“From time to time, yes, but it felt like they were doing it to jerk my chain, not for any other reason. Neither of them left the car at any point, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Paolo smiled. “It’s one of the things, yes.”
“I’d have told you if they had. You didn’t need to come looking for me to ask that,” George said, pushing his cup away so forcefully the tea slopped over the rim and trickled across the table, soaking into the newspaper.
“Whoa, steady on, George. I wasn’t implying you’d left anything out of your report. The thing is, these two are being far too helpful. They’ve even handed over their phones, which tells me they’re not going to be of any use to us. Did you see them discard anything while they were driving? I’m wondering if the phones are back-ups, kept just for this purpose. If that’s the case, their real phones were discarded somewhere along the way.”
George glared at Paolo. “Sir, everything I saw and everything I heard is in my report. I’m not in on the interview, so I don’t know what’s being said up there, but I did everything right.”
Paolo sighed. “I have to get back upstairs, but I think we should have a chat, don’t you? Something is eating away at you and we need to resolve it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me, sir. It must be your imagination. Unless, of course, someone has been complaining about me?”
Paolo shook his head. “No, nothing like that. Just my own observations. Come up to my office in about an hour. Even if, as you say, there’s nothing wrong, we need to clear the air.”
George shrugged. “If you have a problem with me, fine, I’ll be there.”
Paolo sighed and thought about explaining that responses like that indicated there definitely was something wrong, but he had to get back to the interviews upstairs.
“See you in an hour,” he said and left George to his sopping wet newspaper.
Paolo sat down opposite Bekim and started recording the interview once more. Time to give the man a bit of a jolt. He passed the identikit image across the small table.
“Recognise yourself?”
Bekim laughed. “Is very good. Looks very like me, but is not me.”
“I think it is. We have a witness who provided the information some time ago. How would we have this image unless someone had seen you dropping off and picking up the girls?”
“I don’t know. Maybe is fixed? I tell you. Edar and me, we do, how you say it? A good deed. For this we get harassed. Human rights not given.”
“I’ll repeat my earlier offer. Would you like a solicitor to sit in on this interview?”
“Is no need. We pick up hitchy hiker girl. We take her where she say. We leave her there. Your men follow. We do nothing wrong. Your man, he see this. He follow, follow, follow until you come.” Bekim shrugged. “Why I need solicitor like bad man? I do good deed for hitchy hiker girl. You ask girl.”
Paolo smiled. “We intend to do exactly that.”
Bekim grinned back. “So you go ask. I wait here and then you say, sorry, Bekim, we get it wrong. You good man. We make the compensation for you.”
Bekim laughed so hard Paolo hoped he’d choke. There was nothing more he could do. They hadn’t caught the men doing anything they could prove was illegal. The hitchhiker story wasn’t one they could disprove until the girl was out of detox, and possibly not even then if she followed the same path as the others they’d taken off the streets. None of them were prepared to say who they’d been held by or even where they came from. Each and every one was terrified of the consequences if they spoke out. The bastard sitting opposite knew full well he was safe. But only for the time being. Paolo swore silently. He’d shut this organisation down no matter what it took.
Paolo stood. “Interview terminated 7:23 pm. You are free to go. I’ll arrange transport back to your car.”
As he left the interview room, Paolo heard the man whistling. He recognised the song even though it was totally out of tune. Queen’s I want to break free. Not if I can help it, Paolo thought. He looked back into the room, hoping to intimidate Bekim, but the man continued murdering the song. If Paolo had his way, the only people breaking free were going to be the kids being trafficked by scum like Bekim and his friends.
Paolo put his head round the door of the interview room where CC was questioning Edar.
“A moment of your time, please, Detective Sergeant Carter.”
He watched CC terminate the interview for the benefit of the recording tape and then stepped back into the corridor. She came out and closed the door behind her.
“What’s up, sir?”
“Has this one said anything new since I was last in the room?”
CC shook her head. “Just repeating the same old good Samaritan junk as before.”
Paolo sighed. “We’re going to have to let them go. I’ll arrange a car to take them back to the motorway services. I’ll also organise a round the clock watch on them. I want to know where they go, who they meet and why. With a bit of luck they might just lead us to the mysterious Joey, but even if they don’t, we might be able to pick them up in the act of ferrying the girls to and from the streets. I’d like to see them use the hitchhiker excuse then.”
***
Paolo sat at his desk going over the events of the day in his mind and making notes to remind himself of all the things he still had to do, like re-interviewing the owner of the language school and setting up meetings with the former members of The Vision Inside. If Pete was a paedophile, surely at least one of band would have noticed something odd about his behaviour.
God, he was tired. He’d promised himself an early night, but it was already gone eight and he still had to chat to George. He wasn’t looking forward to that, but something was eating away at the man and Paolo needed to find out what it was before George’s attitude rubbed off on the rest of his team.
Ten minutes later George tapped on the office door and came in.
“You wanted to see me? I hope it’s not going to take too long, sir. We were supposed to go off duty a couple of hours ago.”
“Take a seat, George. This won’t take long.” He waited until George had settled himself opposite. “Okay, let’s not pretend we don’t know why you’re here. What’s up? You’re not a happy man at the moment.”
“I don’t know why I’m here. I work hard; do whatever is asked of me; put in the hours. What more do you want? What do you mean, not happy? Am I supposed to tell jokes? Be the office clown?”
“No, that’s not what I meant at all. I’m concerned about you. Your general attitude these days is aggressive, like now. I’m just trying to find out why. What’s happened recently to change you from someone happy in their work to…”
“To what? Who says I’m not happy in my work? Is it one of our team? If so, that’s crap.”
“George, calm down. No one has said anything about you. This is my own observation.”
“Amazing, sir, I didn’t think we spent enough time together for you to have observed me. I’ll make sure to smile more from now on when you’re in the room.”
“Is that it? Do you feel overlooked by me?”
“Sir, you choose who goes out with you on jobs. Usually it’s Dave, sometimes it’s CC. I don’t really care either way. All I’m saying is that I spend most of my day in the office and you spend most of yours outside or in here. You see me for maybe a couple of hours at most. I think you’re reading too much into whatever it is you think you’ve seen. I’m perfectly happy.” George stood up. “Can I go now? It’s been a very long day and I’m dying for a pint.”
Paolo nodded and watched him leave. George was right, he didn’t spend much of each day in his company, but he was also not being truthful. Something had turned him sour, but Paolo was no nearer to knowing what it was than he had been earlier in the day.
He looked at his watch. Eight-thirty. It was a bit late to call in to see Katy, but he was sure the staff would turn a blind eye if he didn’t stay too long. Maybe, afterwards, h
e’d treat himself to another meal at the Italian restaurant near the hospital. He wondered if Jessica might be there. He could do with a pleasant end to a very unproductive day.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
19th October (morning)
Paolo tapped on the door and went into Katy’s room. She was standing at the window, but turned round as he came in.
“Dad,” she called out and ran into his arms. “Are you here for a proper visit this time? You only stayed five minutes last night.”
Paolo hugged her, feeling life didn’t get much better than this. Katy was on the mend at last. He let her go and she climbed onto her bed, sitting with her back against the headrest. Paolo sat facing her in one of the visitor’s armchairs, fighting an urge to yell with joy at the look on his daughter’s face. Katy looked more like her old self than ever.
“Sorry about last night. We worked late and I’ve got an office steadily filling up with files and papers screaming at me to deal with them.”
She ignored the part about the paperwork. “What are you working on? What’s the case, Dad?”
Paolo wanted to chat naturally, as they had in the past, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. The last time he’d let Katy know anything about one of his cases was the reason she was in the hospital. He shook his head.
“Nothing exciting. You’d be bored to tears if I told you.”
“I’m bored to tears anyway. Go on, Dad, tell me.”
Paolo was saved from answering by the entrance of Lydia.
“Tell Katy what?” she asked, walking over to the bed and dropping a kiss on Katy’s head before sitting in the other armchair.
“I’ve been trying to get Dad to tell me what he’s working on, but he won’t.”
Lydia flashed a look at him and Paolo raised his hands in surrender.
“Don’t get mad at me. I’ve not said a word.”
Amazingly, Lydia smiled. “I believe you. You’re here early. Did you get a call from Jessica as well?”
Paolo could feel a blush rising up from his chest and flooding his face. He prayed Lydia wouldn’t spot it. Jessica hadn’t needed to call him this morning because they’d shared a table again the night before in the restaurant. Although she hadn’t mentioned Katy or said why she wanted to see him and Lydia, she’d asked him to be at the hospital at nine this morning. He looked at his watch. It was ten to nine.
He avoided answering Lydia’s question directly. “She should be here soon. I wonder what she wants to talk to us about.”
Lydia gave him a strange look, almost as if she knew he’d twisted out of telling her there’d been no need for Jessica to call him. He felt absurdly guilty, which was ridiculous. They’d sat at the same table and chatted about life in general. Nothing more than that.
He was relieved when the door opened again and the psychiatrist came in.
“Good morning, everyone. Thank you, both, for coming in on a Saturday morning, but I’m afraid this was the only time I had available and I didn’t think either of you would want to wait to hear this. Katy can go home on Monday.”
“Yes!” Katy yelled, punching the air.
Jessica smiled. “You don’t get rid of me that easily. I’d like to see you as an outpatient for a few months. Just to make sure you’re doing okay.” She turned to Paolo and Lydia. “When Katy leaves she’ll be given an appointment to come to my office for visits, as I’d like to get her away from the hospital environment. I’d like to see her weekly for the first month and then we’ll see how she is after that. Maybe we’ll cut it down to once a fortnight, or even monthly.”
Paolo stood and shook Jessica’s hand. “Thank you; you’ve done an amazing job.”
“Not me,” she said. “Katy’s the one who’s worked hard to get to where she is now.” She turned to Katy. “See you on Monday.”
As Jessica left the room, Paolo turned to Lydia, annoyed that she hadn’t said a word while the psychiatrist was in the room, but his feelings of irritation disappeared when he saw the tears streaming down Lydia’s face. She was clearly trying hard to bring her emotions under control, but failing.
Katy climbed off her bed and knelt in front of Lydia. “Don’t cry, Mum. Please don’t cry.”
Lydia reached out and pulled Katy to her. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”
“Never,” Katy said. “You don’t lose me that easily.”
Paolo didn’t know what to do. Should he go and leave them to it, or should he stay? He’d never loved Katy more than when she looked up at him and winked.
“Go and do your paperwork, Dad. See you this evening?”
He nodded and moved to the door. The last sound he heard was of Katy soothing her mother. Amazing how things changed around. It wasn’t that long ago it had been the other way round.
He walked into the station feeling better about life than he had for a very long time. He tried not to work Saturdays, but today was a good time to finally clear some of those files still littering his desk.
As he sat at his desk, he allowed his mind to wander back to the night before. Sharing a table once again with Jessica had sent him home smiling. She was a good companion. Intelligent, articulate and funny. Although she’d told him about the meeting she’d arranged with Lydia and had left a message on his answering machine, she didn’t let slip any idea what the meeting might be about. He was pleased she hadn’t mentioned Katy’s prospective return to normal life. It proved she stuck to the rules about patient confidentiality.
He shook his head and focused on the files in front of him. Thinking about Jessica Carter wasn’t a good idea. She was Katy’s doctor. Nothing more than that. But he still spent the next few minutes dwelling on their time together the night before.
He dragged his mind back into work mode. He needed to get in contact with the former band mates of Pete Carson. That was going to be tricky. He couldn’t mention his suspicions without proof, but he needed to find out if Pete had shown any inclinations towards very young girls back when they were all together. He’d have to leave off interviewing them until he had a bit more to go on.
That left the owner of the language school. He was definitely one to investigate. Was it coincidence he was at the hospital the day the girl was murdered? Maybe, maybe not, but he’d better have a bloody good reason for being there.
Paolo sighed. He’d put it off as long as he could. It was time to get on with his least favourite chore. He picked up the first file and began reading.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
21st October (morning)
Paolo smiled and put his phone on the desk. Katy was back at Lydia’s and the move had gone smoothly. Incredible as it seemed to him, Lydia was the one bringing him up to date on where they were. It was like talking to the person he’d known before tragedy had torn them apart. Funny how life turned around when you least expected it.
He got up and went in search of Dave. He found him by the coffee machine looking like he’d found fifty pence after losing ten pounds.
“What’s up, Dave? Coffee even worse than usual?”
Dave smiled, but it was a poor effort. “Is that even possible?”
“Probably not,” Paolo said. “If it’s not the coffee, what’s put the frown on your face?”
“It’s this case. It’s getting to me. I hate the thought of those poor kids being forced to…well, just being forced. I want to rip the bastards to shreds.”
Paolo felt the same way, but knew now wasn’t the time to say so. “Come on, get your jacket. We’re going to visit the language school again. Let’s find out what Isuf Xhepa was doing at the hospital that morning. More to the point, why did he wait until the last minute to get in the lift with me and CC? Maybe it was a clever way of finding out what floor the girl was on. Throw that rubbish away. I’ll treat you to a decent cup on the way.”
Dave dropped his half full cup in the bin. “You’re on, but I want one of those fancy coffees with half a dozen names to it.”
Paolo laughed. “You’ll get a straigh
tforward coffee and like it.”
“Yes, sir. Anything you say, sir.”
As they turned towards the entrance, George appeared. Paolo was about to offer to bring back coffee for him and CC when they returned, but before he could speak, George turned and went back into the main office.
“Blimey,” Dave said, “what’s eating him?”
Paolo shook his head. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Dave pulled the car into the curb, almost directly outside the school. Paolo grinned. Having Dave as driver was like ordering ahead and having the perfect parking spot reserved. He was about to get out of the car when his phone rang. He looked at the display. CC. He signalled to Dave to wait and answered the call.
“Yes, CC, what have you got for me?”
“Bad news, I’m afraid, sir. Surveillance have lost Bekim and Edar.”
“What? How? I thought they were keeping a tight watch on both of them?”
“They are, or rather, they were. The pair drove to a warehouse on the industrial estate and parked outside. A couple of hours later the car was still there, so one of the surveillance team decided to take a closer look. Turns out the warehouse was empty, completely gutted. Seems they went in through the door at the front and disappeared out the back.”
“Shit! That was our only real lead. Who owns the warehouse?”
“George is looking into that at the moment, but it looks like it’s been empty for the best part of a year. There was nothing inside at all.”
“Okay, thanks, CC. Keep me informed if anything new comes up.”
“Will do, sir.”
Paolo ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket.
“That didn’t sound like good news, sir,” Dave said.
“It wasn’t,” Paolo said and explained what had happened. “Seems like our surveillance aren’t as invisible as they think they are.”
Dave shrugged. “Either that, or they guessed we’d put someone on them and took avoiding action just in case.”
Someday Never Comes (#2 - D.I. Paolo Storey Crime Series) Page 16