***
By the afternoon, Paolo’s bad feeling had grown into a cold certainty that Dave had walked into a dangerous situation and couldn’t find a way out again. Who the hell had he gone to see? What could Clementine Towers have witnessed that caused her death? What had Dave remembered, or found in his notes, to send him off without telling anyone where he was going?
Paolo thumped his desk with frustration. What the bloody hell had made Dave go against everything he’d been taught from the time he entered the force? Always make sure someone knows where you’re going and who you intend to interview. But he knew what, or rather who, had sent Dave off hell bent on proving his worth.
When Andrea tapped on his door half an hour later, he was glad to have something else to think about. Right at the moment, the only thought in his head was that Dave was in trouble.
“Sir, you asked me to look into Chaz’s conviction and his reasons for beating that man so badly.”
He forced a smile. “Sit down, Andrea. I take it you’ve got all the info?”
“Yes, sir. It’s actually quite a sad story from Chaz’s point of view.”
Paolo felt his eyebrows rise. “GBH with intent is a sad story? I can see that’s the case for the victim, obviously, but for Chaz? I don’t get it.”
“He was only young, sir.” Paolo opened his mouth to speak, but Andrea held up a hand. “No, please, sir, let me finish. He was only young and engaged to be married. His fiancée was on her way home one night during the winter. She’d had to work late that evening, so there were only a few commuters around as she walked home. Normally she would have been in a crowd of people.”
Andrea looked down at her notes before continuing. “She was attacked and dragged into an alley where she was beaten and raped. The alley was pitch black because the streetlights were out. Presumably, that’s why the rapist picked that spot. Anyway, during the rape, a car went past in the road running at right angles to the alley and the headlights showed the man’s face quite clearly.”
She glanced up, a look of rage on her face, and then dropped her eyes again to read.
“She was able to describe the man in detail to the police. He was well known to the local force with a record as long as your arm for rape and other violent crimes. They arrested and charged him. At the trial, it was expected to be a slam dunk, but the man’s wife stood up in court and perjured herself by claiming he’d been at home with her on the night in question.”
“How do you know all this?” Paolo asked. “It couldn’t have been in Chaz’s court record surely?”
She smiled. “Some of it was, but I got most of the facts from the court transcript for the rape case.”
Paolo nodded. “Okay, go on.”
“As the jury weren’t allowed to know of the man’s previous convictions, they accepted the defence claim of a sad case of mistaken identity. Everyone should feel sorry for the victim, but justice cannot be served by locking up an innocent man, blah, blah, blah…”
“And he walked?”
Andrea nodded. “Exactly. He got away with it, but I don’t think that’s why Chaz beat him so badly he ended up in hospital with a fair few broken bones, damaged spleen and fractured skull. I did a bit more research and found out what happened to Chaz’s fiancée. This is the part that is really sad, sir. After her rapist was acquitted, she left the court with Chaz. They had to take the tube to get home. As the train approached, she pulled away from him and jumped in front of it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Paolo had been back to the Triple B club to see if Dave was being held there, but Chaz had gone out of his way to be helpful, allowing access to every room and possible hiding place. He’d even opened broom cupboards and the larders. Not that Paolo believed for a minute Chaz would be stupid enough to keep Dave at the club, or even at his home.
Paolo had men watching Chaz round the clock, but so far he’d done nothing they could pull him back in for. But Paolo wasn’t even sure Chaz was the person Dave had gone to interview. Somehow, it just didn’t sit right with him. If it had been Chaz, surely Dave would have taken someone with him?
No, in Paolo’s mind, whoever Dave had gone to see was someone outside those already in the frame. If it had been an obvious target, Dave would have raised it with him. The fact that he didn’t, made Paolo think Dave hadn’t really believed it himself and had been unwilling to hold himself up for further ridicule by suggesting whoever it was.
His musings were interrupted by CC knocking on the door and coming in for the update meeting he’d scheduled. Until Dave was found, all resources had to go into the search for him.
CC sat down at his desk, looking every bit as worried as Paolo felt.
“Where’s Andrea?” he asked.
“Mike from IT rang just as we were about to come in. She’ll be here as soon as she’s finished the call. I’m hoping he’s uncovered something from the Nemesis blog we can use. The stuff we’ve got so far tells us a lot about what goes on in the torture room, but not a fecking thing that might help us find Dave. I want to kill whoever has him. Sitting in here, staring at my computer screen, doesn’t feel like I’m helping to find the bastard. I’d rather be out there hunting down Dave’s car.”
“I know, CC. I feel the same way, but us running up and down streets taking part in the search for his car isn’t going to help. We’ve got good people doing that.”
“I know, sir, but they’ve found nothing,” she said. “Problem is, unless it’s parked on a busy street, it could easily be missed.”
Paolo nodded. “I know, but we have to be sensible. We’ll deal with the stuff we’re good at and leave the hunt for Dave’s car to people whose job it is. Have you had any joy with delving into past cases of sex attacks on men?”
She shook her head. “Not a bloody thing. Either men don’t report them, or there are few incidents of the kind we’re looking for. I’ve gone back several years and there’s no trace of a pattern. If it had been a man targeting women, I bet I’d have found a pattern established by now, but in this case, not a thing, even though we know exactly what type of attack we’re searching for.”
Paolo sighed. “Keep looking. I’m convinced whoever Dave went to see is our killer. The clues are out there somewhere, CC; we’ve just got to keep searching for them.”
He looked up as Andrea opened the door and came in to sit beside CC.
“Sorry I’m late, sir. Mike has managed to get through the encryption and has discovered the blog originator’s email address. He’s working on tracing the person who set up the email account. Only problem is, the blog started four years ago, so that email address might no longer be in use. Doesn’t mean he can’t track it back to the owner, but it will take more time.”
Paolo thumped the desk with his fist. “Fuck it! Time is the one thing we don’t have while Dave is out there.” He looked over at CC. “Okay, if the blog was set up four years ago, maybe that’s when the attacks started. Concentrate your search from three and half to four and a half years back, CC.”
She nodded. “Will do.”
He pulled a pad towards him and picked up a pen. “Let’s look at what we know and what we still need to find out,” he said. “It looks as if Nemesis targets those guilty of rape, but who have evaded punishment. Agreed?”
Both women nodded.
Paolo wrote that down, and then glanced up again. “So how did Nemesis find out who the rapists were if they got off without being found guilty?”
“Court records?” Andrea suggested.
“No, that doesn’t follow,” CC said. “Jason Corbett and Glen Scott were both released without charge, so there are no court records for either of them.”
Paolo nodded. “There was also the mix up in names with Colin Jameson and Brent Harrison. Nemesis went after Colin Jameson, even though his name has never appeared in court documents. He was picked up by Nemesis in place of Brent Harrison because they looked alike in the dark club.”
Andrea sat forward. “So Nemesi
s is going by sight or description, not by name?”
Paolo tapped his pen on the desk. “Remember in the Jason Corbett parts of the blog? Nemesis wasn’t surprised that Jason had given a different name earlier that evening. I think you’re right, Andrea. Nemesis is going by description and knows where to find them. The question is who is providing the information? It can only be the rape victims. So, who are they telling?”
“All the rapes were reported,” CC said. “So it could be someone on the force. I can look into that and see if the same person’s name turns up in all cases.”
Paolo scribbled that down. “Good thinking, but what about Trudy Chappell? She didn’t report her rape. We only found out about it because Dave and I pushed her to find out what George Baron had done.”
“Well, we all know here in the office, sir, because it came up in the team report.” She stopped, seeming to realise what she’d said. “I’m not saying it was one of us on this floor, but maybe someone chatted to a colleague outside of the briefing.”
Paolo nodded. “It’s possible, but I still need to ask Trudy Chappell herself if she told anyone other than us. Andrea, you stay here and take over CC’s research. I want you on call in case Mike comes back with anything we can use. CC, you come with me to chat to Trudy Chappell. She might find it easier to tell you about what she did after she was raped than she would talking to me.”
Paolo pulled up outside Trudy Chappell’s quaint cottage remembering his last visit when Dave had been the one driving. Where the hell was he? The thought of him being tortured in the same way as the other men made Paolo want to throw up. But, no, surely that wouldn’t happen? Nemesis’s whole purpose in life seemed to be punishing rapists. If there was one thing Paolo would be prepared to swear to, it was that Dave definitely didn’t fall into that category. The thought gave Paolo a tiny bit of relief. Maybe Nemesis was just holding Dave.
The treacherous thought and then what? Paolo pushed firmly to the back of his mind. He’d cling to the belief that Dave wouldn’t suffer the rapists’ fate and would be released unharmed.
CC tapped on the driver’s window. “You ready, sir?”
Paolo came to with a start. He’d allowed his mind to drift and hadn’t even realised CC was no longer sitting in the passenger seat. Apologising, he got out and locked the car.
As they waited for Trudy to answer the bell, Paolo watched CC’s face as she had a good look up and down the street.
“Nice area,” she said. “Wouldn’t suit me, but I can see why Trudy Chappell fought so hard to keep her home.”
Paolo felt his eyebrows raise. “Even to the extent of blackmail?”
She smiled. “No, I didn’t mean that.”
The door opened and Paolo was astounded to see the improvement in Trudy. The bruises, if there were any left, had been skilfully hidden under immaculately applied make up. Her hair was clean and styled and, although casually dressed in jeans and a shirt, she looked more like the woman he’d first met at the Triple B club. He almost didn’t want to question her, in case it brought her crashing down again, but he had to. Dave’s life might be at stake.
“My solicitor says I don’t have to speak to you. He says as I’ve admitted my guilt I don’t have to answer any questions until the trial.”
Paolo nodded. “He’s quite right, Trudy, but the blackmail case isn’t why we’re here. This is Detective Sergeant Cathy Connors. Would you mind if we came in for a moment?”
“If it’s not about my trial, what’s it about?” she asked, suspicion vibrating in every word.
CC smiled. “It really would be better if we spoke to you inside, Miss Chappell.”
Trudy looked on the point of shutting the door, but something in CC’s attitude must have changed her mind. She stood back.
“Come in then, but you’ve only got five minutes. Not a second more.”
Back in the small sitting room Paolo noticed immediately how much bigger it seemed to be.
“Your dolls and stuffed animals have gone,” he said, but regretted the words almost immediately when he saw the stricken look on Trudy’s face.
“I grew up,” she said. “I gave them all away to the children’s home.”
He realised straightaway she meant the rape had changed her outlook and wished he’d bitten his tongue out rather than add to her distress.
“You might as well sit down,” she said. “Ask your question and then please leave. I take it you’re here about…you know, what George did.”
Paolo must have looked surprised, because she laughed. “I’m not stupid. If it’s not about the blackmail case, that only leaves…leaves…”
“You’re right,” CC said. “We’re here because of what happened to you at the hands of George Baron. Miss Chappell, we only have one question, but it is a very important one. A colleague’s life is at stake, so we really do need you to answer it. Who did you tell after George Baron raped you?”
“What do you mean? Whose life?”
“You remember the young detective sergeant who came here with me?” Paolo said.
She nodded. “Nice looking man. Kind eyes.”
“We think whoever killed George Baron might be holding him,” Paolo explained. “Please tell us. Who did you tell about George and what he’d done to you.”
“No one,” she said. “Well, no one in particular. I called Rape Crisis. In truth, I called several times and I’ve spoken to half a dozen different people since that first call. They’re all volunteers, so I rarely get to speak to the same person, but they are all so kind and supportive, they’ve helped me get my life back on track.”
CC leaned towards Trudy. “You told no one else? No friends or family?”
She shook her head. “No! I don’t want any of them to find out. You won’t tell them will you? It won’t come out at the trial, will it?”
Hearing the panic in her voice, Paolo spoke quickly to put her mind at rest.
“No, nothing will come out. You’ve pleaded guilty, so the trial will be more about sentencing than anything else, but even if it wasn’t, the rape has no bearing on the blackmail. That happened after the event.”
Tears ran through her make up. Paolo realised how fragile the image of recovery had been. She’d been putting on an act to appear more in control that she really was. He hoped one day it would no longer be an act.
He stood up. “Trudy, I’m really sorry we put you through this. If you remember that you did tell someone other than Rape Crisis counsellors, please let me know,” he said, handing her one of his cards.
Trudy came with them to the door, but the composure she’d shown when she’d opened it was sadly lacking as she closed it behind them. Paolo heard the sobbing start as she replaced the chain and slipped bolts into place.
They walked in silence to the car, but as Paolo clicked to release the central locking, he saw CC shake her head. He waited until they were both seated before questioning the reason for her negative action.
“What aren’t you happy with?”
CC sighed. “There are no male volunteers at Rape Crisis. Well, there might be, but they certainly wouldn’t be allowed to answer the phone lines. The last thing a woman would want to hear if she’d been raped would be a male voice asking her to talk about it.”
Paolo started the ignition. “You’re right, of course, but if Trudy didn’t tell anyone else, what’s the alternative?”
“Either she did tell someone, who leaked it to our killer, or we have an internal leak. I can’t see anything else that makes sense.”
As he drove back to the station, CC’s words kept replaying in Paolo’s mind and, once again, just out of reach, was a niggle about George Baron’s autopsy. By the time they got back to the station, he was glad to be distracted by the need to concentrate on parking the car. His head was beginning to ache from the effort of trying to recall something when he didn’t even know what it was he was hoping to remember.
They’d barely walked through the door into the main office when An
drea rushed over. He could see by the look on her face that she wasn’t about to give them good news, but her words still raised hope in his heart.
“Sir, I’m so pleased you’re back. I’ve had a call from Mike about the Nemesis blog.”
“Please tell me he’s found the owner of the email address.”
She shook her head. “I wish I could. No, sir, I think this might be bad news. Mike says a new page has just gone up on the blog. He’s working to unencrypt it as a priority. He said he’ll send it over as soon as he can, but I can’t help thinking it might be to do with Dave.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
An hour later Paolo heard a tap on his door. Andrea came in clutching a piece of paper, closely followed by CC.
“From Mike?” Paolo asked, pointing at the paper.
Andrea nodded. “But it’s not about Dave.”
Paolo’s initial relief that he wasn’t about to hear of torture inflicted on his detective sergeant was closely followed by fear for him. Where the hell was he being held?
“Sit down and read it out, Andrea.”
Nemesis in Action Blog
That woman dared to accost me in the street.
“I’ve been watching you. My car was right behind yours when you went to the home of that club owner. I know what sort of person you are. I’ve spoken to the police about your behaviour,” she said.
I wondered what she’d said to them. Surely if she’d told them anything of value they would have come for me by now. She looked so smug I wanted to smash her head against a wall, but there were too many people around. Fortunately, she’s known as an eccentric, so nobody takes any notice of her ranting. The people scurrying past probably felt sorry for me being picked on as her latest target. Or they were glad she wasn’t directing her verbal abuse at them. She’s like the nutter on the bus that everyone prays won’t sit next to them.
“And what did our friendly boys in blue have to say to you?”
“The one I spoke to didn’t take me seriously, but I’m going to the police station now. I’ll soon have you sorted out. I’ll demand to be taken to someone higher up.”
Looking For A Reason (#4 - D.I. Paolo Storey Crime Series) Page 24