gran: grandmother

  H: slang for the class A drug ‘Heroin’

  Habdabs: extreme anxiety

  Hancock: Tony Hancock, English comedian popular in 1950s

  Hard nut: tough person

  Hate crime: a hate crime is a crime committed against someone because of their race, nationality, religious beliefs or sexuality — this list is not exhaustive

  HGV: heavy goods vehicle, truck

  HMP: Her Majesty's Prisons

  HOLMES: UK police c
omputer system used during investigation of major incidents

  Home: care home for elderly or sick people

  Inne: isn’t he

  Interpol: international police organisation

  Into care: a child taken away from their family by the social services

  IPCC: the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The commission that investigates potential wrong-doing by individual officers or police forces in the UK

  Mare: short for nightmare. e.g. ‘that bloke was a right mare in interview.’

  Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, applied to any strong woman

  ITU: intensive therapy unit in hospital

  JCB: a mechanical excavator

  Jerry-built: badly made

  Job (in police sense): if you respond to a 999 call as a UK police officer you may well refer to it as ‘going to a job’

  Lad: young man

  Lass: young woman

  Lift: elevator

  Lord Lucan: famous aristocrat who allegedly killed his children’s nanny and disappeared in 1974. Has never been found.

  Lorry: a truck

  Luftwaffe: German air force

  Milk float: these are becoming rarer in the UK. They are effectively electric flat-bed vans used to deliver milk to homes in the early hours of the morning

  Miss Marple: detective in a series of books by Agatha Christie

  Mobile phone: cell phone

  MOD: ministry of defence

  MP: Member of Parliament, politician representing an area

  Naff: lame, not good

  Nan: grandmother

  National Service: compulsory UK military service, ended in 60s

  Net curtains: a type of semi-transparent curtain

  NHS: National Health Service, public health service of UK

  Nick: police station (as verb: to arrest)

  Nowt: nothing

  Number ones: all UK police officers are issued a dress uniform which is then used for formal occasions throughout their career. Internally these are known as number ones