Andrews answered the phone on the second ring. They spoke for a few minutes, then Byrd thanked him and hung up, placing his phone down on the desk.
The door opened behind him. ‘Max…’
Byrd turned to see a furious looking Fuller.
‘In here.’
Byrd nodded, stood up, and went into his office. He closed the door, padded over to the desk, and sat down on one of the chairs. Byrd spent the next ten minutes going over the events of the day.
‘Where is Fallows now?’
Byrd shrugged. ‘I don’t know, yet. I’m going to the Premier Inn she’s been staying at.’
A nod from Fuller. ‘What about Dilton?’
Byrd shook his head slowly.
‘Max, we need to get a lid on this.’
Before Fuller carried on, Byrd said, ‘On my way back, I contacted Jennifer Lucas at the Town Hall, explaining about the blue Ford Focus we were told Dilton got into. She’s searching the local camera system and will get back to me when she knows something.’
Fuller didn’t seem pleased, but it was a step in the right direction. They spoke a little more. Byrd explained how Tanzy was and the condition of Stockdale.
‘The question is,’ Fuller said, ‘is why he was chosen. There must be a reason. I watched the video Dilton put online. I heard what he said at the end. That Stockdale deserved it.’
‘I heard that, too,’ countered Byrd. ‘Andrews is there with them both. They are on the same ward, so is keeping touch with the nurses regarding both.’
Fuller thanked him and asked Byrd to let him know when he finds Fallows or hears anything back about the blue Ford Focus.
‘Will do,’ Byrd said, standing.
At his desk he sat down and leaned back, sighing heavily. It had been one hell of a day and it wasn’t over. Before he decided to go to the Premier Inn to find Fallows, he decided to make a call. He needed to know who he was dealing with.
He spent a few minutes on the computer doing research, finding the number he needed and punched it into his phone. After he pressed CALL he put it to his ear and waited.
‘Hello, this is Essex Police help desk. Clio speaking, how can I help?’
‘Hi, Clio. My name is Max Byrd. I’m a Detective Inspector with Durham Constabulary in Darlington. I’m wondering if I can speak to one of your detective chiefs or maybe a superintendent? It’s very important.’
Clio didn’t reply for a moment, then said, ‘Hold on one moment, please, Detective Inspector Byrd.’
There was a few moments of silence. Byrd looked around the office until he heard the voice.
‘Hello,’ said Clio. ‘I’ll have him call your switchboard at Darlington. Just to make sure you are who you say you are.’
‘That’s fair enough,’ replied Byrd, a little frustrated time was being wasted. The call ended. Less than a minute later, his mobile rang, the call forward from the switchboard. He answered it.
‘Hello, this is Detective Superintendent John Malice. Is this Detective Inspector Max Byrd?’
‘Hi, John. Yes, I’m DI Byrd. I need some information, please.’
‘Okay. What’s the information regarding?’
‘Linda Fallows. I believe she worked as a DI for so many years then went on to criminal psychology.’
A sigh from Malice.
‘John?’
‘Why do you need information on Linda Fallows?’
‘We’re looking for her,’ Byrd explained. ‘She came up last week to help us with a case we are working on. Something’s happened. She’s disappeared.’
‘What happened, DI Byrd?’
Byrd explained the case they were working on and about Fallows.
‘Jesus,’ he replied. ‘And you just let her walk in there, DI Byrd? Giving her full access to your files and resources.’
Byrd stayed silent. When it was put like that, it sounded ridiculous.
‘Why didn’t you phone us?’ Malice said. ‘You would have known about her.’
‘I – I don’t understand, sir? She told us she was involved in the case that happened seven years ago and she had retired. She wanted to help.’
John Malice sighed again. Byrd didn’t like the sound of it.
‘Max, Linda Fallows didn’t retire. Her employment was terminated.’
‘What for?’
‘Let me explain.’
73
Monday Late Afternoon
Police station
‘I have to admit I quite liked Linda,’ Superintendent Malice said, ‘but there was always… something different about her. And to say I’d never seen a change in her would be a lie.’
‘How do you mean?’ asked Byrd.
‘She worked her way up to Detective Inspector respectfully. She did a great job in her previous roles. But I always had the feeling she wanted more.’
‘A promotion – the next level?’
‘Hmm, maybe not,’ Malice said. ‘I think that’s why she went into criminal psychology. She had done that the past six years. And she was good at it. She loved getting into the minds of killers and criminals to understand what made them tick. Why they did what they did. But she wasn’t as – I don’t know how to say this – as hard as she should have been.’
Byrd wasn’t following.
‘She always looked for a deeper meaning why something was the way it was. Why a person would kill.’ Malice paused a beat. ‘So, as well as understanding why a criminal did what they did, she started to sympathise with them, began to understand their mind and found a soft spot in her heart for them and their actions. I could never prove it, but I felt like she was working against us.’
‘How so?’ Byrd was intrigued.
‘She held things back. Information. Leads. She—’
‘You mean on the four murders that happened seven years ago?’
‘Yes. Particularly that one. She was a DI on that case. As a team, we’d come up with a few leads, but every lead she followed went cold. Every sniff we had at catching the sonofabitch was gone. Judging by what you’ve told me, it sounds like the same guy but as you know, we never caught him. I blame Linda for that. But not only that, when she took the role as a psychologist, she advised us – and the criminals – on what to do. On more than one occasion, someone had heard her telling a murderer that they acted not on impulse but because of a deeper reason, a reason which, when explained sympathetically, would sway a court case against us. This happened too many times. We warned her, but she carried on. We’d had enough. We had to let her go. She was getting in our way.’
‘To summarise her, John, what would you say?’
‘I’d say Linda Fallows is a very intelligent woman who always gets what she wants. I’d say don’t be deceived by her but that’s something we both know has already happened.’
‘Okay… thanks.’ Byrd felt so stupid he’d allowed her to come to Darlington in search for Mackenzie Dilton, now knowing she probably fed back the information and aided him in many ways. ‘Any idea where’d she’d go?’
‘Not a clue. If I was a betting man, I’d say she’s helping your man, Dilton.’
Byrd sighed, tipped his head back.
‘Be careful of her. She’s very unpredictable, DI Byrd.’
74
Monday Late Afternoon
Police station
DC Leonard and DC Cornty had not only spent time doing their reports, they’d also got in touch with the train station and local airports to see if Fallows had booked anything. They’d also reached out to banks, asking if there was a Linda Fallows who had an account with them.
Barclays came back with a yes, confirming a Linda Fallows had an account with them who was based in Essex, however, there’d been nothing booked in the past few days regarding tickets or flights. After looking at her statements, which the bank was reluctant to hand over, they’d noticed regular household payments to utility companies and one for her phone. On several occasions, there had been money withdrawals in the last month. It was also obvious to
see she was very wealthy, her bank account over the two hundred thousand pound mark.
‘Someone’s doing okay,’ Cornty humoured when telling Byrd.
‘Good work,’ said Byrd. ‘Keep going.’
It was getting late. The office was quieter than before, a few people had gone home. Byrd hung around and handed over the day’s events to nightshift who were made up of several PCs and a DC who’d recently been promoted. Their task was to continue looking into Linda Fallows and Mackenzie Dilton in addition to whatever else the good town of Darlington had to offer.
On his way home, Byrd stopped off at the hospital to see Tanzy, who lay in a bed situated in the corner of the room, halfway down the corridor on the left, on the fifth floor. Byrd opened the door, spotted him straight away, and went over, absorbing the amazing view of Darlington through the wide window at the back of the room. Thinking about it, it was the first time he’d seen the town from up here. Under the setting sun and clear cloudless sky, it was beautiful.
‘How are you holding up?’ Byrd said to him.
Tanzy, who had a bandage wrapped around his head, smiled. ‘Top of the world, Max. Thanks for asking.’ They shared a smile. ‘Did you find Dilton?’
Byrd smiled sadly and shook his head.
‘What about Linda?’
Byrd said he hadn’t, then gazed out of the window for a moment.
‘Some view, isn’t it?’ Tanzy said, looking out, too.
‘I spoke with someone at Essex Police,’ Byrd said, then told him what John Malice had said about her.
Tanzy banged his fist off his bed, causing the man in the next bed, a thirty-something dark-haired man with his arm in a sling, to glance over. ‘What about the hotel she’s staying at?’
‘Went there before. There’s no one by her name staying there.’
Tanzy gritted his teeth. ‘Why didn’t we see it, Max?’
Byrd shrugged. ‘She convinced everyone, Ori. Not just us.’
Tanzy looked away for a moment, disappointed with himself. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. She’d manipulated them all.
‘I spoke with Jennifer. Gave her info on a blue Ford Focus we believe Dilton got into. A guy standing near the car park at the cemetery said he saw someone matching Dilton’s description get in and drive away quickly.’
‘If there’s anything to find, Max, she’s the person that’ll do it.’
Byrd agreed and asked him how his family was.
‘Pip is good. I’ve just been on the phone with her. She said she’d try to get here later if her mum watches the kids for a bit.’
‘When you allowed out?’
‘Nurse said tomorrow.’ Tanzy sighed, rolling his eyes. ‘They need to keep me in because it’s a head injury.’
‘Just a scratch, Ori. Don’t know why you’re fussing over it.’
Tanzy reached over and playfully punched Byrd in the arm.
‘You seen Phil yet? Andrews said he was down the hall.’
Byrd said, ‘Not yet, Ori. I’m going to see him after I’ve left you. I need to find out why Dilton chose him. I need to find out what he’s done. If he doesn’t cooperate, then we’ll have to bring him in.’
Tanzy winced, hated the thought of one of their own doing something they shouldn’t have. ‘Keep me updated. He’s one of mine, Max. I need to make sure he’s okay.’ He paused a few moments. ‘I just hope whatever it is, there’s been a mistake. I really do.’
‘Me and you both.’ Byrd leaned over, tapped his hand on Tanzy’s. ‘Rest up. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. You need anything bringing?’
‘Pip will bring a few bits soon. Don’t worry about me. Go see Phil.’
Byrd nodded and departed the room, taking a left down the brightly lit hallway. On his right, there was a reception desk with two nurses sitting behind it, both blonde, around the age of fifty, looking at separate computer screens. One of them looked up at Byrd and smiled, the other too absorbed to notice him. It wasn’t long before Byrd reached the room and knocked twice.
When he heard a reply, he grabbed the handle, and opened the door.
It was a single room, the air warm and stuffy. The window at the end was closed but the blinds were open, the sun setting over Darlington casting an orange glow across building tops. Stockdale lay on a single bed to the right. Andrews was seated on the left in a single, low-level chair, facing Stockdale. From the hanging silence between them and serious faces, Byrd got the impression they’d been talking about something important. Beside the bed, was a table with a jug of water and several plastic cups.
‘Hey,’ said Byrd as he entered.
‘Hi, boss,’ Andrews said, turning his head to the door.
Byrd closed it, and stepped forward, focusing on Stockdale, who was awake, staring at the ceiling.
‘How you doing, Phil?’ asked Byrd.
‘I’ll survive, sir. You know me.’ He sounded dull and flat as if he had no energy. ‘They’re keeping me in to see how my breathing is. Make sure my lungs are working properly.’
Byrd nodded, grabbed the spare chair next to Andrews, and dropped into it.
‘How long you been here?’ Byrd asked Andrews.
He glanced down at his watch. ‘Ever since he was brought in. I’m starving.’
Byrd noticed the time. It was just after seven. ‘Go and get something to eat. It’s fine, I’m here. I think the café is still open.’
Andrews didn’t need to be asked twice and left the room.
‘How are you holding up, Phil?’ Byrd said, this time more serious.
Stockdale looked his way with glassy eyes. ‘I’m… okay.’
‘What happened, Phil?’
Stockdale told him what happened the night before, how he went out for a walk and Dilton pulled over in the car at the roundabout on Woodland Road, asking for directions. He said he recognised him and called Tanzy but he didn’t answer. Then he saw Dilton walk into the park and followed him. The next thing he knew he woke up inside the coffin. ‘It was terrifying, sir.’
Byrd nodded in understanding, then asked a very important question. ‘Why did he pick you?’
Stockdale looked away, not wanting to look at his superior. The silence that filled the small room was deafening.
‘If there’s something you need to tell me, Phil, you need to do it now.’
Stockdale swallowed hard, then over the following five minutes, told Byrd exactly what he’d done.
Byrd was speechless and glared at him with wide eyes. ‘Jesus, Phil.’
75
Tuesday Morning
Police station
When Byrd had left the hospital last night after seeing DS Stockdale, he rang DCI Fuller immediately, telling him there was something important he needed to know.
‘What is it with this department?’ Fuller had said.
The question, Byrd knew, was rhetorical, so allowed Fuller to vent his frustration. Fuller then said he needed to figure out a way to keep this under wraps for a while, although that would be an impossible task.
Byrd pulled up in his X5, parked in his usual bay. The sun, already on the rise somewhere behind him, cast shadows of nearby cars on the tarmac below. He opened the door, stepped down onto the ground, feeling waves of sickness in his stomach, although missing out on breakfast hadn’t helped. He’d left Claire on the sofa in the living room, with a few snacks and drinks. She told him her friend was coming over again, which was something Byrd didn’t mind. It was as much Claire’s house now as it was his.
He walked through the sliding double doors into reception and smiled at Lisa.
‘Good morning, Max,’ she said, with a smile.
The office was a third full. DC Leonard was at his desk, typing away quickly.
‘Morning, Jim.’
Leonard turned to him. ‘Morning, sir.’
‘You hear about Phil?’ Byrd asked quietly, knowing there’d be a chance he had but didn't want to catch the attention of others nearby.
He replied w
ith a slow nod.
‘Who else knows?’
Leonard looked to his right. Cornty hadn’t arrived yet.
‘Phil knows. Amy knows. A few others do. We were messaging about it last night.’
Byrd remembered he’d asked PC Josh Andrews to keep it quiet and was upset he hadn’t done that. But it was an issue that would need addressing sooner rather than later so he’d have to accept it and move on.
‘How’s he doing?’ Leonard asked.
‘He’s upset…’
‘I can imagine.’
‘I’m calling a meeting soon. I’ll run through it all with everyone. It isn’t pleasant but it’s something we all need to know.’
Leonard nodded, and Byrd walked down the aisle towards his desk. Before he reached it, Fuller opened his door as if he knew he was approaching and asked Byrd to come inside. Before he did, he took off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair.
Fuller’s office was warm, the open window to the left not making a difference to the humidity. On Fuller’s desk was an empty mug and a scrunched up cereal bar wrapper, among a pile of paperwork and a couple of photos he’d been looking at.
‘How’s Phil?’
Byrd gave him a sad smile. ‘As soon as the doctors give him the all clear, we’re bringing him in. Does Barry Eckles know about this yet?’
Fuller winced at the thought. ‘Not yet, Max.’
‘I’m holding a meeting at nine. I need to tell everyone what he told me.’
Fuller looked sceptical.
‘They deserve to know,’ insisted Byrd.
Fuller understood his point. There were, because of how Fuller had run the department, certain aspects he allowed Byrd and Tanzy to take charge of. Fundamentally, the big decisions were down to Fuller, but telling the team about this was down to Byrd and Tanzy. As Tanzy was still at the hospital, it would be Byrd’s decision.
No One's Safe: DI Max Byrd & DI Orion Tanzy book 3 Page 25
