by M A Comley
Dave was the last member of the team to arrive, and he looked knackered before his day had even started.
“Everything all right, Dave?” Kayli asked.
“Sleepless night, that’s all. Have you ever tried sleeping in the same position with a leaded weight on your leg?”
Kayli cringed. “Nope, can’t say I have. Soon be over with, eh?”
“Not soon enough,” he grumbled.
Kayli knew his foul mood would disintegrate as soon as caffeine penetrated his system. She bought a coffee and deposited it on his desk on her way to the whiteboard.
“You’re too generous. Thank you. What’s on the agenda for today?”
“To start with, I think we need to go over old ground to see if we’ve missed anything.”
After recapping where the investigation had taken them the day before, Dave suggested, “We still need to pay the stepkids a visit.”
Kayli tilted her head. “You’re right. Any specific reason you raised that point?”
Dave shrugged. “Maybe they might be able to tell us something that Anita couldn’t.”
“Such as?”
Dave widened his eyes. “I don’t know. Perhaps Paul Potts shielded Anita from something and possibly confided in Sharon or Dylan.”
Kayli nodded. “Hmm… you might have something there. Donna, can you jot down their address for me? Dave and I will trundle out there after the rush-hour traffic has died down.”
“And what if they’re at work?” Dave replied.
“Then we’ll visit them there. Anita gave me the information about both of their workplaces. Donna, did you manage to squeeze in doing the background checks on the family?”
“I did. Nothing of interest has shown up at all. Sorry, boss.”
“Not your fault. Okay, so that leaves the CCTV footage and the ANPR images. Graeme, anything yet?”
Looking defeated, he shook his head. “It’s so busy in that area. I’m not trying to make excuses. I’ll get back to it now.”
“I appreciate how difficult it is. Do you need a hand sifting through the images?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I have another angle I want to try today. I’ll do that and get back to you.”
“Good man. Okay, give me ten minutes to look through the post, then we’ll make tracks, Dave.”
Kayli walked into her office. She sat down at her desk and tackled the three brown envelopes sitting there. They contained two updated procedures from head office that she had already implemented with the team and a note referring to a case she’d solved before her overseas adventure. She dealt with the final letter then left her office again. “Are you ready, Dave?”
“That was quick. Haven’t even finished my cuppa yet.”
“Take it with you. I want to get cracking on this.”
“Thought you were going to let the traffic die down a bit before venturing out.”
“It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. Sup up.”
Dave gulped down his lukewarm coffee and hoisted himself to his feet.
“We’ll be a couple of hours. Keep digging, guys. If you stumble across anything interesting, ring me immediately.”
~ ~ ~
Kayli drew up outside Sharon and Dylan’s house. It was a small terraced house not dissimilar in style to the one she lived in. “Do you want to stay here while I check to see if anyone is at home?”
“Thanks. That would be great.”
Kayli left the car and walked up the cracked concrete path. In the front garden, litter was scattered across both sides of the lawn, which was overgrown. She rang the bell and looked up at the bedroom window. A second later, the curtain twitched slightly. A woman wearing a pink towelling robe opened the door. Kayli could tell she had just woken by the amount of sleepiness surrounding her eyes.
She flashed her ID. “DI Kayli Bright. Sorry to disturb you. Are you Sharon Potts?”
The woman scratched her head and frowned. “Yes. What’s this about?”
“Perhaps it would be better if we came inside to speak.”
“We?”
Kayli motioned for Dave to join her. “Yes, my partner is in the car.”
“If you have to. I must warn you, though, I was on the night shift last night. I only dropped off to sleep around eight.”
Kayli felt the guilt poke her. “I’m really sorry. We shouldn’t keep you too long. Here’s Dave now.”
Dave came to a halt beside her. “DS Dave Chaplin, ma’am.”
“Hello,” Sharon said, stepping back behind the door and holding her robe tightly at her chest. “Go through to the first room on the left. Excuse the mess if there is any. My brother can be a mucky bugger at times.”
Once in the room, Sharon invited them to take a seat on the sofa while she switched on the gas fire to take the chill off the room and sat in the armchair opposite them. “How can I help?” Sharon asked, the frown still prominent on her brow.
“Is your brother home at present?”
“No. He works very long hours at the pub. They take the piss, if you must know. There was a delivery coming in early this morning, and the owner had a meeting with his accountant that he couldn’t postpone.”
“Never mind. We can catch up with him later. Tell me, have you spoken to Anita recently?”
Sharon’s frown deepened. “Yesterday, I did. Why?” She gasped. “Oh no, has something happened to her?”
“Not as far as we know. I was there yesterday, getting some background information into your stepfather’s disappearance. I take it you haven’t heard from him in the last few days? Since he went missing?”
Sharon looked down at the carpet by her feet. “No. It’s just dreadful to think he might be out there somewhere, needing our help. Have you been to the flats, to question the tenants?”
“Is there a specific reason why you should ask that?”
“Not really. Just that they aren’t the friendliest of characters, and some of them owed Paul a lot of money in rent. He was livid about that. Actually, he was worse than that, really angry. That was the last time anybody heard from him, when he went there on Saturday to ask the ones who owed him money to cough up. Funny that he should go missing either during that visit or sometime afterwards. I know who I would be questioning if I were in your shoes.”
Kayli smiled to reassure the woman. “We were there yesterday. We spoke to all the tenants, bar one.”
Sharon looked up and narrowed her eyes. “Go on, surprise me.”
“A Bob Nuttall. He lives on the top floor. We knocked on his door, heard someone inside the flat, then realised he’d made his escape using the stairs at the back of the house. He’s still on the run.”
“Oh, right.”
“Are you telling me that he wasn’t the person you were referring to?”
“No. I know Paul has had problems with the man on the ground floor before. I can’t remember his name. Hang on… it’ll come to me.”
“What about Nigel Hawkins? Does that ring a bell?”
Sharon nodded vigorously. “Yes, that’s the name.”
“Problems? Can you tell me what type of problems?”
Sharon’s hand covered her mouth as she yawned, then it dropped into her lap. “Nothing that I can pinpoint right now. Paul just mentioned that he was always having bother with him, and that him not paying his rent was the last straw.”
“I see.” Kayli glanced sideways to make sure Dave was noting down the information, and he was. “What about the other tenants? This Bob Nuttall, for instance. Did your stepfather have any ongoing problems with him?”
Sharon’s chubby face contorted a little as she thought. “Maybe. I’m not too sure. To be honest, when Paul spoke about the trouble he was having with his tenants, I tended to switch off from the conversation. Always difficult to know what to say in such circumstances, don’t you think?”
“I suppose it must be. Please, try and cast your mind back. It’s important that we figure out if anyone has hurt your stepfather on
purpose.”
“I appreciate that, Inspector. Seriously, I want him found as much as you do. This situation is worrying all of us sick.”
“Anita appears to be taking it really badly.”
“I’m aware of that. I’m doing my best to ring her when I can, but the last few days, I’ve been covering a sick friend’s night shift, and that means I sleep during the day. When at all possible, that is.”
Kayli felt that Sharon was having a dig at her. “I apologise again for inconveniencing you. Can you recall your stepfather falling out with anyone else at the flats? Perhaps a past tenant that he threw out?”
Sharon’s eyes widened, and she clicked her fingers together. “There was a chap who wrecked the flat before he moved on. He left owing a couple of months’ rent, I believe.”
“Can you remember his name, or perhaps you have his forwarding address?” Kayli asked more out of hope than expectation.
“No idea. Like I said, the flats don’t concern me.”
“It was worth a shot. Can you tell us what flat this particular tenant used to occupy?”
She shook her head. “I can’t. No. Sorry.”
“Never mind. We’ll go back and question the tenants, see if any of them can recall the man’s name or know where he moved on to.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Not at this time. Not unless you can think of anyone else who has caused problems in your stepfather’s life recently.”
“I can’t. Other than what I’ve told you already.”
Kayli stood up, ready to leave. “Then we’ll leave you to get some sleep. We really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us today. We’ll drop over and see your brother now. He works at the Old Swan in the city centre, right?”
“He does.”
They reached the front door. “Here’s my card, should you think of anything else that we might find useful.”
“Thanks.” She tucked the card in the pocket of her robe and held open the door for them to leave.
“One last thing. Try and make contact with Anita today if you can.”
Sharon nodded. “I’ll see if I can ring her later.”
“Thank you for that. Goodbye.”
Dave followed Kayli out of the house, and they returned to the car. Once he was seated, Dave said, “That was odd.”
Kayli looked at him and frowned. “What was?”
“The way she referred to her stepfather by his first name.”
Kayli chuckled. “I wouldn’t say it was that unusual. Maybe I’m wrong about that, though.”
“Didn’t you say that he’d virtually brought them up from a young age? It’s not as if he took the family on when they were in their teens. I could understand it if that was the case.”
“Hmm… maybe. I’m not that convinced, Dave.”
“Okay. It just struck me as odd. Are we going to see the brother now?”
“Yep, it’s not far.”
~ ~ ~
Kayli parked in the pub’s car park and waited for Dave to exit the vehicle before she walked towards the entrance. It was only nine forty-five, and she gambled on the front entrance being locked. She knocked hard on the door at the back. It was a while before a young man with a fashionably small beard opened the door.
“Can I help? We don’t open until eleven.”
Kayli flashed her warrant card at the man as Dave arrived behind her. “I’m DI Kayli Bright, and this invalid is my partner, DS Dave Chaplin. We’d like a word with Dylan Potts. Would that be you, sir?”
“It would. Do we have to do this now? I’m dealing with a delivery. If the boss comes back and sees that I haven’t completed it, he’ll be livid, probably dock my wages.”
“We shouldn’t take up much of your time. Can we come in?”
Dylan Potts sighed and pushed open the door for them to enter. They followed him into a large bar full of characterful low beams and a large inglenook fireplace at one end. However, it was the carpet that drew Kayli’s attention. Its godawful pattern made her eyes swim, but she tried to ignore it and focus on the man in front of her.
“Will this do?”
“Here is fine.”
“Mind if I continue to mark off the stock while we chat?”
“If you can concentrate on both at the same time, then no, I have no objection.”
He picked up a large sheet of paper and a pen from the bar and approached several boxes in the centre of the room. “What can I help you with?”
“This visit is in connection with Paul Potts’s disappearance. We’ve just come from your home, where we spoke to your sister, Sharon.”
“I see.” He looked up when Kayli mentioned his sister. “And what did she have to say for herself? She should have been in bed.”
“Sharon was in bed when we arrived. She kindly spoke to us for about twenty minutes. Perhaps you can fill in some blanks for us.”
“Blanks? I don’t understand.”
“Okay, I really don’t want to go over everything your sister told us. However, she did mention that Paul evicted someone from the flats recently. Perhaps you can tell us the person’s name so that we can have a chat with them.”
He ran two fingers around his mouth, following the shape of his beard. “Funny, I don’t recall the incident.”
“That’s a shame. Maybe you can tell us if your stepfather has had any problems with the tenants in the past. I should have asked rather than told you that snippet of information in the first place.”
“When wasn’t he having problems with the tenants, you mean? They’re all a bunch of no-marks. A waste of space, the lot of them. I warned him not to take on people who were on the Social, but would he listen? No, and now this has happened.”
“Are you saying that you believe one of the tenants has done something to your stepfather?”
“Isn’t that what you think? That’s why you’re here, right?”
“We’re leaning towards thinking that. However, we need to find the evidence to back up such claims before we can act upon them.”
Dylan pointed at a few of the bottles in the box at his feet. “Two… three… four Jim Beam.” He looked up at Kayli and tapped his chin with the pen. “What do you need to know that my sister hasn’t already told you, Inspector?”
“Your sister mentioned that one of the tenants left the property in a state and owing your father rent.”
“My stepfather,” he corrected her.
“Sorry, my mistake. Can you tell me what the tenant’s name was and which flat he used to occupy?”
“No. I can’t, because I have a life of my own. My stepfather refuses to listen to any advice I have to offer about the flats and the way they are run. Therefore, I keep my nose out.”
“Does your father—sorry, stepfather—discuss the flats and the running of them with anyone else, in that case? Perhaps his brother, Samuel?”
“More than likely. Again, that was never any of my concern.”
“Okay, I can see you’re distracted. One final question if I may?”
Dylan inhaled a large breath. “If you must, not that I know anything regarding the flats.”
“Actually, two questions. The first is, has your stepfather ever mention the name Bob Nuttall to you?”
“Nope,” he replied swiftly. “Next?”
“Apart from the flats and the tenants he deals with, has your stepfather fallen out with anyone else that you know of in recent months?”
“Not that I know of. As I’ve tried to tell you already, we aren’t that close, not really.”
“Is that since your mother died?”
“I don’t recall us ever being close, if I’m honest. It was different for my sisters. I cared for him because he took us on when he married my mother, but I can’t honestly say that I ever loved him. That doesn’t mean to say that I’m not upset now that he’s gone missing—I am. If I could get the time off work, I would be out there searching for him, if only for my sisters’ sakes.”
/>
“I understand.” Kayli fished out a card and placed it on the bar beside him. “Ring me if you think of anything else. Sorry to get in your way. We’ll leave you in peace before your boss returns.”
He showed them out the back door again and closed it quickly behind them without saying goodbye.
“Crikey! I’m glad I don’t work for an ogre of a boss. He couldn’t get rid of us quick enough, could he?” Dave muttered.
“I’ll remind you that you uttered those words the next time you think I’m treating you harshly.”
“Me and my big mouth. What now?”
“I think we should drop back to the flats and see if we can find out who this mystery tenant is. I also want to check Bob Nuttall’s flat again, see if he’s resurfaced.”
“Want me to stay outside in case Nuttall tries to do a runner again?” Dave asked as he and Kayli slipped back into the car.
“Good idea, although not sure you’re going to be much use preventing him doing a runner again.”
“I can trip him up.” Dave tapped one of his crutches. “These guys are nifty for doing that.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Kayli took a deep breath before she rang the buzzer to Nigel Hawkins’s flat. She tapped her foot as she waited for him to answer it. When no answer came, she tried the next name on the list—Stuart Rawlinson.
He answered virtually straight away with an abrupt “Yeah, who is it?”
Kayli couldn’t tell if his voice was slurred or if the intercom was playing up. “Hello, Mr. Rawlinson. This is DI Kayli Bright. Would you mind letting me in?”
“What the heck? Why? You asked all your questions yesterday.”
“Something else has come up in our enquiries. If you can just buzz me in. Thanks.”
He muttered something indecipherable before the buzzer sounded to unlock the door. Kayli pulled it open and stopped outside Nigel Hawkins’s flat first. She banged her fist on the door. When she got no answer, she made her way up the stairs to Stuart Rawlinson’s flat and knocked on the door. He looked dreadful when he opened the door, stoned out of his mind, and the smell of drugs coming from his flat quickly overwhelmed her.
“Are you doing drugs, Mr. Rawlinson?”
“Me? Not me, love. Never touch the damn things. I’ve got some incense sticks burning. That’s what you can smell.” He waved his hand around. “Bit overpowering for you? Sorry, lass.”