by M A Comley
“Ah, yes, now that’s a brilliant idea, why on earth didn’t I consider that before you two ladies turned up? Give me a second now. I think I have his number in my phone.” She picked up her mobile from the small table next to her chair and punched in a number. “Gordon, this is your gran speaking. I’m here with the police… No, don’t be silly, I haven’t been arrested, you cheeky so-and-so. You wait until I see you next time, I’ll bash your ears for you thinking such a bad thing… Now then, hush that smart tongue of yours and listen, it’s important… I saw an incident and I’m helping the police with their enquiries.” She glanced over at Katy and said, “That’s right, Inspector, isn’t it?”
Katy smiled. “One hundred percent accurate, Alice.”
“Good, good.” She turned her attention to her grandson once more. “Gordon, listen to me. Now then, that car of yours, what make and model is it…? Just answer the bloody question, there’s no need to use that tone with me, young man.” Alice shook her head and wagged her finger as if her grandson was in the room with them. “That’s better. I wish you’d stop treating me like an idiot every time I speak to you. I might be getting old but I’m not senile, not yet… Yes, that’s all I needed to know. You can get on with the rest of your day and your life now while I talk to the police.” Alice tutted and jabbed a finger at her phone. “Youngsters today, I despair, I really do. Thought I’d add the last bit to make him suffer a bit. That’ll teach him to come and see me more often. What am I saying? Come and see me full stop. He only shows up when he’s in money trouble. Good old gran, trying to survive on her meagre pension, I’ll tap her up for some beer money at the end of the month when funds are low. He thinks I’m silly.” She prodded herself in the temple and narrowed her eyes. “I know how these youngsters are with money nowadays. Back in my day we saved our money, always had something in the bank for emergencies. It’s the total opposite with the kids of today!”
Katy smiled at the old woman who reminded her of her own grandmother, soft and squidgy to look at but with a hardened fierce interior. “I’m sure he loves you in his own special way.”
“Oh, I have no doubts about that. I bet some days he’s sat at home, rubbing his hands, thinking of when I’ll be six feet under. Little does he know that the doctor gave me a clean bill of health at a check-up last week. He even went as far as to tell me that he reckons I’m going to live until I’m a hundred, God forbid, another twenty-five years! I cried myself to sleep that night.” She sniggered. “No, I didn’t, I’m kidding.”
“You’re an amazing person. I hope the rest of your family treat you well?”
“In fits and spurts they do. Anyway, I went off the subject again, didn’t I? He told me his car is a…” She paused, searching for the right make and model. “Ah, yes, I’ve got it now, it’s an Audi S3.”
Katy nodded and glanced over at Charlie who was taking notes. “That’s brilliant news. Now, here’s an even more important question for you. I don’t suppose you saw the number plate?”
Alice immediately shook her head. “I’m sorry, that one is beyond me. I was so caught up in what was going on, it’s a bloody miracle I could identify the car for you. Sickening, it was. I hope the young man they abducted is found before anything bad happens to him.”
Katy chewed her lip, pondering whether to tell the old woman or not.
“Oh my, I can tell by your silence that all isn’t well. Is he badly hurt?”
Sighing, Katy felt she owed the woman the truth. “I’m sorry, his body was found this morning.”
The woman buried her head in her hands. “No! And to think I could have saved him, had I called you sooner.”
Katy sank to her knees and hooked an arm around Alice’s shoulder. “Hey, stop that now. There’s no way you could have prevented the outcome. The gang’s intention is clear to me, they set up a deliberate barricade and then pounced on the victim. Neither you nor I could have done anything about it. Please, don’t go blaming yourself. We’re here, and you called us. You’ve also given us valuable information that could make the difference in our investigation. I refuse to let you blame yourself for what happened. You hear me?”
Alice dropped her hands and reached for a tissue to wipe her nose. She sniffed and sniffled for a few seconds as if reflecting on Katy’s reassuring words. “I know I’m being silly. Too blooming emotional about things these days. I never used to cry at the drop of a hat when I was younger. I hate getting old, it can be so debilitating. Don’t let it happen to you, dear. You’ll live to regret it.”
“Hush now, you’re doing really well. I can tell you have a wonderful spirit. Today is just a blip. You should feel proud of what you’ve shared with us. Before we came here, we had a victim and nothing else. Now you’ve told us that a gang of men abducted the victim and even have given us vital information about their car.”
Alice wiped her eyes and nose and pushed her shoulders back. “I have, haven’t I? Still, that doesn’t make up for the fact this young man has lost his life. Was he married? Did he have children?”
Katy pushed herself to her feet and glanced down at Alice. “Sadly, he was married. We delivered the news to his wife, and she immediately went into labour.”
“Oh my. That poor woman. To lose your husband one minute and give birth the next, and to think, he’ll never get to see his child. That’s just too distressing to comprehend and makes this crime a thousand times worse in my eyes. What were those men thinking?”
Katy shook her head. “We’ve yet to discover any form of motive for the crime. His wife will be fine, she’ll take comfort in naming the baby after his father.”
“How wonderful. Not sure I would have had the courage to do that. Each to their own, I suppose. Do you have any idea who these men are?”
“No. To be honest with you, we’ve got other similar crimes on the go at this moment in time, but the evidence and clues have been non-existent so far. That’s why I said what you’ve given us today could be huge, so you need to take comfort in that.”
“Ah, I see. Okay, yes, that news does make me feel much better now. Is there anything else I can tell you?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, it would be great if you could help us identify the men.”
“Golly gosh, I can try.” She ran a hand around her chin as she thought. “Let’s see, I caught a glimpse of them under the streetlight, they all had short hair, one was blond, one had black hair, another was a redhead, or would you call it ginger if it’s a male we’re talking about? Either way, he had red hair. The other two had brown and what I would call a sandy colour, something between blond and brown. Here’s the thing, all the men were white. That’s what struck me as strange, especially living in London, where there are so many foreigners, if you will.”
“See, it’s details like that which we’re lacking. Coupled with the fact that you’ve given us the make and model of the car, it shouldn’t take us long to track down these men.”
Her face lit up. “Really? Who would have believed it? I do hope you’re right, for the sake of that poor man’s family.”
“Perhaps you can give us what type of build these men had? Whether they had any distinguishing features?”
Alice sat back, relaxing for the first time since they had arrived. “Let me see. I’m trying my best to visualise the men now. I suppose only one of them I would call a stocky build. He wasn’t fat by any stretch of the imagination, I suppose he had a bit of a paunch on him. He was the one with the sandy-coloured hair, if that helps?”
“Absolutely, and the others?”
“All very slim, skinny, more than slim. They all had those drainpipe jeans on.”
“Skinny jeans?”
“Whatever is the right term for them these days. Back in my younger days they were called drainpipe jeans. I might be wrong, though, fashion was, and is, beyond me. I couldn’t give two hoots about it. In my day, as long as I had a decent coat to keep me warm in the winter, everything else didn’t matter.”
“I’m the same. As long as I have a smart suit or two for work, the rest of my wardrobe consists of comfortable jeans and jumpers. Sorry, I’m guilty of going off track a little myself there. So the gang left in the two vehicles, is that right?”
“Yes. They put the man in the back of the car and drove off at speed. Maybe you should knock on the neighbours’ doors, see if anyone else saw anything. It wouldn’t surprise me, it’s not as if they were being quiet out there.”
“You got the impression the men didn’t care if anyone saw them or not?”
“That’s right, brazen I would call them. Do you think the man was targeted, you know, with the time of day the incident occurred?”
“We’ve yet to establish that, although I think you might be onto something. Going back to the van, did it have any distinguishing features?” Although they had already covered the van details previously, Katy thought it was worth revisiting, considering how well Alice’s memory had improved during their conversation.
“Not that I can think of, just a plain white van, like I said before. I’m so sorry I can’t be of further help, I’ve told you everything I know, ladies.”
“You’ve been marvellous. Now, before we go, is there anything you need?”
Alice batted away the idea with her bony hand. “Get away with you. Get out there and find those… men. I had to hold on to my tongue then, I nearly called them a bad name.”
Katy smiled. “If you’re sure? I’m going to leave you my card, any problems give me a call. Also, if anything else comes to mind, will you ring me?”
“Of course I will. I’ll see you out.” Alice groaned as she stood. “Damn hip, that side will need replacing soon. I only had the other one replaced last year. It certainly takes its toll on you, getting old, I can tell you.”
They followed Alice to the door and shook hands with the woman.
“Thank you for being understanding with me. I was dead nervous when you arrived, but you did a fabulous job of putting me at ease right away. I wish all coppers were as kind and compassionate as you.”
“That’s kind of you to say. It was a pleasure meeting you today, Alice. Take care. Make sure you contact your family if you need them, okay?”
“I will. Don’t go worrying about me now. Find the buggers who destroyed that family for me.”
“It will remain our top priority, I promise you.”
Alice waved and shut the door. Katy waited until she heard the woman attach the chain on the other side and then she and Charlie crossed the road to survey the area where the abduction took place.
“Let’s keep back, I need to get on to SOCO, get them to go over the area in case they’ve left any trace evidence behind.”
Charlie took a few paces to her right and pointed at the road in front of her and the abandoned car. “Possible spots of blood there.”
“Good. Okay, let me place the call. Can you ring the station, get one of the lads looking at the CCTV and ANPRs for this area? After we’ve organised that we’ll check in at the sorting office, see what they have to say.”
Charlie nodded, withdrew her mobile from her pocket and took a few steps back while Katy placed her call to SOCO.
They joined up again a few minutes later when both tasks had been actioned and jumped back in the car. Katy drew up in the car park of the sorting office, and they walked into the reception area.
Katy produced her ID and showed it to the older woman on reception. “DI Foster and DS Simpkins. We’d like a word with the person in charge around here, please?”
“Yes, of course. That will be Mr Jones. I’ll see if he’s free to see you. Won’t you take a seat?”
“Thanks, we’re fine standing.”
The woman left her desk and dashed to the back of the room. She came out of the office she’d entered with a tall man in his early forties, his thick beard the dominant feature on his confused face.
“Hello there. I’m Paul Jones, the manager. How can I help?”
“Would it be possible to speak in private, Mr Jones?” Katy asked, her gaze flitting between the receptionist and Mr Jones.
“Of course. Come this way.” He opened a glass security door and then led them into his office. There was a large patio window behind his desk which overlooked a colourful courtyard with a seating area at the back. He jerked a thumb behind him and laughed. “I had it installed so I could keep an eye on the staff during their breaks.”
Katy held back the tut on the verge of breaking free. “Oh, right. Always good to keep abreast of what the staff get up to, right?”
“Yes, indeed. They used to fool around a lot in the staff canteen, it was always a mess until I put the cameras in to keep an eye on them. Anyway, what’s the reason behind your visit today?”
“We’re following up on an incident which occurred along the road this morning. Are you aware of it?”
He frowned and shook his head. “No, I can’t say I am. What time was this?”
“Sometime just before five.”
“Ah, I didn’t start until seven this morning, although there will have been a number of staff already here by then. May I ask what kind of incident?”
“We believe a member of your staff was involved.”
“What? Who? This is news to me,” he was quick to reply.
“Does the name Yao Soro ring any bells?”
“Yes, in what way was he involved? Wait, I just rang his home address as he hasn’t shown up for work today. I didn’t get a response, though. What’s going on here?”
“It is with regret that I have to inform you that it would appear Mr Soro was abducted on his way into work this morning.”
“What? Does that sort of thing really happen? For what reason? Is someone trying to get a ransom out of his family?”
“No. Yao’s body was later found in a woodland close by.”
Jones sprang forward in his chair. “His body? As in, he’s dead?”
“Unfortunately, yes. We thought we’d drop by to see if Yao has had any reason to feel uncomfortable at work recently.”
“I’m not sure I understand where this is leading, Inspector. Would you mind clarifying your point for me?”
“I wondered if he’d had any form of trouble, in say the last month or so. Either with work colleagues or with the public possibly. Am I right in thinking he was a postman?”
“Yes, that’s right. Let me get his file up on the computer, see if there have been any complaints about him.” After tapping a few keys, Jones peered at his screen for a few minutes and then shook his head. “No, there’s nothing showing up here. He had an exemplary attendance record. Oh God, I’ve just had a thought, he and his wife are expecting their first baby. How dreadful. I’ll need to organise a whip-round for her. Sorry, trying to think ahead as usual. This is so devastating. Do you know who carried out the attack? What their motive was? It’s all so incredibly hard to believe!”
“Our investigation is still in its infancy at this stage. Are you telling me he’s never had any trouble around here? Perhaps had a run-in with another member of staff regarding the colour of his skin?” Just saying the words made Katy squirm uncomfortably in her seat.
“What? Are you saying that you believe he was killed because he was black?” He slapped a hand to his cheek. “What the hell? This year has been the pits where racism has been concerned, hasn’t it? The staff know I won’t stand for such behaviour. I would rather sack someone than put up with dealing with their vile beliefs around here.”
“We’re unsure if that’s the case yet, but it’s definitely an avenue we’re keen to pursue. Tell me, you have cameras all around this place. I don’t suppose you have any outside which might possibly take in the road on the way in, would you?”
“Why, yes, of course we have. Do you want me to have a look for you?”
Katy’s heart raced. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
“I’ll be right back, unless you want to come with me. The security room can be a tip at times, just to warn you.”
Katy and Charlie both leapt out of their seats.
“It doesn’t bother us,” Katy replied.
Mr Jones raced ahead of them. He took them through a winding corridor to the end and pushed open a door to what appeared to be a storage room. At the rear were a couple of shelves with monitors and recording equipment. “Here we are. Not what you would call state-of-the-art stuff, but I’m sure we’ll find what we need here.”
“It would be perfect if that turned out to be the case.” Katy watched on as he expertly played around with the equipment sitting on the lower shelf.
“I think this should be about right. Let’s see what we have.”
The three of them watched the images play out before them.
“Yes, shit! That’s Yao, fuck, that poor man. Why in God’s name would someone do that to him?”
Katy and Charlie remained silent, transfixed by the vicious assault that was taking place before their eyes.
“Shit!” Katy winced every time one of the members of the gang attacked the victim. “Okay, I think we’ve all seen enough. Can I get a copy?”
“I’ll make one now. What a dreadful, hateful incident we’ve just witnessed. Actually, it was far worse than that, but at this moment words fail me. Horrific, I can’t believe what I’ve just seen. Sorry, I’ll make the copy, I’m sure you have plenty of work to do.”
“Thank you. This is going to be vital to the investigation. I have to ask, do you recognise any of the gang members?”
Jones inserted a spare disc into the machine and set it recording then answered Katy’s question. “No, I’m sorry, I can’t say I do. Why? Why would they attack and abduct Yao, especially at that time of the day? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Until we know the motive behind the attack and track down the suspects, we’re in the dark as much as you.”
Silence filled the room, leaving each of them mulling over what they’d seen. A few minutes later, Jones ejected the disc and handed it to Katy.
“I really appreciate your help. Thank you for this.” Katy motioned at the disc case.