Hard Evidence

by Mark Pearson

  'Don't move. You're going to bring the floor down.'

  Delaney held out his hand in a reassuring gesture. 'Just stay calm.' He edged around the rotten section of the floor and reached out his arms. 'All I want is the girl. Just let me take her and everything is going to be all right.'

  Downstairs, Bonner burst into the room and looked up at Delaney through the newly made gap in the floor.

  'Guv?'

  'It's okay, Eddie, stay there. We'll be right down.' He turned to Candy and smiled, forcing some reassurance into his expression. 'Pass her over, Candy.'

  Candy shook her head, her eyes nervous, her breathing shallow. She clung on to Jenny, who whimpered a little as the floor creaked and sagged.

  Delaney moved slowly forward. Candy backed further into the eaves, one hand clutching Jenny protectively to her, the other holding the knife out, her eyes glittering and skittish. 'Back off.'

  But Delaney took another step forward. 'I can't do that, Candy. You know that.'

  'I mean it.'

  'And so do I. You how these things work.'

  He moved forward again, and Candy held the knife, straight and unwavering.

  Delaney paused for a moment, then calmly stepped forward and put his hand around the blade of the knife. Candy glared at him, rage coming off her like the shimmer of heat on a hot tarmac road. Her grip on the handle tightened and Delaney swallowed, his Adam's apple inches from the tip of the knife. Then, in a heartbeat, the fire died in her eyes, like the sudden cessation of a summer lightning storm, and, as tears formed, Delaney could see the young child Candy had once been, a lifetime of hurt away. She looked down at the floor and then back up at Delaney, letting her hand fall from knife so that he could take it from her.

  'I only wanted to take care of her,' she said in a whisper.

  Delaney fought to keep his voice level. 'I know.' He threw the knife across the loft and nodded to Candy. 'Just pass her to me.'

  Candy wiped a dusty hand across her eyes and released her hold on the young girl who stood frozen to the spot. 'I love you, Jenny.'

  Delaney held out his hand to the petrified girl, fighting to keep it still. 'Come on, Jenny. Take my hand.'

  Jenny took a step forward, and the rotten plasterboard beneath her collapsed. She screamed as she was pitched towards the gaping hole in the floor, and Delaney, bracing himself against the eave rafters, swung out and caught her. She dangled for a moment or two, still screaming, as Delaney's forearm muscles strained, but he held her tight and swung her back up on to the safe section of the attic floor.

  Eddie Bonner came up the steps into the attic and gathered the child safely into his arms.

  'It's all right, Jenny. Nobody's going to hurt you now.'

  'Take her downstairs, Eddie.'

  Bonner led the terrified girl to the ladder as Delaney turned back to Candy, who was pressed into the eaves space, the rotten joist creaking beneath her feet.

  Delaney, still braced against the rafter, held his hand out again. 'It's over, Candy. Take my hand.'

  Candy looked at him for a moment and Delaney could see the defeat in her eyes, eyes that were far, far old beyond their years. Given what had happened to her in the past, he wasn't at all shocked to see the desolation in them. 'I'm not here to judge you, Candy.'

  'You're a policeman, aren't you?'

  Delaney gestured with his hand again. 'Not much of one.'

  She stood up carefully and moved slowly around the gaping hole in the floor, then cried out suddenly as the footing gave way beneath her, tilting her forwards. She lurched desperately to clutch Delaney's outstretched hand and, gripping each other tightly, they edged step by step towards the ladder in the corner of the loft.

  Delaney held the ladder steady as Candy climbed down. Sally Cartwright waited at the bottom, handcuffs dangling from her hands, a triumphant smile barely held back from her young lips.

  Candy looked around, startled at the large number of police in the room. There was no sign of either Jenny or Bonner.

  'Jenny!' She tried to push past Sally, but the DC held her arms and a uniformed officer blocked her way.

  'You're going nowhere.' Sally's voice was heavy with disgust.

  Delaney stepped down. 'Where's the girl?'

  'Bonner's taken her down to her father.'

  Candy struggled, furious. 'You've let him take her? For Christ's sake, what have you done?'

  Delaney stepped in front of her. 'What are you talking about?'

  'Why do you think I took her from him in the first place?'

  'You can explain all that down at the station. Candy Morgan, I am arresting you—'

  Candy screamed in his face. 'I took her away from him because she's not safe with him. He's ill! Don't you understand that? Don't you understand anything? He's going to hurt her.'

  Delaney looked at the naked pain in her eyes and came to a decision. He nodded to Sally and Candy. 'Come on.'

  He ran down the stairs, followed by the two women. Bonner was talking on his mobile phone.

  'Where the hell is she, Eddie?'

  Bonner held the phone away from his ear. 'Boss?'

  'Where's Jenny?'

  Bonner shrugged and looked around. 'She was with her father.'

  'You said she was going to be safe!' Candy screamed at Delaney.

  Delaney glared at Eddie. 'What the bloody hell were you thinking of?'

  'He's her father, isn't he? What's the problem?'

  But Delaney had pushed past him, and was running out the front door.

  20.

  Outside in the empty street, Delaney could feel the heat bunching his shirt uncomfortably under his jacket. He ran the palm of his hand across his forehead, wiping the sweat away, and closed his eyes. He opened them again as Bonner came up to him. 'They've gone.' He sighed wearily and flicked a cigarette into his mouth.

  'Sorry, boss.'

  Sally Cartwright came out of the house, shutting her mobile. 'A squad car is on its way to Morgan's house.'

  Delaney nodded bleakly. 'Time to break out the raincoats.'

  Bonner squinted up at the clear sky. 'Guv?'

  'This is going to turn into a real shit storm.'

  Jenny Morgan sat in the back of her father's car, watching his face in the rear-view mirror. She had never seen him so angry. The vein on the side of his neck was throbbing like a purple worm, and sweat was pouring off his furrowed forehead, staining his shirt. He gripped the steering wheel hard in his massive fists as if he was going to wrench the whole column out. She wanted to know where he was taking her, but she didn't dare ask.

  At White City police station, the temperature in interview room one was no less cool. Candy Morgan took the cup of coffee that Sally handed her and smiled nervously as Delaney sat opposite her. She took a sip of the coffee and sat back in the chair, wrapping her arms around herself. She was shivering as though she was cold, but Delaney knew it was just the by-product of adrenalin kicking in. That and her memories. 'How long had you been speaking with her on the internet?' he asked gently.

  'About two months.'

  'And how did that happen?'

  Candy looked down at the table, tracing her finger in small circles on the smooth wood.

  'I'd been getting therapy.'

  'Go on.' Delaney's tone was far from sympathetic.

  Candy looked up at him, challenging. 'I guess you know my history.'

  'Some of it. What's written in your records.'

  'So I had some issues.'

  'Yeah, I'd say you had some issues.'

  'And I was dealing with them.' She shrugged. 'Trying to deal with them.'

  'What's this got to do with Jenny?'

  'It made me remember my childhood, what happened to me. And it made me think of Jenny and what would happen to her, and I wanted to stop it.'

  Sally leant forward. 'So how did you make contact with her on the internet?'

  'There are sites. Schoolroom contacts. Networking. It's not hard to track down someone if they are u
sing their real name. And Jenny was.'

  'But you didn't tell her who you were?'

  'Not at first, no. I wanted to build her trust.'

  Delaney loosened his collar. 'And what makes you think there was abuse?'

  'She told me what was happening. I recognised the signs.'

  'What signs?'

  Candy looked away. 'I could see the way things were going. That's why I had to do something. Before it was too late.'

  'What do you mean by too late, Candy?'

  'I told you. He's a sick man.'

  'You burned him?'

  Candy snapped her head back up and met his gaze. 'That's right.'

  'With a steam hose.'

  'And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.'

  'He must have really hurt you.'

  Candy leaned forward. 'I tell you this much. If he's hurt that little girl, I'll finish the job. I don't care if you get to him first. He's not safe in prison. Not from me.'

  Delaney looked at the feral anger in her eyes and didn't doubt it. 'Like I said earlier. Nobody's making any judgements here.'

  Candy slammed her hand down on the table. 'I made a judgement!'

  'Candy.'

  'My father abused him and Jake. And because of that I guess Howard felt it was all right to abuse me. An old family tradition.' She looked at Sally. 'My mother died in a car accident; the brakes failed, they told me. I was twelve and Howard was twenty-four and it started the night of her funeral.'

  'The abuse?'

  'Kissing and cuddling and little games . . .' She broke off, swallowing the disgust that was rising in her throat.

  Sally spoke soothingly. 'It's all right Candy. You don't have to say any more. Not right now.'

  'Yes I do.'

  They waited.

  'Kissing and cuddling, just like Jenny told me he had started doing with her. And eventually . . .' She looked up at Delaney and smiled icily. 'And eventually he started fucking me. He got me pregnant.'

  'What did you do?'

  'What could I do?'

  Delaney shrugged; again he had no answers for her.

  'Howard had friends. An older woman. A prostitute.' She shook her head at the memory. 'She used a coat hanger. Howard reckoned it was just like cleaning a carburettor.'

  'Do you think he would physically harm Jenny?'

  Candy looked at him, her eyes wide. 'Haven't you been listening to a fucking word I've been saying?'

  'We need to know what he might be capable of.'

  Candy looked at him for a beat. 'I told you his father was physically abusing him.'

  Delaney nodded for her to continue. 'But it wasn't just Howard; it was our mother too, and Jake. Not just sexual abuse. Real physical abuse; I mean, he really hurt them. All of them. Not me. I was too young, I guess, but I saw and I remember. And it didn't stop until I was five years old.'

  'What happened to make it stop?'

  'Howard happened.'

  'Go on?'

  'I guess he was seventeen, been out of school for three years, not that anyone cared, and was working with Dad in the garage.'

  'And?'

  'The police thought it was an accident. The jack slipped and the car came down on his chest, cracked his ribs, slowly crushed him to death.'

  'But it wasn't an accident?'

  'He brought me in and made me watch what he did.'

  'Howard?'

  Candy nodded. 'He made me stay in the corner, then called out to Dad. As he slid out from underneath the car, Howard kicked away the jack so that the car slammed down and trapped him like a half-squashed beetle. He screamed and called for help and Howard just laughed at him.'

  Sally looked at her. 'I'm sorry, Candy.'

  'It took him over two hours to die, and Howard just sat there and watched him the whole time.'

  'And you didn't tell anyone?'

  'I knew what would happen if I did.'

  'Nobody said anything?'

  'Who was there to listen? And then Mum died and it was my turn. He saw nothing wrong in it and he still doesn't. You see why I had to take Jenny?'

  'You should have come to us.'

  'And you would have helped, would you?'

  'Yes.'

  'Stella told me that Jackie Malone's been murdered. You didn't help her, did you?'

  Delaney leaned forward angrily. 'What do you know about that?'

  'Working girls in London. It's a bit like the Masons, isn't it? We both get to wear leather and we all get to know each other's business.'

  Sally looked at Delaney. 'What's she talking about?'

  Delaney shook his head dismissively. 'They break the law, do nothing to protect themselves, but when one of them gets hurt it's down to the system, it's never their fault.'

  'It was Jackie Malone's fault she was tied up and murdered, was it? She did that to herself, I suppose.'

  Delaney looked away angrily. 'Let's just concentrate on finding your niece right now, shall we?'

  Sally looked at Candy sympathetically. 'You showed Howard in the end. You stood up to him; that took a lot of courage.'

  'I wasn't brave. I was a coward for years. A victim because I didn't know any different. But when I was old enough to fight back, I did. That one time, and I wish to God I'd been brave enough to finish the job. I wish I'd been brave enough to kill him.'

  'Maybe it's better for you that you didn't.'

  'No, it's not. He's a cancer and you don't fuck about with cancer. You cut it out. You fucking kill it. Because Jenny isn't like me. She's sweet, she's gentle, she's entirely vulnerable. And he's going to put his cancer in her and destroy her just like he destroyed me.'

  Delaney looked across at her, her arms folded tight against her chest, her nails digging into her biceps.

  'Where do you think he would have taken her, Candy?'

  'I haven't seen the bastard in fourteen years.'

  Sally nodded. 'I don't blame you but anything you can think of. It's important we find her quickly. Your brother is clearly out of control.'

  'Speak to his pet monkey.'

  'I'm sorry.'

  'Speak to Jake.'

  Delaney stood up. 'Come on, Detective Constable.'

  They headed for the door. Candy Morgan called after them, 'What happens to me?'

  Delaney looked back at her for a moment, deciding. 'You come with us.'

  Sally stood in front of him, registering her concern. 'Boss?'

  'She comes with us.'

  Sally recognised the tone in his voice. 'Sir.'

  Candy stood and smiled gratefully at Delaney. 'Thanks.'

  'You can thank me when your niece is safe.'

  Fifteen minutes later, Delaney was pacing angrily across the floor of Morgan's workshop. He stopped and glared at Jake, who sat holding his head in his massive hands, his forehead knotted with concentration.

  'Come on, Jake, where is he?'

  'I don't know.'

  Sally walked into the room. 'Her clothes are gone.'

  Delaney frowned. 'He was already prepared, then.' He turned back to Jake and put both hands on his shoulders. 'When did he leave, Jake? Did he have Jenny with him?'

  Jake stood up. 'I haven't seen Jenny.'

  Delaney stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders again. 'Where is he?'

  Jake jerked backwards, knocking Delaney's hands away. He was shaking like a frightened child, the fear throbbing in his voice. 'I don't know.'

  'He doesn't know, boss.'

  Delaney moved back and Jake's eyes widened suddenly. He stepped back against the table, clearly terrified.

  'It's all right.' But then Delaney saw where Jake Morgan was looking, and cursed. 'I told you to stay in the car, Candy.'

  Candy Morgan ignored him, fixing Jake with a look of pure venom. 'If you know anything, you tell him now, Jake.'

  Jake backed further against the table. 'I don't know anything, Candy. Don't hurt me.'

  'Nobody's going to hurt you, Jake, I already told you that.'

  Candy stepped fo
rward. 'I wouldn't bank on it.'

  Delaney sighed. 'You can wait in the car, or I can get the DC to take you back to the nick and from there back to Holloway. Your call, Candy.'

  Candy looked at Delaney for a moment. 'You're part of this now, Inspector. You don't want to let me down.' She gave Jake a last cold look and went back to the car.

  Delaney bit back a sigh of relief and turned to Sally. 'Take this place apart. There's got to be something here.'

  He strode over to the workbench and angrily opened the drawers, scattering their contents, his rage barely contained. He tipped the last drawer over the floor: pencils, screwdrivers, nails, screws, an oil can, a chisel. Nothing that said anything about where Morgan could have gone.

  Sally took Jake by the arm and led him over to a couple of chairs that stood against the oilstained brick wall.

  'Sit down, Jake.'

  His eyes flicked nervously to the doorway.

  'She's not going to hurt you. I promise.'

  'She burned Howard. She burned him with the hose.'

  'She did, but she isn't going to hurt you. She was ill, but she's better now. Do you understand that?'

  Jake shook his head slowly. Nothing made sense to him at the moment.

  Sally kept her voice soft. 'When she burned Howard it was because she was sick. But she's better now. She's not going to hurt anyone. Not you, and certainly not Jenny. She wants to help Jenny. You can understand that, can't you?'

  Jake nodded. 'Jenny's a good girl.'

  'She is, and we need to find her.' Sally looked across at Delaney, who was angrily reading through bills and receipts, throwing them aside.

  'I don't know where she is.'

  Sally sat beside Jake and patted him reassuringly on the leg. 'I know you want to find her as much as we do. So think. Was there anywhere you used to like to visit together? You, Howard and Jenny?'

  'We used to go to lots of places.'

  'Like where?'

  'The countryside.'

  'Anywhere in particular?'

  'To see the cows. Horses sometimes.'

  'Can you remember where that was, Jake?'

  Jake nodded enthusiastically and smiled. 'It was the fields.'

  'London Fields?'

  Delaney looked across as Jake shrugged. 'Just fields, with cows in them and horses.'