The Autumn Tree (DI Bliss Book 8)

by Tony J. Forder

‘I don’t think it’s breaching any sort of confidentiality if you at least tell us whether Honey was booked out in Cambridge yesterday. No need to mention precisely where or who with.’

  ‘That’s it?’

  ‘That’s it.’

  ‘And then you’ll bugger off?’

  ‘And then we’ll bugger off.’

  With a huff that was more for show than due to genuine annoyance, Parkinson leaned forward and started typing on her open laptop. She made a few clicks with the mouse, scrolling down a page. When she looked up, Bliss thought he saw a look of genuine relief. ‘As it happens, we do have a girl by the name of Honey. But she was not booked out in Cambridge yesterday.’

  ‘That had better be the truth, Nicola,’ Chandler said. ‘I mean it. I’m done fucking around with you.’

  ‘It is. And for what it’s worth, she wasn’t booked out at all yesterday. In fact, she’s not worked for us in almost two weeks.’

  ‘Is that unusual?’ Bliss asked. He’d noted a momentary frown flicker across the woman’s features. ‘For her to go that long without a booking?’

  ‘Let me check… yes, extremely unusual. She did a fair bit of work for our agency, as far as I can tell.’

  ‘Could she perhaps have taken time off for personal reasons? A holiday, maybe?’

  ‘If she did, she doesn’t appear to have told anybody.’

  Bliss thought they’d got what they came for, which was all this woman was going to give up without a warrant. ‘If you learn any more, you will contact us, won’t you?’ he said.

  Parkinson didn’t bother to respond.

  ‘Fine. We’ll leave you to your grief. Our condolences on your sad loss.’ He turned to Chandler. ‘Come on, Pen. Neither of us wants to see Nicola here weeping and wailing.’

  As he reached the door, he paused. Looked Troy Parkinson up and down. ‘You must be so proud,’ he said. Still the young man remained tight-lipped.

  ‘Yeah, and fuck you, too, Bliss!’ Nicola screeched as they left the room.

  In your dreams, he thought. And my nightmares.

  If they thought the air was frigid outside the car, it was frostier still inside. Fuming, Ashton said nothing, yet said so much at the same time.

  Chandler was the first to tackle him on it. ‘You think we were hard on you back there, Glen? If so, you need to think again. Rethink your entire career, maybe. Before we went inside, Jimmy politely told you to say nothing. You were there to observe. You couldn’t do that, though, could you? You had to let go of your frustrations. Thing is, the way you went about it could have made Nicola back off so far we’d never be able to speak to her again. You could have hurt us, Glen. Me and Jimmy. The MCU. Not you, though, because you’re off somewhere else as soon as we have a result. Nicola Parkinson is no CHIS, and she’s a mouthy mare, but if you dig hard enough you can often find a way through her defences. What little she gave us, we may never have got had you stayed in the room.’

  Bliss finished the explanation. ‘We know our murder victim was not supposed to be anywhere near Cambridge – at least, not on official business. And we already know she did only in-house calls as a semi-official sideline. It’s not a lot, Glen, but it’s something. It was the only something Nicola was prepared to give up, and we could have missed out.’

  He took a breath as he started the engine and waited for warm air to demist the windows. ‘Glen,’ he said, more softly. ‘I know when you hit the NCA and hear all that FBI bullshit, it makes you feel as if your shit don’t stink. Well, it does. I was older than you when I did the job, and had been there since SOCA knocked down the barriers. When it comes to people like Nicola Parkinson, I’m not saying there’s never a time to shout at them, lie to them, do whatever it takes to get information from them. Sometimes she makes me so angry I stand there shaking like a dog taking a shit. But you have to know when to give in to that rage, and that takes more experience than you currently have. Okay?’

  Ashton seemed to accept the rebuke well, but he remained quiet all the way back to HQ.

  Seven

  Despite the low-double-figures temperature, Bliss was sitting in the garden with the sliding doors pulled wide open. A Samantha Fish album spun on the turntable; ‘Watch It Die’ had just ended. He reflected on the lyrics, and idly wondered if the singer’s plaintive voice echoed what he’d been doing: sitting back and watching while his relationship with Emily withered and died on the vine. The next cut along, ‘Try Not to Fall in Love With You’, was never going to get him out of his funk. He tried hard to focus on Fish’s playing style and the soulful tones she wrought from her guitar.

  It had been a while since he had listened to music while gazing at his garden, his eye caught by the pond and its fish swimming in lazy patterns; in fact, he probably hadn’t done it since before the crazy shit with the ‘slow slicing’ case back in August. His mind had been too unsettled in the turbulent weeks and months since, an inability to relax not helping his cause with Emily. He realised things were not right between them. And that it was mainly his fault. She perhaps saw him slipping away in the long silences between their infrequent conversations, and he wondered if she would stick around long enough to watch him fall.

  The moment the song reached a quieter section, Bliss heard thumping coming from his front door. Expecting one of his team to start complaining about having to wait outside in the cold, he instead found DI Burton standing on his doorstep. In typical Angie style, she didn’t wait to be invited in; brushing past without a word, she marched straight down the short passageway and into the living room at the far end.

  ‘Bloody hell!’ She wore a heavy overcoat but still hugged herself and rubbed her arms. ‘Were you born in a barn?’

  ‘A stable,’ he said. ‘As all great leaders are. Anyway, quit your whining and tell me why you’ve so rudely interrupted my peace and quiet.’

  She smiled. ‘Your moment of bliss, you might say.’

  ‘You might. I never would.’ He crossed the room to slide the doors closed, then went to the sound system, levered the stylus off the vinyl and shut it all down. ‘Is this about our victim, Ange?’

  ‘Yes and no. Where were you earlier? I tried several times to find you.’

  ‘We had a house call to make. After that, Pen and I were stuck in a meeting with Bish and Diane.’

  ‘Fair enough. Duty calls. Anyhow, I eventually found your girl’s true indie page. Calls herself Autumn on there. From what I could tell, she’s been running it for at least a year. It’s not at all subtle, either. About the only thing she doesn’t offer is bareback.’

  ‘Does anybody these days?’

  ‘Well, some girls are still willing to screw without a condom, provided the man can provide a recent clear HIV and STI test.’

  Bliss shook his head in bewilderment. He told her about his conversation with Marta Lsenko. ‘Sounds to me as if having a sideline income outside of the agency has become a common practice for these girls.’

  Burton nodded. ‘Things change rapidly in this business. And yet, somehow they stay horribly the same. It’s still tomming around at the end of the day, only now it’s tiered. These escort agency girls operate at a completely different level from your usual brasses. They’re meant to look good all the time, so they have to agree to regular drug tests, there’s no smoking allowed, and their alcohol intake is kept to a bare minimum. They need to be both classy escorts at a restaurant and dirty whores in bed. Many have regular clients who buy them gifts and treat them extremely well. They’re a bit like mistresses, in some ways.’

  ‘So the complete opposite of how they treat girls at the lower end of the scale.’

  ‘Entirely. Those poor women are still kept supplied with drugs and force is used to keep them hooking, not to make them secure. Compared to them, these top-rate escorts lead a pampered life.’

  ‘So why the need for that bit of extra income on the side as well? Pure greed?’

  ‘For some, perhaps. This Lsenko girl sounds as if she may be one of thos
e. Others… I think they do it for that spark of genuine liberation. A token gesture of defiance aimed at the people who run them.’

  ‘A gesture that can get them killed.’

  She wagged a finger at him. ‘That’s the other side of the coin. If this isn’t a punter gone wild – which it still could be, I’ll remind you – then I suppose you’re going to be looking long and hard at Drake’s organisation.’

  ‘Funny you should say that.’ Bliss outlined the result of their visit to the house in Orton Malbourne. ‘It’s where the investigation took us,’ he explained. ‘I wouldn’t be doing my job if I turned a blind eye to what we know is going on right under our noses. You should have heard Ashton banging on about it afterwards. He couldn’t understand why we allow them to operate out in the open like that.’

  ‘Ashton?’

  ‘Our ERSOU liaison.’

  ‘Oh, him. He’s young. He’ll learn.’

  ‘He’d better do so fast. At the moment he’s a fucking massive albatross and my raft is in danger of capsizing.’

  ‘Ignore him.’ Burton snapped her fingers. ‘No, in fact, don’t. Do the exact opposite. Use him, Jimmy. You know you’re on dangerous ground working this while Drake’s appeal is ongoing.’

  ‘Fuck Drake!’

  ‘Thank you, but I’ll give that a swerve if you don’t mind. And I’m thinking more about the CPS and the various legal niceties involved. What you’re doing quite legitimately as part of your new investigation could be regarded by others as harassment. Working something against him and his business enterprise while they are adjudicating his verdict and sentence is not something they are going to welcome.’

  ‘Which is tough. They’re going to have to get over themselves. I go where the case takes me. You know that better than most, Ange. You’d do the same.’

  She nodded. ‘You’re right. I would. But I don’t have a gazillion beady eyes watching me closely, waiting and perhaps even praying for that one final slip-up.’

  Silence hung in the air between them for a few moments. Bliss hiked his shoulders. ‘I like it that you care about me, Ange. I do. But I can’t ignore this path we’ve gone down.’

  ‘I’m not saying you should. But you have an NCA investigator at your disposal. Use him. Have him run this down. I sent him the images, so he’ll be chasing those up anyway. Have him do your donkey work for you. You do the thinking, you come up with the strategy. But when the time comes for action, you press his button and if there’s shit to wade through, you let him get his shoes dirty.’

  Bliss laughed. ‘You always did have a lovely turn of phrase.’

  ‘Am I interrupting anything?’

  Bliss and Burton snapped their heads around. In the doorway stood Emily Grant, one hand clutching a shopping bag, the other holding her door key. Bliss had not heard her come in. He made the introductions as each woman took the measure of the other.

  ‘I’ve heard a lot about you,’ Burton said to Emily. ‘You’re an anthropologist, is that right?’

  ‘These days, yes. Forensically speaking. And you work with Jimmy?’

  ‘Not as such. I’m strictly sex crimes; we consult with various units as required. In fact, it’s been a few years since Jimmy and I last worked together.’

  ‘But you are at the moment, I take it?’

  ‘Sort of. Not sure how much my team and I will be needed. I think he wanted to pick my brains, that’s all.’

  Emily looked around. ‘Has he even bothered to offer you a cup of tea?’

  Burton smiled. ‘I’m sure he would have got around to it eventually. I’ve not been here long.’

  ‘In that case, please do take a seat and make yourself comfortable. You two continue your chat and I’ll put the kettle on. Tea or coffee? Or I’ve got some of those instant mocha drinks if you prefer?’

  ‘The mocha sounds good. Thanks.’

  When Emily stepped out of the room, Bliss felt Burton’s eyes drilling holes into him. He met her gaze, which widened. ‘I see she has her own key. Must be serious, Jimmy.’

  He shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t read too much into it if I were you. With my hours, it makes sense for her to be able to come and go as she pleases.’

  ‘Oh. I got the impression… you two aren’t living together?’

  ‘No. It’s a more practical arrangement this way, that’s all.’

  Burton nodded as if she didn’t quite know what to believe. ‘Either way, I’m pleased you have somebody. I always thought you were one of the loneliest souls I ever came across – even when you had people all around you. It’s good for you to have someone close in your life.’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s relatively new.’

  She grinned. ‘As effusive as ever, Jimmy. You just can’t stop spilling your guts and banging on about your feelings, can you?’

  Emily came into the room carrying two mugs. She handed one to Burton, the other to Bliss. He smelled his favourite Earl Grey tea. ‘Are you not joining us?’ he asked.

  ‘No, you two go ahead. I’ve got dinner to do, and I’m sure there are things you need to discuss that I ought not to hear.’

  Bliss shook his head. ‘We were pretty much done. Ange came over to update me on a new case so’s I’d have additional information for the morning briefing.’

  Emily nodded and smiled. ‘How thoughtful. I was beginning to think the rest of your colleagues were mythical. Anyhow, you two don’t mind me. Dinner in about an hour, Jimmy. That okay?’

  ‘She likes me,’ Burton said when the kitchen door closed. ‘You can tell.’

  Chuckling, Bliss said, ‘You being here took her by surprise, that’s all. I don’t get many visitors.’

  ‘Oh, I think it’s more than that, Jimmy. We women have a sixth sense about exes. Your lady friend took one look at me, sized me up in an instant, and knew without doubt that you and I had once had a fling.’

  Bliss did not argue. He’d seen something pass across Emily’s gaze the moment it alighted on Burton: an immediate suspicion, which put her on high alert. He nodded. ‘You may well be right. And if so, she’s bound to ask me about you later.’

  ‘You want my advice?’

  ‘I sense I’m about to get it no matter what I say.’

  ‘You’ve got good instincts. Listen, be honest with her. You and I had a moment. That was it. We’ve seen each other around the nick on many occasions since. We get on well, for which I’m grateful. You’re a good friend, but there’s no lingering spark. Tell her that and she’ll believe you.’

  ‘Em is not a jealous woman.’

  Burton laughed. ‘Oh, Jimmy. How can you still be so naïve? You don’t have to be a jealous woman to feel jealous. You only have to see the opposition.’

  ‘But there isn’t anything between you and me anymore – you said so yourself. So what has she got to worry about?’

  ‘That there was once a you and me. She knows we must have been attracted to each other at some point in the past, which means we could be again in the future. The here and now aren’t always relevant when it comes to sex, Jimmy. Emily knows – or at least is pretty certain – that a woman you once slept with is here in her territory. And was here with you, alone, when she arrived home. That’s why she’s in the kitchen. There’s no way she can look at me or talk to me without thinking about the things you and I might have done together.’

  Bliss took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. ‘You women are far more complicated than I give you credit for.’

  ‘Which is why you’ll always be the weaker sex. But don’t worry. I’ll drink up and go. And don’t make the mistake of waiting for her to ask you about me. Tell her. She’ll feel more comfortable having it out there.’

  Bliss was about to reply when his personal mobile rang. He checked the screen and frowned. ‘Sorry – I have to take this.’

  He slipped out into the garden and walked across to the far side, where a bamboo bridge crossed the narrow part of his pond. As if they sensed his presence, the koi began to gather close by. H
e spoke for less than thirty seconds, the conversation causing him alarm. When he went back inside, he said, ‘I have to go. Sorry. Thank you for the info, and for… well, the life lesson. I’ll tell Em about us when I get back.’

  Burton got to her feet. ‘Is it the case?’

  ‘The… no. Something else. You take your time with your drink. I’ll say goodbye to Em.’

  This was not how he wanted to leave it, but the information he had received gave him only a narrow window of time in which to react. At least it would take Emily’s mind off Angie Burton, because the reason he was headed out again was the one that had kept the two of them at loggerheads for the past fortnight.

  Eight

  Vesuvio’s Italian restaurant and pizzeria was located in one of several unassuming brick-built units along Eastgate Mews in Whittlesea, a small fenland town six miles east of Peterborough.

  Bliss abruptly shook his head and walked silently past the man who tried to seat him. He hadn’t gone there to eat. Instead, his eyes scoured the diners. He spotted the man he’d been told he would find sitting at a table with a mature redhead. The two were enjoying their main course, a glass of red wine poured for each of them. The woman leaned forward attentively as her companion spoke. She had one of those curious faces that at first glance seemed plain, yet the more you looked, the more attractive qualities emerged. The man had his broad back facing the entrance and he reacted with surprise when Bliss approached their table from behind, pulled out a chair and sat down to join them.

  Ignoring him, Bliss turned to the redhead. ‘Good evening,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry to drop by unannounced. I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment, but believe me, it’s better to do that than allow you to ruin the rest of your life.’

  ‘Do we… do we know each other?’ Her voice had the cadence of a local fenlander.

  ‘No. We’ve never met before. But tonight is your lucky night, because I’m here to do you a massive favour. Especially if you have young children. Do you have young children?’

  The woman’s mouth flapped open a couple of times. She narrowed her gaze and stared hard at her companion, who said and did nothing.