by Ted Tayler
“As clear as mud,” said Gus. “But no matter how much I want things to be different, Curran has marked my card. Provided you’ve checked you’re not handing me a ticking bomb, then I can continue tackling cold cases. Cases like Burnside are off-limits.”
“I’m sorry, Freeman,” said the ACC. “I didn’t realise it would prove so contentious.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” said Gus. “The NCA, or whoever pulls strings these days, should make their red flags more visible.”
“What do you plan to do now?” asked the ACC.
“Get back to base,” said Gus. “I need to rally the troops and tell them as much as Curran will allow. Then we’ll get on with the Kendall case. When do you expect Geoff Mercer back? I want to know whether Rick Chalmers is leaving us now that the task he was helping Alex with has collapsed.”
“Mercer will return on Monday morning,” said Kenneth Truelove. “I’d appreciate an update on the Kendall case, whether or not you’ve cracked it. Perhaps we can meet at ten o’clock and discuss staffing levels then?”
“That sounds good, Sir,” said Gus.
“One last thing before you leave, Freeman,” said the ACC. “Brendan’s people had to know about the Freeman Files. I had no choice. Your people will be entertaining his men as we speak. When you get back to the office, please ensure they know where to find every scrap of data you’ve recorded on Burnside’s killer and the related issues. Don’t be clever.”
“I wish you’d told me sooner, Sir,” said Gus. “Lydia and Blessing will be alone. Neil Davis was in Westbury, interviewing people connected to the Kendall case.”
“I called ahead, Freeman,” said Kenneth, “and told Ms Logan Barre to let them in. The ladies don’t know why they were getting raided, but they knew what to expect.”
Gus left the ACC’s office and made for the stairs. “Not so fast,” said Suzie.
“I didn’t expect to see you before tonight,” said Gus. “Were you caught in the madness?”
“They had no reason to commandeer any of my stuff,” said Suzie. “Nothing similar has ever happened here at London Road. You have a knack of finding trouble, don’t you?”
“Sorry that I didn’t call you,” said Gus. “My feet didn’t touch the ground once we got the elbow from the manor house. I imagine Alex and Rick are talking with Divya to learn what the NCA removed. I need to speak to them before they reveal what they were working on to other staff members in the Hub,”
“Don’t worry, Gus,” said Suzie. “The stormtroopers warned everyone it was beyond their remit. The Hub staff got told to carry on with whatever they were doing and forget the NCA was ever here. I warned you to be careful.”
“We weren’t in any danger,” said Gus, “as far as I could tell.”
“Vera tells me your old sparring partner, Brendan Curran, was in the building.”
“He’s halfway to London by now,” said Gus. “We’ll never be bosom buddies, but he was more forthcoming than last time. Curran asked if we understood one another. His isn’t a job I would enjoy, but I appreciate the tightrope he has to walk. We shook hands before he left.”
“Blimey,” said Suzie, “that’s quite a shift in your relationship.”
“With luck, we’ll never meet again,” said Gus.
“I wondered whether you’d leave it a few weeks and have another go,” said Suzie.
“I can’t be selfish,” said Gus. “I have the livelihoods of others to protect. If I were a lone wolf who knows, perhaps I’d risk another visit.”
“Put it behind you, Gus,” said Suzie. “Plenty of other cases to tackle.”
“Do you know what Callum Wood said?”
“Who’s he?” asked Suzie.
“Callum works at the manor house,” said Gus. “Previous to that he was a detective in Bath. Guess where he worked before he moved there? In the building that now houses our office. Callum worked there alongside Neil’s father, Terry. Their boss was Phil Hounsell. How many more times will that name surface? Somehow, those people are connected. Wood, Hounsell, Wheeler, and the red-headed man. How many others we may never know.”
“You’re struggling to let it go, aren’t you?” said Suzie. “I’m worried for you, Gus. Please, drop it. Keep busy on your other case for the rest of the day, and I’ll see you tonight.”
“You’re right,” said Gus, “but it flies in the face of everything I value. I hate leaving the pieces of a jigsaw scattered on the table, especially when I know how most of them fit together. I keep reminding myself of what Curran said, that pursuing Burnside’s killer wasn’t in the national interest. Curran’s men are at our office grabbing everything we’ve got on file there. They’re thorough. I’ll give them that.”
“Do the necessary,” said Suzie. “I’ll see you later. If you want to talk, I’m a good listener, but be warned, I won’t let you throw everything away for a thug like Grant Burnside.”
Gus trotted downstairs and left the building. He glanced across the yard to the Hub but decided against a visit, a call to Alex before he left the car park would suffice. It was hectic enough in that building already.
As Gus battled early afternoon traffic, he knew after his quick phone call Alex and Rick would be on their way. They would reach the Old Police Station office within seconds of one another. How long the NCA people were staying was uncertain. Gus tried to work out how to explain matters to his Crime Review Team. A speech that didn’t give much away but enough for his colleagues to accept without asking probing questions. Why wasn’t there a government minister around to ask for advice when you needed one?
Thirty-five minutes later, Gus stood below the office with Alex and Rick. Their path to the lift door barred by two burly detectives. Gus checked their identification and accepted their barked instructions. He and his two colleagues must wait for work upstairs to finish before gaining entry.
Gus knew that thanks to the well-organised system, Alex, Neil, and Lydia had helped him install, it would be a simple task for the detectives upstairs to carry out a seek and destroy mission. He prayed they left everything unrelated to the Grant Burnside case in its usual pristine condition.
Forty minutes later, the lift descended, and four men emerged carrying closed cardboard boxes. The six NCA detectives then crossed the car park to their van, loaded up the evidence, and left without a word.
Gus rode up with Alex and Rick. As they walked into the office, they found Neil and the others tidying the mess the searchers had left behind.
“Leave that for a while,” Gus said. “You deserve an explanation.”
The team gathered around his desk. Gus knew the probing questions would come, regardless of how he couched the words from Brendan Curran. The men and women in front of him had proved they were a crack team of investigators during the cases they’d worked on together. He needed to stress that they had zero options if they wished to stay in business. Toe the line, or the Crime Review Team was history.
“What’s going on, guv?” asked Neil Davis. “Why have Alex and Rick joined us? I got back from Westbury as their dark blue van arrived in the car park. I wondered what the heck was going on when I saw them clamber out mob-handed. Luke arrived while I was trying to persuade the two heavies downstairs that they should allow me up. They relented, and we came up together. Luke said he couldn’t elaborate on this morning’s events. He said you got told to get back to London Road and the ACC would explain everything.”
Lydia Logan Barre and Blessing Umeh sat beside one another, waiting for Gus to speak.
“I proceeded along the driveway in an orderly fashion,” said Rick, trying to make light of the matter. “Someone handed Gus Freeman a phone. The next thing I knew, we were back in the car and returning to Devizes.”
“Rick and I went inside the Hub,” said Alex. “Senior detectives were rifling through filing cabinets, downloading files onto memory sticks, and shredding printed documents. Divya, the girl who helped us collect data this week told us it was our data they sei
zed, and nobody else’s.”
“What’s that about then, guv,” asked Neil.
“Do you ever watch US TV shows,” said Gus, “where the local police take on a case and just when things look interesting FBI agents descend on the squad room and whip the case from under their nose? As often as not, the case impinges on a major investigation the FBI is carrying out. The locals might have enough evidence to arrest and charge a low-level member of a criminal gang, but the FBI insists it has its eyes on a bigger prize.”
“Is that what’s behind this morning, guv?” asked Luke.
“In simple terms, yes,” said Gus. “We’re the local cops, and the National Crime Agency are our equivalent of the FBI.”
Gus hoped he could get away with his next statement as the last word.
“The matter fell outside our jurisdiction, and we would do more damage than good by continuing.”
The room fell silent while the team considered what Gus had said.
“So, the NCA took everything we had on the Grant Burnside case,” said Lydia. “They didn’t tell us that, they said to sit still and keep quiet.”
“I imagine they did the same here as they did at the Hub,” said Gus. “They didn’t just take copies of the Freeman Files; they deleted every scrap that could help us progress the case. Brendan Curran ordered me to leave it alone.”
“How did they explain the business about the mobile phones?” asked Blessing.
“There’s a recycling centre at the location we visited this morning refurbishing phones for ex-service personnel,” said Gus. “Alex and Rick’s visit to Tanya White coincided with an upgrade for phones issued to charity staff.”
“I suppose that’s reasonable,” said Luke. Neil looked unconvinced.
“The other four girls haven’t moved to a new house,” said Gus. “Alex and Rick assumed they had disappeared, the same as Tanya, but apart from having their phone numbers, we hadn’t yet confirmed where the girls were living.”
“Tanya did a runner though, guv,” said Alex.
“Tanya didn’t see any reason to tell you she was moving into a house with another girl that day. She couldn’t see it was any of your business. After her experiences in Swindon, she needs time to learn to trust someone. I think we can appreciate that.”
“What happens now, guv?” asked Rick.
“We continue the hunt for Ivan Kendall’s killers,” said Gus. “Geoff Mercer isn’t available to give you a new assignment yet, Rick. I’m meeting Geoff and the ACC at ten o’clock on Monday morning. Your next job will get sorted then. After your long spell undercover, surely you’ve got a day’s holiday owing to you. Take the rest of the week off. Thanks for your help. Who knows? Maybe we’ll work together again.”
“Okay, guv,” said Rick, “I don’t need asking twice. I’ll grab a takeaway in town, get home, drink a few beers, and then fall asleep watching the tennis on TV.”
“The exciting life of a single bloke,” said Neil.
“Separated, Neil,” said Rick. “My marriage went down the toilet eighteen months ago. My missus is a staff nurse and worked long shifts at the hospital. We rarely saw one another. That’s why I volunteered for undercover work. It got me out of the empty house.”
Gus sympathised with Rick Chalmers. Rick was a good detective, but it was never easy finding someone who understood how a case became all-consuming. You wanted to do right by your colleagues, and above all, the victims. People who wanted to share that life were thin on the ground.
“Best of luck with your case,” said Rick as he made for the lift. “I’ll see you.”
Gus helped his team tidy the office, and half an hour later, they had everything as near normal as possible.
“Rick made me hungry when he mentioned that takeaway,” said Neil. “Can we take a break, guv, for half an hour?”
“Fair enough,” said Gus. “I need time to get my head together after today’s events. I’ll recap everything up to last night, and then I’ll hear what you learned this morning.”
Alex and Lydia left the office together. They had plans to make for the coming weekend.
“Did you bring lunch today, Blessing?” asked Luke.
“Yes,” she replied, “Jackie Ferris won’t let me leave in the morning without finishing my breakfast and accepting a packed lunch. I must join a gym soon to lose the weight her food is adding.”
“You’ll have your car back tonight,” said Neil. “You won’t get stuck in Worton in the evenings.”
Blessing hadn’t shared her news with Neil about Dave Smith taking her out after he returned her car. Neil would only tease her and want a full report in the morning.
Blessing went to the restroom to fetch her lunch. As she waited for the coffee machine, Gus joined her.
“A black coffee, guv?” she asked. “I’ll bring it through.”
“Thanks, Blessing,” said Gus. “How are your parents settling in?”
“My mother rang last night,” said Blessing. “Her usual midweek check that I’ve not succumbed to a life of debauchery. I mentioned that you were visiting a place near the village today. My parents haven’t ventured deeper into the countryside yet. So my mother hadn’t heard of the place. My father is still getting the trip to the University locked into his head. By September, when the students return, he should be able to get to work and home again without getting lost.”
“Will you get here on time tomorrow?” asked Gus.
“I have my satnav, guv,” said Blessing. “I don’t plan to be late to bed tonight. It’s just a drink.”
“Ah,” said Gus, “what’s this? Have you met someone?”
Blessing explained about the Malmesbury PC who rescued her when she broke down. She omitted to describe the tall hunk with the cornflower blue eyes.
“So, I need to keep my eyes peeled for a Nissan Micra in the car park from tomorrow,” said Gus.
“Yes, guv,” replied Blessing. “I hope I can avoid bumping into anyone from the team when I’m parking.”
Gus carried his black coffee back to his desk. Blessing stopped to chat with Neil and Luke before starting her lunch. She thought she could manage the sandwiches in the time she had left before Gus wanted to restart work. No way could she finish the fruit cake Jackie had given her.
“It’s for a special treat, Blessing,” Jackie had said.
Blessing stared at the giant slab of scrumptiousness. It was more of a meal than a treat. It would keep for later.
Alex and Lydia exited the lift with minutes to spare. Gus was ready to begin.
“Right,” he said, “who wants to start? Neil?
“I checked with Ieuan Arlett, guv. He never saw or heard a thing about Kendall gambling. It didn’t sound something with which he would get involved, he told me. As you pointed out, guv, Ivan never had spare cash after he lost the well-paid job with the builder’s merchants.”
“I don’t suppose any of the high-street bookies would tell us whether Ivan held an account without a warrant, anyway, guv,” said Luke.
“I think it’s more likely that there’s another explanation,” said Gus. “What did you learn at the Dilton Marsh site, Neil?”
“The Homes and Communities Agency agreed on funding for several sites in Wiltshire around six years ago, guv,” said Neil. “The scheme aimed to offer appropriate sites for travellers, with standards of accommodation equal to that of the settled population. The project helped reduce unauthorised encampments and associated nuisance, but demand hasn’t been as great as was first thought, and there were only ten more pitches agreed across the county. Two of those were at the site near Westbury, increasing the present number to seven.”
“That reduces the number of places where the killers could have lived,” said Gus.
“Provided they stayed on one of the official sites, guv,” said Luke.
“The sites contain what they term family pitches,” said Neil. “Each pitch has a building that provides facilities for cooking, washing, and bathing.”
“The only thing the resident needs to provide is a caravan,” said Luke.
“I presume the occupiers stay there under certain licence conditions,” said Gus.
“Yes, guv, and they have to pay rent, council tax, and a site service charge. Residents also pay for water and electric usage.”
“Eddie Sinclair gave the impression that several of the families had been there some time,” said Gus. “Were you able to trace anyone there in March 2014 that fits our possible attackers?”
“I spoke to a Mr and Mrs Wakefield, who have been semi-permanent residents there for years. They were reluctant to say much. It’s a tight-knit community. They admitted that occasionally their unmarried daughter drives across from another authorised site near Corsham. She stays for a few nights at a time. I pushed them on that, and Mrs Wakefield told me her daughter’s partner got into bother with the law. Her daughter didn’t want to stay on the site alone while he spent seven days in the nick. I think the partner likes a drink, guv, so the daughter escapes during spells when he’s on a bender.”
“So, is it possible the other family pitches could have visitors too?” asked Luke. “If the main caravan holder paid the rent, council tax, and site fees, the council wouldn’t be any the wiser.”
“You must return to the site to interview the official holder of every pitch, Neil,” said Gus.
“I’ve met with five of them, guv,” said Neil. “Their caravans aren’t big enough to sleep an additional two bodies.”
“The killers could have split up,” said Lydia, “and slept in separate vans.”
“That’s possible,” said Luke. “The sort of men capable of what they did to Ivan Kendall would intimidate older couples. Could these men be relatives?”
“A car or van could enter the site without a caravan trailing behind,” said Blessing. “What’s stopping someone sleeping in their vehicle overnight?”
“Luke will go with you in the morning, Neil,” said Gus. “You can apply intimidation tactics of your own. I appreciate the community we’re talking to is reluctant to co-operate with the police. However, we need to find these two killers, and our best bet is that they were staying on this site temporarily. That fits with Eddie Sinclair’s reasoning.”