Speak No Evil: A Midlands Crime Thriller (Detective Sebastian Clifford - Book 2)

by Sally Rigby

  ‘We’ve called her Lacey. Is her real name Emily?’

  ‘Yes. But Lacey’s a nice name, too. It suits her.’ Tessa held the phone close, staring intently at the photo. ‘It seems so long since I’ve seen her face.’

  ‘Don’t you have any photos of her?’

  ‘No. Patrick didn’t like me to take any.’

  ‘Do you ever call Patrick by his original name, Sean?’

  ‘It was hard at first because he’d been Sean my whole life. He got angry with me when I forgot because he never got mine wrong. He was right, though. We had to learn to use our new names to make sure we didn’t accidentally drop ourselves in it when we saw other people. It took a few months, but eventually I was okay. I only think of him as Patrick now.’

  What sort of life had she endured? Constantly living in fear of being reprimanded.

  ‘Will you tell me what happened on the day you left Emily?’ Birdie waited a few seconds, but there was no reply. ‘Tessa?’

  The woman started, and she glanced away from staring at the phone and focused on Birdie. ‘Yes?’

  ‘I’d like to know what happened the day you left Emily in the centre of town and why you did it.’ It seemed strange to call Lacey that, but Birdie hoped it would encourage Tessa to open up and explain.

  ‘Um …’ Her voice faded, and an embarrassed expression crossed her face. She bit down on her bottom lip and couldn’t maintain eye contact.

  Birdie sensed she’d have to lead this conversation, rather than wait for her to open up, if she was going to find out anything about Lacey’s background.

  ‘I’d like to check. Is Patrick Emily’s father?’ Should she have started with something less contentious?

  ‘Yes, he is,’ Tessa whispered with tears in her eyes.

  Had he raped her? Was it consensual? What exactly happened between them?

  ‘And was it you or Patrick who took Emily into Market Harborough and left her?’

  ‘It was me. I had no choice.’

  ‘Did Patrick force you to do it? Is that what you mean?’

  ‘No. He didn’t want her to leave, but I could see what was happening. Patrick was becoming far too attached to her.’

  ‘Can you be more specific?’

  ‘He’d watch her all the time. Want her to sit on his lap. It wasn’t right. You know what I mean, in that sort of way. I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her. Especially after what I’d been through. I didn’t want Emily to suffer.’

  Nausea washed over Birdie. How could he?

  ‘Leaving Emily must have been so hard. You were very brave.’

  ‘It doesn’t feel like it. I keep remembering the bewildered expression on her face when I told her she wasn’t to stay with me.’ She squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

  ‘Tessa?’ Birdie said gently after a few seconds.

  The woman opened her eyes. ‘I tried leaving once before and took Emily with me. But he found us and said if I ever did it again, he’d kill me. He threatened to kill Emily, too. That’s why I stayed here all this time instead of being with my daughter. I knew he wouldn’t go after her. At least, I hoped he wouldn’t.’

  ‘When Emily was found, we could tell how well you’d looked after her. She’s a very clever little girl, isn’t she?’

  ‘Yes. I taught her myself. She talked from a very early age and was curious about everything around her. She learnt to read when she was only three. She’s an amazing child.’

  ‘How was she with Patrick?’

  ‘I could tell that the tension between me and Patrick affected her. She didn’t speak to him much and was very clingy when he was around.’

  ‘Do you believe he harmed her in any way?’ Birdie scrutinised Tessa’s face to see if she was going to hide anything.

  ‘No. But I knew it was only a matter of time.’

  ‘When we found Emily, she had a card around her neck with the words Speak No Evil written on it. What can you tell me about this?’

  Should she have asked? They’d kept the sign secret up to now. But that was to correctly identify Lacey’s parents, which they had done.

  ‘Patrick made her wear it all the time because he said it would teach her the right way to behave. Every day he made her pray. We all had to. He spent much of the time preaching at us.’

  ‘Why didn’t you take off the sign when you left her?’

  ‘I tried to, but she held on to it and wouldn’t let me. I didn’t want to force her, because I knew she was going to be upset enough by being left.’ Tessa placed Birdie’s phone on the table and kept it covered by her hand. It was as if letting go would break the contact between her and her daughter.

  How on earth had the poor woman coped?

  ‘Taking Emily to Market Harborough and leaving her there, was such a courageous move. How did you do it without Patrick realising?’

  ‘He’d gone away for two days to see his friend, so we were alone. It wasn’t something I’d planned to do, it just sort of happened.’

  ‘Can you explain it to me in more detail?’

  ‘Patrick left early on the Friday morning and couldn’t take me to work. I caught the bus to Creaton and left Emily here.’

  ‘On her own?’ Birdie’s tone was harsher than she’d intended.

  ‘I know that seems bad, but she was fine and was used to being alone sometimes. I was only going to be away for a couple of hours. Except the bus didn’t turn up to bring me home, and the next one wasn’t until much later. I went back to the house and borrowed the car. Mr and Mrs Kingston had gone away, so I thought it would be okay. I’d fully intended to take it back later that day, when I had Emily with me.’

  ‘Why didn’t you?’

  ‘During the afternoon, I thought about Emily and what might happen to her if she stayed with us, and then a plan formed in my mind. I decided that first thing in the morning I’d take her into Market Harborough and leave her. I wanted to give her a better life. It wasn’t a straightforward decision to make.’ Tears filled her eyes, and she brushed them away with the back of her hand.

  ‘And after you dropped her off you drove around a few times looking for a parking spot and then sat in the café opposite, watching her …’

  ‘Yes, that’s exactly what happened. I wanted to make sure Emily was okay. Once I saw the police had arrived, I knew she’d be fine.’

  ‘What did you do next?’

  ‘I left the café a little while later and drove home, intending to take the car back to Creaton in the afternoon. I was too upset to go straight away. But before I could go there, Patrick returned. I wasn’t expecting him until the next day. I don’t know why he came back early. When he asked where Emily was, I told him she’d run away and I couldn’t find her anywhere, even though I’d hunted the streets. He was really mad.’

  ‘Did he ask why you didn’t call the police?’

  ‘No, because he knew we couldn’t. Emily was a secret. No one knew about her.’

  ‘What about when you gave birth?’

  ‘I had her at home. Patrick, or Sean as he was then, delivered her. I was scared that something might happen to me, or the baby, but it didn’t. He knew what he was doing because he helped on a farm in Gloucester when he was younger. He’d delivered calves and lambs before.’

  ‘You were very lucky that it turned out okay.’

  ‘He would’ve taken us to the hospital if there was an emergency. I’m sure of it.’

  Really? Birdie wasn’t so sure. She hadn’t liked the man when they’d met before. She liked him even less now.

  ‘What about the car you stole from Mrs Kingston? Why didn’t you return it?’

  ‘Patrick decided we should keep it because his car kept breaking down. He went out and bought some fake number plates and sold his other one for scrap.’

  That reminded her.

  ‘If neither of you works, how do you survive?’

  ‘We inherited money when my parents died. My father only had Sean and me, so we shared everything.
It’s not a huge amount, but it’s enough to cover our expenses.’

  ‘Two weeks ago on the Saturday morning, something happened in Market Harborough town centre, which distressed Lacey. I mean, Emily. Were you in town then? Could she have seen you?’

  Birdie knew they were there, but she wanted to hear from Tessa what they were doing, and to make sure she’d been telling the truth.

  ‘Yes, we were in town. We seldom go in, and rarely at the weekend when it’s busy, but Patrick needed cash for something he was buying. I don’t know what. Emily could have seen him and got scared.’

  ‘Was she always frightened of him?’

  ‘He was very strict, and she’d be punished if she did anything wrong.’

  ‘What sort of punishments?’

  ‘It depended on what she’d done. If she didn’t remember her prayers properly, she’d be smacked. If her bed wasn’t made perfectly, then she’d have to miss her breakfast. Like I said, it would all depend.’

  ‘Is Emily aware that he’s her dad and your brother?’

  ‘Yes. But she doesn’t know that it’s wrong.’ Tessa hung her head. ‘What’s going to happen now? Are you going to arrest me?’

  ‘I think it’s best if you accompany me to the station and we can sort it out from there.’

  ‘Will I be able to see Emily if I go with you?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to speak to my sergeant, and he’ll need to contact social services. If you cooperate regarding Patrick and his behaviour, then you’ll have a better chance, but I’d be lying if I said you definitely could see her, because it’s not my decision to make.’

  Her insides clenched. Were they about to lose Lacey?

  ‘My bag and jacket are upstairs. I won’t be long.’ Tessa headed over to the stairs.

  ‘I’ll wait here for you.’

  Chapter 30

  Seb peered through the pub window again to check what Casey was doing. He was still talking to the man who’d passed him the money earlier. How long was he planning to stay?

  His phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket, not checking the screen before he answered.

  ‘Clifford.’

  ‘It’s Rob. Do you have a moment?’

  He glanced into the pub again. Casey didn’t appear to be in any rush to leave, as his pint glass was still half full.

  ‘I should have a few minutes spare.’

  ‘Remember the syndicate from Singapore you were investigating before they disbanded your squad? Rhetorical question. I know you do. What I’d like to know is whether you discovered anything that showed they were into drug trafficking as well as the illegal betting you knew about?’

  ‘I don’t have any proof, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Although we were focused on the illegal betting side, we suspected they had their fingers in many pies. What have you learnt about them?’

  ‘One of our informants overseas has given us some information regarding an influx of drugs into the UK, from a gang with links to Singapore. I don’t know for certain that this is related to the group you were looking into, but I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t a connection. Singapore isn’t so large that groups like that work in isolation.’

  ‘I agree with you, it’s highly likely.’

  ‘If you’ve got time, I’d like more information on the people you were investigating. Key players, their teams, any people on the periphery. Anything you know that might assist us. We don’t want to waste time by going down blind alleys, as has been the case on many occasions in the past.’

  ‘Mainly because we had an officer leaking information,’ Seb said, grimacing as he remembered what had happened to his former squad. It had mortified him when he’d learnt that a member of his team, someone he had trusted, had turned out to have links with the syndicate they’d been investigating.

  ‘Hopefully, we’re now clean,’ Rob said.

  ‘In an ideal world, maybe. But remember to keep on your guard, because this syndicate has ways of infiltrating the police. I’m out on a job at the moment but when I get back home, I’ll let you have everything I think might be useful.’

  ‘Thanks, mate. How’s everything going with the Birdie case? Is this what you’re working on now?’

  ‘It’s going well. We’ve got ourselves a break, which should bring the investigation to a close.’ The pub door squeaked as it opened and Seb glanced up. Casey was leaving. ‘Sorry, Rob, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.’

  He ended the call and walked the few steps to the corner, monitoring Casey while he headed to his car.

  Seb then turned and ran towards the street in which he’d parked, hoping that he’d make it in time to see the direction Casey took. He assumed the man would return home, as that’s what he’d done the two previous days, but in case he was heading elsewhere, Seb didn’t want to lose him.

  He turned into the street and did a double take. What the …

  A van with XYZ Printing Solutions sign-written on the side was double-parked and blocking him in.

  He dashed over, but the driver was nowhere to be seen.

  Where had he gone?

  He ran back down the street looking for the Golf. As he approached the pub, Casey drew up beside him and turned right onto the main road, heading back the way they’d come. Casey was concentrating on the traffic, looking for a space, and not the pedestrians. Seb was confident he hadn’t been seen.

  He returned to his car.

  The van was still there.

  He pulled out his phone. He had to warn Birdie.

  It went straight to voicemail.

  Hello, this is Birdie. Leave me a message, she said in her sing-song voice.

  ‘It’s Seb. I’ve lost Casey. I don’t know if he’s on his way home or not, and I’m stuck in Northampton. My car’s been blocked in by a van that double-parked. Be careful.’ He paused. ‘Actually, leave now and I’ll meet you where we were earlier.’

  He also texted her a warning.

  I’ve lost Casey. Keep an eye out for him. Leave the cottage now.

  He scanned the street. There was a printing shop on the corner of an adjoining road. Could the driver be in there? It was worth a try.

  He sprinted over and went up to the counter. A woman who had her back to him was talking to a man holding a large parcel in his hands.

  ‘Excuse me,’ Seb said.

  The woman turned around. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Does the XYZ Printing Solutions van belong to anybody in here?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s mine,’ the man who’d been talking to the woman said. ‘I’m delivering a parcel. I won’t be a minute.’ He walked through the open door behind the counter into what looked like a large warehouse area.

  ‘I really need to get out now,’ Seb shouted.

  ‘Keep your ’air on, mate. I said I won’t be long,’ the man barked.

  ‘But I need to go now,’ Seb said, unable to hide his agitation.

  ‘And if you don’t let me finish getting my delivery signed for, it’s gonna take even longer.’

  Seb glanced at the woman, who shrugged.

  He marched out of the shop and paced the pavement.

  He drew in a calming breath and returned to the shop.

  ‘Could you tell me whether the driver is going to be much longer?’ he asked the woman, who was flicking through a magazine.

  ‘There’s a problem, because the delivery isn’t complete. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to sort out. Sorry.’

  ‘Can you please ask him to move the van now and then come back to deal with the problem? I’m late for an appointment.’

  ‘Where would he go? You know what it’s like round here. Parking spaces are like hen’s teeth. Non-existent. Especially for a van the size of his. You were lucky you found one. Give him a few more minutes and he’ll be there. I’m sure of it.’

  ‘I don’t have a few minutes. Could you move the van for him?’

  ‘Sorry, love, I don’t drive. I took my test five times before finally givin
g up after my husband refused to pay for any more lessons. It don’t really matter much. I catch the bus everywhere.’

  ‘Do you have the key to the van, and I’ll move it myself.’ Though where he’d leave it would be anybody’s guess.

  ‘Are you insured to drive a vehicle that size?’

  ‘No.’ He wasn’t prepared to lie, in case he had an accident.

  ‘Then you’ve got your answer.’

  ‘If he doesn’t move, it will cause a very long traffic jam.’

  ‘It won’t because it’s one-way and people can take a right, then immediately left to avoid it.’

  ‘Apart from me, because I have parked.’

  ‘Sorry, love. Most people out there stay all day. It’s unlucky that you ended up in the wrong place. Don’t worry, it won’t be much longer. Do you want a coffee, I’m going to make one for myself. It’s only instant, but it’s okay. I’ve got a packet of bourbon biscuits, too, if you fancy one.’

  ‘No, thank you.’

  The woman left the shop and headed into the warehouse section.

  Seb paced the floor, clenching and unclenching his fists. How could he have got himself in such a ridiculous situation? Birdie might end up in trouble and he’d be unable to do anything about it.

  He left the shop and tried Birdie’s number again. Surely she’d pick up now. After a couple of rings, her voicemail tripped in again.

  This is Birdie. Leave me a message.

  He sucked in a breath. ‘It’s me again. Why aren’t you answering your phone? I’m still stuck here and I don’t know for how long. Get out of the house now and meet me at our lookout point. I’ll be with you as soon as I can. Be careful. For God’s sake, be careful.’

  Chapter 31

  While Tessa was upstairs, Birdie looked around the kitchen. The Welsh dresser, which ran along the wall to the right of the sink, contained a selection of mismatched plates and bowls and a few mugs. At the back of the room stood an old oak sideboard. There was nothing on top apart from a well-used, navy leather-bound Bible with gold edging and lettering. She opened it and read the inscription written on the inside page:

  Dear Sinead,