by M A Comley
“That will have to do, Carol. Don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m sure what you’ve already given us has and will come in handy in the future. Take care. Ring you soon.” Lorne disconnected the call and threw her mobile into her lap.
“The one time you really need your friend to come through, eh?”
“Yeah, she’s gutted about it. She mentioned a cottage, though. Sod it! I’m going to ring Denis.”
Sean nodded. “Wisest idea you’ve had all day.”
“Denis, hi. Sorry to disturb you. It’s Lorne.”
“Hello, Lorne. I was just looking up your phone number to give you a call.”
“You were. About what?”
“An image I unlocked in my head. I need to get in the house. Is that possible?”
“Ordinarily, I’d say no. You’re not supposed to go near the place while the forensic team are there. What’s it concerning, Denis?”
“The attic. I need to get in the attic.”
“Crap. Okay. But not unless I’m there with you. Have you got that?”
“Of course. It can wait. I’ll concentrate hard on conjuring up more suppressed memories in the meantime.”
“Good. While you’re at it, I need you to do more thinking for me.”
“Oh?”
“The reason I’m ringing is because we have news regarding your father’s whereabouts.”
Denis gasped. “You’ve found him?”
“Not yet. We’ve had notification that this Porter fella’s car has been spotted near Brighton. I wondered if you could really dig deep and tell me where he’s likely to be heading. Maybe a holiday cottage, something like that you used to visit in the area when you were a kid?”
“Let me think it over. Jesus, why can’t I remember?”
Lorne heard Sam telling Denis not to hit himself. She added her reassurance, “Denis, don’t punish yourself for your parents’ failings. Just relax. If it comes to you, then fine. If it doesn’t, then we’ll have to dig deep and work things out for ourselves.”
“I’m letting you down. I’m letting everyone down. I want you to catch him before he harms anyone else.”
“We’ll get him, Denis. Can you pass the phone over to Sam for me?”
Sam came on the line, a note of distress in her voice. “Hello, Lorne.”
“Hi, Sam. Please, you have to keep Denis calm. Think about when people are in a hypnotic state and how easily the information comes to them. We won’t get anywhere if he remains stressed out. I’ve just told him that this Porter’s car has been spotted on the way to Brighton. Does that ring a bell with you at all?”
Sam thought her question over and then replied, “No, nothing. I’m so sorry.”
“Not to worry. I’m going to hang up now. I have another call waiting. I’ll be in touch soon regarding Denis visiting the house, okay?”
“Thank you.”
Lorne tapped a button on her phone and then another. “AJ, what’s up?”
“Not sure how to tell you this, boss.”
“Just say it!”
“We’ve got reports coming in about a hold-up going on at a petrol station.”
“Don’t tell me. Porter and Platt are involved, yes?”
“Yep. The thing is, they’ve taken off in another car. A faster car.”
Chapter Seventeen
Lorne and Sean debated what to do next. AJ had informed Lorne that several teams were already on their way to try to block and apprehend the vehicle Porter and Platt had stolen. The poor woman who owned the vehicle had left the scene by ambulance, after the men violently assaulted her when she refused to relinquish her keys.
“We’ve got two options as I see it,” Lorne stated. “Either we join the circus and end up getting in each other’s way, or we can take a backseat on that one and concentrate on finding more evidence to fling at the Platts.”
Sean eased the car over into a layby and twisted in his seat to look at her. “You’re talking about going to the house with Denis, right?”
“Absolutely. There’s every chance he’ll lead us to vital information, more clues as to what went on. If we’re talking about cracking a paedophile ring, then we should definitely go down that route.”
“I agree. You should call Denis and tell him to meet us at the house then.”
Lorne dialled the number. The phone rang several times before Sam picked it up. “Sam, it’s Lorne again. Is Denis there?”
“Yes. He’s not doing so good right now, Lorne. Can I take a message?”
Crap! “Oh? Anything I can help with?”
“He’s just sifting through the painful memories. Just a moment. He wants a word.”
Lorne waited for Denis to come on the line, her stomach twisting into knots.
“Hello, Lorne.”
“Denis, Sam told me that you’re struggling at present. What can I do to help?”
“I don’t think anyone can help really. My mind has to collate everything it has stored away for years and try to put it in some semblance of order.”
“Okay, do you think meeting up at your parents’ home is likely to hinder or help with that achievement?”
“I really can’t answer that. Why are you ringing again so soon?”
“First of all, I wanted to inform you that we’re on your father’s tail. We believe he and Porter have held up a petrol station and stolen another vehicle, but we’re on to them. They won’t get far.”
“Damn, was anyone hurt?”
“Yes, a lady, the owner of the car. She’s being cared for in hospital. There’s no need for you to worry about that, Denis.”
He sighed heavily. “Easier said than done.”
“I appreciate that. The second thing I wanted to run past you is whether you’re up to going to the house now to meet us there?”
He paused a little while before he spoke again. “Okay, I suppose it would be better to get this over and done with as soon as possible.”
“Brilliant. Do you want to make your own way over there? Or if you’d rather, we could make a detour and pick you up.”
“No, I’m fine. Is it all right if Sam comes, too?”
“Of course, if you think that will help.”
“It will. What time do you want us there?”
“How about in twenty minutes? Is that too soon?”
“That’s fine. I’ll just throw some cold water on my face. See you soon.”
Lorne tucked her phone into her jacket pocket and leaned back against the headrest. “I can’t say I’m looking forward to this.”
“Why?”
“He sounds a mess. I can understand where he’s coming from, wanting to get this task out of the way. I just don’t think he realises how traumatic it’s going to be for him.”
“We’ll be there to help him through the ordeal, Lorne.”
“I know. Shit! I hope Patti will be all right about us turning up out of the blue. I better ring and warn her.” Lorne started to fish her phone out of her pocket again but stopped when she saw Sean shaking his head out of the corner of her eye.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. She’ll probably object to us going there. The element of surprise is always preferable in such situations.”
Lorne cringed. The last thing she wanted was to upset Patti by turning up unannounced and insisting on traipsing all over a crime scene.
Lorne jumped out of the car and entered the house. Thankfully, Denis and Sam hadn’t arrived yet. Sean ran around the front of the car and was close on Lorne’s heels by the time she walked through the front door.
“Leave the talking to me. I know how to handle her,” Lorne said.
Sean grinned. “I had every intention of doing just that.”
Lorne showed her ID to the officer standing in the hallway of the house, then she rushed throug
h to the kitchen. The noise of several machines drifted up from the cellar. Lorne gulped and tentatively made her way down the stairs to the gruesome confines of the house. She called out when she reached the penultimate step, “Patti, are you here?”
A white-suited figure approached her. The person removed a blue paper mask and coughed. The air was full of dust particles that the equipment had disturbed. “Lorne? What are you doing here? I thought I said I would get back to you later.”
“You did.” Lorne’s mouth twisted, and she clicked her tongue. “I have a dilemma.”
“Concerning what?”
“Denis Platt contacted me about something he believes is in the loft. I’ve arranged to meet him and his girlfriend here. They’re due any minute.” Lorne could see Patti’s foot start to tap as her friend folded her arms.
Shaking her head, Patti said, “Why? Why can’t it wait?”
“He’s in bits about this, Patti. He’s finding the whole thing rather traumatic. I think it would be better to face all his demons as soon as he can.”
“Does he know about what’s going on down here?” Patti snapped at her.
“Yes and no. I’ve kept as much from him as possible. He knows about the original skeleton found in the cupboard, but that’s it. Don’t be angry with me, Patti. You know I wouldn’t put you in this position ordinarily…”
“I know. I’m sorry for snapping. Put it down to pressure.”
Lorne nodded her acceptance. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going. Eight bodies up until now.”
“What? Eight? I know it’s too early to speculate, but any idea about cause of death or the age of the victims?”
“COD, no can do on that at the moment. I can give you a guestimate of between five and fifteen for the ages. There’s a mixture down here.”
“Are they all skeletons? Or any recent additions?” Lorne glanced past Patti’s left shoulder as two members of her team carefully placed some bones on a plastic sheet. One of the men jotted down information on his clipboard. Then they both crouched over the hole that had been dug in the corner of the room.
“No recent additions as far as we can tell. Saying that, we’re going to have to dig up the garden, as well. That might alter things considerably, judging by what we’ve discovered in this small area.”
“Crap! I don’t suppose anyone has had a look in the attic yet, have they?”
“No.” Patti’s eyes widened in frustration. “Er… that’ll be because we haven’t had time yet.”
“Sorry. Will you trust me up there?”
“I’m going to have to, aren’t I? If you’re that determined. And stop apologising when you don’t really mean it.”
“That’s not fair. I do mean it.”
“Hmm… make sure you’re suitably attired. You’ll find some suits in the boot of my car.” Patti turned back to resume her examination of a victim’s remains.
Lorne ascended the stairs to join Sean. “She’s not happy about things but has given her blessing, nonetheless. Any sign of Denis and Sam yet?”
“Nope.” He glanced at his watch and tapped the face with his finger. “They should be here any minute.”
Lorne heard a noise in the hallway and saw Denis and Sam pushing open the front door. “Stay there,” she shouted to the couple and added to the uniformed officer restraining them, “They’re here to see us.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The officer dropped his arm.
Lorne smiled at Sean. “Here we go. I hope you’re prepared for this. I know I’m not.”
He motioned for her to go ahead of him up the hallway and whispered, “Only time will tell.”
After Sean retrieved three sets of protective suits, boots, caps, and gloves from Patti’s car, Lorne and Denis slipped into their ensembles. Then she took the lead up the stairs while Sean quickly put on his gear. “There should be a ladder up there,” Denis informed them once they were all on the landing. “I’ll have to get a stool from the bedroom.” He hesitated before he walked into the master bedroom. He returned carrying a white-and-pink dralon-covered stool and placed it beneath the loft hatch. “Do you want me to go first?”
“I think I should. We need to be careful up there, careful not to disturb too much before the forensic team can conduct their investigation.”
“Okay, I’ll just pull down the ladder for you.” Denis reached up and unhitched the latch holding the small door in place. He pulled down the metal ladder then stepped aside for Lorne to climb up.
She poked her head into the eerie loft space. She’d always hated going into lofts as a child, and she felt the same feelings of apprehension constricting her stomach muscles as the rungs of the ladder ran out. She stepped onto the boards of the loft. Don’t forget to breathe, her inner voice yelled. “Okay, Denis, join me when you’re ready.” She flicked a nearby switch, and the room lit up.
Through the hatch, she saw Denis glance first at Sam then at Sean for reassurance before he began his ominous journey. Sam kissed him on the cheek and rubbed his arm. “You’ll be fine. Lorne will be with you every step of the way.”
Nodding, Denis bravely took the first steps up the ladder. It seemed a lifetime had passed before he completed his task to join Lorne. She helped him find his footing once he’d passed the end of the ladder, and together, they inhaled a large breath.
Lorne winked. Pushing her own uncertainties about her surroundings to one side for the moment, she told him, “You can do this, Denis.”
“I hope so.”
Lorne scanned the area. “When was the last time you were up here?”
“Not since I was nine or ten, I suppose.” He closed his eyes as the memory took hold, and he shuddered.
“I’m here. Don’t fret. I know this must be difficult for you. Be strong. Where shall we start? Was there anything in particular that you wanted me to see?”
Slowly, Denis’s eyes opened. His gaze gradually surveyed the area amidst plenty of large gulps. “Things are different to how I remember. Give me a moment.”
“Of course, in your own time. Let’s move over here, away from the opening.” The rustling of their suits as they tentatively crossed the boards had an unnerving effect over Lorne in the eerie environment. She had to dig deep to resist the urge to copy Denis’s shudder moments earlier.
Denis studied each area carefully until his focus was drawn to a particular spot under the eaves. He surprised Lorne by reaching for and grabbing her gloved hand.
“This way,” he whispered, leading her across the width of the room.
Lorne tried to look around his broad frame to figure out what they were heading for. All she could see were a pile of boxes and the odd suitcase tucked neatly away in a corner.
Stopping before one of the cases, Denis breathed in deeply and pointed. “In there. I think you’ll find everything you’re going to need in there.”
Lorne stepped around him and walked toward the item. Pausing before she touched it, she asked, “What’s in here, Denis?”
He shook his head. “I have no idea. All I know is that as a child I was forbidden from ever opening it. I tried once…”
“What happened, love?” Lorne prompted him to continue.
His hand swept over his pained face. “He beat me—every hour, on the hour for days, and he locked me in the cupboard under the stairs. I was in there for three whole days, not even allowed to leave to use the toilet.”
“Denis, I’m so sorry. Let’s hope we find the evidence we need in here on both of them to throw away the key.”
“You have to find him first.”
“We will. Would you rather I did this by myself?”
“No. I’ve come this far. I might as well continue now.”
They both knelt, and Lorne flipped the brass-coloured catch on the front, surprised that it hadn’t discoloured at all in the damp at
mosphere. Did that mean that Denis’s parents constantly looked at its contents? “Why isn’t it locked? I mean, if they were determined that you kids shouldn’t nosey inside it.”
“Fear. They controlled us by fear. After what I went through, it kept the other kids in line. At the dinner table, on the days they actually fed us, they ridiculed me about the incident. That went on for years, not days or months, but years.”
Lorne’s eyes moistened not for the first time while in this gentle man’s company. She’d heard some barbaric things over the years, even seen some of the most deplorable cases that had ever taken place in London, and yet this man’s plight touched her like no other. The thought of a mere child being treated so inhumanely by his parents completely saddened her. She wished Charlie were there with them so she could hug her daughter and tell her how much she was loved, but then her daughter knew that. Lorne had put her own life in jeopardy without a second thought over the years in order to save her only child. That’s how it should be with parents, not this! No one had the right to treat kids the way the Platts had. Then Lorne thought about how lucky Denis was in reality—at least he was alive. There were around eight bodies in the cellar who hadn’t survived the Platts’ bouts of anger.
Lorne patted his arm and again apologised on his parents’ behalf. “I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate that, but it’s not your fault. Let’s get this over with.” He urged her to open the case.
Lorne lifted the lid, looking through half-closed eyes, fearing what would present itself and whether either of them would be able to cope with the reveal. Instantly, she felt her stomach want to reject her lunch. Oh, crap! Why me? Images of dead battered children stared up at her. “Shit! Denis, don’t look.” When she turned to face him, he seemed to be in some form of mesmeric state. “Denis, listen to me, please.”
Tears trickled down his cheeks, flowing more quickly the faster he shook his head. All of a sudden, he looked up at the roof and shouted, “Why?”
Lorne found it impossible not to cry. She threw her arms around him, and together, they sobbed. She heard the clatter of metal and looked over Denis’s shoulder to see Sean poking his head through the hatch.