“Did your parents get letters about this?”
“Yes. Papa put them in the drawer. He didn’t read them.”
“One of them will have been giving your parents notice to leave. In that case, you won’t beat him. The man knows all the tricks. He has the law on his side. Your lease has expired and therefore he has the right to make you leave. The men at your door will be bailiffs. There is nothing you or your family can do. Barton holds all the cards. You will have to leave, today.”
Elena’s eyes widened. “Surely it won’t come to that? We have nowhere to go. What will we do?”
“This hasn’t just come out of the blue,” said Dee. “The letters. If your parents couldn’t read them, then they should have got help. Didn’t they think to make plans?”
“They didn’t realise how urgent the letters were. Mama can’t read English, and Papa’s isn’t that good. Besides, he’s always working.”
“What does he do?”
“He drives a truck for a friend.”
This sparked Dee’s interest. “Does he ever drive to Europe? Use the ferries?” she asked.
“No, just local deliveries.”
“That could still be useful. I’ll try and sort this for you. I will speak to Barton on your behalf. I’ll tell him you won’t cause him any more trouble.” She paused. “But there will be conditions. He may insist that your father works for a different firm from now on, one that Barton chooses. But be warned. He’s not a nice man. Barton will make demands. He’s as hard to work for as he is to have as a landlord.”
“We’ll do anything. Papa will. We just need a place to live. Somewhere we can live in peace.”
* * *
“I’ve had a call from Dr Bowers at the Duggan,” Greco told the team. “He is doing the PMs on the lads later.”
Speedy shuddered. “Gruesome.”
Greco had already decided not to take Grace with him. In her condition, the experience might be too much for her. “Then steel yourself, Sergeant, because you are coming with me.”
“Can I have a word in your office?” Grace asked.
Greco led the way.
“I don’t mind coming to the PM,” Grace whispered. “Don’t sideline me because of the baby.”
“Whether you like it or not, we have to factor it in. I don’t want you throwing up, so I’ll take Speedy. I want you and Joel to go and find Max Marsh. Speak to him about the photo the lads sent him. Yesterday, he said he hadn’t heard from them. Now we know that was a lie. He is holding back. I want to know why.”
“Okay, but when do we tell that lot out there? It can’t stay a secret for much longer. With you fussing around me, they are bound to get suspicious.”
The prospect filled Greco with dread. “McCabe first, then we’ll see.” Grace went back to her desk.
Leah left her notes and went into Greco’s office.
“I spoke to Bert Banister earlier,” she told him. “He insists that what happened between him and Dave Holt last night was nothing more serious than the drink. Holt had had a skinful, and they got into the ruck about football.”
“He’s lying.”
“I know, sir, but what can we do? He insists Holt didn’t hit him, and even if he had, Banister won’t press charges.
“There is something going on there. I suspect that Dave Holt was trying to sell some jewellery. Keep an eye on that pub. Do you have anyone in there?”
“You mean like Roman?” She smiled. Greco knew that Roman was Leah’s informant, who’d proved very useful in the past.
“I’ll go and find him later and have a word with him anyway. For a little extra he might switch venues for a week or two,” she said
Greco nodded. They certainly needed a break. They had no positive motive for the two killings. They presumed it had something to do with stealing, or finding the packets at Ava Whitton’s house. But that was nothing more than conjecture. They weren’t even sure it was the house the lads had gone to.
He called through to the main office. “Joel? Do a trawl of that road Ava Whitton lives on. Gather up any CCTV from private cameras the other residents might have.”
Chapter 9
Dr Bob Bowers stood between the two bodies. “A thorough job was done on the pair of them,” he told Greco and Speedy. “DNA evidence has confirmed their identities and there are no surprises. They are Holt and Riley. This one, Vinny Holt, died from severe head injuries.”
“Not from being set alight?” Speedy asked.
Dr Bowers looked up at the two detectives standing on the viewing platform. “No, there is no soot deposit in his airway. Same with Craig Riley. Both lads were dead before they were set alight. Both died from blows to the head. Then, it seems, the fun started. Though I can’t for the life of me work out why.”
“What do you mean?” asked Greco.
“The violence perpetrated on both bodies after death was excessive. Take Vinny Holt. The fingers on the lad’s right hand were cut off and stuffed down his throat one at a time. A neat job, longest one first followed by the index finger, then the other two and finally the thumb.”
Speedy gasped. “Poor bugger!”
“He was already dead, Sergeant, remember? Jammed in tight they were. I have recovered them and found something of interest. More about that later. Craig Riley’s fingers were also hacked off. All we have are charred remains, I’m afraid. The bodies were set alight and an attempt was also made to burn the body parts. We found fingers, an eye and part of a foot in the plastic bag.”
Greco heard Speedy inhale sharply. “Thank God the poor buggers were dead,” he whispered to his DCI.
“Yes, it looked at first like they had been tortured, but the mutilations occurred post-mortem. All the body parts were hacked off crudely — with speed I’d say — burnt and left with the bodies. There is nothing missing. It was then that the bodies were laid into with something heavy and metal. Both bodies have extensive broken bones.”
“And still they were set on fire, even after all that?” Greco asked.
Dr Bowers nodded. “Rather excessive, I grant you. With regard to Riley, I have recovered flecks of rust embedded in his back. He was on his back when found, so the fire damage was not so extensive. The metal object used was definitely not new.”
“And you’re absolutely sure they were dead before all this was done to them?” Speedy asked.
Bob Bowers looked at him and smiled. The sergeant was looking distinctly green around the gills.
“Yes, Sergeant. No doubt about it.”
Greco shuddered. “Is there any forensic evidence apart from the rust?”
“Not yet, but tests are ongoing. They were found naked, so there’s no clothing to look at. Plus, the fire destroyed most of what we might have got from the bodies. We have taken skin swabs, fibres and other debris from their hair. Both Holt and Riley’s DNA is on record. So formalising identity won’t be a problem.”
That was small compensation. There was no way Greco wanted the families involved in any sort of ID procedure. What they’d see was just too horrific.
“Roxy will do her best with the samples she is testing. You never know. But my guess is we won’t get much. Whoever did this was good at the job. I have seen this sort of brutality before in cases where the poor unfortunate was used as a warning to others. But on those occasions the victim was usually still alive while the beating and abuse took place.”
“If drug dealing is involved, sir, that would make sense,” Speedy noted.
What Greco didn’t understand was, why kill them first and then make it look as if they had been beaten and tortured? They desperately needed to know what these lads had taken from that house, and what those packages contained. But more to the point, they needed to know the name of who’d done this. Somehow Greco didn’t think it was Ava Whitton.
“Any sign of drugs?” Greco asked the doctor.
“Blood tests show that both of them were sedated.”
Greco nodded. “What was used?”
/> “As I said, Roxy is still doing tests. She also took swabs from under their fingernails. We found a faint trace of heroin on Vinny Holt’s index finger. Speaking of which, Professor Batho would like a word before you leave. That something of interest I mentioned earlier.”
Speedy nudged Greco. “Wonder what nuggets of wisdom he wants to add.”
“We need all the help we can get,” Greco said.
Julian Batho wasn’t to everyone’s taste. Speedy found him hard going. And he was. But Greco understood the professor. They had suffered a similar experience. Both had lost the woman they loved in tragic circumstances. Julian didn’t suffer fools either. Like Greco, he took his work seriously.
“Heroin, you say. Maybe that was what was in the packets.”
Speedy nodded. “It would make sense. A valuable haul. You can understand why the killer would want it back.”
Moments later, Julian joined them. “Come along to the adjoining room, gentlemen. There is someone I’d like you to meet.”
Greco was intrigued. There was a slight smile on the professor’s lips. Did that mean the blackness was lifting? After what happened to Imogen Goode, Julian had been in the depths of depression for months.
“Hope it’s not another bloody body. Got enough on with this little lot,” Speedy grumbled.
“Whatever or whoever it is, Julian obviously thinks it’s important to our case,” Greco said.
The room next door was another post-mortem lab. It was a relief to see an empty table. Then Julian led them to the fridge and pulled out one of the drawers.
“I’d like you to meet ‘Festival Fred,’” he said with relish. “So named because he was found at the site of that big music festival in south Cheshire last summer.”
Speedy took a step back. It was a body, or what was left of one. “God, what a mess!” The skin looked like seasoned black leather that had been glued to the skeleton. “What happened to the poor bugger?”
“Badly beaten. His skull is cracked, so the head wound could have killed him. We can’t be sure. Not content with that, the perpetrator set the body on fire.” Julian’s tone was matter of fact. “Fred’s case is in the hands of the Cheshire police, but they need the input of expert forensics. Hence, he’s here with us. Of course, we don’t know if the violence was perpetrated before or after death. Has Dr Bowers told you about the rings?”
Greco smiled. “No, I think he was leaving the good stuff to you.”
“Vinny Holt had a ring on his little finger. Dr Bowers recovered it when he removed the digit. Festival Fred was wearing an identical ring, also recovered from a finger we found in roughly this area.” Julian pointed to Fred’s throat. “It was the same style, quite distinctive, and had the same hallmark on the inside. Both were initialled, but the letters are well worn. I will work on them some more. The rings are gold but were not assayed in the UK. The hallmark is small but we have narrowed it down to one of two possibilities. Fred’s killing is remarkably similar to those of the young men in there.” Julian nodded to the next room.
“Are you suggesting that this individual knew Vinny?” Greco asked.
“That one is for you, but it is probable that they both met your killer.”
“Had Fred been beaten and his body mutilated?” asked Greco.
“It is difficult to ascertain from the remains. But there are broken bones, and the finger is significant.”
“It is possible that Vinny stole that ring.”
“Yes. We are testing for prints, but it will be tricky. Fred’s ring had obviously been on his finger for years. It must have been an extremely tight fit. It had worn a faint mark on the bone. Had there been any flesh on the bone, a distinct groove would have been visible. I have no idea where Holt got his from or how long he’d had it.”
It struck Greco that it might have been part of the haul from Ava Whitton’s house — if there had been a robbery. “How long has this one been dead?” asked Greco.
“Difficult to say. We’re still doing tests. Fred was found in a ditch, in a Cheshire field last summer. It is probable that he had been buried there. The soil in the ditch was peaty, and it was waterlogged for much of the time. It aided preservation to some extent. We are looking at stomach contents, insect life, and plant pollens found on him in an effort to determine when he died and where.”
“Do you have his clothing?”
“No, Inspector. Like Riley and Holt, he was naked. But he had been placed in a black plastic bag.”
“If he was found in water, how come you are looking for pollen?” Speedy asked.
“It is lodged in his hair, ears and nose. So far we have found rape seed and sugar-beet pollen. That suggests a farming area. Perhaps somewhere like East Anglia, for example.”
“What do you know about him?” asked Greco.
“Male, about thirty years, and undernourished. His last meal was bread and water, which suggests that perhaps he was being kept prisoner somewhere. He’s had a knee injury that at some time required surgery. He had an allergy to peanuts. And it is highly likely he was Polish.”
That was a lot of information. Greco was rightly impressed. But it was worth nothing without solid evidence to back it up.
“And just how did you deduce that?”
“He was wearing one of those medical-alert bracelets on his wrist, Inspector. The words can just be made out on the medallion and they’re written in Polish. Plus, Roxy traced the maker’s mark on the ring to a jeweller in Warsaw.”
Chapter 10
They made their way out of the morgue. Looking thoughtful, Speedy said, “Perhaps we should have a word with the couple who found Fred.”
“We’ll see,” Greco said. “First, we’ll have a look at the statement the pair gave, and we’ll go from there. Given he was buried a while before the festival, I doubt they had anything to do with it.”
“What now, guv?”
“We’ll check out those rings. The photos are on the system. A job for you when we get back to the station. We need the maker’s name, and who they were made for. Initials aren’t much good on their own. We need names, addresses, you know the drill.”
Speedy shrugged. “Maybe they were sold in every jewellery shop in Warsaw.”
“They were expensive pieces and initialled. The jeweller who made them will have records.”
“Ava Whitton does have Wi-Fi, I checked. I’ve asked for her internet history from the provider.”
“Anything known?” asked Greco.
“She has no online presence, but she must use it for something.”
“I’m more interested in the friends she has, her family and if she gets on with the neighbours. What job she does and how she fits in. Work on the small details, Sergeant.”
Suddenly Speedy turned to him and said, “Does Grace seem a bit off to you?”
The questions were starting. Folk noticing that Grace was not quite her usual self. Greco cleared his throat. “Seems okay to me.”
“She’s not. There’s something, but she’s not saying. I’ve known Grace a while, remember? I can spot the signs.”
“Perhaps it would be better to keep out of it. Go nosing around her private life and Grace won’t thank you for it,” Greco warned him.
“I mention it because I think it has something to do with work.” Speedy paused. “Grace isn’t looking for another post somewhere else, is she, guv?”
“Not that I’m aware of. What makes you think that?”
“She’s been late a few times. Goes missing with no explanation. I wondered if she’d been going to job interviews.”
Greco shook his head. He almost smiled. “If that were the case, I’m sure she’d have told me.”
* * *
Grace and Joel walked into the community centre. The place was full. A group of older teens, crowded around Graham Clovelly, began to whisper as soon as they spotted the detectives. Max Marsh was in his room with a group of pensioners. The café was busy with mums and tots.
Graham hurrie
d across to greet them. He spoke in an undertone. “I hope this is important. It’s taken a while to gain this lot’s trust. Keep turning up like this and you’ll scare them off. I don’t fancy going through the whole uphill struggle again. So if you speak to anyone, just go easy, will you?”
“We haven’t come here just to make people nervous. We’re investigating two murders,” Grace reminded him. “We need to speak to Max Marsh again.”
“You have to see it from my point of view,” Graham said apologetically. “I don’t want any trouble. The lads you see over there are in my pool group, and moving up the rankings. A couple of them are ‘angels.’ The realisation that they are good at something and are an asset to the community has given them their self-esteem back. They’ve all got history with you lot. Some of them get argumentative at the drop of a hat. But being part of this centre, coming here and taking part in the tournaments, it’s paying dividends out there on the streets.” He looked at Joel. “You know what I mean?”
Joel nodded. “We’re not here to stir things up, Graham. A quick word with Max in there, and we’re off.”
“Okay, but tread carefully. He’s with the seniors. I don’t want them upsetting either. Do I call him out?”
“No, it’s okay,” Grace said. “We’ll go in and take a look at what’s going on.”
There were tables all around the circumference of the room. Each had one or two people sitting at laptops and working on an exercise.
Marsh looked at the detectives and frowned. “I’m busy.”
“A quick word. We won’t keep you.” Grace smiled. She’d recognised one of the group members, a woman who lived on her street. She waved at her.
“What’s he been up to, love?” the woman called to Grace.
Grace shook her head. “Nothing, Doreen. We want a quick word, that’s all.”
“I heard about the lads. It’s been on the news. Nasty. Makes you afraid to go out at nights.”
“I’m sure you’re quite alright.” Grace smiled again.
Marsh interrupted. “We’re in the middle of something. Some of them need a lot of help, so make it quick.”
“We’re here about the text you got from Vinny Holt,” Grace said. “The one with the picture of the house. Why didn’t you say something to my colleagues yesterday?”
Complete Detective Stephen Greco Box Set Page 60