by Conrad Jones
Alec was halfway through a chicken salad that his wife had prepared for him when his Blackberry began to vibrate. He turned the ringtone off while they ate. The atmosphere was frosty and Gail had not spoken more than a few words to him since he had arrived. His mother-in-law was lecturing him on the subject of work-life balance. Apparently, he neglected her daughter and prioritised his job. She was right, but Alec didn’t need to hear it from her. To top it all, the chicken salad was not chicken. It was chicken substitute, which tasted nothing like chicken. Alec decided to eat it and say nothing. Things were bad enough as they were without insulting the salad. He could call at the sandwich shop on his way back to the station. It was open all day long.
“Are you listening to me?” Marjorie tapped a wrinkled finger on the table. She was pushing eighty-five and gave no impression that she was about to slow down yet. Alec ignored her. He glanced at her neck and decided she looked more like a turkey every day.
“Excuse me. I need to take this call.” Alec picked up his plate and walked into the kitchen. It was the opportunity he needed to escape Marjorie’s droning voice, plus he wanted to scrape the salad into the bin.
“Can’t it wait until we’ve finished eating?” Gail called after him.
“Sorry, but it’s important.” He looked at the screen. It was Will Naylor.
“It’s always important, Alec. It’s always more important than me.” He heard her parting shot across the bows and it stung. He grimaced as he answered the phone.
“Hi, Will. What’s up?”
“We’ve had some forensic results back.”
“Good, about time. What have we learned?” Alec opened the lid of the pedal bin and scraped the remainder of his lunch into it. He rearranged the garbage to hide the evidence from his wife.
“The forensic boys found a dozen different prints in the hotel room. We’ve run them against our files and one of them belongs to a local man with a record, Patrick Lloyd.”
“The name rings a bell.”
“He’s a small time crook; we know him from the Bluebell estate. Uniform lifted him two years back over the murder of a drug dealer on his estate, Jacky Benjamin. They couldn’t make it stick.”
“I remember it. Benjamin was badly beaten and tortured before he died, right?”
“That’s right. They tortured him with a steam iron. The perpetrator cleaned down the house after the murder. Forensics found nothing they could use. They didn’t find any money or drugs in the house and it was written off as a local gang feud. Uniform arrested Lloyd weeks later when a witness identified him as a man he had seen walking away from the house in the early hours of the morning, but the witness disappeared before Lloyd could be charged.”
“He walked away from it, didn’t he?”
“That’s the one, Guv.”
“We need to know where he is and who he’s been working with since then.”
“We’re on it,” Will replied. “He’s not at the same address anymore, we’ve checked. The team are looking through every database available. If he’s still around, we’ll find him.”
“Have you pulled his file from the Benjamin case?”
“Yes, Guv,” Will replied. “I am looking at it now.”
“What do we know about him?”
“He’s ex-army, discharged five years ago for an alleged assault on his superior officer. He appealed and got a large compensation pay off. We only have a summary of his army record here. Since then he has been in the frame for a few grievous charges, a common assault, and he was questioned about the murder of Benjamin, but nothing has stuck. He has never been charged with anything.”
“Any sexual assaults on his file?”
“Not here, Guv, but we’re checking back through other forces too. His army record was clean apart from the incident he was discharged for, but it is only a summary.”
“It’s a big step from a few minor assaults to torturing a woman to death, Will.”
“I agree, but his superior officer was a woman. It maybe something or it may be nothing. According to the autopsy report, the dealer, Benjamin, was systematically beaten to death over a period of hours. If he was responsible for killing him, then it’s not beyond belief that he could be involved in our murder. I’m having his army records sent over to us.”
“We’ll see what the MOD has on him, but until we’ve identified the victim we’re stuffed.”
“Good news there. We’ve indentified the girl, Guv.”
“Is it a positive?”
“Yes, there’s no doubt about it.”
“Why didn’t you say?” Alec wanted coffee.
“I was getting around to it, Guv.” Will laughed at his boss’s impatience. “The results all dropped in at the same time. We may have another suspect to look at too,” Will added.
“Okay, sorry, let’s hear it.” Alec switched the kettle on and grabbed a coffee mug. He needed to get back to the station but he would have to wait until he had heard all the results. He could work through them in his mind on the way.
“The victim is Louise Parker. She was twenty-eight years of age, a graduate from Chester University. She lived at home with her father, Robert Parker. He’s a retired property developer. He reported his daughter missing eleven days ago when she failed to come home after a night out.”
“Has he been informed?” Alec opened the cupboard and reached for the coffee. His wife bought decaffeinated coffee as part of their healthy eating regime but Alec threw the granules into the bin each time and replaced them with the real thing. She would never notice the difference. He twisted the lid and spooned two heaped spoonfuls of the real granules into the cup.
“Paula and Sharon are bringing him in, Guv. He’s insisting that he wants to see the body.”
“What have they told him?”
“They’ve told him everything we know.”
“Make sure they look after him. There is no way he can see his daughter in that state. Carry on.”
“Louise Parker didn’t have any children, but Mr Parker told us his daughter had come off the rails. She was drinking heavily and taking cocaine, but she always returned home at night. When she didn’t return, he reported her missing. Paula and Sharon followed up on the missing persons and visited the Parker residence. They found a picture of her, Guv. She had long auburn hair and a sovereign ring. Bloods and DNA tests are in. The victim is Louise Parker.”
“That’s good work, Will.” He poured the water into his mug and added semi skimmed milk. He wanted to add two spoonfuls of sugar but that was unhealthy, apparently. He had asked his wife to buy sweeteners but she had informed him they were carcinogenic. Alec carried a tube of them in his jacket pocket covertly and he sneaked two tablets into his brew. “What else do we know?”
“Louise had a boyfriend, Salim Oguzhan.” Alec was familiar with the Oguzhan family. The MIT had investigated them many times over the years. They were a powerful outfit with their fingers in drugs, arms and prostitution. Their power base was London, but they were expanding into every major city. The police linked them to a number of murders and disappearances over the previous few years but there wasn’t enough evidence to press charges. Witnesses had a habit of vanishing.
“Bloody hell,” Alec gasped. He slurped some of the coffee while he digested the news. “Salim Oguzhan. Now that is interesting. He owns Connections nightclub, right?”
“Exactly. His name is on the deeds and he employs Jessie as the licensee.”
“We know he isn’t at the top of the Oguzhan family though, he was financed to buy that building.”
“That’s what I said, Guv. He’s the grandson of the main man in London, Zamir Oguzhan. We’re trying to track Salim down, but it looks like he hasn’t been seen for a couple of weeks. He disappeared around the same time Louise Parker was murdered.”
“Where does he live?”
“He has a house in Woolton, on Gatacre Brow.”
“Nice.” Alec slurped his coffee again. The properties in that area were worth millions.<
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“He’s married with three children, Guv, but his family live in Turkey,” Will added.
“We need to talk to him, rapid,” Alec said.
“We have a uniformed unit there in case he turns up.”
“Have you applied for a warrant to search his house?”
“Smithy is at the courts now. We should have it within the hour.”
“Good. I need you to call Chief Carlton.”
“Why, Guv?” Will asked. “What are you thinking?”
“Ask him if he’s had any contact with Salim since the fire at the club and see what his investigation turned up on him.”
“Do you think there’s a connection with Connections?” Will joked.
“Funny, I can’t see how but the chief may have had some communication with him. He might know where he is.”
“It could all be a coincidence,” Will mused, but he didn’t think it was a coincidence and he could sense that Alec didn’t either.
“Something happened at the club before the fire.” Alec swallowed some more coffee. “I want to know what it was.”
“Okay, Guv.” Will agreed. They needed to know what had happened before the fire had started.
“How long was the victim involved with Salim?”
“Mr Parker wasn’t sure, but he estimated it was about three months. He gave us Salim’s private registration plate. That’s how we traced him.”
“Is there any sign of his motor?” Alec asked.
“No, Guv. There’s no sign of him or the Porsche. We’re trying to get hold of the manager of the club, Jessie James, but he’s not answering his telephone. A uniformed unit called at his address, but there was nobody home. We’ll keep trying.”
“I don’t like where this investigation is taking us, Will.” Alec slurped on the hot coffee. He leaned against the cupboards and reached for the biscuit tin. He pulled the lid off with his free hand. Empty. She must have cleaned the tin out and left it empty. No more chocolate Hobnobs? This health kick was going too far.
“Do you think Salim was involved in her murder?”
“I can’t rule anything out. There’s a reason why he’s disappeared and we need to know what that is.”
“If it was a domestic that got out of hand or a crime of passion, fair enough, but the level of violence rules against that.”
“True, but he vanished about the same time as the murder was committed, so where is he?”
“Why would Salim Oguzhan do that to his girlfriend? The guy is loaded and could take his pick from a string of bimbos; I can’t see the motive.” Will knew they were missing something.
“Who said he did kill her?” Alec sighed. “The fire at the club wasn’t on my radar until now, Will, but now it has to be.”
“I agree, Guv, but what have we really got so far?”
“Salim Oguzhan owned the club. He employed Jessie as his manager and license holder. There were reports of gunshots and an explosion before the fire spread, and Jessie was minus the tops of his ears. Combine that with the disappearance of Salim and the discovery of his girlfriend, who was murdered, and we have a big fat nothing.” Alec paused and thought for a second. “The only thread between the two is Salim and torture. Whoever cut off Jessie’s ears wanted something. Either it was a punishment, or someone interrogated him. The Parker girl was tortured to death and the bloodstains in the factory unit indicated that others were tortured. There is a link but I can’t see it yet. We need to know what happened in that nightclub, Will.”
“The chief said no one at the poker game would talk. They refused to say anything.” Will said.
“What about Jessie?”
“He made a no comment statement with a solicitor present.”
“So there was no crime reported?”
“No, Guv.”
“Pull them all in, Will. I want everyone from that night brought in and interviewed.” Alec swallowed another mouthful of the hot liquid. “This is no longer about a fire or an assault. I’m convinced it is linked to our murder investigation. Bring them in, run thorough checks on their motors, tax, insurance, and the works. Get uniform to crawl all over them and put them under pressure until they realise it will be easier to tell us what happened at the club than to remain silent.”
“Okay. You’re the boss, but I can’t see the chief being happy if we run all over his investigation.”
“Tough. They are not investigating it anymore, Will. A room full of villains playing poker, gunshots, a fire and the manager gets his ears sliced off. If no one makes a statement then it’s just another chorus of gangster’s paradise, right?”
“Maybe that’s all there is to it, Guv,” Will said cautiously. The young detective was ambitious and he didn’t want to rock the boat. He had damaged his reputation as a first class detective by making indiscretions in his personal life. He was a player, but he’d played with the wrong women and wrecked several marriages. Will couldn’t afford to rock the boat with the senior hierarchy. Alec Ramsay would not be around to babysit his career forever.
“Maybe, but I want to know what happened that night. Call it a hunch if you like, but I believe it’s connected. I don’t know how, but I think it is. I think Salim Oguzhan is the key. When you bring them in, I want our detectives to hold the interviews. You and I will take Jessie.” Alec poured the dregs of his coffee into the sink. “I am on my way in.”
He ended the call and looked out of the window. Calderstones Park spread out before him. There were wide grassy spaces and a huge boating lake. It had been raining for the last week but the sun was out for a while and people made the most of the warmth. There were families sat on the grass eating picnics and couples walking hand in hand on the winding paths, which dissected the park.
“What have you done with your lunch?” His wife came into the kitchen and her voice disturbed his thoughts.
“Sorry, I was miles away then.” He managed a smile but his mind was on the case.
“Did you throw it in the bin?”
“I finished it, Gail.”
“Liar.”
“Sorry, but I wasn’t that hungry and I have to get back to the station.” Alec leaned to grab her hand but she pulled away.
“I’m leaving, Alec.” She opened the dishwasher and slammed her plate into it noisily. “I’ll go to mum’s for a while.”
Alec frowned and sighed. He felt like he’d been punched in the guts. “Look, I’m sorry about this, but it is a big case and I have to be there. We found a young woman tortured to death and the evidence at the scene suggests there are more victims somewhere.”
She looked thoughtful. She didn’t look mad or angry. She didn’t look sad either. “There will always be another young woman murdered, Alec. There will always be another big case. I don’t blame you. I just can’t spend my life alone anymore.”
“We’ll talk later. I have to brief the team on the forensic results. As soon as the briefing is over I’ll come straight home and we can talk, yes?” He kissed her forehead and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. Her eyes seemed glazed and there was a faraway look to them. She was already gone. She had been gone for a long time.
Chapter Fourteen
Jessie James
When Jessie opened his eyes, he was in his armchair. His hands and feet were tied with thick black duct tape and he couldn’t move. A slim built man in his fifties was sitting across the room from him on the settee. He was wearing faded blue jeans and white trainers. His skin was dark and wrinkled by the sun and his stubble greyed by age.
“Where is Rose?” Jessie croaked. Blood tricked down his neck from his left ear. The beating had burst the stitches. “What have you done to her?”
“She’s with friends of mine. They’re looking after her.” The man said. His voice was thick and his accent guttural. Jessie knew he was from the Oguzhan family.
“Don’t hurt her. She has nothing to do with this, you bastard!” Tears filled Jessie’s eyes. This was his worst nightmare come true. He loved Ros
e, but he was helpless. Anger and frustration boiled inside him.
“You lost something that was valuable to us. Now we have something that is precious to you. When you return our property, we will return your wife to you. Does that seem fair to you?”
“I didn’t lose your drugs. They were stolen.”
“They were in your care. You lost them.”
“I don’t know who took them. How can I return them? I don’t know who took them.”
“I suggest you find out.” The man pointed a nicotine-stained finger at him.
“How can I?” Jessie tried to move, but the Turk had fastened him tightly. Pins and needles were creeping from his feet up his legs.
“It was an inside job?”
“It must be. They knew the code to the safe.”
“Who knew the code?” The Turk stood up and took out a cigarette. He put the packet back into the pocket of his grey leather bomber jacket. It looked too big for him and the sleeves covered his hands so that only his fingers showed.
“Me and Sally, that’s it.” A trickle of blood ran over his collarbone and tickled his skin. “No one knew about the safe beneath the ice machine except us.”
“Have you heard from Salim?” The Turk sucked on the filter and swallowed the smoke.
“No. Not for nearly two weeks.”
“When did you last talk to him?”
“The week before last.” Jessie tried to remember the exact day, but couldn’t. He drank with his customers most nights and the mornings were usually a haze.
“What did you speak about?” The Turk narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t know, work stuff,” Jessie moaned. He was in pain and panicking about Rose. He knew the Turks would kill her sooner than he could blink. It was their way.
“What stuff, Jessie?” He pushed. “It is very important to your wife that we recover our property.”
“Don’t hurt her!” Jessie shouted and saliva sprayed from his lips as they quivered. If he could free his hands, he would throttle the Turk to death. Jessie was losing it and he raised his voice again. “Work stuff, for God’s sake. Beer orders, cellar stocks, how many fucking peanuts we had left, does it matter?”