by Lisa Cutts
‘What?’ said Gabrielle Royston, one of the DCs who hardly ever said a word even when her colleagues were talking directly to her.
‘We do know,’ said Harry, ‘that this is a fuck-up of epic proportions and there’s already a serious case review of Linda’s murder. Leaving that to one side, we need to find Sean Turner. Tom, go on.’
Harry stole a glance at the members of his team, all open-mouthed and wide-eyed at this revelation. That they could have worked so hard to lock up a completely innocent man was beyond comprehension, yet possibly they had.
‘Getting back to The Grand,’ Tom said, trying his best to be diplomatic, ‘the staff were briefed to call us if he should turn up. We expected him to book a room as he usually did. Although they were asked to let us know if he came in for any reason at all, they failed to realize that he was in the restaurant on Saturday night until he had already paid and left.’
Harry found himself unable to look at Tom for the next part.
‘I’ve printed off stills of Sean Turner from the restaurant’s CCTV,’ said Tom. ‘I’ve also put a very short clip of it on the shared drive so you can see him as he gets up and leaves the restaurant, followed by the footage of him getting into the car.’
‘Why can’t we watch the whole thing?’ asked Gabrielle.
Harry knew her question made him look annoyed. The last thing he could risk was anyone seeing CCTV of Dane and Sophia in the restaurant, especially seeing Dane speaking directly to Sean Turner.
‘It’s something to do with Digital Forensics,’ said Tom. ‘They’ve had some bollocking from the Crown Prosecution Service about too many people viewing original footage or something. No one’s got to the bottom of the problem just yet, so I’ve copied the important bits and locked the original footage away. Come and let me know if you need anything.’
It was the first time that Harry had ever asked a member of his staff to lie, and Tom seemed to have taken to it like a duck to water.
‘Getting back to the Range Rover,’ prompted Harry.
‘Oh, yeah,’ said Tom. ‘I spent a lot of time trying to track it from The Grand on Saturday night. Again, the camera wasn’t brilliant, and I couldn’t get the registration number clearly. I only had a partial number. After hours of trying to track it around East Rise, I hit a break late last night when a bus pulled out going in the opposite direction.
‘I went straight out to the bus depot and, long story short, the bus camera will be downloaded first thing this morning. I’m going straight there to pick it up after this briefing. As long as the camera was recording properly, we’ll have a brilliant view of the car, its number plate and its driver.’
‘Arrests are imminent then,’ said Harry with an encouraging smile at his staff. ‘As soon as we have it, we’ll get the number plate circulated to all patrols, on PNC and ANPR. We’ll find Turner and then the hard work will really start.’
The only problem was, Harry knew that any arrest of Sean Turner was going to affect every member of his team. Not only was it a possibility that they had sent the wrong person to prison for Linda Bowman’s murder, but he suspected Turner had also managed to infiltrate East Rise incident room through Dane Hoopman.
Chapter 61
Sophia had a ridiculous amount of work to do and she was well aware that, as well as developments in the Jenny Bloomfield murder, there had been a rape overnight along the seafront, meaning that officers were being deployed to carry out CCTV and house-to-house enquiries. Officers were also needed to interview the distraught young woman who had been attacked.
As a Major Crime detective constable, or merely as a human being, Sophia knew how important those early enquires were, yet all she could do was watch the clock tick round towards midday, so she could make her excuse and slip off into town.
She was curious to meet Hannah, one of Dane’s cast-offs. The usual questions ran through her mind – was she fat? Old? Plain? Absolutely gorgeous? Was she a threat to Sophia?
The last question seemed unlikely, yet she had no idea what her motive was for texting and emailing her like this.
Sophia fidgeted in her seat and checked her phone for about the hundredth time that morning, earning yet more glances from her colleagues who were all quietly trying to look busy and avoid being sent to another major incident before they’d cleared up the last one.
When at last it was time for her to slip away, she made sure her phone was in one of her jacket pockets and the last few pound coins she had were in the other. She couldn’t bring herself to spend any of Dane’s money.
If Hannah was thinking of eating, she was paying for herself.
With as much of a hasty exit as she could manage without drawing attention to herself, she made it to the door.
The fastest way to the town was out through the front counter, where Sophia was pleased to see that a small queue had formed, meaning she wouldn’t be stopped by Ian behind the desk, and asked how Dane was getting on, as he had on two previous occasions.
Sophia made her way to the Seagull Pickings and stood twenty yards or so along the road. She tried to get a good look at who was inside, but the windows were largely covered on the inside by menus and posters, and on the outside by birds’ mess. At least she hoped it was that way round. It was largely regarded as a terrible place to eat, another reason why she didn’t want to squander what little money she had.
After several seconds of feeling like the most conspicuous person in the town, Sophia went towards the door.
There were a handful of people dotted around the tables, mostly sitting alone, most of the clientele eating with little joy and their mouths open, possibly willing the food to make a last-minute break for it.
At a table in the farthest corner sat a woman, similar age to Sophia, pale pink summer dress, long brunette hair hanging loose around her face. She was an attractive woman, although dark circles under her eyes and a slight red flush to her cheeks made Sophia think she drank a little too much and suffered from a lack of sleep.
Hannah raised a hand from the table in front of her and waggled her fingers in Sophia’s direction, who in turn gave a curt nod.
She made her way over, both women watching each other intently.
‘Take a seat,’ said Hannah, the beginning of a smile on her face.
‘Thank you,’ said Sophia. ‘I see you’ve got a coffee. I’ll just get myself one.’
She walked the few feet back towards the counter and placed her order with an angry-looking woman with amazing eyebrows, before taking her drink and sitting down opposite Dane’s former girlfriend.
‘I won’t pretend that this isn’t weird for me,’ she began. ‘Firstly, I don’t normally meet up with the exes of men I’m seeing, and secondly, you seem to have something you want to get off your chest.’
Tears sprang into the corners of Hannah’s eyes; she opened her mouth to speak, caught on the words and looked down to her fingers, drumming on the tacky tabletop.
‘Oh, boy,’ Hannah said. ‘This is so hard, even after all this time, this is still so hard.’
Her intense blue eyes focused on Sophia’s.
‘Does he ever mention me?’
The silence was too long for it to mean anything else.
‘No, no,’ Hannah said. ‘Of course he didn’t. Why would he? He had what he wanted, so why remind himself of it. Christ, I’ve been so bloody stupid.’
Fighting the urge to put a hand on Hannah’s arm, Sophia was unsure where to go next. Whatever she said was bound to be the wrong thing.
‘Okay,’ said Hannah, taking a deep breath. ‘I wanted to speak to you, let you know what happened between me and Dane. Please don’t for one moment think that I’m a lunatic raging ex who wants him back, because I most definitely don’t, or that I’m trying to jeopardize things between you. That’s the last thing I’m trying to do. All I want to do is give you the facts and leave it at that.’
‘Right,’ said Sophia. ‘I appreciate that, but I have to ask, why would you do that
? Help me out like that?’
Hannah’s eyes narrowed, an instant hardening of her face. ‘Because I don’t want to see what happened to me happen to anyone else, that’s why. Let’s just say the only friend I’ve got left in the police told me Dane was on the move and I’ve made it my business to keep informed of what he’s up to.’
Whatever Sophia’s opinions or thoughts, she was going to try her best to keep them to herself. Did this woman have her own agenda?
‘What did happen to you?’
Instantly her features softened. ‘I fell head over heels for Dane Hoopman, that’s what happened. He charmed me, no doubt thought I was a soft touch.’
Here, Hannah’s demeanour changed. She leaned across the dirty table towards Sophia, the tiny red veins around her nose and across her cheeks more visible now. Her mouth tightened into a mean straight line, skin puckered at the edges of her lips.
‘It’s what he goes for, you know. The lonely and the weak.’
Sophia guessed that some spitefulness was inevitable.
‘And don’t look at me like you pity me,’ said Hannah. ‘He hasn’t ruined your life yet. I know that much or else you wouldn’t be sitting here now in your work suit, nipping out for lunch.’
She threw herself back in her cheap, silver, light-weight chair, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
‘Oh no,’ she continued. ‘He would have had you roped into his next get-rich-quick scheme by now, and like me, you’d have been out of a job.’
Not for the first time, Sophia wondered if perhaps the woman was a bit crazy.
‘Why did you leave the police?’ said Sophia.
Her question was met with a look of utter bewilderment.
‘Bloody hell,’ she replied with a shake of her head, hair falling back over her shoulders. ‘You really don’t know what happened and why I’m no longer a police officer.’
The short pause should have given Sophia time to think, but instead her mind was whirring with so many questions.
‘He really never told you?’ Hannah chewed the edge of her thumbnail. ‘I suppose there’s no reason why he would. If he had, you might have wised up to him by now, done your own research as to how I came to leave the police after a very short career under a very dark cloud. All of it caused by Dane bloody Hoopman.’
Even though she knew she didn’t want to know the answer, Sophia found herself saying, ‘What did he do?’
Hannah held up a finger, bitten nail and all, to silence Sophia. ‘Has he ever taken any . . . photos of you?’
Sophia felt her own eyes narrow at the question.
‘Photos? Do you mean, well, photos?’
Hannah raised a well-plucked eyebrow in response.
‘You’re quick,’ was the accompanying reply.
Sophia felt a headache coming on. ‘So, are we talking revenge porn?’
This time, the retort was a snort of laughter.
‘No, love,’ said Hannah. ‘If only it was that simple and mucky. No. Dane’s capable of so much more than that. His entrepreneur skills are out of this world.’
Her eyes misted up again and she looked away at her nails, bitten and cracked.
‘So, he blackmailed you?’ said Sophia.
‘No,’ Hannah said, unable to stop a tear from escaping down her cheek. ‘He pimped me out, put me on a website and sold me for sex.’
Chapter 62
I got back from headquarters in good time. That stupid old sod Powell was still moping around in the incident room. Did the old boy really have no proper work to do? I was busy, and I was running on half-capacity. Still, I expected that the ploddy git always did the right thing. He struck me as the sort to tell the truth, no matter the consequences. I’d like to get the chance to put that to the test, though I didn’t think I’d be about that long.
Sophia wasn’t there when I got back, which was fortunate. It gave me time to think if nothing else.
I’d seen the money at the back of headquarters’ safe, and from hanging around listening to conversations as I did (which had often come to stand me in good stead in the past), I knew that we had to act fast.
Tonight would be the best night to do it while the money was most definitely there. Tomorrow, it might be gone.
Planning under pressure was never a smart move, but in all honesty, I was desperate. If I didn’t get hold of some money and make a break for it, with or without Sophia, Turner was going to have my nuts on a platter. I was either going to prison, or most likely hell, with bits of my anatomy missing. I’d rather take my chances on the run. I reckoned I’d get away with it too.
No one was watching so I took a map of headquarters off the wall, photocopied it and circled the top floor, roughly where the safe was. Then I folded it in half and slid it into the bottom drawer of Sophia’s locked pedestal next to her desk.
That should do for starters. It wouldn’t be enough to hang her, but I was working on that.
I looked up as I walked away from her desk. What I was doing wasn’t that suspicious, apart from the latex gloves I’d slipped on. I couldn’t risk fingerprints on the page. A complete lack of prints might look odd, still, that was better than incriminating myself.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Harry coming towards me. He was getting on a bit, although not completely unobservant. I dropped the gloves into the bin next to my desk, certain he hadn’t seen what I’d done right in front of him.
‘Dane,’ he said, standing a couple of feet from me, ‘I’ve been meaning to ask how you’re getting on. You got time for a chat in my office?’
Well, I did, but I didn’t want to.
‘Sure, boss. Why not?’
I followed him down the corridor to his boxy little office, turning down his offer of coffee on the way.
He shut the door as I sat down, and then took his own seat and gave me a half-hearted smile. I thought, not for the first time, that a couple of his front teeth looked as though they were false and questioned whether the man ever shaved. Every time I saw him, he had ginger stubble all over his bloody face. I might be a light-fingered bastard, but at least I was smart.
‘You settling in all right?’ asked Harry.
‘Fine, thanks. Everyone’s been very friendly, shown me the ropes, you know.’
I nodded and smiled, feeling that was the reaction he wanted. He eased back in his chair towards the open window, the annoying noise of the seagulls whizzing around, probably crapping all over my car.
How could anyone bear to live here? This place was getting to me and I’d only been here a matter of months.
‘As long as you know where I am if there’s anything you want to ask me, speak to me about,’ said Harry with what I suppose he thought was a reassuring smile.
‘That’s very much appreciated, sir,’ I lied, with my own winning smile. ‘I most certainly will.’
An awkward pause followed which I think he thought I was going to feel obliged to fill. I failed.
‘Okay,’ he said, unable to resist filling a silence. ‘I wanted to let you know where I am if there’s anything you want to talk to me about . . . Perhaps something you’re not sure whether you’re heading in the right direction, that kind of thing.’
Heart-warming, but I had things to do.
‘I’m great, thanks,’ I said as I stood up to leave. ‘You take care of yourself too.’
He was still scratching at his stubble when I got up to walk out. The screen on his phone lighting up grabbed my attention, especially because the name that jumped out at me was Sophia Ireland.
I wondered what she could possibly be calling him about.
Chapter 63
Early hours of Tuesday 12 May
Sophia had never felt so wretched in her entire life. She had done a couple of unfavourable things in the past – she’d once got a friend to write an essay for her at school, told a couple of lies to get herself out of trouble and had even embellished the odd fact when trying to get a prisoner remanded to prison – but she had never
come close to getting involved in any kind of criminal activity, especially the type Dane had somehow managed to talk her in to.
Her hands were trembling as she tried to tie her shoelaces. She was dressed from head to toe in black, something Dane had been most specific about. He’d got annoyed with her when she’d joked about using camouflage paint.
Dane had planned the whole thing with very precise timings of where and when they were to meet, and the route they were to take. Between them, they’d pooled the information they could about the security system. They’d been helped out enormously by an innocent conversation Sophia had had with an old friend who worked at the Force Control Room, telling her how funny it was that half of the cameras weren’t working as the maintenance contract had run out. It seemed that they really did have everything worked out to the nth degree.
As instructed, she had left her phone switched on and on the work surface in the kitchen, along with her security pass. Her pockets were empty and all she had in her hands were her car keys and house keys.
Resisting the urge to throw up, Sophia sat on the edge of her bed, calming herself down with long, slow breaths. She wasn’t sure she could go through with this. She knew Dane was relying on her, and once tonight was done, it would all be over.
That’s if she could even live with herself and what she was about to do.
With little option but to finish what she’d started, Sophia stood up, ready to break into police headquarters and steal what Dane insisted was rightfully hers.
Chapter 64
Early hours of Tuesday 12 May
I watched Sophia’s car headlights as she pulled off the road and into the space behind the hedge. I’d chosen this spot because I knew there were no cameras, no number-plate readers and no houses around. It was unlit and shielded from the road, which had no pavements. It was pretty perfect, if I did say so myself.
She parked her Honda Civic behind my car, which I’d been sitting in for the last twenty minutes, trying to steady my nerves. I was a bit out of touch, and this wasn’t my usual sort of job.