DEAD BAD a gripping crime mystery full of twists

by Helen H. Durrant

  “Who, Eve? Tell me. I can put a stop to this, I promise you. And it’s not just Brad Long who has suffered. They have threatened Ruth’s son, Harry.”

  She turned and faced him. “That’s truly dreadful, but I don’t know.” She held up her hand. “I really don’t. Everything was done over the phone, or by text. I never actually met anyone face to face.”

  “Have they been in touch with you since I escaped?”

  “No. But now I’m terrified they’ll take another member of my family, Samantha or my grandson, David. Neither of them would cope. They know nothing about it.”

  “Can I take the mobile they contacted you on?”

  “Yes. It’s in the house.”

  “Are they still using the outbuilding?”

  Eve nodded.

  “We’ll raid the place and arrest whoever we find there.”

  Chapter 27

  Still reeling, Calladine returned to the station.

  “We might have an identity for the second body,” Ruth said. “Alice and I got nowhere at the antenatal clinic, but a bloke came in this morning and reported his partner, Kelly Donald, missing. He told the desk sergeant that she hasn’t been home in a couple of days, and that’s just not like her. Also, like our victim, she is four months pregnant.”

  “Will he have a look at her for us?”

  “Yes. I’m meeting him at the Duggan at one.” She looked at him. “What have you been up to?”

  “Tell you later.” He needed a word with Birch before he broadcast what he knew. “Have we got the data we requested from Ingrid Plesec’s phone provider?”

  “I’ll get on to them again,” Rocco said.

  “Do that. Tell them it’s urgent.”

  Birch was at her desk. She didn’t look pleased. “I’ve had the chief super on. He wants action on what happened to you. Greco’s needed by central Manchester, so he’s no longer investigating. It’s down to us, I’m afraid.”

  Calladine groaned inwardly. They had two murders, the drug problem, and now he was supposed to solve his own kidnapping!

  “Won’t that be a conflict of interest, ma’am?”

  She heaved a sigh. “You’re right. Get DS Bayliss to look into it. DS Thorpe can help too. He’ll be at a loose end now that Long is in hospital.”

  Now for the revelation. “As it happens, I have made a breakthrough. I was kidnapped, and my continued safety used as a lever, in order to blackmail Eve Buckley.”

  Birch stared at him. “Your mother?”

  Calladine nodded. “As you are aware, she owns the Buckley pharmaceutical company. The drugs that are currently swamping Leesworth are being produced in a building belonging to her factory.”

  “Is she complicit in this?”

  “No, ma’am. As I said, Eve is being blackmailed. She is terrified. They’re telling her that if she refuses to do as she’s told, I come off worst. She’s been living in terror for days.”

  “Who told you this?”

  “Eve herself. I became suspicious because of something I heard one of the kids say when I was talking to him, so I went to see her.”

  Birch’s eyes were wide. “And the money? What did she have to say about that?”

  “She put the money into my account. Eve has the paper trail if you require evidence. She had no idea what it was about, but we know it was intended to fit me up as a bribe-taker.”

  “She volunteered this information?” Birch looked doubtful.

  “She had no choice. I had evidence to suggest that the pills came from her factory. When I confronted her with it, she admitted everything.”

  “How do we know that Mrs Buckley isn’t party to the crime?”

  “She has nothing to gain from it. She certainly doesn’t need the money. And I was kidnapped.”

  Birch was silent for a few moments. “So, what do we do next?”

  “I suggest we raid that outbuilding,” Calladine said. “Arrest everyone, and go from there.”

  “Very well. I’ll mobilise uniform. DS Thorpe can go too.” Birch raised her finger. “Do not warn Mrs Buckley that this is about to happen. I’ll tell Thorpe. We need movement on the murder cases. Now that you’re back, see to it.”

  Calladine went back to the incident room. “I’ll come to the Duggan with you, Ruth,” he said. “Speak to the partner.”

  Alice put down the phone receiver. “Sir? I rang the prison yesterday, and asked about George Norbury. They’ve just got back to me. Norbury is dead. He did have someone he was friendly with, a man called Keith Wrigley, also in for murder. They talked a lot, apparently. Wrigley was released on license six months ago. He lives in Rochdale, not far away.”

  “You think Wrigley has carried on where Norbury left off?”

  She nodded. “It’s possible.”

  “At the very least, we should check him out. See what he’s been up to. See if you can arrange to speak to him, will you, Alice?”

  “We traced Andrews,” Rocco said. “He’s been living in New Zealand for the last six years, so I think we can cross him off the list. Also, DCI Boyd died last year, so not him either.”

  “The phone data?” Calladine asked.

  “Ingrid’s phone provider is emailing it across this morning,” Rocco said.

  “I’ve got another one for you.” Calladine handed Rocco Eve’s mobile. “Have a look at the calls and texts received. We could do with knowing who sent them. If, as I suspect, they were sent from a pay-as-you-go, try and get a location. The provider should help.”

  Rocco scrolled through the texts. “Most of these are pretty short, guv. They don’t give much away.”

  “Go through them carefully, Rocco. If you do spot anything, ring me. The registration number for the car that had a go at DI Long, give it to Thorpe, will you?”

  Long was his DI after all, so Thorpe could do some of the legwork. They had enough on their plates. Calladine glanced at the incident board. Still nothing much on the first killing. He turned to Ruth. “What about the forensics on Ingrid Plesec?”

  “Julian has given it his all, but he can’t find a thing. The killer must have covered up well and used gloves.”

  Calladine nodded. “Knew what he was doing.”

  “The second one is different. He was probably disturbed. Let’s get over to the Duggan. We can have a chat to Julian before the victim’s partner turns up. You can tell me what you’ve been up to on the way.” Ruth smiled at him.

  “I spent some time with Brad Long last night. He was lucky. He’ll hobble about for a while, but he should make a good recovery. This morning, I went for a chat with Eve.”

  “Did you tell her what happened to you?” Ruth asked.

  He handed her the car keys. “You drive, I’ll talk.”

  They got into the car and Ruth drove out. “Sounds like you’ve a lot to say.”

  “A lot to think about for sure. It turns out that Eve was responsible for what happened to me.” At this, Ruth almost swerved. “Part of her factory is producing the speed that’s being sold all over Greater Manchester. She is, or was, being blackmailed. Refuse to do as she was told, and I got hurt. You know the drill.”

  “And the money?” Ruth asked.

  “Eve again. It was her money.”

  “I appreciate you don’t really know her very well, but you can’t seriously think that she was involved!” Ruth glanced at him.

  “No, I don’t, but that’s not how the CPS might see it. She will more than likely be taken to task over this. Several aspects are puzzling. Not least — why me? Eve has other, closer family members. Take her young grandson, David, for instance. If he was taken, that would really up the pressure.”

  “But what about his mother, your half-sister Samantha? Wouldn’t she know what was going on? Perhaps they weren’t prepared to take that risk.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Calladine said. “But it still niggles. If I was the one in charge, my first choice wouldn’t be me.”

  “Perhaps the reason was twofold. You a
re Eve’s son, but they also wanted you out of the way for some other reason.”

  He shook his head. “Can’t think what that would be.”

  They pulled into the Duggan carpark, and Ruth checked her watch. “Shall we have a word with Julian first?”

  “Have you spoken to Jake about the job yet?” Calladine asked.

  “He wants to go. I don’t. To be honest with you, it’s tearing us apart.”

  “I don’t know what to suggest.”

  “As far as I can see, there’s nothing to be done. Jake won’t change his mind and neither will I. At this rate, we’ll be meeting up at weekends, halfway along the M1.”

  “Tom, you’re back!” Julian Batho was waiting for them at the end of the corridor. “Properly back, I mean, not skulking around in backstreet cafés.”

  Calladine smiled. “You’ve been talking to the doc.”

  “I haven’t found anything of help at the second kill site,” Julian said. “I think Natasha was right when she reckoned your second victim tried to fight him off at some point. I’ve had a look at the body, including the mouth. The fragment of flesh found in her teeth is being DNA tested. There are also some marks on her hands that could be defence wounds. I’ve had a word with Natasha and she agrees. I’ve also examined the toy bear. It was stuffed with human hair like the last one. I’ll do tests to check if it is the victim’s hair.”

  “That it, Julian?”

  “It’s more than we got with the first victim. Your killer is careful, but this time he didn’t wear gloves. We found a single fingerprint in a smear of blood, but it’s too indistinct to get a match. With regard to the first victim, there’s no foreign DNA or prints. Neither have we found anything useful among the detritus left in the old church.”

  “Okay. As soon as the tests are complete, let me know if the DNA throws up a match. We’re just about to ID the second one.”

  They walked back towards the morgue. The second victim’s partner, a man called Geoff Blackshaw, was sitting waiting for them just outside. “I’m dreading this,” he said. “It’ll be my Kelly, I just know it.”

  “Isn’t there anywhere else she could have gone?” Ruth asked.

  Blackshaw shook his head. “No. As soon as she’s finished her shift at the hospital, she’s straight home.”

  The technician was ready for them. He pulled back the sheet covering the woman’s face.

  Chapter 28

  Calladine pinned a photo to the board. “Our second victim is called Kelly Donald. Her partner has just identified her. This is her photo. She worked as a cleaner at the hospital. Leesdon General has CCTV everywhere. Rocco, get over there and take a look. The night she failed to go home, the weather was bad, and it would have been dark by the time she finished her shift. She’d have been wrapped up, so you’ll have to look hard.”

  “Eve Buckley rang while you were out. She’d like to speak to you,” Joyce said.

  “It might be important. She may have remembered something else. I’ll ring her from my office. Rocco, chase up the mobile records, will you?”

  “Sir,” Alice called out. “Keith Wrigley, that friend of Norbury’s in prison, has absconded. There has been nothing on the news, but he’s been out for six months and missing for the last three. I spoke to the Rochdale police. They think he could be living rough somewhere, possibly in our area. He was obsessed with Norbury apparently, saw him as some sort of hero. And now they tell me that Norbury died three months ago.”

  They’d never speak to him now. “Get a description and circulate it to uniform. If he is in Leesworth, we want him found, and fast.”

  Calladine sat at his desk, expecting that Eve wanted to speak to him because everything was kicking off at the factory. But it wasn’t that at all.

  “I’m hosting a party tomorrow night at the Leesworth Hall Hotel. I realise that it’s probably not the best time, given what’s happened, but I have no choice. It’s to celebrate a contract Simon won in Japan. It’s business, but I’d like you to come. Samantha will be there, and David.”

  “Not Simon?”

  “No, he’s not due back for another couple of weeks. The do is as much for the Chamber of Commerce and other local worthies as anything.”

  Calladine wasn’t keen. The do would be formal. A quick pint in the Wheatsheaf was more his style. “Do I bring someone?”

  “I thought you could ask Layla. I haven’t met her properly, and it’d be the perfect opportunity.”

  “Okay. I’ll get back to you. It depends on her shift pattern. If she can’t make it, I’ll bring Ruth.”

  “Something I should know?” Eve asked.

  “Absolutely nothing. Ruth is a good friend. She’ll be bailing me out if Layla can’t make it. I’d do the same for her.”

  “Your lot have been here. They made a bit of a mess.”

  Here it was.

  “The police have arrested six people and confiscated dozens of large boxes. I’m worried, Tom. I doubt the people who threatened me and kidnapped you will just roll over and take it.”

  “Is there someone with you?” he asked.

  “A female officer. Also, there is a patrol car passing the house every so often. But I’m worried about Sam and David. They don’t know anything about all this.”

  “You’ll be fine. They won’t dare kidnap anyone else now. They know we’re on to them. Their operations at your factory are finished.”

  Calladine went to see Birch. “Do we know any of those arrested at Buckley’s, ma’am?”

  “They are all foreign with hardly any English. They were brought to Leesdon together and put to work. I doubt we’ll get very much, Calladine. They only ever met one man. We have a description. It might help.”

  * * *

  Danny Newton was lying low. Word spread fast, and he’d found out about the police raid on the factory within an hour of it happening. Miles would want to lay the blame at someone’s feet and Danny was the obvious candidate.

  He was holed up at his mate Flake’s flat on the Hobfield. Andy Prior had acquired the nickname because of his reluctance to take part in anything involving Newt. ‘Flakey matey,’ Newt called him. But Newt was a bully, and usually managed to convince Flake that he needed in.

  “What the hell happened?” Newt said. “You were supposed to keep an eye on the factory.”

  Flake shrugged. “It’s in the middle of bloody nowhere. They should have been safe enough.”

  “Well, they weren’t, were they? And now they’re banged up, the lot of them. The boss’ll have my balls for this.” Newt didn’t use Miles’s name. He was the only person on the estate who knew the businessman was involved. He also knew that if he valued his life, it had to stay that way. “Any news on the car? Have they found it yet?”

  “How should I know? What did you do with it anyway?” Flake asked.

  “I dumped it and torched it. Just by the res on the layby near the path that goes around Bin Green. I did a good job too. Now it’s your turn to be useful. Get out there. Speak to the lads. Find out what’s happening. Any sign of the boss’s car, leg it.”

  “Do we have any pills stockpiled?” Flake asked.

  Newt shrugged. “A few boxes. Not enough to raise the money I’ll need if the boss decides to come after me and I have to do one.”

  “How did the police find out about the factory?” Flake asked.

  “No idea. Trashing that copper wasn’t my idea. It was supposed to keep them busy, give them something else to think about. Didn’t work, did it? Bet the boss’ll think that’s down to me too.” Newt sighed.

  * * *

  Flake went out into the square. A group of younger kids stood around, arguing loudly. As he passed them, one called out.

  “Oi, Flake! Where’s your mate? Bet he’s paid you alright, hasn’t he? It’s not fair, leaving us till last.”

  This irritated Flake. He didn’t like everyone thinking he worked for Newt. He marched across to them. “You shouldn’t hang about here, you’ll attract the w
rong sort of attention. There’s coppers everywhere. Go on, do one!”

  “We want our money. We did alright last night. Handed over hundreds to Newt. He was supposed to cough up this morning,” the youth said.

  Flake eyed the lad suspiciously. “Dane, isn’t it?”

  The lad nodded.

  “There ain’t no money, and there won’t be for a while. Newt’s in hiding. The coppers are looking for him. Me too.”

  “He promised me fifty. This isn’t fair! We did our bit. We shifted loads of gear.”

  The last thing Flake wanted was this lot on his back. Newt should be the one getting all the bellyache, but he wasn’t about to show his face. The kids were looking at each other, muttering and swearing. “Look, I’m sorry, right? But it is how it is.” Flake turned and began to walk away.

  “Newt’s taking the piss. He’s gotta have some respect!” Dane Hamilton yelled after him. “Stop! Talk to us. Don’t treat us like fucking kids!”

  Flake took no notice. The kid was a hothead. He walked away, hands in his jeans pockets. He was fed up. For years he’d been hanging onto Newt’s coat tails and look where it had got him. Nowhere. The bloke was a loser. Suddenly he heard a deafening bang. Somebody screamed. Flake spun round. Dane Hamilton was brandishing a gun at him. He’d fired one shot into the sky and scared everyone to death.

  “Where is he? Tell me, Flake, or I’ll blast your fucking head off!”

  The lad was small, not yet in his teens. What the hell was going on?

  Chapter 29

  Within minutes of the gunshot, police cars filled the square outside Heron House. Dane Hamilton and his mates were gathered up and taken away. Flake was shaking. He’d seen guns before, but this was the first time he’d had one waved at him. He was taken, in a separate car, to Leesdon police station.

  Calladine remembered Dane. He remembered his mother too. He instructed uniform to find her and bring her in. Meanwhile, he decided to speak to Flake. Dane had told him it was Flake that had given him the pills.

  Calladine smiled at him. “What’s your real name?”