Brutal Pursuit

by Diane M Dickson

  “I think we’ll go and have another word with Mrs Baker, maybe after she’s had a chance to see her husband’s body. Keep an eye on that for me, let me know when it’s done. Oh, hang on, wasn’t Sue Rollinson going to attend. Find out when it’s scheduled, I’ll go myself,” she said.

  Kate Lewis interrupted their meeting with the news that the warrant had come through for them to search Jamie Mulholland’s flat.

  “What are we looking for, boss?” Harris asked as they walked to the car.

  “To be honest with you, Paul, I can’t really say. It’s a bit odd, him vanishing right now. I’ve been in touch with Charlie up in Liverpool and it seems that Mulholland has a bit of a spotty past. It feels like clutching at straws, I know, but I reckon it’s worth us having a look at least. There is that video of the white van. It could be him,” Tanya said.

  “How’s DI Lambert?”

  “Yes, he’s okay. Seems to have settled down well anyway, and his wife’s doing better.”

  “So, if this search doesn’t throw up anything, what then?” Harris asked.

  Now would be the time to share her thoughts with regard to Tricia Baker, but as it was unformed and insubstantial, she held her peace. “We go back and look at everything again. We cross our fingers that someone recognises our female victim, and we keep working at it.”

  “Seems like DI Finch has got an easier case. I mean some woman battered in a graveyard. That’s got to be more straightforward, hasn’t it? Probably some street walker upset a client, or a domestic. Yeah, bet it’ll turn out to be a domestic. Nice quick clear up for him. Nice brownie points.”

  “Would you rather have been with him then, Paul?”

  For a moment he didn’t speak, when he did it was quietly, thoughtfully. “No, no. I reckon that brownie points are all well and good, especially if I’m going to put in for promotion, but this is harder, isn’t it? More challenging.”

  It looked as though maybe she hadn’t misjudged the change in his attitude. “You seem more focused lately, Paul, is that all down to him – to Finch?”

  “I’ve got to say he made me think. The wife’s on at me anyway, wants to move out of the flat, get a house – nagging and whinging. I thought, well, if I get my promotion, it might keep her quiet for a while, give her something to brag to her sisters about.”

  She didn’t know if that were true or whether it was swagger. He was still a bit of a prat, just a more ambitious prat seemingly.

  “I hear he’s been visiting the morgue a lot, DI Finch. Following up every day. Do you know anything about that?”

  “No. Can I speak freely, boss?”

  “Of course, Paul.”

  “I liked him, when he came in. I was impressed, I won’t lie. His flash car, the suit. I asked around about him – he’s a highflyer, isn’t he?”

  Tanya didn’t answer, she waited for him to continue.

  “He’s a laugh, I’ll give him that.” He paused for a moment. “I think we’re better this way though, boss. I was a bit bothered about the questions he was asking, some of the stuff he wanted to know. Yeah, I reckon this has been a good thing. We can manage with the smaller team and it’ll be good experience for Dan. Sue’s in her element as well, fluttering her eyelashes at him.”

  Tanya let the comment about Sue Rollinson go. “What sort of questions?”

  “Well about you, boss. I mean most people know about your first case, how you were nearly killed, and then about that incident in Scotland when you were hurt. Well, we know you’ve got balls, ma’am.”

  Tanya splurted out a laugh and he joined in from the passenger seat.

  “Sorry, that was out of order I suppose. But I mean it. Finch though, he wanted to know other stuff, who you lived with, about you and Charlie.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. I mean we all know that Charlie is besotted with Carol and totally nuts about his little boy. Charlie would never do anything to risk that.”

  She noted that her morals weren’t part of his thinking.

  “We know why he was staying at your place. I didn’t like what he was inferring, and I would have told him so, if it’d come to it. DI or not.”

  Hmm, he’d just gone down a bit on the prattish scale.

  “Well, thanks for that, Paul, I appreciate it. If he wants to know any more about my private life, just refer him to me, will you?”

  She pulled into the kerbside now and pointed to a small blue van parked in front of them. “Ha, the locksmith’s here. Let’s go and see if Mr Mulholland was hiding anything of interest.”

  Chapter 45

  Though it had never been said aloud, Tanya was alert to the possibility of the smell of decay and death in the small flat. There had been so much death in such a short space of time that, if they had found Jamie Mulholland slumped in his chair, or worse, she would not have been surprised.

  In the event, the flat smelled faintly of old cooking and dust. It was reasonably tidy: the kitchen surfaces were clear, and the Formica tops wiped clean. A couple of mugs sat on the draining board, one washed out the other with dried dregs in the bottom. The place felt abandoned, but only in the way of a house where the occupants were away for a long holiday.

  Paul Harris ran his finger over the desk in the corner. “No computer? I’ve looked in the bedrooms, both of them. There’s the electrical extension underneath and marks on the top, there’s the printer, but no actual computer.”

  “I suppose he could just have a laptop and have it with him; mind you, I don’t think you do that if you’ve just popped out for a bit. Or maybe you do. Have you looked in the wardrobes?” Tanya asked.

  “No, not yet. I’ve just done a quick scan of the rooms, just in case, you know?”

  So, he’d had thought the same as she had – that they might find another corpse.

  “I’ll do the main bedroom now.” Paul turned and went back down the little hallway. She heard the click of cupboard doors and the rattle of coat hangers.

  It was bland and bare, like a holiday let waiting for tenants. Cups and plates in cupboards. A few opened packets of pasta, rice, biscuits but no food in the fridge which smelled stale because it had been switched off with the door closed.

  Paul re-joined her. “He’s done a runner, hasn’t he? There’s just a couple of pairs of jeans, old and worn, no underwear. No socks. There’s a couple of towels in the airing cupboard and that’s it. There’s soap in the bathroom but the sink is dry.”

  “You didn’t run water, did you?”

  Paul glared at her as Tanya blurted out the question, and she knew what a mistake she’d made. “Sorry. Of course you didn’t. Sorry.”

  He inclined his head in acknowledgement but still turned away with a huff of anger. “I’ll organise a team, shall I? Forensics?”

  “I think so. We’d better just secure the place and leave it to them. There’s nothing to indicate that he cut up a body in this place, is there? Surely you couldn’t do that and leave no trace. I don’t see anything to suggest that sort of mayhem. It’s just empty.”

  “No, but if there is anything to find, we’ll find it.”

  “Yep. But you know, I just feel as though there’s nothing here. I don’t think there has been murder and dismemberment done in this place. I know it’s unscientific but…” She left the sentence unfinished. She couldn’t adequately explain it, because it was the absence of evil and that sounded far too wacky to share with down-to-earth Sergeant Harris. Anyway, her phone was vibrating in her pocket.

  She held up the small device. “Text from Detective Lewis. Tricia Baker is going to see her husband’s body. I want to be there. Can I leave you to sort stuff out here? I’ll send a car to take you back.”

  “Yes, that’s fine. Oh, and boss…”

  She waited.

  “I’ll be sure not to take a piss.”

  She couldn’t be offended because as he spoke his eyes sparkled with mischief and she knew that, really, she deserved the put down for having so little confidence i
n him.

  “Right,” she said. “See that you don’t.”

  Chapter 46

  Tanya called Kate Lewis as soon as she was in her car on the way to the morgue. “We need CCTV from around the area of Jamie Mulholland’s flat. Have some of the civilians viewing it as soon as possible. Get in touch with DI Lambert up in Liverpool. I’ll ping you his number. Ask him to expedite the report, we need a picture of Mulholland. They must have one because he’s known to them. We need to find him. It’s possibly far too late, but can you call the DCI and ask him to clear an All Ports Alert. Can I leave all this with you for now, Kate? I need to meet up with Mrs Baker for the viewing of her husband.”

  “It’s okay, ma’am. I’m on it.”

  Kate, one of the most efficient and effective officers she’d worked with, was still a detective constable – it was wrong. When all this work was out of the way she would have another try. Encourage her to have a go at promotion to sergeant. She deserved it and it would be a good thing for the force. She was being wasted.

  The big four-wheel drive that belonged to Tricia Baker’s brother was already in the car park when Tanya arrived. They were waiting in a small family room. The woman was nervous and pale; her brother paced back and forth across the meagre space, glancing at his watch regularly. Everyone dealt with horror in a different way and it wasn’t any sort of indication of their true feelings. She had known relatives break down to the extent that they needed to be almost carried out of the viewing room. Others were stoic verging on cold, but often they were the ones who were most deeply affected and were simply able to hold themselves together better.

  Tricia Baker hit about the middle of the reactions scale. She nodded briefly to confirm that the body was her husband. There was no doubt, but i’s had to be dotted and t’s crossed. Tears trickled across her cheek and she dabbed at them with a tissue. Robin Turner put his arms around her shoulders and led her back into the corridor. Tanya thanked the technician and then hurried after them.

  “Can I get you anything, Mrs Baker?” She caught up with them almost at the door.

  “No, thank you. I just want to go home now.”

  Tanya moved around so that she was between the couple and the exit. She held out her hand which Tricia Baker shook briefly, frowning at her and then attempting to move past. “If there is anything you need at all, you have my number,” Tanya said.

  “Yes, thank you.” She was still pushing forward.

  “I trust my team have been looking after you?” This was a twist of truth – it hadn’t been her team, but she assumed Tricia would have no idea of the organisation of the enquiries. “It’s obviously been a dreadful shock.”

  “Yes, yes.” Robin Turner held up a hand, trying to clear the way.

  “I trust they were sensitive? When they brought you the news? It’s a difficult part of the job, especially when relatives are away from home. As you were – in your office.”

  “They were fine. It was fine.”

  “Terrible for you, hearing that your husband was dead, under those circumstances.”

  “Yes, it was. But they were fine, well as good as they could be, you know. It was a shock. They offered me a lift home, but Robin was there, he took me. Well, you know that. You were there. Now, if you don’t mind, I just want to get away from here.”

  “Sorry, sorry, yes of course. Please don’t hesitate to call me if there is anything I can do.”

  She watched them cross the car park and clamber into their car. It was still insubstantial. She hadn’t got the confirmation that she needed but for now, she would have to just let it be.

  Chapter 47

  Still nothing solid to work with and the case was growing colder. It had been five days since the discovery of the first body and they were no nearer to even identifying him. They had not found the skull. It was a mire of meagre information, supposition, and confusion.

  Tanya flung her bag on the floor, slumped into her chair and lay her head on the desk. DI Finch must have heard her coming into their office and she raised her head as he coughed quietly from the doorway.

  “You okay, Tanya?” he said.

  “Fine, just tired you know. I’ve been missing a bit of sleep. How are you getting on with your body?” She would be polite, she would be professional, and she would make sure that, as far as possible, she would never work with him again.

  “Yeah, early days. Just getting things organised, you know. I’ve got house to house organised for around the cemetery. We are waiting for Hewitt to get on with the post-mortem. Can’t do much more until we have a specific cause of death.”

  It wasn’t true, there was a lot he could do; she saw it for what it was, covering up the fact that he was stuck as much as she was. Still, it was very early days. Unless the scene was a kitchen with the murderer standing over the body, holding a knife dripping in blood, there was always a period of time collecting the facts, listing the suspects. Steps that had to be followed to make sure that if and when a case was presented to the CPS, it was water tight. It was tempting to rush headlong but that could end in disaster. There was a time when gung-ho detectives forged forward regardless and those cases had often come unravelled, sometimes even years later.

  She pushed back her chair and went out into her own incident room. Kate Lewis stood when she saw her. “Boss, I didn’t know you were back –I was just sending you a message.”

  Tanya could tell from the beaming smile that she had news. “Right – tell me something good, Kate.”

  “I reckon you’ll like this. Tony…” She waved towards one of the civilians who was glued to his computer screen. He glanced up and raised his hand. “Tony spotted Mulholland on the CCTV, driving the white van three days ago. Leaving the parking area near his flat. He got us a registration number. We’ve tracked him using ANPR and the last sighting was today at Dover.”

  “Shit, does that mean we’ve just missed him?” Tanya said, kicking out at the nearest desk.

  “Ha!” Kate laughed. “No, this is the good bit. He was spotted entering the country. He was coming back. I was just about to contact you. We’re still tracking him. Do you want him stopped?”

  The tiredness dissipated, Tanya could feel her nerves begin to spark, her brain buzzing. “No, not right away. Where is he now,” she asked.

  “On the M25 at the moment, just past Clacket Lane services. We’ve got a traffic officer in a car watching him and the cameras are recording his progress,” Kate said.

  “M25, Clacket Lane. So, chances are he’s heading back this way. Let’s just watch him.”

  It was exciting, a positive move, and yet in the back of her mind was the disturbing little suspicion that, if he was heading home from a trip to France, then he had nothing to hide, and they were wasting their time. She had no choice but to have him watched, but Tanya had a horrible feeling that what in the first moments had felt like a breakthrough, could quite easily be a total flop.

  “What about the dodgy rear light?” she asked.

  Tony shook his head. “No way to tell, all this is daytime.”

  “He could have fixed it anyway. Going to France, they’ll pull you over for that,” Kate said.

  Chapter 48

  Karen Laidlaw was about to finish her shift when the call came to let her know immigration officers were finally on their way to collect Ana.

  “I know you’re off duty in half an hour, but I thought you might like to know anyway,” the sergeant told her.

  “I’ll come in if that’s okay? I’d like to say goodbye and let her see a friendly face.”

  “Okay, in you come then. We’re putting her in one of the interview rooms, ask at the desk when you arrive.”

  By the time Karen reached the station, Ana was sitting in one of the nicer interview rooms, one of the ‘soft’ spaces. The table and chairs there weren’t screwed to the floor. Though it was bare and sparse it didn’t have the threatening feel of the places used to intimidate suspects, to let them know they were not there for
fun. There was a cup of tea cooling on the table and the girl’s eyes, wide and frightened, were wet with tears. There was a female police officer sitting beside her, texting on her phone.

  The tense set of her shoulders relaxed just a little, and there was an easing of the lines of fear on her forehead as Ana saw a familiar face. “Hello. I just thought I’d pop in and say goodbye,” Karen said.

  She still didn’t speak, but for the first time since her nightmare had started, Ana managed a smile.

  “Do you know what’s going to happen? They are taking you to a holding centre until a decision is made about what to do. You can help yourself, you know. If you prove that you have a right to be in the country then, all this will go away. We are not going to do anything about the phone and the old lady. We know that you probably didn’t mean to hurt her.”

  Ana would have grasped at the straw that was offered, but she knew that to prove who she was, she would have to tell them how she came into the country. She would have to explain why she didn’t have her passport, tell them where she had been. It was impossible. It would hurt too many other people and there was still the chance they would find out about the smuggled drugs. It was possible that Bogdan would give them all up. If he thought it would help to save himself, he wouldn’t hesitate.

  She shook her head.

  The door opened to two immigration officers. The small space was crowded now with uniforms and Karen could see that the girl was beginning to panic. She reached out and touched her arm. “It’s alright. Nobody is going to hurt you.”

  The girl grabbed at her hand, squeezing it tightly in her terror. Karen eased the fingers gently with her other hand but still allowing Ana to hold on. They didn’t handcuff her but positioned themselves one on either side. At the doorway there was a shuffle with not enough room for them all to pass through together, and Ana wasn’t letting go of Karen’s hand. In the end, the immigration team split, one in front and one behind, and in this strange procession, they made their way along the corridors towards the rear entrance.