Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6)

by Robin Roughley

  Norvil blinked once, twice, a nerve in his cheek twitched. 'What do you mean dead?'

  Lasser watched as the fingers of Norvil's right hand grasped the dogs' fur.

  'He was found two hours ago at his home.'

  'Dead?'

  Bannister nodded. 'I'm afraid so Mr Mellor.'

  'Fucking dead!'

  'I...'

  Norvil's face suddenly twisted in hatred. 'Fuckers!' he screamed and then he unclipped the chain. 'Fucking kill em Bella!'

  The huge animal licked its jaws and came for them. Bannister stayed rooted to the spot as the dog bulleted towards him. Lasser snapped his head around desperately looking for a length of metal or a brick, any fucking thing to hit the beast with.

  He snarled in disbelief, a scrap yard and nothing around to arm himself with.

  The sound of the dog barking drilled into his head and then Odette brushed him to one side, Lasser tried to grab her sleeve but she was too fast.

  She shot her hand forward just as the dog lunged, wide jaws opening ready to clamp shut on Bannister's genitals.

  When the pepper spray hit the dog’s eyes it snapped its head from side to side in surprise and then it began to snort and sneeze, shoulders hunched, snout almost touching the dusty ground.

  Then it turned and ran clattering against a pile of dusty hubcaps before vanishing down the avenue of twisted metal.

  Norvil stood breathing hard his chest rising and falling in fury. 'Twat!' he bellowed and then he dashed forward, hands gripped into fists.

  Bannister seemed to inflate on the spot and then he bolted forward. When the two men collided Bannister felt Mellor's fist glance off the top of his head and then he snapped his right leg up plunging it hard between Norvil's legs. The effect was instantaneous; Norvil hit the floor like a sack of shit, his face twisted in agony, the veins in his neck cable hard as he fought for breath.

  Bannister drew his leg back and then Lasser was dragging him away.

  'Don't do it boss!'

  Bannister struggled but Lasser kept hold.

  Odette stood over the crumpled form, the can of pepper spray held easily in her right hand.

  'Alright Sergeant. Alright get you bloody hands off me!'

  Lasser took a backward step hands raised.

  Bannister wiped a hand under his nose; his eyes still alight with anger. Then he walked slowly back to stand over Mellor who had both hands clamped between his legs.

  'I warned you Mellor I said someone had a grudge against you, and you laughed it off, well you're not laughing it off now are you?'

  Norvil's face was puce with pain, his eyes screwed shut.

  'Cunt!' he managed to mumble and then groaned and tried to curl himself into a ball.

  'Someone stuck a needle in your brothers neck, now do you have any idea who would want to do that?'

  Norvil gasped and then clamped his lips together.

  Bannister sighed. 'Right, I think a trip to the station is in order and while I'm there it'll give me the chance to brush up on the dangerous dogs act. Whichever way you say it Norvil, you're nicked.'

  110

  Amy Frodsham sat by the side of the bed and cried as the doctor quietly closed the door to the small room. All the machines had been switched off, Kylie's face was deathly pale against the starched white of the pillow.

  Amy grasped her sister's hand rubbing the fingers as if trying desperately to generate some heat.

  The room seemed to shrink around her until all she could see was the bed and Kylie's ravaged face. Even in death the pain was still etched there, the lines cut deep, the dark circles beneath her closed eyes, eyes that would forever remain closed. She found herself watching the sheet desperately looking for the rise and fall of her chest. Then the realisation hit home, as she rested her head on the bed, the tears came streaming down her face, the pain inside swelling until it filled every part of her.

  Pushing to her feet, she leaned forward and brushed the brown hair from her sister's forehead before kissing the cooling skin, a solitary tear dripped down and landed on Kylie's cheek.

  Amy left it there; grabbing her bag from the floor, she yanked out a handful of tissues and scrubbed at her eyes as if annoyed by the sudden outpouring of grief.

  'Enough!' she hissed before ramming the soggy tissue back into the bag.

  As she reached the door, she stopped and turned, taking one last look.

  'Bye sis,' she mumbled before walking out into the corridor.

  The nurse watched her walk away before ringing the porter, it was a hard life, but beds were in short supply. She knew that within the hour it would be occupied by another soul who had made too many bad decisions in life until it brought them here to die.

  With a sigh, she reached for her buzzer.

  111

  Dave Pitt glanced over the garden fence to make sure no one was snooping around before slamming the sole of his boot against the back door. The door sprang inward and he stepped inside, the kitchen was neat and tidy, one cup and one plate sat on the drainer, the sink devoid of dirty pots and pans.

  Closing the door he moved down a narrow hallway, stopping to look at a photograph on the wall, it showed two women with their arms draped over each other's shoulders, wide grins on their faces.

  Shaw had said the bird in the pub with Elliot had been a good-looking piece. He leaned forward peering more closely at the picture. Both women looked to be in their early twenties, both with shoulder length brown hair, however, the one on the right had a light in her eyes that was missing in her sister. Pitt grunted, it was obvious they were related, they shared the same high cheekbones the same coloured eyes.

  Moving to the lounge he pushed open the door and stepped into the room, he could see a thin film of dust on the flat screen in the corner, a couple of gossip mags on the arm of the sofa.

  Turning he opened the small cupboard under the stairs, that contained a Dyson and an ironing board the rest of the small space was taken up with a jumble of shoes, trainers mixed in with high heels.

  With a sigh, he headed up the stairs and onto the landing, the first door he came to opened into a bedroom with floral wallpaper, the double bed was neatly made, a matching flowered throw folded back, the pillows looked fresh and plumped to perfection.

  Dave Pitt frowned, this didn't feel right he'd expected the house to be a dump. He had pictured the usual mixture of empty takeaway trays and grime. He’d imagined the rooms to be filled with the stink of stale cannabis and unwashed bodies.

  With a shake of his head, he continued inside and opened the wardrobe door, everything had been neatly organised, three shelves contained jeans and T-shirts folded rather than shoved into the space, the wider section had half a dozen dresses draped over plastic hangers.

  Pitt eased himself to his knees and peered under the bed the frown on his pit bull face deepening when he saw the empty space.

  With a grunt he stood up and headed back onto the landing, a quick look in the bathroom revealed nothing of interest. It was like looking around a show house, the shower curtain free of mould, the taps on both the bath and sink shone to a high gleam.

  When he opened the last door on the left, his eyes narrowed as he saw the suitcase in the corner of the room. The single bed was devoid of either sheet or duvet; instead, a blue and yellow sleeping bag had been rolled up and left near the headboard.

  He could see a pair of running shoes on the floor by the bed; apart from that the box room was empty.

  Two strides brought him to the suitcase and he frowned at the weight as he tossed it onto the bed, when he yanked back the zipper a broad smile broke out across his face.

  The bundles of cash had been secured with white elastic bands, arrange neatly to the left, the food bags full of drugs to the right.

  Dave Pitt rubbed his huge hands together. 'Bingo!' he said before laughing aloud.

  112

  Bannister had told the SOCO team to take a look inside Boris Mellor's house, even though he had been killed
on the doorstep, Banister had insisted they have a snoop around inside.

  Half a dozen officers moved from room to room like white paper suited ghosts.

  'But what are we actually meant to be looking for?' one of them asked.

  Carl shrugged as he looked around the huge living room dominated by a lazy boy armchair plonked in front of a gigantic flat screen television.

  'Bannister said he wants to know if we come up with anything dodgy, so keep your eyes peeled, John.'

  'Yeah, but Mellor was killed outside, the house wasn't broken into - so I don't get it.'

  Carl sighed behind the paper mask and looked at his young colleague. 'Listen, when you've been doing this job for as long as I have then you learn to say 'yes sir' and just get on with it.'

  'But...'

  'For God's sake give it a rest; we're here to look for anything out of the ordinary, end of story.'

  'You mean drugs?'

  'I mean, anything, now take a look in those cupboards and keep your trap shut.'

  John's eyes frowned around the mask and then he turned away with a huff.

  Carl shook his head and looked around the room, the house had been built in the fifties and it looked as if the place hadn't been decorated since the mid-sixties. If it had been anyone other than Boris Mellor, he would have said the owner was going for the retro look, though he doubted whether Mellor could have spelled retro never mind know its meaning.

  When he saw the small green light flash high in the corner of the room, he frowned and wandered over. The plastic box was about six inches by four and screwed in at the point where the wall met the ceiling. Carl turned and looked back across the room, when he saw a small white sensor above the door his eyes narrowed. When they'd entered the house Carl had winced when he saw the keypad to the alarm on the wall, when the alarm had failed to go off he'd taken a closer look and shook his head.

  Mellor hadn't even bothered to set it, the word inactive had flashed up in neon green in the tiny window of the console.

  He turned and looked back at the box still flashing green and then he traced the wire down the wall and along the skirting board, it threaded around the back of the lazy boy and out into the hallway.

  Carl followed the trail and grinned when he saw it vanish through a hole in a small door under the stairs.

  Pulling it open the grin turned into a full beam smile, the monitor showed the front of the house and in the top right hand corner of the screen single word 'recording' flashed red.

  Reaching down he stopped the machine and then pressed play, the screen flickered and Carl held his breath as he kept his finger on the rewind button.

  After thirty seconds he stopped and watched as the last few minutes of Boris Mellor's life was played out for all the world to see.

  'Bloody hell,' Carl mumbled before ejecting the DVD and rushing for the door.

  113

  By the time Norvil Mellor arrived at the station, he'd found his voice again.

  Lasser had climbed in beside him, Odette in the front seat, Mellor handcuffed to the door handle.

  'I want to know how my brother died, you shits!'

  Lasser reached down and unclipped Mellor's seatbelt. 'He died the same way Sharon Cliff did and Dave Hancock, amongst others.'

  'Bastards,' Norvil snarled, all the usual calm had been blasted away by the news of his brother's death, his face contorted with blind fury.

  Bannister turned in his seat. 'And you have no idea who could be responsible?'

  'Do you think I'd tell you if I did?' Norvil snapped.

  'That's up to you Norvil, but don't blame me when someone tries to stick the needle of doom in you, that is, of course, after you come out of the nick.'

  'Fuck off I ain't going to no nick!'

  'You set your dog on us,' Odette said. 'That's assault with a deadly weapon.'

  Bannister clicked his fingers and smiled. 'She's a bright one Norv, I knew she'd come up with the goods.'

  Norvil glared at Odette who smiled sweetly in return.

  'Just you fucking wait, bitch, you won't be smiling when I've finished with you, I...'

  Lasser shot out a hand and grabbed Mellor by the bollocks, the scream echoed around the interior of the car making Bannister wince.

  'I bet that hurts Norvil.'

  Lasser let go and watched as Mellor's face went from red to puce and back again in the blink of an eye.

  'It's not nice to threaten people Mr Mellor, especially a lady.'

  Odette raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  Bannister clicked the door open and climbed out.

  They were half way across the car park when Carl shot through the gates in his white SOCO van, lights flashing horn blaring.

  Bannister stopped in his tracks. 'Someone's in a rush.'

  Norvil groaned and tried to lean forward to ease the pain but Lasser yanked him upright.

  'If you can stand straight it'll make it easier in the long run Norv, trust me.'

  'Piss off,' he grunted.

  Lasser shrugged as the van screeched to a halt beside them and Carl leapt out brandishing a DVD.

  'Bloody hell man what's the matter with you?'

  Carl opened his mouth and then he recognised the handcuffed man and clamped it shut.

  'Er you might want to take a look at this, sir,' he said holding out the silver disk.

  'I haven't got time for your dodgy movies Carl I'm busy.'

  Carl leaned forward keeping one eye on Mellor.

  'It's from Boris Mellor's house it shows him being done on the doorstep.'

  Bannister snapped his head away. 'Are you sure?'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'Right, let’s go and take a look.'

  Lasser had to drag Norvil in an effort to keep up with the other three as they ran towards the entrance. Bannister swiped his card through the slot and stormed into reception, Spenner looked up in surprise, a Twix poised near his open mouth.

  'Put that chocolate bar away and take this man down to the cells Spenner!'

  Spenner leapt up from his seat and hurried around the counter.

  Lasser looked over the desk. 'Does that DVD player work?'

  'I think so,' Spenner replied as he grabbed hold of Norvil's elbow.

  'Well go on man make him comfortable and then get back here sharpish we can't have the front desk left empty.' Bannister said with a frown.

  Spenner nodded before dragging Norvil across the room.

  Bannister rubbed his hands together in glee. 'Right, Carl, let's see what you've brought us.'

  114

  Amy sat on the park bench watching as two young girls stood on the bank of the small duck pond tossing handfuls of stale bread onto the water, the birds flapping and squawking as they fought for the free meal. A man and woman sat on a blue blanket, the remains of a picnic spread out around them. The man started to gather up the empty crisp packets and pop bottles shoving them into an empty ASDA carrier bag as the woman tilted her head towards the light blue sky.

  Amy sighed as the girls laughed, it could have been her and Kylie. They used to come to this very park with their mum when they were kids, before all the heartache, before mum died and Kylie spiralled into a world of drugs and destruction.

  Pulling her handbag onto her knee, she rummaged inside for her iPhone before tapping at the screen.

  When the voice answered, she pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear and lowered her gaze to the asphalt path.

  'Is it done?' she asked in a whisper.

  When she heard the reply she felt like collapsing, the air around her seemed to thicken, the sound of the chattering birds diminished until all she could hear was the slow thud of her heart drumming in her ears.

  Straightening her shoulders, Amy cleared her throat. 'Now I guess you'll want paying.'

  She looked up and wiped a tear from her eye, rubbing the wetness between finger and thumb. 'Go to Lilford Park, there's a litterbin opposite the duck pond, the money will be inside.'

 
She listened for a moment as Albie protested before interrupting. 'Well I suggest you hurry because I'm leaving now and if someone else picks it up then you'll be down ten thousand pounds.'

  Amy pulled the phone from her ear ignoring the tinny voice that floated out of the small speaker she ended the call.

  When she looked up the two small girls were running back to their parents, pigtails bouncing, they collapsed onto the blanket. The woman stroked the hair of one as the father tickled the stomach of the other, their giggles filled the air mingling with the squawking ducks.

  Another tear broke free and then she lifted the phone and stabbed at the screen three times. When the voice answered, Amy took a deep breath. 'Could you put me through to the police please?'

  115

  'It's the same bugger alright,' Bannister said as he leant in for a closer look.

  Lasser sat perched on the corner of the desk, Odette hunched in a chair in front of the monitor. Carl still dressed in his white paper suit slid down the zip to reveal a denim shirt beneath.

  'But we still don't have a name,' Lasser said.

  'That's Albie Ross.'

  All four of them snapped their heads around to look at Spenner who was leaning over the desk his eyes locked on the screen.

  'You're saying you recognise this man?' Bannister asked in disbelief as he pointed at the screen.

  Spenner nodded. 'Me and Cathy Harper pulled him in about fifteen months ago, he was robbing the charity shops in Hindley, you know, breaking in and taking the collection boxes.'

  Lasser felt the familiar ache in his gut at the mention of Cathy, ex-colleague, ex-lover, dead now for almost twelve months. 'What about an address?'

  Spenner frowned in concentration, Odette stood up ready for the off.

  'Lark Avenue, it's off the Lancaster Road estate, I think it was number twenty six.'

  'Right you two, come on lets grab the bastard,' Bannister snatched his jacket on just as the phone on the desk began to ring. 'Come on Spenner chop-chop get the phone.'

  Then all three were heading for the door, Spenner leant over the desk and snatched the handset up, Carl flopped down in front of the screen and ejected the DVD.

  As Spenner listened, his eyes grew wide in shock then he was scrabbling for his pen and pad, Carl yawned and threaded his hands behind his head.