The Waiting Room (#4 - The Craig Modern Thriller Series)

by Catriona King

  I’ll do what I can to block things at my end and you get your name on the Rota to sign search warrants for the next few days. They’ve got one for Morgan, but they won’t risk going in in case he goes berserk. If they request another to search Headquarters, stall it on some grounds or other. Just to make them think there’s still something worthwhile in there, after we get Morgan out. ”

  “There is! The girls’ D.N.A., and ours. All over the sodding place!”

  “Let me worry about that. Doing the forensics on that place will delay them, and samples have a funny way of disappearing before they reach the labs.”

  After a moment Dawson nodded. “All right. I’ll make sure the warrants come to me. But it’ll take a bit of doing, they have Judges in Ballymena too you know.”

  McGurk waved away his caveat. “I don’t want the bloody details. Just get it done.”

  Dawson turned sharply, ready with a retort. He didn’t like being told what to do. He thought better of it. There’d be time enough for arguments later.

  “We’ll need to dispose of Morgan so that they don’t find a trace.”

  McGurk smiled coldly. “Don’t worry. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve done it.”

  Dawson exhaled noisily, much calmer now. “Good. And if we do it tonight then there’s no reason why Friday can’t still be the party of a lifetime. Plus, make us all very rich men.”

  ***

  Julia wandered into the living room, followed at a distance by the others. The room was pretty and bright. It led out through French doors to a patio, with a small garden at the end. She smiled to herself at the thought of drinks there after work. Then she smiled again at the thought of Craig mowing the lawn, erasing the image quickly and replacing it with one of herself. There were domestic animals and wild ones and Craig definitely fell into the second box.

  She gazed around for a moment and then smiled at the estate agent and her mother. “I think it’s lovely, but my partner needs to see it. I’ll check his diary and get back to you tomorrow with some times.”

  Even as she said it she wondered if she would ever be back. Not only because of Craig’s doubts, but because of her own.

  ***

  4pm

  “Right everyone. Thanks for coming. We’ve a lot to get through so let’s make a start. Liam first, then Davy and Karen. I’ll round it off. Liam?”

  Liam was leaning back in his chair with his long legs propped up on his desk. His back was playing up again so Craig had shifted the briefing close to him, rather than make him move. He appreciated it, and reciprocated by giving them a detailed briefing that showed just how effective he could be when he wasn’t messing about.

  He reported on the evidence trail for five minutes before reaching Morgan’s surveillance. “The Ballymena lads know the area well and none of them have ever heard of a derelict house. They’re hunting the local archives but it’s never come to their notice before. They were a bit short of men so I sent Sergeant McLean up to take over. I hope that’s OK, boss? He knew a lot about Bryce’s operation in that area so I thought he’d like to follow it through.”

  Craig nodded. “That’s fine Liam. What’s the status at the moment?”

  “No movement. Nothing in or out of the house since Morgan disappeared. We’ve men front and back. Do you want us to get a search warrant?”

  Craig thought for a moment and then shook his head. There was a risk to not going in; Morgan might escape. But there was bigger risk to entering if the girls were there. He could kill them all before they breached the gates.

  “Not just yet, let’s see what he does. His friends will know we’re watching him by now and they’ll try something, I’m sure of it. Most likely after dark. We need to be ready.”

  He stared at Liam thoughtfully. “I want you to make sure that if any senior police officer contacts the men in Ballymena that they appear to acquiesce with anything they ask. We’re pretty sure that a very senior officer is involved in the killings, and that he’ll attempt to get Morgan out. If that happens then McLean’s men aren’t to stop Morgan, just keep an eye from a distance and follow him wherever he goes.”

  They all looked shocked, except Davy. Liam sat forward so quickly that his legs slipped off the desk. The bang with which they hit the floor was echoed by the yell he let out as his hand flew to his back. “Ah, shit.”

  Nicky rushed forward concerned, as he screwed-up his face, only relaxing it slightly as the pain eased.

  “Liam, get your back checked out, will you? It’s not right.”

  Liam squeezed his words out in reply. “Aye, aye. Soon, Cutty.” He waved Craig on. Craig shook his head ruefully, knowing that Liam would do anything rather than visit a doctor. He was the same.

  “O.K. While Liam recovers I’ll tell you why I think that will happen.” He nodded Davy to cover the accessing of the Barron file, without mentioning the name of the officer implicated. Craig picked it up, reporting on speaking to the anonymous P.A. Nicky smiled, knowing exactly who he was talking about and made a note to pull him about not trusting her earlier.

  “I’ve confirmed that the senior officer being deliberately framed was not in fact the guilty culprit. I’ll be giving the name of the guilty person to the Chief Constable later. Davy, have you got the information I requested?”

  Davy nodded and handed him an A4 envelope. It contained the two girls’ murder files and McGurk’s service record. Plus the one page summary that he’d requested. Liam was sitting more upright, watching the exchange between the two with interest. He would get the details later.

  “I know that everyone’s urge is to go in there and get Morgan, but there are major risks there. Some of the girls may still be alive and we want to keep them that way. When I speak to the Chief I’ll be recommending that we don’t immediately arrest the senior officer involved either. It’s tempting to do so, but if we do the trail could go cold. I’ll hand you over to Karen and Davy to tell you more on that. Karen?”

  Karen pulled herself up from her semi-recumbent position, brushing the crumbs from a biscuit off her lap and onto the floor. It wasn’t anyone else’s idea of hurrying but Craig recognised that it was hers. Nicky tutted quietly at the crumbs and Karen ignored her. She was just opening her mouth to speak when Davy interjected impatiently.

  “Karen found links with the photographs and some disappeared girls. Two of them are confirmed dead.”

  Karen’s face dropped in indignation at Davy stealing her thunder and Nicky giggled. Craig stifled his amusement at Davy’s bad manners, shaking his head at him in mock remonstration. Then he turned pointedly back to Karen. “Karen, perhaps you’d like to continue?”

  She sniffed and picked up a sheet of paper, reading aloud from it. “Fifty–four of the photographs match girls aged between eighteen and twenty-five who went missing in the Ballymena area between 2007 and 2010. Another twenty-six match girls who’ve gone missing in Belfast since 2010.”

  She noted Nicky’s horrified face with satisfaction; that would teach her to be so happy all the time. Then she realised that she was scoring points with dead girls and frowned at herself, a little ashamed. She continued more quietly.

  “There were two bodies found in the Belfast area in 2010.” She handed out copies of a second sheet showing a map of Belfast and the environs. “The first girl, Amanda Wilson, was found at Point A, off the Cavehill Road in May 2010. The second, Grainne McCrory, was found at Point B, near Bellevue that September. Neither case was solved. The trails ran cold after initial investigations.”

  Craig halted her, smiling his thanks. “Davy’s already pulled the case files for those for me Karen, thank you.”

  She squinted at Davy in open rivalry and then at Craig, smiling sarcastically. The implication was clear - teacher’s pet. All that was missing was her tongue sticking out and they’d be back in junior infants.

  Liam leaned forward cautiously and Nicky winced in sympathy. “Without telling us the details boss, was the investigating lead on thos
e cases by any chance the senior officer who accessed the Stephen Barron file? And the one that you expect to contact the lads, trying to mess up the surveillance on Morgan?”

  Craig gave him a stare that said he’d tell him everything after the briefing, and then answered with one word. “Yes.” Then he turned back to the group and brought them up to date on his discussions with Des and Bjorn Ackerman.

  The semen D.N.A. Des had found at the house had come from four men, one of them Paul Ripley. He was running the others through the database but Craig doubted that he’d get a hit. Not unless Ken McGurk and Tim Morgan had criminal records. He was less worried by them than by the identity of their fourth man. They’d have McGurk and Morgan in custody soon, he was convinced of that, but they hadn’t a clue who the fourth man was.

  He turned to his meeting with Bjorn Ackerman. Saying that he believed that when they cracked the case, Ackerman would be relentless in his pursuit of justice, and not necessarily though the courts.

  He updated the security arrangements for Hannah Benner and Sylvia Bryce and Bryce’s likely future. Then he closed the briefing, beckoning Davy, Liam and Nicky into his small office.

  Liam took up position against the wall pressing his back against its coolness as gratefully as if he was sinking into a warm bath. Craig frowned at him, concerned. “For God’s sake get that sorted, Liam. I don’t want you out of action for six weeks with slipped disc.”

  “And here’s me thinking that you were worried about me, boss.” He laughed once and then decided it was too painful.

  “Right, quickly. Here’s where we are. Nicky, apologies for not confiding in you, it wasn’t a lack of trust, but as a woman you’re especially vulnerable. That’s a fact. These men have infiltrated the police and the courts and I didn’t want to take a risk with your safety.”

  She smiled at his chivalry, understanding.

  “Liam, Davy found the time and computer that the Barron file was accessed from. It was in D.C.S. Harrison’s office on the twelfth floor.”

  Liam boomed out a laugh. “Old Teflon Terry’s heading for a fall then.”

  Craig shook his head at Liam’s use of Harrison’s nickname, no matter how many times he’d been told not to say it at work. “Sorry to disappoint you Liam, but no. He was in Limavady that day, and Davy’s proved that the only person who entered his office was Susan Butler.”

  Nicky looked askance at him, her face showing that she was trying to imagine the beige Mrs Butler involved in anything as exciting as espionage. He shook his head again, dispelling the notion.

  “I went to see her and confirmed that it was A.C.C. McGurk who asked her to access the file for him. On the pretext of needing it for a presentation. She had Harrison’s log in and password, so she printed off the file quite innocently on the instructions of a senior officer. Davy’s got it all on CCTV.”

  Nicky nodded. Mrs Butler would never say no to an Assistant Chief Constable.

  Craig’s dark eyes took on a serious look. “Ken McGurk spent his entire career up in Ballymena. He was there until 2010, then he moved to Belfast.”

  The penny dropped on Liam and Nicky immediately. That was when Sylvia Bryce’s business had moved as well. Craig indicated the envelope that Davy had handed him earlier.

  “I’m updating the Chief at five o’clock and we’ll come up with a strategy. Liam, I’ll call you afterwards so that you’re briefed on everything. My money’s on them trying to get Morgan out tonight.

  Davy, can you check that everything’s OK with Hannah and Sylvia Bryce. Then I want you to pick Amanda Wilson and Grainne McCrory’s cases apart for me. Look for anything that fits with Britt Ackerman’s, and keep going on the companies behind all the properties.”

  He turned to Nicky, smiling gently. “Nicky, you be careful around McGurk and anyone from court services. And if any senior officer calls asking to see you by yourself – don’t. These men view women as objects, to do whatever they want with. Run any requests past me first, please. We don’t know who else is working with McGurk.”

  He had a random thought. “Nicky, add one for my mother onto that list please.”

  She smiled and the others stared at her inquisitively. She sniffed and turned away as if it was her secret. Then Craig’s expression darkened, things would soon be coming to a head.

  “When we follow Morgan he’ll lead us to McGurk, and others, I’m certain of that. But I’m pretty sure they’ll try to kill Morgan tonight, under the pretext of helping him escape. Morgan’s weak and they know he’ll crack under interrogation. We need him alive, Liam, so brief the men on that, no matter what orders they get from anyone else. If it’s a choice between catching everyone tonight, and capturing Tim Morgan alive, Morgan’s the priority. He can lead us right to the top.”

  “But how do I get them to ignore an order from McGurk, boss? He’s a senior officer, and some of them have known him for years. Can I tell them that we suspect him?”

  “No! We don’t know who else McGurk has in his pocket.”

  Craig thought for a moment longer before continuing. “I’ll confirm this with you after my meeting, but tell them that our orders come directly from the Chief Constable and anyone below that is to be ignored. That should do it.”

  “It would for me. They know which side their bread’s buttered on.”

  Craig stood up, heading for the door. He turned back to Nicky.

  “Nick, call Harrison’s office and leave a message with Mrs B. Tell her than we’ve had to commandeer more troops from Jack Harris at High Street, and John Maguire at Stranmillis Road. We’ve Hannah Benner and Sylvia Bryce under close protection and we’re running an operation in Ballymena under the lead of the Chief Constable.”

  He glanced quickly at his watch. “But don’t call her until six–thirty, that way Harrison will find out too late to interfere.”

  ***

  6.30pm

  The meeting with the Chief Constable went on longer than Craig thought it would, and when he emerged the summer sky was darkening. It had gone well after the initial awkwardness. It was never easy informing the boss that there was corruption in his top ranks. But once he’d heard the number of girls missing, his attention had been guaranteed.

  Add in that D.N.A. evidence had been stolen and planted at one of the most grotesque murder scenes that any of them had seen. And the fact that investigations indicated the involvement of high-level professionals; from the church, health and police so far. And you had a recipe that would have made any Chief Constable sit up and pay attention.

  Craig had set out the framing of Rory McCrae and Tommy Hill and the framing of D.C.S. Harrison. No one would really have been happy if that had been true. Although the CC had allowed himself a small smile, at the idea of Terry Harrison spending time in jail. He’d been a thorn in his side since he was an Inspector and he really hadn’t liked it when he’d passed him in rank.

  “Just as he won’t like you making superintendent, Craig. Or when you make A.C.C. in the future.”

  Craig had smiled reluctantly at the last comment, letting it hang in the air between them, to be considered another year. For now he had what he needed. Complete discretion to use the C.C.’s authority to control this evening’s operation, and to follow the trail wherever it led.

  He called Liam with an update as he left the meeting and then climbed into his aging Audi and gunned the engine, heading for the M2. He was going to Ballymena to take over the stake-out, before Ken McGurk tried to.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  7pm

  Bjorn Ackerman drew hard on his cigarette and exhaled its smoke into the cooling night air. He stood on the hotel’s high stone steps, watching the laughing young women as they teetered on high heels into the restaurant opposite. Sharp tears flew into his eyes thinking of his daughter. Britt should be here, laughing with her friends in the same way.

  She had been beautiful, and it wasn’t just a father’s pride that made him think it. Everyone had said so. The blonde baby had grown
into a coltish teen and then to a beautiful girl. She had just been entering womanhood, with all that life held for her. And now…

  Why had she done it? Was it his fault? Had he really been such a strict father? He shook the questions from his mind. He had years ahead to torture himself with them. He squinted at the darkening sky and wondered where she was now. Was there anywhere after this? He wasn’t religious, but he knew there was something more than this. There had to be. The human race couldn’t be the best that the universe could produce, not when scum like Britt’s killers formed part of it.

  He dropped his cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his heel, then lifted it to deposit in the bin. Just then a thought occurred to him, and he abandoned it untidily, rushing to his room instead. One minute later a secure phone call started a trail of events that would have consequences thousands of miles away from this small city.

  ***

  10pm

  Craig and Liam sat in the car in absolute darkness. There were no neon street lights here, no shop fronts or car head-lamps to break the ink-black night. Craig could barely see his hand but he focused hard and made out the highest third of the house, reaching for the sky beyond the wall.

  Nicky had informed Mrs Butler about the extra men, and then dealt with the predicted follow-up call from Terry Harrison. His arrogant shouts could be tolerated, knowing that by next week he would hear that Craig had saved his neck. He’d never thank him of course, but they’d all have the satisfaction of knowing it.

  Jake McLean had briefed the Ballymena forces that for the rest of the operation Craig was the Chief Constable. And they were to ignore orders from anyone else. When Ken McGurk’s expected call came through at ten o’clock most of them worked with him. Only one misguided sergeant objected.

  “I’ve known A.C.C. McGurk for years and he knows this area like the back of his hand. If he says we should cluster at the front then I agree with him.” Jake didn’t object to the move, only to the reasons behind it.