by Jay Nadal
Scott nodded in agreement. “That’s a fair point, Mike. I’ve lost count of the number of times that we’ve been on a wild goose chase, but a missing person is still a missing person. We’ve still got to do a risk assessment,” Scott said, unscrewing the cap on his water bottle and taking a hefty glug to satisfy his parched throat. “The reason this case has been elevated to us from uniform is because Hailey is a student at the University of Sussex. Over the past few months, there have been several reported cases of female students being followed or attacked.”
“What’s been done so far?” Raj asked without lifting his gaze from the rich tea biscuit that he was dunking into his tea. He was timing it to the millisecond. If he immersed it too long, the biscuit would break off and disappear into his tea.
“As much as could be done,” Scott continued. “The university increased security patrols, but with a campus that size, the coverage is still relatively thin. Uniform have been on campus doing regular patrols and made the usual enquiries, but have drawn a blank.” Scott tapped Hailey’s picture with the end of his pen. “It’s because this lady has gone missing, that this case has been referred to us.”
“What do we know about her already, Guv?” asked Abby.
“Not a lot. She’s studying history and politics, and a popular student. No run-ins or previous, and according to reports from uniform, the disappearance is out of character for her. She was reported missing by her flatmate, they’re in a student house on Upper Lewes Road. Her boyfriend has confirmed that he hasn’t seen her either. So, Abby, she is currently low to medium but can you do a risk assessment for me?
“Has she done anything like this previously?”
“Not as far as we’re aware, Abby.”
“Not fallen in with a bad crowd, drugs?”
Scott shook his head. “Uniform didn’t uncover anything to suggest that, but that’s what we need to find out.”
Scott grabbed his whiteboard marker and started to make a few notes of key tasks around Hailey’s picture.
“Okay, team,” Scott said, pausing for a moment and staring at the floor. In his heart, there was an uncomfortable awkwardness about using the word team after recent events. They felt a collective pain that was still fresh in the minds of those gathered. Scott’s chest lifted as he inhaled deeply. “Raj, can you contact the parents, get the background on Hailey. Find out how often she’s been in contact with them recently, was anything bothering her that she may have told them?”
“I’m on to it. I’ll also contact the faculty and the university counselling services to see if they can help. I’ll find out who her friends are so we can build a better picture of her and get a timeline of her last known movements.”
Scott nodded his approval and gave Raj the thumbs up. He was pleasantly surprised with Raj’s planned actions. Usually, Raj required a push in the right direction to get him thinking. Perhaps in the light of recent events, he’s taking his job more seriously, Scott pondered.
“You might want to find out about her phone provider. See if you can organise a triangulation to identify the last known point where her phone was used.”
Raj scribbled away on his notepad, just raising his pen in acknowledgement of Scott’s suggestion.
“Abby and I will go and have a chat with her boyfriend. Mike, I know it’s a big job but can you liaise with the campus security team and review any CCTV footage? There might be a chance she was spotted in the last twenty-four hours. Get a uniform to help you. I’m sure it’s already been done, but we need to be sure as a team that we’ve covered every angle. Take Raj with you and go and interview her flatmate. Check the usual things like email accounts and social media; she’s probably got an Instagram account alongside Facebook and Snapchat.”
“Snapchat, I’ve never really understood that. I’ve seen kids around town using that and they’re exchanging messages at lightning speed. Can you imagine me trying that with my fat fingers?” Mike asked with a look of bemusement as he stared at his sausage-like fingers.
Scott agreed to a certain extent. What happened to getting together for a face-to-face chat? Scott laughed at himself. He was beginning to sound like his dad.
“Whilst you’re there, Mike, can you bag up her toothbrush, and her pillowcase, just in case we need DNA samples?”
“Will do, Guv.”
“Any further questions?” Scott offered.
Mike, Raj and Abby gave a collective shake of their heads before getting up and returning to their desks.
A stab of pain hit him in the chest as he watched them wander off. He needed to keep the team going, they all had a job to do, and that was to serve the public. He knew deep down that the team struggled as they battled their own demons. Sian had been a junior member of the team, only recently starting her career in CID. She’d been often regarded as the baby of the team. Abby had taken Sian under her wing on more than one occasion. Perhaps that was the motherly instinct in Abby, but she had always been there to support Sian.
Despite his own personal and professional pain, Scott knew he had to dig deep and rely on his leadership. His team had live cases to work on, and members of the public were relying on them. He owed it to them and to Sian to keep pushing through every day.
3
Scott sat down heavily in his chair and gazed out across his room unwilling to focus on anything in particular. The day had just begun, but his body felt weary. His mind felt tired and his thoughts were all over the place. The last few weeks had ranked as being some of the most challenging he’d ever experienced.
But one thing was for certain and that was the sheer brilliance and resolve of the team that he had the pleasure of managing. The whole team including himself had been offered counselling in the wake of Sian’s death. Detective Superintendent Meadows had gone to great lengths to encourage both Abby and Scott to take up the offer. Both had declined.
Scott knew that Abby had been deeply traumatised by the last few moments that she’d spent with Sian. She’d been quiet and withdrawn in the days after the attack. A deeply private person, Abby had refused to seek help or acknowledge the grief, instead, choosing to block it out and push on.
Scott leant back, the chair creaking underneath his weight as his mind drifted back to Sian’s funeral. That day proved a particularly challenging time for the team and the force itself. Chief Constable Lennon led the tributes with a heartfelt speech which touched on Sian’s career within the force. He spoke at great length about her talent, and her traits of diligence, perseverance and thoroughness, which had made her a popular and well-respected officer.
An eerie silence enveloped the church as Lennon spoke, his authoritative and yet compassionate tone punctured with intermittent sobs from those gathered. Men and women alike openly expressed their grief at the loss of one of their own. Abby, Mike and Raj sat together for support. Scott sat alongside Cara, his hand in hers. An occasional and reassuring rub of his hand with her thumb were the only silent gestures of support she could offer as they occasionally exchanged saddened glances. The heavy weight of responsibility stifled Scott. A heady mixture of emotions threatened to engulf him, as a deep sense of guilt pulled him into the darkened abyss.
The service itself had nevertheless been an opportunity to rejoice in her life and to remember the vivacious, funny and kind soul that Sian was.
Max and Tricia Mason, Sian’s parents, sat on the front pew transfixed by her coffin. A poignant reminder of why they were all gathered. Throughout the service, Max offered a reassuring arm around the shoulder of his wife who often dabbed her eyes with a tissue. Max momentarily left her side to stand at the front and pay tribute to his daughter. He stood behind the lectern and pulled out a sheet of paper from the inside of his jacket before placing his glasses on the tip of his nose. He spoke the words he’d hoped any parent would never have to say.
His hand trembled as he tried to keep his composure, voice faltering as a stubborn lump of sadness remained firmly fixed in the back of his throat. Those ga
thered listened and hung on his every word. Some smiled, some nodded and others were moved to tears. He talked about the day that as proud parents they had watched their daughter pass out from police training college. He recalled how she stood there in her immaculate police uniform, and even though she was a grown woman for all to see, she was still his little girl.
Cara tightened her grip of Scott’s hand as tears chased each other down her cheeks.
Her best friend from university recalled their carefree days in Nottingham, and how she secretly loved to be wild and occasionally daring. But as she elaborated, Sian’s definition of daring looked quite tame in comparison to others. She recalled the time that they were driving down the road, and Sian proceeded to wind down the window and shout out, “I’ve got no knickers on.” A crackle of laughter and a few claps echoed around the ancient walls of the church; and offered a brief moment of light-heartedness to balance out the melancholy.
It had been an uncomfortable and deeply personal moment when Scott had come face-to-face with Max and Tricia Mason. Despite offering his sympathies, anything he said seemed completely inadequate in that moment. Sensing Scott’s unease, Max had given him a reassuring squeeze on the arm, and Tricia had given him a warm hug as she whispered “Thank you” in his ear. It was a humbling moment and Scott immediately understood that Sian’s wonderful qualities had come from her parents.
As they filed out after the service, Scott welcomed the sight of his former boss DCI Jane Harvey. She had slipped into the church at the last minute, and found an empty space at the back. Despite her forced unceremonious departure, her unrivalled loyalty to her team was clearly evident to Scott with her attendance.
Harvey was the first of many to make their way to Sian’s parents to offer condolences. She declined the offer of attending the wake by offering an excuse. She knew that her presence probably hadn’t gone down too well with Chief Constable Lennon or Detective Superintendent Meadows.
The internal investigation into the Edmunston-Hunt School case had already begun within hours of its tragic conclusion. It would no doubt rumble on for quite some time. The early findings had exonerated Scott, however, it had been noted that a weakness in the chain of command meant lessons had to be learnt. Chief Constable Lennon supported the recommendation that stronger accounting and risk assessments needed to be done for all officers across the county.
In reality, Scott knew that the job always carried risks. Every case, every visit to make enquiries, every surveillance job, even every arrest carried inherent risks to all officers. But he still took Sian’s death personally. She was a member of his team. She was the newest member of his team and perhaps needed closer supervision. Many times since her death he had put himself in Sian’s situation and thought about whether or not the outcome would have been the same. Could he have fought off Sanders? Would she still be here if she’d gone in there with backup? Did they miss the clues earlier in the investigation?
These were the questions that rolled around inside his head like Lotto balls inside their Perspex drum ahead of the Saturday night lottery draw.
Shaking the memories laced with regret from his mind, Scott pulled himself up to his feet and threw on his jacket. The next few days and weeks would no doubt be a challenging time for his team. Everything they did would be closely watched and scrutinised. For this reason alone, he needed to make sure everything would be done by the book.
He left his office en route to brief Meadows.
Scott announced himself at Meadows’s office with a double tap on the open door. Meadows briefly glanced up, his pen hovered over the paper where his writing had been interrupted. Scott hated the small insincere smile that Meadows always gave him.
“Come in, Scott. What can I do for you?” Meadows asked, as he leant back in his chair and nodded to the two spare seats on the other side of his large desk. He glanced down and began adjusting his blue–red striped tie so that it hung perfectly. Meadows was the type of man who was always immaculately dressed. A dark charcoal grey two-button suit was always either accompanied by a white or pale blue shirt as standard. He ties were either dark red or blue and red horizontally striped. He had a high forehead which sloped up towards a growing full head of grey hair that was cut short.
Scott had often thought that Meadows had an uncanny resemblance to the US comedian and TV presenter Jon Stuart when he was in his forties. However, that’s where the resemblances ended. They may have looked similar, but Meadows certainly lacked the satirical wit, charm and enigmatic appeal that Stuart boasted.
“How is the team holding up?” Meadows asked as he interlocked his fingers and placed them on the desk in front of him.
It didn’t pass Scott’s attention that Meadows had referred to ‘the team,’ as opposed to ‘you and the team.’ “They are holding up well, Sir. It’s still early days, and it’s still fresh in all of our minds, but I’m there to support them. Of course we’re going to be busy with this ongoing investigation.”
Meadows raised an eyebrow. “Well, we need to reassure the team that we’re here to support all of them in any way we can.”
There he was again saying ‘the team’…
“Any leads in the investigation?”
“Not as yet, Sir. The case has only just been referred to us and we’ve just had our first meeting. I’m sending Raj and Mike out to visit her student digs, and Abby and I are off to have a chat with her boyfriend.”
“Okay, well keep me informed. I don’t need to remind you about how the force is reeling from DC Mason’s death. There are a lot of extra eyes watching this station and the conduct of our officers, so I don’t want any heroics, understood?”
Scott clenched his teeth as the muscles in his jaws flexed. There were never any heroics as Meadows put it, and the unnecessary implication only annoyed Scott further. Scott remained silent, knowing that if he opened his mouth, he’d probably regret it.
Meadows leant forward fixing his stare on Scott in an exaggerated attempt to emphasise the importance of what he was about to say. “Scott, you may have been cleared of misconduct, but questions have been raised about your methods of leadership. I hasten to add, that it’s not me who’s raised questions,” Meadows added holding his hands up by sides of his face in mock disappointment.
I bet you didn’t.
Meadows readjusted his tie once again. “And I imagine it’s probably the reason why your name hasn’t come up as a suitable replacement for DCI Harvey in either an acting or permanent capacity. I think your job now is to vindicate your position and to continue building on your good job as an inspector.”
Talk about giving me a slap with two hands, you hypocritical bastard, Scott thought.
“Anyway, we’re fortunate enough to get your team back up to a full complement as we have a new DC starting following the interviews we conducted earlier this year. A…” Meadows paused as he searched through the paperwork on his desk before pulling out a sheet. “A Detective Constable Helen Swift. She’s thirty years old and joins us from Cambridgeshire.”
Scott was taken aback by the news. “I was unaware the final decision had been taken, Sir.”
Meadows looked perplexed. “Had you not? Perhaps DCI Harvey had forgotten to pass on the information to you. There were a lot of things that DCI Harvey wasn’t doing, and perhaps this was an oversight on her part.”
Scott wasn’t happy about how Meadows was questioning DCI Harvey’s integrity, especially considering she wasn’t here to defend herself.
“She should be with us tomorrow morning, so show her around and make her feel welcome. I’ll leave it in your capable hands to get her up to speed on the current case. Any questions?” Meadows asked as he raised an enquiring eyebrow in Scott’s direction. “If not, then close the door on your way out.”
“No, Sir,” Scott replied as he left the room. I would ask why you’re such an arsehole, but you’d probably take that as a compliment.
4
“We’ve got a new DC joining us
tomorrow,” Scott remarked as they made their way along the Lewes Road out of Brighton towards the University of Sussex campus. Abby glanced out of her window watching the suburban sprawl of Brighton thin out as they headed north-east out of town.
“I thought the decision hadn’t been made yet?” Abby remarked, surprise lacing her tone.
Scott shrugged as he held on to the steering wheel. “That’s what I thought, too, but Meadows just sprung it on me. One of the officers that we interviewed earlier on in the year will be joining us, DC Helen Swift.”
“Hmm…she…was the one from Cambridge?” Abby asked racking her brains to recall all the candidates that Scott had spoken about some time back.
“Yep, that’s the one.”
“How do you think she’ll fit in after…?” Abby’s voice trailed off.
There was an uncomfortable pause as their minds drifted back to Sian’s death.
“Only time will tell. It would be all too easy to keep comparing the new DC to Sian, but that wouldn’t be fair on either of them. At the end of the day, the new DC is starting a job with a new force, it’s just a shame that she is joining in slightly difficult circumstances.”
Within minutes they were following the signs for the University of Sussex campus. Brighton seemed to have been long forgotten as the hustle and bustle of the city was replaced with a serene, wooded landscape.
The sprawling campus of the university was set amongst Stanmer Park, with its beautiful woodland walks and extensive open lands that offered the perfect haven for wildlife and people alike. It was a popular spot for families to spend lazy afternoons enjoying a picnic and for walkers to enjoy wooded trails. Stanmer Park blended seamlessly into the wooded landscape that stretched beyond and formed part of the South Downs National Park. For all intents and purposes, anyone could have been mistaken for thinking that they were miles from the nearest hotspots of civilisation.