Body by the Docks: detectives investigate a baffling mystery

by Diane M Dickson

  “No. I’ve been asking round. Nobody here has seen her.”

  “Whatever. We’ll find her. We’ll get on it tomorrow for sure, yeah. I’m tired tonight.” Eddie said.

  “They nearly had her,” Gary said.

  “How do you mean?”

  “They saw her in Southport, the police. What the hell was she doing in Southport?”

  “God, la, I don’t know. Will you stop it with the bloody third degree.”

  He was vague when Gary asked him how he’d travelled, why he didn’t have his posh car with him, why he was so filthy when he arrived. He skirted around the edges of why he’d sneaked in the back way, why he was so paranoid. Because that’s what he was.

  But he wouldn’t talk about it.

  He told Gary to leave it, to let him get himself together. He said he’d screwed up his travel arrangements and had to hitch and didn’t want anyone seeing him arriving so scruffy and messed up. Well, it made sense, in a way. He’d always been vain and proud, but still, it didn’t all hang together.

  Anyway, now, this morning, Eddie was going to have to fill him in on just what had happened, and then he had to take up some of the slack. He was the oldest. It was his job to take charge. Gary cut two big doorstops of bread and poured the boiling water on a couple of tea bags in Mam’s best mugs.

  Chapter 44

  The phone buzzed as Jordan drove back to Wavertree. “Boss, it’s me,” Rosalind Searle said.

  “Yep, what have you got for me, Ros?”

  “I’ve been to see Sandra McCardle. She was pretty cranky, to be honest. She said she hasn’t heard from her sister and has no idea where she is. I think I believe her. She said she wanted to be told when Molly ‘turned up’, her words. But she says she’s having nothing more to do with the family. She was quite outspoken. Had enough of the worry and the constant secrecy, she says. Doesn’t intend to go back to the house in Liverpool. Isn’t intending to have anything to do with their Gary anymore. She asked me to let her know when her mother’s funeral will be. She’s not helping with the arrangements but intends to be there on the day. I got the impression that now her parents are dead she’s opting out. She said she just wants to be ‘ordinary’. It was a bit sad actually. I met her bloke. Nice chap and very supportive. He knew about the family background but didn’t make any comment about it except to say he reckons it’s over now as far as they’re concerned. They are thinking about moving away to start afresh. That’s quite a big move when you have an established business but there we are.”

  “Okay. They hadn’t heard from Eddie?”

  “No, boss. I asked and they just looked blank. Insisted he was in Spain.”

  “I’ll see you back at the station,” Jordan told her. “I’m in St Anne Street this afternoon but we’ll have a briefing before then.”

  By the time Jordan arrived at the incident room, they had hard copies of the images of the blue car, a Vauxhall. Beverly had them pinned on the notice board. “I’ve requested image enhancements and they reckon there’s a decent chance of useable pictures of the people inside.”

  “That’s excellent. Terry, give them a call later on this afternoon, will you. I know they’re busy, but the creaking gate gets the most oil and all that.”

  “Creaking what?” Terry said.

  “Oh, it’s something Nana Gloria says. I think it’s a bit made-up but it’s an excuse for nagging, basically.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll creak at them.”

  * * *

  In the interview room in St Anne Street, the officer from the port police force was taciturn and unresponsive. It was clear he knew his career was over and there was a good chance he’d be going to jail. However, he wasn’t about to give them any information about who he had allowed in illegally, whether or not he knew about the ‘extra’ cargo in the lorry or where the munitions were headed ultimately.

  “You do know there’s no way out of this for you, don’t you?” David Griffiths asked him. “This is a one-way street and the best you can hope for is to claw back some jail time by helping us now.”

  It was a constant depressing ‘no comment’ response and in the end, they gave it up.

  “I’ll be having another go at him later,” Griffiths told Jordan. “I’ll keep you up to date.”

  “I reckon he’s more scared of the people behind this than he is of us and the British justice system,” Jordan said.

  “Yes. He’s got himself involved with some nasty people, I reckon, and even jail seems a better option than betraying them.”

  “Are you still intending going over to Spain?”

  “Oh aye. Tomorrow all being well. We’ve got the address for the owners of the lorry. At the moment they’re denying any knowledge of anything amiss. Could be true of course, the driver made a couple of stops in France. Anyway, he’s been arrested. They are holding him under terrorism offences so he’s not able to speak to anyone and he’s in deep shit. Hopefully, it’ll loosen his tongue. I’ll keep you updated. No news about your missing girl yet?”

  Jordan just sighed and shook his head. “I’ve got another appeal going out tonight, but she’s just vanished. It’s not looking good.” His phone chimed. “Sorry I need to get this, and I’ll get off back. Thanks for including me in.”

  “Wasn’t much use really, I’m afraid. We should get together for a drink again soon.”

  “Yeah. Maybe when you get back. Bring some of that cheap brandy and come round to the house. I’ll make a paella. Hopefully, we’ll have something to celebrate by then.”

  * * *

  Jordan felt the lightening of the atmosphere as he walked into his incident room. “Terry, what’s happening?” he said.

  “I’ve been down to the digital forensics department and had a word with a mate. Actually, he’s related to my brother’s partner. Anyway, he did us a favour when I told him about Molly McCardle and the baby, and I’ve now got a decent image of the passenger of the car. The driver was on the far side, so we at least know the car wasn’t English, but her face isn’t as clear. It’s a woman though.”

  “Okay. Get on to immigration and send them a copy. It’s a long shot but they may have caught film of them coming into the country. Tell you what, make sure and explain to them it’s linked with the truck, they already have details of it. Maybe they have something from the ferry or at the tunnel. I assume if they all travelled together, the car people and the truck driver, they might well have been in a group in the port or on the train, boat – however they crossed. I know there is pretty extensive CCTV coverage of all of the customs posts and terminal buildings. I’ll have Dave Griffiths send you the information he’s got, just to make sure they have all they need. This is a step forward. A little one, but movement. Let’s get off to Southport.”

  “Southport, boss?”

  “Yes. I want to show the pictures to Karen at the hotel. I know she was a bit flaky but there is just the chance that she’ll recognise this bloke as the one who picked up Molly. It’s worth a try anyway, blue cars are not exactly rare, but you never know. If she does recognise him, we can include it in the appeal going out tonight. It’ll be the quickest way to get his face out there.”

  Jordan took a deep breath. He felt a buzz of excitement deep in his belly. At last there was movement. After days of nothing, he really thought things were beginning to unfold. He stuck his hands in his pockets so nobody saw him cross his fingers as he walked down to the DCI’s office to update Cross.

  Chapter 45

  By the time Eddie came downstairs Gary had his sandwich ready, his tea made, and had taken them into the living room. Mam would have had kittens if she’d seen them, greasy fingers on her chair covers and rings from the mugs spoiling her coffee table. But Mam was gone, for ever. They would have to decide at some point what would happen with the house. Gary wasn’t sure whether she had a will, if she didn’t then they would have to sort it out between themselves. They would need to take care of Molly and her son, but the house was worth a few bo
b. It would need to be discussed. He didn’t see how he could bring it up now with Eddie. He should wait, shouldn’t he? He should wait until after the funeral. But there was no getting away from the fact that the money would be handy. He could do with it if he was going to leave. With his share, he could go straight to Oz. Wouldn’t need to go to Germany.

  He looked across the room at his brother. Now he’d had a good night’s sleep and a chance to clean up, he was Eddie again. Smart and neat.

  “Do you want to go up?” Gary said.

  “Up where?”

  Gary jerked his head towards the window, vaguely in the direction of the junction outside. “Up to where they found her?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, okay. I just thought you might want to see. There were some flowers and stuff for a while. I don’t think there are many left now though.”

  “Leave it, yeah. Just leave it, our kid. I don’t want to go up there. I don’t need to.”

  “We could ask the police if we could go and see her.”

  “I thought they’d already said no.”

  “Well yeah, they did but that was back then. Just after it had happened.”

  “And why do you think it would be any different now?”

  “Well, you know, they might have made her look better. She might look okay now.”

  “How can she look better, you divvy? She was set on fire.”

  “Well yes, I know but they do stuff, don’t they? You know with makeup and that.”

  “She’s not going to look better. They’re not going to let us see her. You have to just accept it. We’ll get her a nice coffin and a big wreath. We’ll see she gets a good send-off but that’s all we can do.”

  “How do you know? You weren’t even here. You don’t know.”

  “I know. Just believe me, they won’t make her look better. Oh, don’t start snivelling.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. Just can it, yeah? There’s other stuff going on that I have to deal with.”

  “You don’t know what it’s been like. You have no idea. While you were over there drinking in the sunshine, I’ve had to deal with all this. With Mam and Molly, you weren’t here, were you? You should have been here. You should have been doing your bit. Even bloody Sandra dropped me in it. Buggered off back to The Wirral and left me on my own. Some bloody family this has turned out to be. Dada’d be spinning in his grave.”

  “Aye well, it’s a bit late for that, innit.”

  The atmosphere had become charged. Eddie picked up the plate and mug and moved towards the door.

  The doorbell rang.

  “Who’s that?” Eddie said.

  “I’ve no idea. It might be the bloody copper again. He’s back and forward all the time.”

  “Shit. Don’t let him in. Wait.” He ran through to the kitchen and threw the breakfast dishes in the sink, grabbed the jacket he’d left on the back of a chair the night before and ran for the stairs.

  “Don’t let on. You hear me? Don’t let on I’m here. Doesn’t matter who it is. I’m not here.”

  “Alright, alright. Just calm down.”

  Eddie sprinted up the steps. Gary waited until he heard the slam from upstairs and then pulled open the front door.

  The box wasn’t very big, just cardboard with a fold-down top which was loosely closed. There was no-one around. Gary stepped out and scanned up and down the street but there was nothing. He pushed the carton gently with his foot, just shifting it across the flags. He bent forward and, using his fingertips, he pulled the flaps upwards. “Oh shit.” For a moment he couldn’t breathe. The world tilted and he had to put his hand on the wall to steady himself.

  He lifted the parcel carefully and stepped inside closing the door behind him.

  “Eddie, God, Eddie get down here. Oh Christ, Eddie, come down now.”

  Chapter 46

  The weather was warm for May and Jordan followed Queens Drive, through Bootle and past where the port was in Seaforth. It didn’t take them much longer than the other route, but the traffic was lighter and the driving much more pleasant. The road didn’t go near enough to see the water but the woods at Ince were coming into leaf and there was a taste of countryside.

  “I haven’t been down here for years,” Terry said. “Used to come sometimes when we were kids. It’s a fair way from Kirkby on a push bike but when you’re young you don’t notice it so much. We used to go to the sand dunes now and again. Build a fire, cook some sausages, drink cider. It’s changed a bit now, all wooden walkways and what have you, but you should take your little lad, there’s squirrels, red ones.”

  “Yeah, he’d like that, I bet. Maybe when he’s a bit bigger. Is this the best place for a beach then?”

  “Well, the dunes are fun for kids and there’s the woods. The beach is big, flat, you can have a good game of footie but it’s not like Spain or somewhere. The sea is always miles away, at least that’s what it seems like. You can see across to Blackpool, the tower. And if you’re into that sort of thing there’s the footprints. They’ve become a bit of a thing now.”

  “Footprints?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know all about them but apparently they’re like prehistoric.”

  “What, you mean – fossilised?”

  “No. They’re in the sand. At low tide they get uncovered and then you can see where the people and the animals walked along the beach. There’s a department at the university researching them. There’s stuff on the web as well.”

  “It’s fascinating. I’ll have to look it up. I hadn’t heard of them. Penny would be keen to see those.”

  “I think they have organised walks and stuff. It’s not my thing, all a bit too much like school for me, but it’s all on the internet.”

  “Cool.”

  They were in the town now and threading through the traffic on Lord Street, avoiding the pedestrians who’d left their caution at home while they were out enjoying the sunshine. “Okay, let’s see if we can get anything useful from Karen,” Jordan said.

  * * *

  The girl was, if anything, even more nervous than the first time they had interviewed her. Jordan tried to reassure her, but her eyes shone with nervous tears and her hands shook. “There’s nothing at all to worry about, Karen. All I want you to do is look at a picture and tell me if you recognise the man.”

  “Who is he?” she asked.

  “I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to suggest anything that might confuse you. Just look at the picture and tell me if you’ve seen the man before.”

  He handed the print over and they sat in silence for what felt like an hour as she studied it.

  “Well, I don’t know him,” she said, and Jordan felt his hopes disintegrate. But she continued, “I don’t know his name or anything. But I’ve seen him.”

  “Okay. Where have you seen him?”

  She glanced around the little office. “Out there, in the reception. He was with the girl you were looking for. The one who was holding the baby in the dining room.”

  “Are you sure?” Jordan asked.

  “Oh yes. He’s quite hot – oh sorry. Sorry, Mr Bromley.”

  “No problem, Karen. You just be sure about what you’re saying,” the hotelier told her.

  “I am. He was the one who was with that girl and got into the car with her. I haven’t seen him since, though.”

  Jordan handed over another picture. “Do you think this could be the car?”

  “Well, I don’t know. It’s the same sort of colour, but I only really saw the back. Sorry, I think it could be but only because it’s dark blue.”

  “Thank you, Karen. You’ve been a great help, really.”

  At last, she managed a smile.

  “I don’t quite see how this all joins together,” Jordan said to Terry as they walked back across the car park, “but it’s beginning to make a tiny bit more sense.” His phone rang.

  “Carr.”

  “You need to get here, quick.”


  “Gary?”

  “Yes, get here as soon as you can.”

  “What’s happened?”

  “It’s Jakey. Little Jakey in a box.”

  Chapter 47

  Eddie snatched the phone from Gary’s fingers. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “What do you think I’m doing? I’m calling that copper. He gave me his card. Give me my phone back.”

  “No, you pillock. What have you done that for?”

  Gary pointed at the box he had carried in and placed on the sofa. “Well, what else am I supposed to do? Look!” As he spoke and pointed, the baby stirred underneath the soft blue blanket. “It’s Jakey.”

  “Yeah, I get that. But why ring the bizzies? He’s okay, isn’t he? He’s wrapped up and he’s not crying or anything.”

  “Well, yes, but…” Gary reached into the carboard and lifted his nephew out. “Phew, he needs changing – but look at him, Eddie. He’s groggy. He shouldn’t be all droopy, it’s odd. I might take him up the surgery.”

  “You bloody won’t. There’s nothing wrong with him.”

  “How would you know? You don’t know him. You’ve only seen him on videos and pictures. You’ve never even held him. I have, I know him and he’s not right. I’ll take him up the ozzy.”

  “I said no and ring the copper back. Tell him not to come here. Tell him everything’s alright.”

  “Don’t be so bloody pathetic. How can I tell him that? He knows this little fella’s been missing. Anyway, you’re not getting the point in all of this. You’re so focused on yourself you can’t think of anybody else.”

  “What are you talking about?”