Lost Souls

by Michael Knaggs

  “You know, I’ve thought a lot about the case since then, David. Especially because of what happened to Jack and the devastating effect it had on the family of a man I couldn’t have admired more. We all wanted to be wrong. You talk about accepting things too readily, but we dissected every bit of evidence that we got to support our case, pulling it apart to try to find something unreliable about it. I’ve never known anything like it; the police working as hard as they could to avoid making an arrest and then a conviction. But everything – I mean everything – pointed the way we didn’t want to go.”

  He stopped pacing and stared at the wall, deep in his own thoughts.

  “But let’s get back to the original question,” he said, sitting down again. “Tell us how you got involved.”

  “Jo shared her concerns with me. She wasn’t sleeping; couldn’t leave it alone; kept going back in her mind to Jack’s reaction. She mentioned the fact that none of the guys caught on camera had been questioned, thought that was unusual – that was her point about fast-tracking – wouldn’t have happened in the olden days before NJR, she said. So…”

  “And what about you? What did you think?”

  “I told her the police didn’t need to call them in for questioning, that they – you – had enough witnesses to support the case. I felt she was most likely wrong – still do.”

  “So why, when she asked you to look for Laser…”

  “She didn’t ask me. I offered, and at first she said no. I told her to think about it and she changed her mind.”

  “Okay then, why did you offer when you believed she was wrong?”

  “Two reasons. Firstly, Jo’s instincts – as I already mentioned. In my experience, except on one occasion only, Jo’s feel for a situation has been spot-on every time, so if she felt that way it was worth a look. And secondly, I wanted to help her put it behind her. I believed she would come round to thinking she’d been wrong this time as well. That was the main reason.”

  “And I heard you had a very productive day’s hunting. First Laser, then Sammo, then ‘The Duke’ who turns out to be Kadawe. Quite impressive for a few hours work. So, take us through what happened that day. In fact, start with how you planned it with DI Cottrell.”

  “I thought Jo had told you.”

  “She has, but I need to hear it from you. Let’s say so we can officially eliminate you from our enquiries into a multiple murder and a missing person.”

  David smiled and nodded. “Well, as I said, I offered to do a bit of digging on her behalf if it would settle her mind. Jo said no thanks, then phoned me saying she’d changed her mind. We met at my place and she brought copies of some stills from the CCTV tapes on Delaware. They showed Jack and Laser – Lawrence Newhouse – and, on one, Sammo was in the background. She also gave me Laser’s address – which is actually his Auntie’s address – in Cobham.”

  “So these were the stills used as evidence by the Prosecution in Jack and Jason’s case?”

  “Copies of the stills.”

  Harry shook his head. “Go on.”

  “Day one, I showed his picture around a few of his known haunts. No-one had seen him – or so they said. Day two, I waited outside the house and got lucky. I saw him go in, waited a while longer, he came out and I picked him up. We… chatted… and he told me how Sammo had put him up to approaching Jack, but said not to tell Jack he’d sent him. He also said that when he asked Jack about the stuff, Jack acted as if he didn’t know what he was talking about.”

  “And then he took you to Sammo?”

  “No, he showed me where I could find him and told me when he was likely to be there. He also mentioned ‘The Duke’. Said that he was the big guy and that Sammo was scared stiff of him.”

  “So you waited for Sammo…?”

  “That’s right – same day, on Delaware where I got caught on camera this time. He turned up and – long story short – I persuaded him to take me to ‘The Duke’ who turned out to be Kadawe.”

  “When you say ‘persuaded him’…?”

  “Tricked him, I guess. I said Mickey had contacted me and told me to pick him – Sammo – up and take him to Mickey’s place.”

  “And when you got there – to Manston Grange – what happened then?”

  “Not a lot. I dropped Sammo off, he went inside and I waited in the car. A few minutes later, Sammo came out of the house, Mickey right behind yelling at him. I took a few quick photos of him and drove off.”

  “And Jo ID’d Mickey from the photos?”

  “From the address, actually, before I got chance to show her the pictures. The name of the house is above the front door.”

  Harry sighed and shook his head again. Then he shrugged.

  “Water under the bridge, I guess. So what did it prove?”

  “It didn’t prove anything; just flagged a couple of questions.”

  “Which were?”

  “Well firstly why did Sammo make sure Laser approached Jack where the CCTV cameras couldn’t fail to pick him up and identify him? And, secondly, why didn’t he want Jack to know he had sent Laser to speak to him? And if I was Jo, I’d been flagging the link – or ‘loop’ as she calls it – which connects Jack to Laser, Laser to Sammo, Sammo to Kadawe, the circle being closed by Kadawe’s close friendship with Jack.”

  “Christ! It’s not at all complicated, is it?” Harry said. “If Jack was a dealer, of course they’d all know each other, wouldn’t they? Not so much a loop, more of a… matrix.”

  “I totally agree,” David said. “And I told her that.”

  “But Jo didn’t buy it?”

  “Well I didn’t get chance to say that until after she’d been to see Chief Superintendent Mackay, and by then he’d already said pretty much the same, and probably more succinctly.”

  “And it’s clear the chief believed she’d let it go, perhaps not straight away, but certainly by now.”

  “I thought she had as well. Then the last time we met – about a month ago – she started talking about it again. It didn’t seem to be bothering her all that much, to be honest, but I always regretted not pressing Sammo more about why he chose that exact spot and why he didn’t want Jack to know he’d put Laser on to him. So I went and waited in the same place, which is where you picked me up on camera. Jo had absolutely no idea what I was doing, by the way. In fact, I’d decided that if I didn’t succeed in speaking to Sammo, I wasn’t going to tell her I tried.”

  “And I take it you didn’t succeed?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Harry shook his head and sighed. Then he smiled.

  “By the way, you might be interested to know that, in our search for Sammo over the last twenty-four hours, we asked Mickey Kadawe if he knew where he might be, and he described someone who he felt might be responsible for his disappearance. Someone who sounded remarkably like you – except this guy had a shaved head, tattoos and an earring.”

  David stretched his neck and pulled open his shirt at the collar, turning his head from side-to-side.

  “Well, as you can see, no pierced ear and no tattoos.”

  “I didn’t say where this guy was tattooed.”

  David laughed and raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, guilty as charged – for the tattoos, not Sammo’s disappearance.”

  “So, did you ask around on Delaware; ask anybody if they’d seen him; knew where he was?”

  “No.”

  “Did anyone approach you? Anybody ask what you were doing there; what you were after?”

  “No, nobody.”

  “Challenge you in any way?”

  “No.”

  Harry smiled. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Did you see anyone acting suspiciously?”

  “Before I answer that, can I ask if you saw anyone else of interest when you picked m
e out on camera?”

  Harry furrowed his brow and leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table in front of him.

  “Go on.”

  “Can I show you on the CCTV recording?”

  *

  The street lights along the road behind the boundary wall of the park, halfway into their full glow, reflected in the smooth water of the small lake. This time, in the gathering dusk at a little after seven in the evening, there were no duck-feeders, no dog-walkers; just the same two men occupying the same bench with the same day-pack between them.

  “So what happens now?” asked the smaller of the two men.

  “Job done,” his companion said. “You give me the bag, I give you this.” He took a stuffed brown envelope from the side pocket of his cashmere pea coat. “Then we shake hands and go our separate ways. Great doing business with you.”

  He handed over the package and picked up the bag, opening the flap and checking inside. His companion looked at the thick wads of fifties and pushed the envelope inside his bomber jacket, tucking it into the top of his jeans. They stood up and shook hands. The taller man was wearing the same leather gloves.

  “Just one more thing,” he said. “We need to get rid of this.” He held up the bag. “We’ll do it now so we’re both happy with where it’s going.”

  “We can’t do it here.” His companion looked around the park.

  “Other side of the pond. Found the perfect place. Looks like some sort of burrow in the bank. We can get rid of it for good. Come on, we do this together, then I promise, it’s all over.”

  They walked over to where the ducks were languishing in a silent group under an overhanging willow. At the men’s approach they swam purposefully across, eager for any food that might be forthcoming, and paddled along the water’s edge close to them as they walked round the perimeter of the lake. Between the back of the lake and the high boundary wall of the park the trees and undergrowth were thick and untended. They picked their way carefully, the taller man leading, through a mass of brambles, nettles and dead branches. He stopped at the back edge where the ground was less overgrown on a narrow grassy bank overhanging the water. In front of them more branches hung low over the lake blocking any view of the park itself.

  “It’s down there,” he said. “If you reach under you’ll feel where the hole is.”

  “If I reach under. Why do I have to reach under?”

  “Oh, come on,” said the other man, smiling. “You’re more dressed for it than I am. You get down and I’ll pass you the bag. Mind you don’t fall in or drop the money.”

  The smaller man carefully knelt down and shuffled to the edge. He leaned forward, bending his arm round under the bank.

  “Can’t find a hole,” he said, straightening back up again.

  “Not a problem.”

  The muffled shot was loud enough to send the ducks flying up off the lake.

  *

  David pressed the answer button on the steering wheel as Classic FM was interrupted by the ring tone of his phone.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi. Where are you?”

  “I’m just coming off the M25 at Junction 30; nearly home. By the way, what you can hear in the background isn’t traffic noise, it’s my stomach rumbling.”

  “I’m really sorry. I assume you got my message from Tina. Johnny Mac had some guys up from Brighton for a meeting. It’s where I’m probably going next.”

  “Not back to Leicester, then?”

  “No, not yet. And don’t you dare mention anything about being further away from Seb. I’ve had that already.”

  “Never crossed my mind.”

  “How did you get on with Uncle Harry? He’s alright, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, it went okay I think. You were right about me not being his favourite person, but he’s clearly got a lot of time for you. And we watched a movie together, just like you did. I’m surprised no-one had spotted Mr Brown. I think DI Waters was a little embarrassed when I pointed him out.”

  “It’s this knack you have of stealing every scene, David.”

  “I was just going to say that, but it sounds better coming from you. So what about dinner? Do I get to see you again soon?”

  “Of course, that’s the main reason I was phoning. I was thinking maybe lunch though – on Saturday? We can do the Dog and Duck or Ye Olde London, or somewhere halfway between us off the M25. What do you think? Sevenoaks, perhaps.”

  “To be honest, I’ve had enough of the ring road today to last me for a long time. Can we do the London again; just both jump on a train. Shall we say midday?”

  “Great, see you there.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Thursday; 10 September

  The half dozen conversations filling the major incident team room with noise died away quickly as the two detective inspectors stepped out of one of the side offices. Harry Waters checked his watch.

  “Morning everybody. Eight-fifteen; let’s get started. I’ve asked DI Cottrell to join us this morning as she was the one who put us onto Sammo. It will keep her in the loop without me having to remember to pass anything on.”

  He turned to Jo. “Before we start, Detective Inspector, could you bring the group up to speed on the Sammo connection?”

  “Yes, of course. Natalie asked me on Monday why I had been checking all four victims’ files a couple of months or so ago. The reason was that the Chief Super had asked me to tick a few boxes for his final report on the Jack and Jason case and the four people concerned were among the eight who were observed on Delaware approaching Jack. When Nat showed me the names, I remembered they were all customers of Sammo Sampson.”

  There were some puzzled looks and furrowed brows.

  “You’re not suggesting, ma’am, that these deaths are in any way connected with that case?” Craig Belmont asked.

  “Highly unlikely,” Harry jumped in before Jo could respond. “But DI Cottrell may have provided a valuable link between the victims. And certainly she was right to point out the importance of finding Sammo as soon as possible. So many thanks for that.” He smiled at Jo before turning back to Craig. “Sergeant, do you want to kick us off?”

  “Yes, sir. DC Crusoe has been coordinating the calls coming in from the misper appeal. Nat …”

  Natalie Crusoe was seated at a table in the centre of the room. She clicked on an icon on the laptop display in front of her and four columns of words and numbers filled the large screen at one end of the room.

  “We’ve had fifty-seven reported sightings,” she said. “These are twenty of them; the other thirty-seven are on separate pages. The list shows the name and address of the caller; place, time and date of the reported sighting. We’ve given each sighting a number and you can see on the maps where they were.” She pointed to four maps attached to the wall, two on either side of the projection screen. “Each of the red stickers on the maps has the corresponding number on it. There’s another column to the list, not shown on here, with the details of each sighting, but I can talk you through a few of interest. The full document’s on e-file and I’ll leave hard copies for reference.

  “We can probably ignore the other pages. They’re all on file but they’re the usual nuisance calls, hoaxes and our regulars who see everyone we put out a misper appeal for. But there’s one exception in that last category which I’ve shown here.”

  She zoomed in on one of the entries and there were some muted groans around the room as the name became more prominent.

  “Mrs Lois Dearing was walking her border terrier…”

  “Jacky,” one of the officers said. Natalie gave a little laugh.

  “Yes… her border terrier, Jacky, on Middleton Green near Woking town centre a couple of weeks ago. She can’t remember exactly which day it was, but I think we can establish that. She said she saw
our man sitting on a park bench. He appeared to be waiting for someone – she thought – because he kept looking round all the time, but not at anything in particular.”

  She paused as a number of muttered conversations started up.

  “Let’s have some quiet, please,” Harry said. “Go on, Nat.”

  “That on its own might not be of interest except for…” she moved to another name on the list and zoomed in again “… Louise Thornbury. She was in the park on the same day with her daughter, Ellie, feeding the ducks and she says she saw our man on the park bench. She mentioned that there was also an elderly lady there walking her dog. But after the lady left, Mrs Thornbury began to feel a bit uncomfortable with just her and Ellie alone with the man who seemed agitated and kept looking round and across at her and her daughter. She said she wasn’t sure whether he was looking around because he was expecting someone or to check that there was no-one else about. So she decided to leave just as another man arrived and sat next to him.”

  “Did she describe the second man?” Harry asked.

  “Yes, she said he looked totally different to the first one and completely out of place in the park. He was much taller, good-looking and dressed very smartly in a suit, like a bank manager or something. He had dark glasses and she seemed to remember he was wearing gloves, although looking back she thought it unusual at that time of day in August.”

  “When in August?”

  “Friday 28th, sir, at around three in the afternoon. Mrs Thornbury is certain of the time and the date because Ellie had an appointment that day at the doctor’s which is right next to the park. So it’s nearly two weeks ago, but it’s the last corroborated sighting we’ve got – if it was him, of course.”

  “Did she say how old the second man was?”

  “She wasn’t sure; could have been anywhere between thirty and forty. She was leaving as he arrived, so saw him only briefly.”

  “So she didn’t see what they did – whether they sat and talked, got up and left together… whatever?”