The Value of Life

by Andy Crowson

  Chapter 20: Payment

  Josef woke at the sound of his alarm. He'd slept too long and he felt thick headed. He headed straight for the bathroom for a shower. He jumped in before the water was warm and allowed the rush of stinging cold spray to waken him fully. When the water turned warm he stood under it for a long time. When he stepped from the shower he felt marginally better. Wrapped in a toweling robe Josef headed to the kitchen and brewed some fresh coffee. He drank the first cup black, then poured a second, larger cup, added sugar and took it upstairs while he dressed.

  Josef's mobile rang, he recognized the number.

  "Lindahl," he said.

  "We've moved briefing to eight thirty this morning," Mason said. "We want to be with the Martins by ten, for when they transfer the money. We've got authorization for call tracing if he calls but we need time to set up."

  "Yes sir." Josef looked at his watch, it was about a quarter to eight. Mason hung up without another word. Josef called Whitlock and told her. As he'd expected Mason hadn't bothered to call her. Josef dressed quickly and headed for the door.

  He just made it to the briefing in time. Whitlock and the others were already there.

  "Right," Mason said. "Now we're all here we can get on with it." He looked around the room. "Lindahl, why don't you fill us in on what you've got."

  Josef could see the tension in the man, but there was something about it that was out of proportion to the situation. Josef studied Mason carefully.

  "There are three questions that we need answers to. What's important about the boys being taken from their own garden? Why do the boys all look the same? And how are they connected?"

  "Yeah well there's lots more questions we need answers to as well like where the boys are being kept and who the kidnapper is but I don't think we're gonna find the answers to any of 'em," Mason snarled. "I've read the psych report you gave Bentworth, what a load of shit. Now what real detective work have you done?"

  There was something about Mason's reaction that put the man in a dangerous place for an officer, and something about the man himself that made Josef see red. He stood.

  "What detective work have you done? What has the kidnapper said to you?" Josef asked. Mason laughed and Josef got more infuriated.

  "What's he said to you, cracker?" Mason goaded.

  "He's said my name is K," Josef leaned forward, his hands on the desk. He was angry but not shouting. "He's said these boys have all got to look the same, they've all got to be the same age. He's said they've all got to be taken from their own front door, right under everyone's noses. He's said you have to know that. He's said I have a cause more than money. He's said that I know these boys, I know their friends, I know who's ill, who's not, who's strong, who's naive. He says I watch, I study and I find weakness. He says I want to cause as much pain as possible, but not to these boys, to their parents. I want their parents to pay, not just with money, but with pain. They don't have money but they have to pay anyway. He's said my name is K, come catch me."

  Josef stared at Mason for a long time.

  "You finished cracker?" Mason said at last, trying to brush it off but failing, his smile too forced.

  "Fuck you, you prick," Josef said and sat.

  Mason looked around the room, he seemed to be weighing the outcome of the exchange but Josef was too mad to care.

  "I think everyone knows where we are," Mason said. "I think the best thing we can do is to get over to Daniel Martin's house and see what we can do there."

  He stood and was first to leave. Josef remained seated, the others filed out and as Ward passed behind Josef he dropped a hand on Josef's shoulder, squeezed and then filed out of the room. Josef spirits lifted a notch.

  When he and Whitlock were alone she said, "Well that went well."

  "Don't," Josef said.

  "Actually I was being serious," she snapped and stood. Josef looked up at her and her face changed from frown to smile, "You kick ass, cracker."

  They left the meeting room together but Josef only went as far as the desk he'd been using and collected a pile of pictures, paper and pens. They went back into the meeting room.

  "What're we doing?" Whitlock asked.

  "Thinking," Josef said.

  He began taping pictures to the whiteboard.

  "Any chance you can go get some coffee?" he said.

  "Yeah. You wanna chocky bar too?"

  "Please," he said his full attention now on the board.

  When Whitlock returned the board was covered in pictures, dates, times, scribbles, lines arrows and all manner of scrawly handwriting. Josef was sitting on the edge of the table studying it.

  "Share," she demanded.

  "Well I was thinking about what I shouted at Mason. I can't put it together quite right but I think that K was maybe abducted from his own doorstep as a child and his parents didn't do anything about it. Maybe they abused him or something."

  "You still think that he's associating with these kids?" she asked.

  "Maybe, it's the best thing that I've got that makes sense," Josef said.

  "Okay so say he's thirty five to fifty. Maybe there are records of his abduction on file. I mean if we know the specifics like the garden and the description and roughly the year then we might get lucky," Whitlock offered.

  "I have to go on this crisis counseling," Josef said. Whitlock ignored the comment.

  "Shall we crack on then?" she said.

  "Wait lets see what else we come up with first." He looked at the wall. "K," he said. "What's it mean?"

  "He changed his name? Could be his original name or an alias," Whitlock offered.

  "I like it, sounds good. He's telling us his name or a way to find it."

  "You really think he wants to be caught?" she asked.

  "Subconsciously maybe, I think he's in a lot of pain in some way, I think he wants it to stop. I don't really know enough to say but he's purposely leaving clues so that we can discover why he's doing this."

  "What clues?" Whitlock asked.

  "The schoolbag and the football boots," he said.

  "What about the Beacham kid?" she said.

  "There was a witness that saw the boy going into the garden," Josef replied.

  "That's not enough, there's got to be more than that. If he really wants us to find the connection then he'd have left something," she said.

  "They didn't find anything," Josef countered. "SOC went through the garden thoroughly."

  "The money," Whitlock said. "They found money, I bet he left there."

  "You fucking idiot Lindahl," Josef shouted in exasperation. "You absolute moron. They spent it."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I saw the guy spit on it and put it in his pocket. Even if we could get hold of it we couldn't get prints from it now."

  "Spit on it?" Whitlock looked puzzled.

  "See and penny pick it up, spit on it you'll have good luck," Josef explained.

  "Never heard that before," She said. Josef shrugged. They looked at the board, Whitlock was making notes and Josef was thinking. It was silent in the room but for the sound of pen on paper.

  After a time Josef spoke. "They were all doing something, school, karate and football. Maybe they're things K did himself as a kid. Maybe he was good at them."

  "Or bad," Whitlock said.

  "Why would you do karate if you were bad at it? School you have to do and football when you're at school but not karate."

  "Maybe his parents forced him to."

  "True," Josef pondered for a while. "Nah, we're just clutching at straws now. Best go with what we've got, at least it feels right."

  They left the display on the board and went to Josef's desk. They used the National Crime Database and ran searches on combinations of crime, date and place. They ran searches on Karate and football scouts, everything they could think of. After an hour they'd found nothing even remotely similar in the timeframe. Josef stood.

  "I'm gonna grab another coffee, you want one?" he as
ked. Whitlock shook her head,

  "I'll have a bubbly water though," she said.

  After Josef had gone she sat staring at the screen. She'd been sure that Josef was onto something. She liked him. He was a smart, logical man with genuine empathy. He could put his mind in the head of others and his intuition was uncanny. And he was tall dark and handsome in an unpolished sort of way. But he could use some lessons in eating fish and chips.

  Whitlock pushed those thoughts aside and returned her attention to the screen, she widened the dates in the search by five years and searched again. While the computer conversed with others in far away places Josef came back, he put the water in front of her.

  "Anything," he said nodding at the computer.

  "Sorry," Whitlock said, picking up the bottle and unscrewing the cap. "I really thought we were onto something."

  "It was a long shot," he replied.

  Josef's mobile vibrated in his pocket and then rang. He pulled it out. It was Bentworth's number.

  "Josef Lindahl," Josef answered.

  "Jo what the hell are you doing fighting with Mason?" Bentworth said. "He's just turned up here and he's fuming, says you yelled at him in front of everybody. That's a reprimand that could go on your permanent record."

  "Sir if I could just explain," Josef began.

  "It's all right," Bentworth cut in. "I'll let it go this time because I know what Mason can be like but don't do it again, I won't be able to help you next time."

  "Thank you Sir," Josef said. He looked at Whitlock who was staring with her eyebrows raised. He gave her the OK sign.

  "You've had your reprimand, now why aren't you here?" Bentworth asked.

  "I was steering clear of Mason for a while, and we were running some searches against NCD," he said.

  "Really?" Bentworth sounded surprised. "Searches for what? Have you got something new?"

  "No Sir, just against abductions and disappearances."

  "Oh," Bentworth said, "Well leave that and get down here, Mrs. Martin's been asking for you."

  "Yes Sir," Josef said. Bentworth hung up.

  "Bollocking?" Whitlock asked.

  "Yeah," Josef said, putting the phone back in his pocket, "Mason went running to Bentworth."

  "What'd he say?"

  "Just said I'd been yelling at him, trying to get me reprimanded."

  "Bastard," Whitlock said, surprising Josef with her venom.

  "Bentworth said we've got to go to the Martin's, help out there," Josef said, changing the subject.

  "Come on then," Whitlock replied businesslike. "It's a shame we didn't find anything, that would 'a wiped the smirk of Mason's face." They collected their gear together and headed for the car.

  They drove unhurriedly to the Martins'. As they entered Eastbourne Road they saw a patrol car parked outside the house and Josef recognized Bentworth's Jaguar. They found a space near the corner of Alcott Street. Josef backed into the space and they walked together up to the house. A uniformed officer opened the door.

  "Can I help you?" he asked. Josef produced his warrant card. Everyone was crowded in the living room, but Josef squeezed in.

  Whitlock looked over Josef's shoulder into the living room, there was a mess of bodies but she saw no sign of Mrs Martin. She retreated to the kitchen where Mrs Martin was sat at the table. She looked up when Whitlock came in.

  "Hello," Whitlock said.

  "Oh. Hello." Mrs. Martin smiled. "You look better without the uniform," she said to Whitlock. "I was just making tea, do you want one?" she added.

  "You shouldn't be making tea, let me," Whitlock insisted and moved to the cupboard. "How are you holding up?" she asked. Mrs. Martin looked exhausted.

  "I'm all right, we've got the money, eighteen thousand, and the guys here have been so nice, they had a little whip round and they all put in some money. Over a hundred quid," she said.

  "Every penny counts," Whitlock smiled. Mrs. Martin nodded. The Kettle clicked off.

  "How many?" Whitlock said getting cups and lining them up.

  "Four teas and two coffees and whatever you're having."

  "And you?" Whitlock asked.

  "I'm a tea."

  Mrs. Martin sat at the table while Whitlock made tea. When she was finished Whitlock handed over Mrs. Martin's tea first then stuck her head out the door.

  "Excuse me," she said to the uniformed officer by the front door. He came over.

  "Can you just deliver these to the others?" she said indicating the line of cups on the counter.

  "Sure," he said. "Is there one for me?"

  "There will be in a minute," Whitlock said and returned to the kettle, filling it with a little more water. The officer left carrying two cups.

  "Do you really think he'll give Daniel back?" Mrs. Martin said.

  "I think so."

  "Really?" she pushed for reassurance. Whitlock gave it.

  "Everyone thinks so."

  "You're not just saying that?" The PC returned for another two cups.

  "Tea or coffee?" Whitlock asked.

  "Coffee please, got any sugar?" he said. Whitlock took the sugar bowl and put two spoons in it. The PC took it and left again.

  "Looks like it's been mad here this morning," Whitlock said.

  "Yeah, we've had people messing with the phone line since eight o'clock and there's been police around since about nine. It's a madhouse."

  "Are none of your family here?" Whitlock said.

  "We asked them not to come. We just want to get this over and done with, we just want Daniel back." She looked exhausted, dark rings around her bloodshot eyes.

  Whitlock wanted to ask her if she'd been sleeping, if she wanted to see a doctor, if she had been drinking and a hundred other questions. Instead she stood and made the PC his coffee. He returned for another two cups and left again. When he came back he took the last drinks and left. Whitlock shut the door and sat down opposite Mrs. Martin again, she was staring into her tea. They sat in silence, the only noise the mesmerizing ticking of the wall clock.

  In the living room Josef stood by the door. Mr Martin was sat near the phone with Bentworth next to him. Mason sat out of the way while a technician sat cross legged on the floor. He was wearing a headset and was talking to someone somewhere else though it. He was surrounded by two laptops, a suitcase full of cables and a big black plastic thing. Ward sat in the other chair.

  "Come in," Bentworth said. Josef squeezed into the room past the coffee table. The telephone in front of Mr. Martin rang.

  "OK Pick it up," the technician said. Mr. Martin did.

  "Yes," Mr. Martin said and paused while someone on the other end of the line spoke. "No, I can hear you fine." After a second he hung up again.

  "Okay we've got it now," the technician said. Bentworth checked his watch. He stood.

  "I've got some phone calls to make before we make the transfer. We've got just under an hour; I suggest we get ready in case he calls with a reminder beforehand. Josef can I have a word with you outside?"

  "Sir," Josef said. A PC came in carrying two cups.

  "Great," Mason said, "mine's a tea."

  When they were outside in the street Bentworth spoke again.

  "I haven't had much of a chance to talk to you the last couple of days and I've got a few questions before things go any further." Josef nodded.

  "I've read your report, I know you don't really have much information to go on but I need to your feelings on a couple of things." He waited for Josef to say something.

  "Go on Sir," Josef encouraged.

  "What do you think," Bentworth struggled for the words, "the chances are, that, this is a lose lose situation for the parents. I mean that they won't get the boy back anyway." Josef thought about this.

  "How do mean exactly Sir?" he said, "Are you asking me if the kidnapper will hurt the children? If he'll keep them or what?" Bentworth was slow in coming to the point.

  "You said in your report that this is about the parents, and it could be some
kind of punishment for them. For something they've done. I suppose what I'm asking is, do you think this is punishment enough or will he hurt the kids to punish the parents. Could we be looking at a murder investigation here?" His face was blank and Josef didn't envy Bentworth the job of asking.

  "You know I've thought a lot about that. The short answer is I don't know and there's no way to tell. To know that I'd have to know why he's doing this."

  "I realize you can't know anything for sure Jo, but what's your feeling on this?"

  "I think that it depends on how much the family pays. He's removed the responsibility from himself. I don't know if he would or could hurt the children, but he's given himself the mental freedom to do it blamelessly so I guess the answer is he might," Josef said.

  They stood on the pavement in silence while Bentworth stared at the phone in his hands, twisting it around and around.

  "You know it's not a lot of money," He said.

  "I know," Josef agreed, "but it's a lot for them."

  "He doesn't know that"

  "But I think he does," Josef said. "I think he knows everything about this family."

  "Mmm," Bentworth hummed undecidedly. He seemed to come to some sort of conclusion.

  "Thanks Jo," he said and held up the phone indicating he was about to make some calls, Josef headed back inside but turned at the door.

  "Sir," he called. Bentworth looked up from the phone. "They should pay, you know, if that's what you're asking me."

  He didn't like the idea of going back into the living room with Mason so he tried the kitchen.

  "I was wondering where you got to," he said when he saw Whitlock at the table with Mrs. Martin.

  "Just havin' a chat," Whitlock said. Mrs. Martin looked terrible. She looked up and smiled at Josef.

  "I'm glad you're here," she said. Josef smiled.

  "Wouldn't miss it," he replied. "You mind?" He pointed at the coffee and kettle.

  "Help yourself," Mrs. Martin said.

  "You want a refill?" he offered. Mrs. Martin shook her head.

  "No thanks."

  Josef quietly made coffee and sat with them in the kitchen and drank it. No one said anything for a long time. They heard the front door go, and then Bentworth appeared in the doorway.

  "Come on," he said. "Let's go make the transfer." It was early but not by the time the technician had the internet connection going over a separate line so the phone was free. Mr. Martin sat at the laptop while everyone watched. After several minutes waiting the transfer was made.

  "Do we just wait now?" Mr. Martin said.