by Conrad Jones
‘I suppose we could ride out the storm until the weekend,’ Charles conceded. ‘There will be eruptions from the governors.’
‘I don’t have anything on my record. They offered me the deputy head position two years ago, remind them of that,’ Richard insisted. ‘I’m not likely to start running around the school molesting people, for heaven’s sake.’
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The headmaster straightened his tie and walked to the door. He opened it to see Mrs Kelly, standing in the corridor, flanked by two uniformed police officers.
‘The police are here, headmaster,’ Mrs Kelly said, shaking.
‘I can see that, Mrs Kelly,’ he said, nodding to the policemen. ‘How can I help?’
‘We’re here to speak to Richard Vigne. Is he with you?’
‘Yes. Come in, please.’ He opened the door and ushered them in. Mrs Kelly looked stunned. ‘Thank you, Mrs Kelly, go back to your office. I’ll manage this,’ he said, closing the door.
Richard saw the uniforms and almost had a heart attack. His breath came in short gasps. His nightmare had become ten times worse. The police had come into the school to talk to him. Uniformed officers were in the school. The twins would be taunted to distraction. Every man and his dog would know within the hour. How could they be so insensitive? Anger boiled in his belly. He was going to explode.
‘Why have you come into school to talk to me?’ Richard asked, trying to remain calm. ‘This is outrageous.’
‘We’re not here to talk to you, Mr Vigne,’ one of the officers said, ‘we’re here to arrest you.’
6
Braddick stepped out of the lift into the open-plan office space that was home to the major investigation team. Through the windows to his right, a Mersey ferry was docking at the Pier Head; the waters looked green today. To his left, the giant Ferris wheel turned slowly at the Albert Docks. Its white girders seemed to glow against the background of dark rainclouds. Sadie was already there, which didn’t surprise him. She drove her Golf like it was a racing car. If she could get away with putting the blue lights on the roof to go to Tesco, she would. There was a buzz spreading through the room, and the sound of excited chatter filled the air. The details of the body on the beach were being discussed. He breathed in the atmosphere and savoured it. This was what made him tick. The thrill of the chase was life itself to him. Real life had passed him by while he’d followed his career, and now it was too late; a mortgage, marriage, holidays abroad, kids, grandkids, a dog – they were never going to happen. There were successful officers who had all that, but something had to suffer: their family or their career. Something had to give somewhere. He admired those who got the balance almost right, but he didn’t fit into that slot and he embraced the fact. Sadie waved a hand, summoning him to her desk.
Braddick walked over. On her screen she had images of three bodies that had been encased in wire mesh. Each limb was wrapped separately, the heads and necks covered in a single piece; a seam ran up the back of the head. The wirework along the seams was detailed. It looked like it had been stitched with silver.
‘This is very similar to what we’ve seen today,’ she said, pointing to the screen. She looked at Braddick for confirmation. He nodded that he agreed, but there was uncertainty in his eyes. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘It’s similar, but it’s not identical,’ he said. ‘What we saw today was far more intricate.’
‘He’s moved on, developed?’
‘Maybe. Assuming it’s the same person.’
‘When have we seen this before, or anything similar? Never,’ she said, excited, answering her own question. ‘It’s the same person, but he’s become more proficient, more skilled.’
‘When was this?’
‘Seven years ago. I’ve pulled the latest files,’ she said, gesturing to the screen. ‘The cold case unit picked it up in January last year and shelved it in September. They hit a brick wall, just like the first investigation did.’ She paused. ‘Eventually, they filed it as unsolved.’
‘Interesting,’ Braddick said, nodding. ‘Who investigated the cold case?’
‘A DI named Lewis,’ Sadie read out. ‘Do you know him?’
‘I know of him. He’s a good detective. Send the files to me and distribute it to the team, please,’ Braddick said, looking around. ‘Alec Ramsay worked the original case, didn’t he?’
‘Yes,’ Sadie said. ‘Miles and Brian were on the original case.’
‘Miles, Brian,’ Braddick called. He gestured for the two veteran detectives to join them. Their colleagues called them the Smiths, as they shared the surname. They walked to the desk and looked at the screen.
‘That’s a blast from the past,’ Miles said. His silver hair was cut neatly to his head. ‘It has to be … seven years ago?’ he said, turning to Brian.
‘Yes, at least.’ Brian grimaced. He loosened his tie and stroked his moustache nervously. The images had disturbed his memories. ‘I had some sleepless nights on that case, I can tell you. It was like banging our heads against a brick wall.’
‘They tried to throw us off the scent at every turn.’
‘I’ve never known intimidation like it – before or since.’
‘That bad?’ Braddick asked, shaking his head.
‘I had dog shit put through my letterbox, and someone posted pictures of the missus, walking home from the gym, on the Internet. They said if I wasn’t scared, she would be,’ Miles recalled. ‘He had his car torched the next night,’ he continued, nodding towards Brian.
‘Really?’ Sadie said.
‘They set fire to it on the drive,’ Brian said. ‘Nearly burnt the house down. The wife didn’t sleep properly for over a year. She still has nightmares.’
‘Who was putting the pressure on you?’ Braddick asked, frowning. ‘The Karpovs, the Farrells?’
‘That’s the problem,’ Miles said. ‘We didn’t have a clue.’
‘Run it by me again,’ Braddick said. ‘I saw the pictures when the cold case unit picked it up, but I only glanced over the files. It was the wirework that stood out to me.’
‘It’s unique alright,’ Brian agreed. ‘The first time we encountered it, the river police had seen a van approaching the water near Ellesmere Port at about midnight,’ Brian began. ‘They slowed their boat down and put their spotlight on it from the water and it must have spooked the driver. He panicked and tried to reverse away, but crashed into a wall and knocked himself out. The passenger escaped and ran away over the fields. When uniform arrived, they found the three bodies in the back of the van. It was obvious they were set to be dumped in the Mersey. They called MIT, and the governor put us on it.’
‘We had the driver in the cells for forty-eight hours. Hugh Collins, his name was,’ Miles said. ‘He was a local scallywag, loosely connected to Eddie Farrell and the Karpovs.’ A murmur ran through the room at the mention of the Russian mob. ‘His story was that he had no idea what was in the back of the van, and he’d been hired, under duress, to drive it that night. He said the passenger was a bloke called Harvey something.’
‘Harvey Fitch,’ Brian said.
‘That’s right, Fitch,’ Miles said nodding. ‘Collins said Fitch had hired him because he’d lost his licence on a DD charge and had to make a delivery of bent gear for his boss. Collins reckoned he didn’t have a clue there were dead bodies in the back, and blamed Fitch for everything.’
‘We checked him out and he had lost his licence, like Collins said, but we never found him,’ Brian said, shrugging. ‘Fitch disappeared off the face of the earth. He never went home again. No bank activity, no phone calls, texts, Internet usage, nothing. He just vanished.’
‘Did he have money?’ Sadie asked.
‘Nope. Not enough to disappear,’ Miles said, shaking his head. ‘He was well down the food chain.’
‘Then what happened?’
‘We had to release Collins, and he went down the same black hole as Fitch; he was never seen again. T
hey both simply vanished,’ Brian added.
‘All our enquiries went nowhere,’ said Miles.
‘No one was saying anything about the victims in the van. They turned out to be Albanians, rivals of the Karpovs, but that was all we knew about them’’ Brian explained.
‘We only had the first names for two of them. The third was identified by his cousin, but he was deported a week later. There was no record of them entering the country, no National Insurance numbers, no dental records, nothing.’
‘We canvassed for months. Even our informers were mute. As soon as we mentioned the wire mesh to anyone, we hit zero. I’ve never seen anything like it – before or since. Whoever was responsible for this handiwork was protected, and no one would break the silence.’
‘The Karpovs had a grip on the city back then though, right?’ Braddick asked. ‘They took people out of the game all the time.’
‘Not like this, guv,’ Miles said, shaking his head. ‘This was different. Alec Ramsay was convinced it was pure fear; we thought it was the Karpovs protecting their cleaner, but Alec thought otherwise,’ he recalled.
‘Why?’ Braddick asked.
‘Call it a hunch, if you like,’ Miles said, shrugging. ‘He thought it was pure fear of the consequences of talking. Any other time, there were people queueing up to give us stuff on the Karpovs, but not this time.’
‘It’s true,’ Brian agreed. ‘There was always someone, somewhere, who would give us a name in confidence for the right price, but not for this guy. No one was talking, not even for money. Alec said only the fear of being found out could do that. They were scared that, if they spoke out, the cleaner would find out. It was a total blackout, and one other thing.’
‘Which is?’ Sadie asked.
‘Alec reckoned they had a source on our side.’
‘He said he had an idea who it was, but he never did tell,’ Brian said. ‘Took it with him when he retired. Nothing like that has happened since, until this body was washed up. We’ve all seen bodies wrapped and weighted down, but not like this. This guy makes an artwork of wrapping them.’ Brian pointed to the seams. ‘It’s not just about making them sink, so they never come up, he enjoys this. Alec said he would be excited by it and that he’d be proud of his work.’
‘I don’t understand why Alec would keep his hunch to himself?’ Sadie said. ‘Why not ask you to look into it?’
‘He said that if it ever became more than a suspicion, he would order an investigation, but, until then, he couldn’t say more than that. He said there was a good chance his hunch was bollocks, and he couldn’t give us a name as it could ruin them if he was wrong. It was never mentioned again so we assumed he had ruled it out.’
‘Ruin them?’ Braddick said, rubbing the stubble on his chin. ‘If he was worried about someone’s reputation, they might be in the job?’
‘Maybe,’ Miles said. ‘We always thought the cleaner was connected to the force, or the medical profession, because of the surgical wounds to the victim.’
‘Or in forensics,’ Brian chipped in.
‘That would tie in with why Alec wouldn’t reveal his suspicion,’ Braddick said. ‘He may have been protecting a colleague in case he was wrong.’
‘Maybe,’ Miles agreed.
‘Are you still in touch with him?’ Braddick asked. Miles and Brian exchanged glances.
‘With Alec?’ Miles asked.
‘Yes.’
‘I send him a text every now and then,’ Miles said.
‘Is he back in this country?’
‘Yes. He’s been back over a year.’
‘We need to go and have a chat with him,’ Braddick said, turning to Sadie. ‘It could be useful.’
‘We could go, if you like?’ Miles said. ‘We worked with him for ten years.’
‘No. I’ve got something in mind for you two.’ Braddick shook his head and tapped the keyboard. The images of the Albanians, encapsulated in mesh, appeared on a bank of screens that were used for briefings. ‘Listen up,’ he said, walking towards the screens. ‘Google?’
‘Yes, guv?’
‘You’re on missing persons for our new victim.’
‘I’m already on it.’
‘I want your team out and about, talking to anyone potentially related to the victim.’ Google nodded. ‘Have you pulled the missing list for the city centre?’
‘Yes. We’re looking at eight hundred plus names.’
‘That should keep you busy for a while. Miles, Brian, I want you two to revisit your initial investigation.’ They looked devastated. ‘It’s been seven years, things have changed. The power shift is unrecognisable now. People may be more willing to talk about what happened back then. Take your teams and interview everyone who is still alive. Put some pressure on. Shake the trees as hard as you can and let’s see what falls out.’ He pointed to the screen. ‘Someone knows who did this and I want them found. I want a name. This guy thinks he’s in the clear. He thinks we’ve given up looking for him.’ The detectives nodded, determined expressions on their faces. ‘We’ll meet back here tonight, at seven o’clock.’
‘Yes, guv.’
‘Keep me in the loop if anything comes up.’
He watched the unconscious man twitching. The man’s eyes flickered before they opened; he looked around, nervously, unaware of where he was. When he realised he was tied up, he began to struggle. This made him smile. It gave him a warm glow.
‘Darren Parks,’ he said. His voice echoed in the darkness. ‘Stop struggling. You’ll need your strength.’
‘Who the fuck are you?’ Parks asked, angrily. ‘What is this place?’ He shivered. The smell of the sea was choking. It was cold and wet and dark. The only light came from his captor’s torch. ‘Untie me!’
‘Save your strength.’
‘Who are you?’ Parks shouted. ‘Why am I here?’
‘You may remember me,’ he said. ‘You and your idiot friends put me away for four years.’ Parks looked confused. ‘Your group took four years of my life.’‘What group?’ Parks asked. He looked terrified as he struggled against his bonds. ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’
‘The predator hunters.’
‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ Parks asked, scowling. ‘I haven’t had anything to do with them for months. Untie me!’
‘You were there when they trapped me. I remember your face. I never forget a face.’ He smiled. ‘You’ll never forget mine.’
‘Untie me, you fucking nonce!’ Parks shouted. ‘Help me.’ His voice echoed from the walls, ‘Help me!’
‘Don’t shout. No one can hear you, Darren.’ The man shone his torch around the tunnel. ‘Look around you.’ Parks twisted his head as far around as he could. The dark brick tunnel was covered in seaweed and slime. Water dripping was the only sound he could hear. ‘We’re under the city, close to the river,’ he said. ‘The tide is out at the moment; it’s due to turn soon. When it does, this place will flood. You might be able to float for a while, but not all night. Eventually the cold will sap your energy. You’ll become exhausted and you’ll give up and drown. Can you imagine how that moment will feel when you give up?’
‘This is sick.’ Parks became angry. ‘Untie me, you pervert!’
‘Nasty, nasty,’ the man said, shaking his head. ‘You’ll have plenty of time to reflect on your attitude. It will change.’
‘Fuck you,’ Parks screamed. ‘Help me!’
‘No one is coming to help you,’ the man said. ‘This is where your journey ends.’ Parks looked around frantically. ‘There’s no way out. Accept it.’
‘Fuck you!’
‘The anger will pass. It always does.’
‘Why are you doing this to me?’ Parks began crying. Frustration was driving him mad. ‘Why the fucking hell are you doing this to me?’
‘I told you,’ the man said. ‘You’re a predator hunter. It’s not so much fun when you’re the prey, is it?’
‘Look,’ Parks said, trying to remain calm. �
�I’m not even in the group any more. I left it months ago.’
‘I know you did,’ the man said. ‘That put you at the top of the list.’
‘What?’
‘You left the group. Now there is no connection at all. There’s nothing to connect you to the others.’
‘What others?’ Parks asked. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘You don’t think you’re the first, do you?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You’re not the first. And you won’t be the last.’
‘Please let me go. I’m sorry for what happened to you.’
‘Ah,’ the man said, ‘the apology phase.’
‘I am sorry,’ Parks said, nodding. His lips were quivering. ‘I’m very sorry. Please, let me go.’
‘No.’
‘Please.’
‘I asked you to let me go. But you said no,’ the man said.
‘What?’
‘When you were waiting for the police to arrive,’ the man said, ‘you were holding my arm.’ Recognition dawned, he could see it in his eyes. ‘I asked you to let me go, but you said no.’
‘Fucking hell,’ Parks said beneath his breath, ‘I remember you. I’m sorry.’
‘Sorry that you had me locked up, or sorry I came back for you?’
‘I’m sorry if you went to jail,’ Parks said, panicking. ‘I am truly sorry. Please, I couldn’t be any sorrier. I didn’t know what would happen to you. Please, let me go.’
‘No.’
‘I have a wife and children. Please…’ Parks said, beginning to panic. ‘Please, think about them?’
‘But you don’t see them, Darren.’ The man shook his head and sighed. ‘Your kids live with your wife’s new boyfriend.’
‘How do you know that?’ Parks said, frowning.
‘He has your kids’ names tattooed on his leg. I personally think it was too soon, but who am I to judge them?’
‘How do you know?’
‘I hunted you,’ the man said, smiling. ‘I watched you and the people around you. I followed your wife’s posts on Facebook. Some people bare their souls on there, don’t you think? You haven’t paid for your children for twelve months. You won’t be missed.’