by J. P. Carter
‘Cheer up, guv,’ Walker said. ‘You should be buzzing with a sense of satisfaction. Those kids are out of harm’s way thanks to us.’
Anna looked at him, shook her head. ‘You and I both know that they’ll suffer for the rest of their lives because of what’s happened to them.’
‘That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be pleased with ourselves. It was a result. And a good one.’
Anna sighed. ‘I suppose so. But what we do just doesn’t seem to be enough when it comes to this sort of thing.’
‘We can only do our best, guv. You know that.’
She did, but it didn’t make her feel any better.
‘We might well have earned brownie points for closing down a child brothel, Max,’ she said. ‘But we’ve been dealt a blow with the loss of our prime suspect in the Rossi case. We now know that Quinlan was busy elsewhere when Jacob was abducted. That’s why he lied to us about his movements.’
‘But we do know for sure that he was parked outside the lad’s school a few days earlier.’
‘I’m inclined to believe that it was just a coincidence. He probably went there to have a wank in the car while ogling the kids.’
‘Or he was scouting for talent on Sullivan’s behalf.’
Anna shrugged. ‘We can push him on that. And Sullivan too. But I don’t think that is what happened.’
‘So if you’re right we’re now down to four persons of interest – Roy Slater, Gavin Pope, Michelle Gerrard and Mark Rossi’s long-lost stepbrother Joseph Walsh, or whatever his name is now.’
Anna nodded. ‘That’s correct, but three of them we still haven’t managed to trace, which is so bloody frustrating.’
But as luck would have it there was an encouraging development on that front before they got back to Wandsworth. A message came through from HQ that Michelle Gerrard had turned up at her house and was being brought in for questioning. So at last they would be able to find out why the sick troll had been targeting Mark Rossi with vile and offensive remarks. And if she had anything to do with Jacob’s abduction.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Presenter: ‘This is the BBC news at three o’clock … and we’re now hearing that a sixth person has died in the riots. Police say a man in his early twenties suffered a heart attack when he was crushed by a mob of youths as they tried to gain access to a supermarket in Birmingham.
‘The Home Secretary has described the fatalities as tragic and senseless. And he’s condemned all those involved in the disturbances.’
Home Secretary: ‘Those causing trouble are not legitimate protesters. They’re criminals who are intent on causing as much harm as possible. They should be ashamed of themselves.’
Presenter: ‘The Home Secretary’s remarks prompted one community leader to say that the police and politicians should share responsibility for what is happening. Lionel Robson was speaking an hour ago while standing outside a blazing restaurant near his home in Tottenham.’
Community Leader: ‘We’ve been warning the authorities for years that this was going to happen. But they did sod all about it. Too many people have been treated like dirt for far too long, especially ethnic minorities here in London. Most of those who’ve taken to the streets are not causing wilful damage. They’re just trying to make a point.’
Presenter: ‘The first of our live reports now from Lewis Forbes in Stratford …’
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Chloe checked the time on her phone and saw that it was three-thirty in the afternoon. It surprised her because she hadn’t realised that she’d been at the hospital for over seven hours.
The time had passed so quickly and even now she was in no hurry to go home. She had enjoyed being with Tom. They’d talked and played games and when he’d slept – which had been for much of the time – she had wandered around the hospital. She’d bought drinks and snack bars in the canteen and watched television in the visitors’ room.
Tom had just dropped off again after they’d had a long chat about her mother.
‘I want you to know that I love her very much, Chloe,’ he’d said. ‘My feelings for her haven’t changed as a result of you coming back into her life. If anything, they’re stronger now because she’s much happier and more optimistic about the future. And so am I.’
Chloe had hung on to his every word, and she knew he meant it when he’d said that he wanted them to be a family.
‘Your mum and I were planning to move in together soon,’ he’d told her. ‘But it’s only right and sensible that it gets put on hold so that she can spend time with you first. You both have a lot of catching up to do, and you must believe me when I say that I really don’t have a problem with that.’
She did believe him because she was sure now that he was an honest man. Unlike her father who had told her so many lies. And she was glad that she had agreed to stay with him in the hospital because it had allowed her to get to know him.
He had a broken body because he’d tried to help her, and it was such a relief that he wasn’t more seriously injured or even dead. She wanted to be nice to him, to show him that she was so very grateful. It was important to her, partly because she wasn’t able to thank Sophie and Ryan for saving her life. She wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. It made her feel sad, and guilty, and she swore to herself that from now on she would include them in her prayers.
A nurse came up to the bed to check on Tom. She was the one with the nice smile and the uniform that was too tight for her.
Chloe had been watching her talking to the other patients on the ward. Every bed was occupied, so it took her a long time to get from one end to the other.
‘You look very tired, Chloe,’ she said. ‘Would you like me to get you a cup of tea?’
‘No thank you. I was about to go for a walk.’
‘Well just be sure to take care of yourself. We don’t want to see you ending up as one of the patients.’
But all the doctors and nurses were treating her like she was a patient, and she suspected that it wasn’t just because they felt sorry for her. They knew who she was and what she’d been through. The doctor treating Tom had said that he had followed her story from the day she was abducted by her dad ten years ago, because he had a daughter of his own who was the same age as Chloe.
‘My wife was actually moved to tears when you were reunited with your real mother last month,’ he’d told her. ‘She even opened a bottle of bubbly so that we could celebrate.’
It was a strange feeling to be recognised and talked about by people she didn’t know. People who seemed to regard her as some kind of celebrity. She realised now that one of the reasons her mum had kept her indoors during the past four weeks was to shield her from all the attention. And she was glad that she had because the curious stares and the questions made her feel uncomfortable.
She got up from the chair and looked at Tom. He was snoring and she reckoned he would be out cold for a while. Time then for a wee and a walk.
She couldn’t believe how busy the hospital was. There were so many people and so much noise. It was a wonder that any of the patients could get any sleep.
The canteen was packed so she didn’t hang around in there. Instead, she got a Coke and a chocolate bar from a vending machine and went up to the visitors’ room next to Tom’s ward. There were five people in there watching the news on the television. Chloe joined them, and within minutes of seeing what was going on across London her stomach was cramping with nerves.
The rioting had got much worse apparently because two police officers had been filmed beating a young woman with batons. It had further inflamed the situation and caused many more outbreaks of violence.
‘Police stations have come under attack in Brixton, Stoke Newington, Fulham and Peckham,’ the newsreader said. ‘Rioters are also targeting magistrate courts as well as high street stores and shopping malls. In the last hour the official death toll has risen to nine, and the number of arrests in London alone to over four hundred.’
Chloe felt a flash of heat in her chest as a familiar face filled the screen.
‘Ryan Claymore was killed on Friday night,’ the newsreader said. ‘He was trapped in a gift shop in Vauxhall that was set on fire by rioters. It’s believed that two people who were with him managed to escape the blaze. His mother today described him as the perfect son and said he died while in the act of saving the life of a young girl he didn’t know.’
Chloe let out a strangled sob as a great torrent of sadness welled up inside her. A flood of hot tears followed, blurring everything around her.
Suddenly she was no longer in the visitors’ room. She was back in the gift shop watching Ryan screaming as he was consumed by the flames. Her own blood felt like it was on fire, and although she could hear people talking to her, she had no idea what they were saying.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Michelle Gerrard did not fit Anna’s preconceived notion of an internet troll. She was tall and slender, with full lips, sharp cheekbones, and grey hair that was gathered up and pinned. And she looked smart in a black trouser suit over a cream blouse.
Anna had been told that she lived by herself and worked as a librarian. Apparently she hadn’t been at home when the police first called at her house because she had been staying with her ageing mother in Maidstone, Kent.
She certainly didn’t come across as the sort of person who would kidnap a small boy and hold him captive in a cellar.
But then Anna knew that appearances could be deceiving. Before entering the interview room she’d read some of the offensive remarks that Gerrard had posted online about Mark Rossi. Based on those it was clear that for whatever reason she had it in for him.
One of the remarks that stuck out had been posted to Facebook below photos Rossi had uploaded showing Jacob’s tenth birthday on board a yacht in Spain.
It’s time you stopped showing off your wealth, Rossi. I can’t wait to see your privileged world come crashing down around you. And mark my words it will.
The woman was clearly nervous as Anna sat down at the table and took out her notebook.
‘Before we start, are you sure you don’t want to be represented by the duty solicitor?’ she asked her.
Gerrard shook her head. ‘There’s no need. I’ve been told what this is about and I can’t come up with any legitimate excuses for my behaviour. But I can assure you that Mark Rossi has heard the last from me. I won’t be posting any more remarks about him online.’
‘Why stop now?’ Anna said.
Gerrard turned down the corners of her mouth. ‘Isn’t that blindingly obvious? I’ve seen the news so I know what’s happened to his son. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not even Rossi. It’s only right and fair to let him and his wife grieve in peace. And it’s made me realise that I was wrong to do what I did. I took it too far and I’m sorry.’
Anna opened up her notebook and tapped her finger on the first page.
‘This is a short brief that’s been prepared for me, Miss Gerrard. And it makes for disturbing reading. You’ve been trolling Mr Rossi for months. But it seems that you’ve never made it clear why. So would you please tell me what made you hate him so much?’
Gerrard ignored a tear that started sliding down her left cheek. She tightened her jaw and said, ‘It was because he was so rude to me when our paths crossed. Afterwards I couldn’t forgive him for the way he acted even though I’d been a big fan of his up until then. I wanted desperately to get back at him and the only way I could do it was through social media. I didn’t mean for it to carry on, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. I felt he deserved it.’
Anna frowned. ‘But Mr Rossi says he’s never met you.’
‘Well he has. It was a few months ago in Bromley.’
Anna’s frown deepened. ‘I’m afraid you need to be more specific about that.’
Gerrard finally wiped away the tear from her cheek. ‘Rossi was opening a new store in the town centre. I went along because I’d seen the posters and I’d set my heart on getting a selfie with him to show my mum.’ She paused there and stiffened her jaw.
‘So what happened exactly?’ Anna pressed.
Gerrard raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘Well first off I arrived late because I got held up in traffic. The event was over but there were still around twenty people outside the store and Rossi was signing autographs. I joined the crowd, but as I was fishing my phone out of my bag he announced he had to leave and started walking away. I instinctively rushed forward, grabbed his jacket sleeve, and asked him if I could snap a picture. His reaction took me completely by surprise.’
‘What did he do?’ Anna asked.
‘He snatched his hand away which made it look as though I’d attacked him. Then he turned towards me and yelled abuse. His actual words were: “for pity’s sake act your age woman and get a fucking life.” I was really shocked and upset, but he didn’t care. He just hurried off. I was left standing there in the street trying not to cry. It was made worse because everyone around me heard him and a couple of teenage girls even started laughing.
‘Then a young man came up to me and said that Rossi was one of those celebrities who don’t like having their photos taken with fans. It was no consolation, though. I felt angry and humiliated, and in the days that followed I couldn’t stop myself checking him out online. That wound me up even more because of the way he kept harping on about his great life. Before I knew it, I was having digs at him and if I’m honest it filled me with a cruel sense of satisfaction.’
The woman’s story would be an easy one to check out. All they had to do was ask Mark Rossi. Her reaction to what had supposedly happened outside the store was shocking, but not terribly unusual. People often went OTT when they felt they’d been unjustly treated. And social media was the perfect vehicle through which they could sound off.
Gerrard was sobbing now, but quickly became far more upset when Anna’s follow-up questions made her realise what she’d been suspected of.
‘Are you out of your bloody mind?’ she yelled. ‘How can you possibly believe I would do something like that? I could never hurt a child.’
By the time Anna finished asking questions she believed the woman’s story. Gerrard said she was at work when Jacob disappeared, that she’d never been to Camberwell, and she didn’t know Roy Slater or Gavin Pope. She also agreed to let officers into her house to have a look around.
‘I’ll arrange for you to be taken home,’ Anna told her. ‘And once we’ve confirmed that you’ve been truthful with me, I see no reason to bother you again.’
Anna returned to the ops room and told the team she was satisfied that Michelle Gerrard could be ruled out.
‘I really can’t imagine that the woman was involved,’ she said. ‘So once we’ve checked out what she told me let’s not waste any more time on her.’
Anna was disappointed but not altogether surprised. There had only ever been an outside chance that Gerrard was anything other than an offensive internet troll.
She was eager now to refocus on the other suspects, and it so happened that while she’d been conducting the interview DS Khan had come up with a possible lead.
‘It might be nothing, guv, but I’ve been running checks on Gavin Pope and his wife,’ he said. ‘Mrs Pope told us she works for a recruitment agency and that’s true. Her base is in Bromley and she’s an assistant manager. But the firm is part of a chain and three weeks ago they opened a new branch in Camberwell, and it’s just a short walk from The Falconer’s Arms pub.’
‘Well it’s a tentative link at best,’ Anna said.
‘That was my initial reaction until I made inquiries and found out that Mrs Pope spent the first two weeks there
helping to set it up.’
Anna grinned. ‘That’s most definitely something we can’t ignore. But before you ask her about it, go to Camberwell and find out from her colleagues if she mentioned the pub while she was there and acted in any way suspiciously.’
‘I’ll get right on it,’ Khan said.
Anna decided it was time to sit down in her office and carefully go over everything they had. At last the pace of the investigation was picking up and things were happening. She wanted to make sure that she was across every last detail and that her notes were up to date.
But as soon as she sat down behind her desk DS Prescott appeared in the doorway with a concerned expression on his face.
‘I’ve got some news about Roy Slater, ma’am,’ he said, a tremor in his voice.
‘Has he turned up?’
‘Indeed he has, but he won’t be telling us if he’s the bastard who put Jacob Rossi in the cellar.’
Anna felt her heart sink. ‘And why is that?’
‘Because he’s dead. It seems he was murdered early on Friday evening just hours after Jacob Rossi died.’
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
The scene of crime was a narrow alley off Southwark Park Road in Bermondsey. It was wedged between two boarded-up shops and crammed with half a dozen large wheelie bins.
Anna and Walker arrived just before six p.m., having driven through the parts of South London that had suffered the most damage at the hands of the rioters. Sweeny and Mortimer had been instructed to go back to HQ and brief the rest of the team on what had happened at the house in Dulwich.
The focus of Anna’s attention now switched from Neville Quinlan and Craig Sullivan to Roy Slater, the man whose wife had an affair with Jacob Rossi’s dad, Mark. She’d been told that DI Benning and DS Prescott were already on their way to his home in Rotherhithe with a couple of uniforms to force their way inside.
‘The body was found two hours ago by a shopkeeper dumping some rubbish in one of the bins,’ said Detective Inspector David Bolt, of Bermondsey CID. ‘The poor sod was stabbed in the neck and beaten about the face and head. We were able to identify him as Roy Slater from the driving licence in his wallet, which was lying on the ground next to him. His name was flagged up as soon as I called it in and I was told that he was a suspect in the Jacob Rossi investigation. So I made sure that your people were informed straight away.’