by M J Lee
Perfect, he couldn’t have asked for better.
He waited for the boy to finish and come to wash his hands. He watched the door all the time hoping nobody would come in, the possibility of discovery adding a frisson of danger, a spice of excitement.
‘Why are you wearing gloves when you’re washing your hands?’ the boy asked him.
‘Be careful, the water is extremely hot.’
The boy seemed satisfied with this answer, turning on the cold water so it flowed more strongly out of the tap.
When the boy reached out to put his hands under the running water, he grabbed them both with one hand, placing the pad soaked in chloroform over his mouth.
There was a short struggle, but he held the boy tight against his body until he went limp.
He covered the boy with his coat and picked him up, resting him on his shoulder as if he were carrying a sleeping child. Carefully, he checked outside the door.
The way was clear.
He rushed down the stairs, out through the emergency exit and onto the street, the boy’s head still resting on his shoulder.
Hurrying past the empty digger that had been repairing the road, he entered the car park. His Corsa was parked in the corner near the exit.
He opened the boot, checked the area one more time. A couple were leaving their car and walking to the exit but they weren’t looking at him.
Good.
Slowly and carefully, he placed the boy’s limp body in the back. Taking out the hypodermic, he found a vein in the boy’s elbow and injected his mother’s drug into the soft skin.
He didn’t want to damage the goods. Not after going to so much trouble acquiring them.
Well, not yet, anyway.
Chapter 84
Ridpath had put Sarah Challinor, the coroner’s daughter, on speakerphone so the others could hear. She had been distraught and almost incoherent, alternately talking to him and to her daughter. ‘It’s my fault, I should have never let him go on his own. Where is he? What’s happened? Keep up, Amy…’
‘Where’s Ben?’
‘Don’t ask, Amy, I’m looking for him.’
‘Why are you crying, Mummy?’
‘I’ve looked everywhere. Where has he gone? I rang Mummy because I didn’t know what to do.’
Ridpath could hear her breathing as she rushed aimlessly around the cinema. ‘Sarah, please take a moment and tell me what happened.’
She repeated the story Mrs Challinor had told. Ben had vanished after going to the toilet in the cinema. She’d checked the area, finding the Harry Potter badge she had given him that morning on the floor of the toilet.
‘He would never have dropped his badge, he loves Harry Potter. Somebody’s taken him.’
Ridpath covered the mouthpiece. ‘This could be our man, boss.’
‘Or it could be a child who’s wandered off for an ice cream and got lost,’ said Turnbull.
Claire Trent thought for a second. ‘We can’t take the risk.’ She nodded at Ridpath.
He uncovered the mouthpiece and said, ‘We’re on our way. Please stay where you are.’
The detective superintendent immediately took charge.
‘Ridpath, go to Parrs Wood with Emily and Harry Makepeace.’
‘Yes, boss.’ He handed the phone to Chrissy.
‘Hiya, love, now just take a few deep breaths, the police are on their way. Where are you? Look around and tell me what you can see?’
In the Situation Room, Claire Trent was barking out orders.
‘Alan, go to pick up the coroner.’
‘Right.’
‘Paul, you and I are organising the search from here. Get onto West Didsbury nick and get some manpower. Let Wythenshawe and Cheadle Heath know too. I want that cinema and the surrounding area locked down.’
‘I’d like to go to Parrs Wood.’
‘Not yet, we need you here.’
‘Sam, notify PTU, we might need them.’
‘Yes, boss.’
‘John, get onto the traffic police, tell them to check all their cameras. We’re looking for a white Vauxhall Corsa. Kingsway runs right past the area.’
‘On it.’
‘The rest of you get ready to move.’
She clapped her hands. ‘Come on people, time to get this bastard.’
Chapter 85
Molly Wright was with a crowd of reporters outside the Carsley house in Wythenshawe. The police had beefed up their presence since his release. There was a squad car, a sergeant and two constables in front of the red-painted door.
She’d seen nothing of Michael Carsley since he’d arrived back at home yesterday evening. The curtains were drawn and the house was quiet. She knew he was in there, though. It was only a matter of time before he came out.
Until then, she would stand here patiently chatting to the other reporters and waiting for her chance. A couple of editors had already been onto her, looking for more on the Carsley case. It had really taken off since her piece in the Mail. All she had to do was keep the pot stirring and she was good for at least another two weeks. An interview with Carsley would be a great scoop.
Was he the innocent victim or the evil mastermind? She hadn’t decided which yet but she tended towards the former. It was a much better read.
Her photographer waved a bacon-butty-stained hand from his car.
She ignored him. He probably wanted to skive off and take a shower after being there all night.
Sod him, she’d been here too and she wasn’t going anywhere.
He waved again, more urgently this time, actually opening the car door and standing up to get her attention.
She wandered over to him as nonchalantly as she could. No point in letting the other ghouls know he wanted to speak to her.
‘There’s something going on.’
‘What?’
‘Dunno, but it’s at Parrs Wood. My scanner is going bonkers.’
She bent down and listened to his police scanner on the front seat. It tracked GMP’s radio calls to the police cars. There seemed to be a hell of a lot of activity around Parrs Wood.
‘What’s going on?’
‘Dunno.’
And then she heard it, loud and clear, from a controller to a police car.
‘Child missing in Parrs Wood. Look out for a white Vauxhall Corsa.’
Without waiting any longer, she took one look back at the gaggle of reporters clustered outside Michael Carsley’s gate. ‘I’m gonna get something to eat, waste of time here. See you lot later,’ she said, and she got into the car.
She had to get away before they realised what was going on.
Chapter 86
They arrived at the cinema only twelve minutes after Ridpath had left the car park of Police HQ.
Racing down Kingsway, sirens blaring and lights flashing, Ridpath had forced the other drivers to pull out of the way, going into an oncoming lane at one point when one stupid old man refused to look in his rear-view mirror.
Emily Parkinson, with her usual coolness, took down the miscreant’s number, intending to send him a warning about his driving.
Ridpath barely slowed down for red lights, looking both ways to ensure the traffic had stopped before stomping his foot on the accelerator and feeling the surge of the turbo kick in.
It was a joy to be behind the wheel of something more powerful than his usual car.
They arrived at the same time as a patrol from West Didsbury.
Emily stared at a text on her phone. ‘Chrissy says Sarah Challinor is in front of a Wagamama.’
They spotted her straight away, carrying another young child in her arms, rushing towards them.
‘Help me, help, I don’t know where he is.’
She was crying and her mascara was smeared in dark streaks around her eyes. Ridpath put his arm around her shoulders.
‘Take a few deep breaths and tell us what happened.’
‘He went to the toilet and then the cinema went black and the film started.’
>
‘He went on his own?’
She nodded. ‘He likes his independence.’
‘What happened next?’
‘You’ve got to start looking for him.’
‘Please tell us what happened next?’
She gasped twice, sucking in air. ‘I knew he didn’t want to miss the beginning so I took Amy and went to the toilet to find out what was taking him so long.’ Another gasp for breath. ‘But when I went there, it was empty. I found this on the floor.’ She opened her hand to reveal a large, black badge with the word Gryffindor printed on it.
‘Which cinema?’
‘Screen Two. He wanted to see Harry Potter on the big screen. They are reshowing the films after lockdown and he’s a big fan.’
‘Harry, go and check the toilets. You two…’ he pointed to the uniforms who were standing around, ‘check out the other screens. You’re looking for a six-year-old boy…’
‘Ben’s seven… today.’
‘A seven-year-old boy,’ Ridpath corrected himself, ‘called Ben.’
He turned back to the distraught woman. ‘What did you do when you saw the toilet was empty?’
‘I went back into the cinema. I thought maybe I’d missed him somehow. But it was dark and I couldn’t see properly so I called his name, but there was no answer. A few people told me to shut up and be quiet.’
More police arrived with flashing lights and sirens. A crowd had begun to gather, listening to the woman speak.
She started to hyperventilate and the child in her arms began to cry.
Ridpath touched her arm. ‘Take a few deep breaths and then tell me what you did next.’
The woman inhaled slowly, holding her child closer to her body. ‘I went out into the lobby but it was empty. I looked around for about ten minutes but I couldn’t see him. I was getting frantic now. He never wanders around on his own. Then I thought he might be with the cinema manager – children must get lost all the time. So I asked them and they knew nothing. The manager sent his people into each of the screens with a flashlight, shouting his name.’
‘Still no response?’
‘Nothing. I couldn’t think of anything else to do so I called my mum.’
‘Mrs Challinor?’
She nodded.
Harry Makepeace arrived back. ‘The toilets are empty, Ridpath, but I found this beside the sink.’ He held up a plastic evidence bag with a white handkerchief inside. ‘The thing stinks of chloroform.’
‘Is that good or bad?’ asked Sarah Challinor.
Ridpath frowned. ‘It’s not good,’ he finally answered. ‘Make sure forensics check it for fingerprints and DNA, Harry.’
The detective inspector nodded.
Next to Ridpath, Sarah Challinor and her child both began wailing.
Chapter 87
The boy still slept.
Had he given him too much diazepam in the injection? He hoped not but with these young ones, it was always difficult to tell.
He was tempted to wake up him to play but he decided against it. A drowsy playmate was no fun. They didn’t feel anything; no pain, no joy, no fear.
The voices wanted the boy to feel fear. They enjoyed that, feeding on it like a moth feeds on light. The boy might be afraid of Mother sitting there watching television. She still scared him even though he knew she was dead.
Should he cover her up? Hide her from sight?
No.
The boy had to meet her sometime. Today was as good as any other day.
He went back to the kitchen and stirred the saucepan of bolognese one more time. Let it cook for the next hour and it would be perfect. The boy should have woken by then and they could have something to eat together.
He enjoyed eating with people, he didn’t do it often enough. He would ask the boy about his family and his school and his life, hinting that if he told the truth he would let him go.
It would be a little white lie, of course. But he had to give him some hope. What was anybody’s life without hope?
This one would never leave him. He had decided to keep him forever.
Next to Mother in front of the television.
Chapter 88
The cinema manager wasn’t happy.
‘You need to close the complex,’ ordered Ridpath.
‘What? People have bought tickets. It’s a Sunday – you can’t close the cinema on a Sunday.’
‘I’m telling you to do it. It’s a crime scene. Do it now.’
Sarah Challinor and her daughter had been taken into the staff room of the cinema and given warm, sugary tea and an orange drink, while one of the coppers tried to calm her down. The manager had given Amy a big bag of popcorn which she was devouring by the handful.
Claire Trent had decided to come to the complex, bringing the coroner with her to be with her daughter. It was the least they could do as she obviously needed support. Ridpath hadn’t asked about a husband and Sarah hadn’t mentioned anybody. He would check with the coroner later.
Meanwhile the cinema manager was digging his heels in.
‘I can’t do it. The patrons would kill me.’
‘What would you do if there was a fire?’
‘We would clear the building immediately and block anybody from entering.’
Ridpath paused for a moment. ‘Can you smell smoke, DS Parkinson?’
She cottoned on quickly. ‘Now you mention it, I’m sure I can. A strong, pungent aroma. It could be dangerous, Ridpath.’
The cinema manager took the hint. Two minutes later the fire bells began to ring and people filed out of their films.
‘Sergeant,’ Ridpath shouted to a uniform in the lobby, ‘make sure you take everybody’s name and address as they leave.’
‘How many people are in the cinema right now?’ he asked the manager.
The manager checked his sheet. ‘There are eleven screens and we’ve sold 329 tickets at the moment. Some people might not have turned up, though, if they bought online.’
‘You know exactly who everybody is?’
The manager shook his head. ‘Only if they bought and reserved online. They have to leave a name and credit card number.’
‘So if you simply turn up, there’s no record?’
‘Not if you pay cash. We have a record if you pay by credit card.’
‘I’ll need those records.’
‘Right. You think he came in this morning?’
‘There’s no way in except through the lobby?’
‘All the doors are alarmed and can’t be opened from the outside. We had somebody try this morning at 10.15, but they’d vanished when I checked it out.’
‘Where was this?’
‘At the bottom of the stairs leading out of Screen 2. I thought one of the kids was trying to let his mates in.’
‘There’s no other way in, right?’
The manager shook his head.
‘And the doors don’t have security cameras?’
‘They’re not necessary.’ He thought for a moment. ‘We do have them behind the cashiers’, though. Do you think that would help?’
Chapter 89
Molly Wright arrived with her photographer as the police cars were blocking the entrance to the shopping mall.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked a copper who was waving her car away.
‘I dunno, but you need to get out of here.’
Another squad car arrived, sounding its siren to encourage her to move out of the way.
She checked the shopping mall. The police had set up a cordon around the cinema. People were slowly coming down the steps, complaining loudly about missing their film.
A crowd had formed, all craning their necks to see exactly what was going on.
‘Park here, and let me out,’ she ordered the photographer. ‘Get as many shots as you can of this shambles, I’ll call you if I need you.’
‘Where are you going?’
‘Inside.’
She jumped out of the car and joined the crowd behind the
police tape. At the entrance, another police car had arrived, unmarked this time, and was let through the cordon.
Molly Wright watched as Claire Trent and that bald-headed thug, Turnbull, got out of the car accompanied by an older woman with white, curly hair, dressed elegantly.
Who was she?
‘Claire! Claire Trent!’ They hurried into the complex without looking across at her as she shouted at them.
She elbowed her way through the crowd to where a constable was pushing people back behind a barrier, showing her press credentials. ‘I need to talk to Claire Trent.’
The constable stared down at her pass. ‘Never heard of her. Nobody is allowed in.’
‘She’s your boss. A detective superintendent.’
‘She’s not my boss and anyway, nobody is allowed in. So please move along.’
‘But I need to speak to her, it’s important.’
‘And it’s also important you move back behind the barrier, otherwise I will arrest you for obstruction. Do I make myself clear?’
Molly glanced to her left and saw one of the restaurants was still open. She pushed her way through the crowd and rushed through the emptying tables to a kitchen at the back.
Outside a rear door, two chefs were taking the opportunity to have a break and smoke a cigarette.
‘I’m lost, is this the way back into the cinema?’
One looked at his mate and smiled. ‘There’s a back stairs to take you into the lobby but no way into the cinema itself. We know, we’ve tried. The buggers have got all the doors alarmed.’
‘Where is it?’
‘Over there, next to the bins. But they’ve got some sort of fire drill going on…’
‘Thanks,’ she shouted over her shoulder as she rushed to the grey unmarked door, pulling it open. A short set of steps led up to another door. She dashed up, wrenched it open and stepped into the quiet of a carpeted lobby.
Now where was Claire Trent?
Chapter 90
The detective superintendent was standing in front of a bank of televisions, staring at the black and white images as they played in front of her.