‘What are you going to do now, Harry?’ Lowe called after him.
‘It’s the end of my shift, boss. I’m going home.’ Harry didn’t turn around. He left the door swinging open.
Lowe turned to Maddie. ‘Can you keep an eye on him, DS Ives?’
‘No,’ Maddie said.
He rubbed his face. ‘No, I suppose you can’t. What do you think he’ll do?’
‘Honestly? Nothing. I think he’ll sulk for a few more days. Lord knows he’s been sulking for the last few. But then he’ll get on with his life. Harry knows the system and he knows the shits. This Wootan fella will come again. He’ll be back in prison soon enough.’
‘You might be right.’
‘It wouldn’t be the first time, boss.’
Lowe’s looked up to the image on the screen. ‘Maybe this inquiry is a good thing. Keeps you busy, gives you something to think about.’
‘You’re right, sir.’ Maddie thought of the reams of casework littering her desk. ‘Because we were basically twiddling our thumbs before this.’
‘Point taken. And, talking of twiddling thumbs, did you find a solution to your blood-soaked boy problem?’
‘You mean the problem of having no one to investigate it? I have a solution, sir. I just need your endorsement.’
‘Go on.’
‘Rhiannon Davies in CID . . . You know I have a lot of time for her. She’s been acting up as a skipper in there as part of her development. I want her to run this job as the officer in the case. At least internally.’
‘It’s a big job, Maddie. There’ll be a lot of scrutiny on it.’
‘I know that. She’s very capable. We were going to use CID detectives on that job anyway. This just means that there won’t be any resistance. She’d still be reporting back to me and ultimately to DI Blaker. She found that boy a place to go and she already knows the job . . .’
The DCI started waving her away. ‘Fine, I’m sold. It does make sense. But stay involved. I know there’s a lot going on right now but I’ll need regular updates on the boy. It’s going to attract a lot of attention. I assume Harry is happy with your choice, too?’
‘He will be, once I get round to telling him. He’s a little distracted at the moment.’
‘Now is not the time to be distracted. I need you all on your game.’
‘Harry’s always on his game. And thank you. About Rhiannon, I mean. You won’t regret it. She’s going to be a real asset for us and for a long time. I’m still working on bringing her over to Major Crime.’ She was, too. Rhiannon had worked with Maddie on a couple of occasions on some high-profile jobs. At first, this was dictated by coincidence and circumstance, but then Maddie had increasingly sought her out. She was sharp for a twenty-year-old and Maddie was sure she had a big future. She’d resisted Maddie’s efforts to get her in her team so far, explaining that she wanted a little longer in CID to learn ‘bread and butter’ investigations. She was right, too, but it only made Maddie want her more.
‘On your head be it! Are you going home too, DS Ives? Sounds like you’ll need to be fresh and ready for the morning. Once the scene stuff is done, your work will really start.’
‘True. Not just yet, though, boss. I need to speak very nicely to a certain techy geek.’
‘Very good. Just don’t call him that.’
* * *
Maddie walked past Rob Ford’s office first to make sure he was there. His shifts were set: a five o’clock finish every day and it was close to that, close enough for him to be getting to his feet and for his computer screen to be announcing that it was shutting down. He already had one arm inside his jacket.
Rob Ford was one of three Forensic Media Technicians working out of a sweaty little office on the fourth floor of Canterbury Police Station. Its windows were permanently covered, the door usually closed and with keypad access. The room itself made Maddie think of student halls. The desks were a mess of fast-food wrappers and broken laptops spewing their insides. The floor was cluttered with stacks of computer towers, some in see-through evidence bags that constricted the area around Rob’s feet. Maddie couldn’t work in an environment like that.
‘Oh, Rob . . .’ She leant in like he was an afterthought.
Rob turned to her as he zipped up his jacket.
‘Yeah?’
‘From the boss . . . Don’t worry about those social media checks for our victim. We’re gonna have a night duty DC take another look. The boss said you didn’t think you’d be able to find anything anyway.’
‘That’s not what I said! I said I’d have a look tomorrow.’
Maddie stepped into the doorway and frowned, as if confused. ‘Oh, well. Whatever. Don’t worry. This DC reckons he’s a bit of a whizz at this sort of thing and he’s late turn. So we should have some sort of result by the morning.’
‘Someone already looked. They couldn’t find anything.’
‘Yeah, I know. This lad though . . . he’s pretty shit hot on the internet an’ all that. Anyway, like I said, you’re not needed. See ya!’
Maddie was quick to turn and walk back the way she’d come.
* * *
Jack’s car fell silent in the car park of the Ports Café. Of course it had been the car that had given him up in the first place. Jack couldn’t believe he had been so lapse as to not even consider that his car, registered to his home address, was basically a projection of his personal details. His insurance might still be registered at his mother’s address unless she had changed it over, in which case there would be two direct links to him. He knew it wasn’t just the police who could link his car to his address quickly and easily. That must have been it. He thumped the steering wheel and cursed himself for being so stupid. Then he cursed himself getting involved in the first place and once more for not having the balls to just call the police and tell them what had happened. They might even understand. He’d only taken part because he was intimidated — terrified more like.
But he still was. He had looked the hooded man in the eye, seen how he’d relished tying someone to the tow bar to be dragged to an unimaginably horrific death. You didn’t mess with people like that.
He stepped out and shivered violently. It wasn’t as cold tonight but he felt a chill race down his spine as he tried to push the key into the door lock. The car locked with a clunk. The ceiling heater seemed hotter than ever as he stepped in to the café. He pulled the hoody away from his neck at the front and made his way over to the far table, the same one he had sat at on the first night. He sat on the same chair too, facing out over the room. Only one other table was occupied. It was ten minutes to midnight; he was purposely early and the reason for this appeared promptly and walked towards him. He managed a weak smile and stiffened in his seat. It was the same waitress that he’d seen on the first night. She didn’t smile back or even make eye contact. She held a coffee cup in her hand and plonked it on the table in front of him. It was a watery black with a film already forming on the top.
‘Can I ask you a question?’ he said.
‘I’m a bit busy.’ She turned to move away. Jack reached out and took hold of her arm. ‘Do you know him?’
She stopped dead. Her arm was rigid and her whole body looked likewise. ‘Who?’ She still faced away, not turning to look at him.
‘The man I met with. The man who came in here . . . you know who he is, don’t you?’
‘None of my business who you meet with.’
The door pushed open and Jack looked over to see the subject of his questioning enter. His hood was up on the same long, black coat. He pushed the door shut. The waitress tugged her arm away and Jack let her go. He watched her scuttle back into the kitchen, her pace noticeably quicker. He dropped his attention back to his coffee and presently heard the chair opposite being scraped out loudly. The table was nudged enough for the liquid to fidget in the chipped mug.
‘We have work to do.’ The voice never seemed to change in tone. Jack lifted his head. The man was staring down toward
s Jack’s hand.
‘Did you use the gift?’
‘What gift?’ Jack played dumb.
‘You’re not doing it right. It should cause you pain. It should break the skin. It will hurt at first but do it often enough and there’s no pain anymore, only joy. It is your connection.’ Jack remembered something about members being required to inflict injuries on themselves, to their left hands specifically, as a symbol of their loyalty. It was also a way of sending a message to other members. He’d been directed to it online — it was some devil worship crap. Whenever it got too weird he would play along, but he wouldn’t really read it. Jack had no intention of showing his loyalty to a devil, real or not, and he certainly had no intention of trying to gouge out his own palm.
‘Oh,’ he said. He was floundering. Those intense blue eyes were now staring straight through him. ‘Need practice, I guess.’
‘The next task is yours,’ the man said.
‘Yeah, look . . . I’m really not comfortable with all this. I respect what you’re doing and . . .’ Jack paused to look around, slunk a little lower to the table and lowered his voice. ‘I’m sure that bloke last night deserved what he had coming and that was between you two. But this isn’t for me. I was after a bit of adventure. But last night was too much for me — too intense. Does that make sense?’
‘Too intense?’
‘Yeah. I know I was talking to you lot and you were saying there’s all these opportunities out there for people like me and I was dead keen, but now I don’t think I’m cut out for it. I’d just be holding you back, you know?’
‘Opportunities?’
‘Yeah. Whoever I was talking to online — you, I assume? I got caught up in it all. They said I could have pretty much whatever job I wanted, work anywhere I wanted and go on to earn, like, loads of money. A big salary, bonuses and all that jazz. They said I could be someone. Right now, I just work on a till. I guess I wanted options, it was an easy sell but to be honest . . .’ Jack ran out of words.
The man just let him stumble to a finish, staring all the while. He let the pause became uncomfortable before he spoke. ‘You have an option. You complete your task or you become the task. Tomorrow night you can reveal your decision. The task you saw last night, that was an expression of my loyalty. We must now see yours. The life you are leading is not compatible. You must understand that it has already gone.’
‘Not compatible? What are you talking about?’
‘Your house . . . your job . . . Alyssa Mills. None of it is compatible. You take the task or you are the task. There is no other choice.’
The man stood up suddenly and a spell was broken. Jack sucked in air after having been holding his breath, but his lips bumped together as he floundered for words. He wanted to shout at the man, ask how he knew his girlfriend’s name, tell him that she had nothing to do with any of this. He wanted to say that he was walking away, that this was his life, but he couldn’t. All he could think about was the words expression of loyalty. He’d heard it before, when he’d knocked that old man over after the prank call. But this was different. Everything was different now.
No words had come by the time the man had made it to the door. Jack still floundered as he watched him leave. He looked over to the counter. The woman hadn’t reappeared. He gave it a minute, took a swig of the bitter coffee and then couldn’t wait anymore. He walked up to the counter. ‘Hello?’
There was no answer.
‘I know you’re back there. I just want to talk.’ Still nothing. He stepped around the counter and looked over at the only other occupant. He was a muscular-looking man with short, dark hair. His T-shirt was stained with something down its front. He stared straight back and slowly got to his feet.
‘You shouldn’t be back there,’ the man said. He moved a step closer, making it clear that he was willing to back up his point.
‘Fuck it!’ Jack said. He turned away from the counter and pushed back through the door to leave.
Chapter 11
Wednesday
Maddie looked up from her desk in response to the booming voice projected from the other side of the room. For the second day in a row it was early and she felt aggrieved that someone was seeking her out for a conversation. It was the same culprit, too. Vince strode across the office floor towards her. Today he was on his own, but the lopsided grin remained.
‘Did you say something, Vince?’
‘I did. I said that you need to stop doing this to me. Filling my mind with images of you in the shower in the morning. I swear you’re just trying to upset me.’
‘If I was trying to upset you, Vince, I’d just buy you a mirror.’
‘Well I never! She has a tongue sharp enough to match her looks!’
‘Did you need me for something? Or even better, maybe you came to see me because you have something of use to me for once?’
‘No such luck, I’m afraid. Although tomorrow I’ll bring you a hairdryer. Two days on the trot you’ve tied back a damp barnet for me. I appreciate the effort, Maddie, really I do, but there’s no need. You had me at “hello!”’
‘And how do I get rid of you?’
Vince smiled. Maddie couldn’t help but smile, too. She had to admire his persistence. His attention was tiresome at times, but it was also a little flattering in a ham-fisted kind of way. He still sailed close to the line, but he lurched over it less and less. That, or she was just getting used to him.
‘You’re just going to have to sleep with me!’ Vince said.
Maddie’s smile dropped away. ‘Too much, Vince. Too much for this time in the morning.’ There he was crossing that line again.
Vince looked genuinely shocked, then hurt. ‘Shit, Maddie! I was joking. I was just trying to be cute.’
‘Well, I’d give that up for a start. What do you want, Vince? You should know by now that I don’t have much patience at this time in the morning. You should have learned that wet hair just means I had an early start and a freezing cold run. I’m not going to be in the best of moods.’
‘You went out again, hey? What is it with all the running?’
Maddie huffed. ‘I signed up for the London Marathon next month. I always kind of fancied it, but with the previous job I could never have done it. I had this great idea that I will now, because I can. I wish I’d never put in for it.’
‘Marathon eh? You know that’s like twenty miles.’
‘And the rest, yes. That’s why I’m out every morning at the moment.’
‘Rather you than me. Although I’d make a great running partner.’
‘I bet you would. Tell me, Vince . . . you think my mood is better or worse at five a.m.?’
Vince held up his hands and started to move away. ‘Fine. But it’s your loss . . . you should see me in lycra!’
‘What did you want?’ she called after him.
‘The old man again. They let that fella go yesterday with no plans to stick him back behind bars. I wanted to tell him that I intend to go looking for him. I’m going to stop him with something on him, whatever it takes. He’s going back to prison, it’s just a matter of time.’
Maddie’s smile was definitely genuine this time. ‘I’ll let him know. He’s with the DCI.’
‘Okay then. Need anything done this morning? Any of the dirty work? Heard you had a nasty body yesterday. Is there an offender to bring in on the end of that?’
‘Jesus, Vince! I’m good but I’m not that good! There will be.’
‘Of course there will! I heard it was Jarod Logan. Is that right?’
‘Yeah, someone you know?’ Maddie already knew from his expression that it was.
‘Someone I used to know. Reckon we all did. He used to come to Canterbury for a beer on the weekends. Bit of a lump.’
Maddie narrowed her eyes. ‘Were you a bit scared of him, Vince? It’s okay if you were, you know. I heard that he was a bit handy in a fight.’
Vince’s booming laugh filled the office. ‘You’d love that, wouldn’t you
! Some sign of weakness — me showing my feminine side!’
‘It’s okay, you can continue to hide it if you want to. I know it’s important to you. I’ll let you know if I need anything dirty doing, okay?’ Maddie knew what she’d said immediately afterwards. She waited for Vince to seize on it but he just beamed at her.
‘You do that, sergeant.’ He turned to leave again.
‘Nice restraint, Vince! I’m impressed!’ she called after him. He stopped in the doorway as her phone started to buzz on the desk.
‘I’ve grown, see. I’m a lot more mature now. I know you said that was on your wish-list, so that’s two ticked off now.’
Maddie lifted her phone; it had Harry’s name displayed on it. ‘Two?’ She put her phone to her ear as Vince shouted back.
‘Two! Mature and dirty. Laters!’
Vince was gone but Maddie was still smiling and it carried in her voice. ‘Morning boss.’
‘I missed your call.’ Harry was abrupt, enough to take the joy from her voice immediately.
‘You did. You’re not coming back up?’
‘I’ve got somewhere to be this morning — unless you have something important. In which case I can do it later.’
‘Rob Ford left me something on my desk from his social media trawl. He’s found a link to a female who was Logan’s girlfriend at some point. She still might be.’
‘Rob? You asked him to have a look last night then?’
‘Nope. I just told him I didn’t need him to.’
‘I see. Local?’
‘We don’t have an address for her, just a place of work. But it’s a start. A hotel, too. So she might be there now. And if she isn’t, they should have her home address.’
‘Okay . . .’ Harry sounded unsure.
‘I can go on my own — it’s no problem. This thing . . . is it an all-day thing?’
‘No, not at all. Don’t worry, I’ll meet you in the front yard.’
Maddie was about to assure him that she could go on her own or take a DC, that there was no need for him to put off whatever was important enough to take him away from the first day of a murder inquiry, but he was already gone.
HE WILL FIND YOU an absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist Page 10
