‘They’re out working on their actions.’ Lindsey was calm and I think it was his peaceful attitude that allowed Napier to calm down a little as he began to take a measured response to his dilemma. Lindsey continued, ‘He hasn’t escaped, has he, sir? He wasn’t a prisoner; he wasn’t violent—’
‘He’s done a runner, Brian, which says everything! I know him of old,’ he snapped back. ‘We’ve got to find him.’
‘Did you intend arresting him, Mr Napier?’ I asked.
‘He was pushing me strongly towards it,’ he admitted. ‘I was very seriously considering arresting him on suspicion of murder.’
‘We’ll find him,’ DI Lindsey said quietly. ‘It’s obvious his studio is fairly close, so we’ll find him. I don’t think it’s sensible to swamp those woods with police officers and dogs; their presence will simply drive him deeper under cover. He’ll hear us crashing through the undergrowth and he knows where to hide. Let’s leave it to those on his tail, and the dogs. His track will be fresh enough.’
‘And he does have a white van,’ I pointed out. ‘He could have reached it by now and be well away from here. Its number is in the monkstables’ records.’
‘All right, Nick. Circulate that number but get a search organized – I still need to talk to him. As Brian says, he wasn’t under arrest so we can’t treat him as an escaped prisoner.’
‘But we can say we believe he can help us with our inquiries!’
Napier, now much calmer, turned to his detective inspector. ‘Recall the teams from their actions, get them to assemble here in, say, half-an-hour, provided they’re not in the middle of something that they can’t leave. I’ll brief them about him then they should all take an early lunch. But it’s vital we talk to Harvey. You say the monkstables have details of his van, Nick?’
‘Yes. Brother George had the registration number and we traced it to a garage in Leeds, and then linked RV to a Salvation Army hostel in Hull. They say they don’t know him.’
‘Well done that Brother George! Give the number to Brian Lindsey, tell him what you know and we’ll put out an alert for RV and his van. God, that was an awful moment. No copper likes a prisoner to escape.’
‘He wasn’t a prisoner, sir,’ Lindsey reminded him gently.
‘He would have been if I’d quizzed him just a little longer. He has to be a prime suspect, Brian – we’ve placed him at the scene and he’s admitted he’s disposed of what could be the murder weapon. Do we honestly believe he’s lost it? Thrown it away more than likely. What more evidence do we need? You saw him blow his top; that shouts of an inability to control himself. Now we must ask what he knows about the disappearance of Simon Houghton. Are we talking of a kidnapping? Followed by a ransom demand? We’ve got to consider all that. The man’s a villain. Remember, I know what he’s capable of doing.’
‘We also need a motive,’ I suggested. ‘We haven’t established a link between Simon and the murder victim, have we, apart from the timing of these events? The question of timing is important – do Harvey’s movements in and out of the crypt coincide with what we know about the victim’s presence there and his time of death, not forgetting the disappearance of Simon Houghton? We know that he also visited the crypt on occasions. He liked the Virgin Mary’s face!’
‘The timings are all pretty damned close, Nick, we need to analyse them in detail.’
‘Is there any evidence that Harvey has been behind the curtain?’
‘No evidence, but he must have searched behind it if he was genuinely looking for his mallet! Could he be lying about that? If so, why? If he did go back there he must have seen the body. Can we believe he didn’t look behind the curtain or into the coffin? I think he’s lying. And another thing, Nick, we need to check his handwriting against that note.’
‘So you’ve lots of new actions awaiting your detectives, Mr Napier. I’ll get out of your way and update Prior Tuck and the monkstables.’
‘Any help will be appreciated!’
‘If they’re still seeking Simon in the grounds and buildings, they might have seen Harvey galloping away or noticed his van on the move. And I want to revisit the old barns to see if we can pick up Simon’s trail from there.’
Napier sighed heavily. ‘You’ll need the dogs for that, a missing pupil is more important that a witness absconding during questioning. We’ll find Harvey, so I’ll direct the dog unit to you. Where will you be?’
‘I’m going to update Father Will and then I want to find Prior Tuck so I’ll return to the Postgate Conference Room. Prior Tuck might be there and the constables’ searches should be complete by now. But we must extend our enquiries – quite simply, we need to know where Simon went after leaving that bike in the barns.’
‘OK, Nick, keep asking! And keep in touch,’ and Napier turned abruptly on his heel and returned to the murder room as his subdued staff followed him inside.
After briefing Father Will, he told me that Prior Tuck had recalled his monkstables and volunteer searchers and would now be addressing them in the incident room. I hurried along and entered just as Prior Tuck hammered on his desk and called for silence.
‘Ah, Nick, just in time. Find a seat and you’ll see what we are doing.’ He turned to address his audience, who I realized, included staff from both the College and the Abbey, including the abbot and headmaster. ‘Thank you all for your efforts in the search for Simon. Now it’s time to pool our knowledge. I’m going to start with our monk-constables. Father Bowman?’
One by one the eight officers gave their detailed reports as a co-opted secretary recorded their reports on a Dictaphone and also highlighted their areas of search on the whiteboard. It was invaluable as a visible display and, as the meeting progressed, it showed that every part of the abbey had been searched twice by different teams, but with no positive result. Local bus companies and taxi operators had been contacted but none had reported seeing anyone matching Simon’s description at the material times. Staff members and even the contractors had been interviewed with no sightings. Prior Tuck now addressed me.
‘Nick, have you any comments at this stage?’
I referred briefly to Harvey’s flight, adding the CID were continuing inquiries into the murder and were interested in any information we discovered.
‘There are lines of enquiry to pursue,’ I suggested. ‘One involves people who should have been on the premises today or yesterday and who have not turned up. We must include the contractors and employees working on the construction sites, staff members, whether permanent or part-time, domestic staff and freelancers who would normally have been here today or Sunday. They need to be cleared of any involvement. That’s something we could do to help the murder inquiry whilst continuing our search for Simon.’
‘That’s not going to be easy,’ offered the headmaster who was sitting quietly in the back row. ‘We have hundreds of people on campus every day and that includes visitors whom we don’t know.’
‘We must do our best and not be afraid to ask questions, and ask again if we are not satisfied.’ I was adamant. ‘If anyone is known to be absent, we want to know why and where they were. Anyone without a feasible explanation must be questioned in depth, more than once if necessary. And if we are still not satisfied with their answers or feel they are evasive, then we must inform Detective Inspector Lindsey in the murder room. His officers will then question them. And don’t be afraid to ask Brother George if you need the registration numbers of any vehicles seen on the sites.’
‘Some construction workers wouldn’t be operating yesterday, being Sunday,’ pointed out Prior Tuck.
‘Thanks, Father Prior. We’ll bear that in mind. So what about domestic workers? Teaching staff? Clerical workers, estate workers?’ I asked. ‘And I’ve heard that Simon might have been secretly seeing a girl who works in the infirmary – a schoolgirl on work experience. Technically, I suppose she’s not a member of staff and so he’s not breaking any school rules. I don’t have her name yet but we need to find her
and ask what she knows.’
‘Some domestic staff are required to work on Sundays – pupils are here around the clock. The personnel department is checking all records and we will locate and interview that girl. So far as casual workers on the site are concerned, timesheets will tell us a lot. After this meeting, I will allocate actions to each of the constables. It shouldn’t be too difficult or time-consuming to carry out staff checks but I fear the tracing of casual visitors won’t be easy – unless Brother George produces more car registrations from his vast collection!’
‘So what do you suggest next, Nick?’ asked the headmaster.
‘Before I make my suggestions, there is one matter than needs attention,’ I pointed out. ‘Has Simon’s mother been informed?’
‘Not yet.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s early days. We’re hoping to find him. We don’t want to cause undue concern if he is unharmed and likely to turn up.’
‘It’s a difficult decision but it might be no more than a pupil dodging lessons,’ I admitted. ‘I have no idea whether she is the sort of woman to make a fuss, or to allow us to take things more quietly.’
‘I’m sure she knows not to risk any adverse publicity about Simon,’ the abbot now entered the discussion without revealing the reason for his statement. ‘However, she can be very determined – and she has a great deal of responsibility for ensuring the safety of her child.’
‘So have we,’ muttered Father Bede, the headmaster.
Because this search was steadily becoming inextricably linked to the murder investigation, I decided to help the chief superintendent’s officers by adding, ‘There is something the monkstables can do to help both inquiries to move forward. I suggest the officers extend their searches to nearby villages. Teams comprising of two each should visit Maddleskirk village, Elsinby and Aidensfield and, if necessary, place posters on notice-boards. They should make enquiries in shops, post offices, pubs and places of public resort. We need to get the villagers talking about Simon and persuade them to contact us if they’ve noticed anything unusual. At the same time, we could ask whether anyone has noticed a boy and girl together. And we could provide a description of the murder victim in case anyone has seen him. We should provide the phone number of the cop shop too. Do you agree, Prior Tuck?’
‘A good idea, Nick,’ he replied. ‘I’ll make the arrangements and will organize transport. They’re all small communities so shall we say a couple of hours in each village? Then back here to give a full report?’
‘Thanks, Father Prior, that’s great. Now,’ I went on, ‘there is another slight problem. If Simon returns of his own accord when we have all dispersed, how will we know? He could creep back unnoticed and lock himself in his room.’
John Saxby, Simon’s housemaster spoke up. ‘I’m making a point of visiting his room every half-hour. If he returns, that’s where he’ll go. I’ve left a very large handwritten note on his bed ordering him to report to me the moment he returns. Clearly if that happens, I’ll inform you immediately.’
‘Do you know Simon very well?’ I put to him. ‘Is there anything we’ve missed?’
‘He spends a lot of time on his own,’ John Saxby reminded me. ‘It is not unusual for him to go out alone on a Sunday. He enjoys spotting birds and exploring the countryside. Some think he’s a twitcher, but he’s not that keen. He knows a lot about wild birds without being manic about them. He enjoys the out-doors walking the moors or exploring rivers. He’s not a swot or book-worm, he likes the outdoor life. He’s a really nice, decent lad, Nick, and to disappear like this, without a word to me or anyone else, is out of character. It worries me deeply.’
‘The role of that young girl in the infirmary is becoming very important,’ observed Prior Tuck. ‘One of us must speak to her. I think I know the girl you mean. I’ll arrange an interview.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, turning to John Saxby. ‘So, John, can I ask what your worst thoughts were when you learned of his disappearance?’
‘Kidnap. It happens overseas, children and indeed adults are kidnapped for ransom, and it can happen here. Most of our students are from rich or important families. I’ve been expecting a ransom demand.’
‘There’s still time.’
‘I know, which is why we mustn’t give up our search. He can’t have vanished into thin air so let’s hope our abbey constables can trace him. But there is something, Nick, which may or may not be important. When I searched his room, I noticed a couple of batteries in his wastepaper bin. Torch batteries.’
‘Used ones, you think?’
‘I think so.’
‘Which means he intended using a torch during his outing yesterday?’
‘Just what I thought. I couldn’t find a torch in his room so thought he expected to be out late or in an area where he might need light during daytime hours.’
‘You mean he might go underground?’
‘It’s a thought.’
‘Have you somewhere in mind apart from under the abbey and college?’
‘We’ve checked those. Could it be a local cave perhaps? Seeking bats? An old building. Some kind of underground chamber? Like those beneath this abbey, not forgetting the ruins of Ashwell Priory….’
‘Ashwell Priory?’ I asked, wondering if the girl was with him.
Before I could question him about the old priory which was now my property, Prior Tuck said his monkstables were ready to be given guidance about their duties in the surrounding villages. We needed to get them on their way without further delay.
‘Let’s concentrate on the villages just now. There’s not a lot to add to what I said earlier,’ I told them. ‘If anyone asks what you are doing, explain it’s a training exercise for the abbey’s new police officers. It’s a case of saturating the villages with news that Simon has disappeared – tell them Simon could be hiding somewhere, perhaps with a girl, in their village. Provide a description of both, display them in shops, pubs, church and parish notice boards, the post office and so on. Get people talking. And don’t forget to add a description of the man in the coffin – without telling them he’s been murdered – we’re seeking him too. We’re not issuing photos as we don’t want the youngsters to be recognized and the girl must remain anonymous, Simon too. By all means call him Simon – but omit his surname. Even after you’ve left, people will discuss it and we might elicit something useful.’
I paused for a moment to allow them to absorb this information, then concluded by adding, ‘Make sure to leave a contact number. And tomorrow, if he doesn’t turn up, repeat the procedure. If and when he is found, remember to inform those villagers. Now, any questions?’
‘And if we do find him, what then?’ asked Father Gilbert White, known to all as the White Friar.
‘Bring him back with you.’
‘And if he doesn’t want to come?’
‘Arrest him on suspicion of stealing the bike in the old barns.’
‘Oh, crumbs!’
‘That might be enough to change his mind. We need to talk to him, to know what’s behind his odd behaviour, where he’s been and who with.’
After a few comments and questions, the officers boarded the waiting mini-bus that would deliver them to their locations and collect them later. Then Brother George approached me.
‘Nick, can I make a suggestion?’
‘Of course, that’s what we want. Ideas.’
‘The one man who knows the tunnels, corridors, lofts and hiding places in this complex better than anyone is Father Will Stutely. He’s been staffing the desk in the cop shop but I think he could be more usefully employed showing the searchers around the hidden parts of the campus. He was a pupil here. I could staff the desk while he does that.’
‘Right, let’s do it,’ I said without hesitation, then added, ‘I’ll contact Father Prior and suggest those monkstables not engaged in the village searches meet in the conference room in, say, twenty minutes? That gives them time for a quick break for lunch. Then we can arrange yet another thorou
gh search under the guidance of Father Will.’
As I returned to the Postgate Room, I wondered if Harvey was also making use of underground tunnels, corridors and other hiding places. It would be most gratifying if we found him too.
CHAPTER 12
WHEN FATHER PRIOR and his remaining officers reassembled in the Postgate Room, I saw that the abbot and the headmaster had joined them.
‘You’ve something to tell us, Nick?’ asked Prior Tuck who, as the man in charge of the monkstables, was responsible for the next stage of our search.
‘Yes, it’s important. There is yet another hunt in progress around us – it’s linked to the murder investigation and concerns Harvey, the sculptor, a large black-clad man you might have noticed at work in the crypt. He’s fled, so there’s now a search for him.’
I told them about Harvey running from the murder room. ‘He could be hiding somewhere on the premises or nearby. Keep a watchful eye open, he’s easily recognizable. Report any sightings to the murder room.’
Father Robin asked, ‘Is he a suspect?’
‘I can’t say.’ I tried to be honest. ‘All I can tell you is that he was being questioned by Detective Chief Superintendent Napier when he bolted before anyone could stop him. He ran into those woods on the north of the campus – he could still be hiding there or have got away somewhere else by now. I believe you all know about his white van? If you see him or his van, don’t approach him, he could be dangerous, but let the murder team know as soon as possible.’
They all agreed to do whatever was necessary to deal with this unexpected development. At this stage, I felt it was time for me to back away from the operational aspects and sit on the sidelines as an observer, or perhaps a consultant if needed. After all, Prior Tuck, not me, was in charge, but he said, ‘Before I allocate this afternoon’s duties, Nick has news of another development.’
‘Thanks. I’ve been told that Father Will can offer suggestions for extending and perhaps concentrating our searches. By the way, a team of police dogs will be en route, when they’ve dealt with another matter. We shall use them to search for Simon, although the murder teams are anxious to deploy them too – especially in their hunt for Harvey.’
Murder at Maddleskirk Abbey Page 13