“So, a couple of three-year-olds were left to their own devices?” Jess asked.
Rhoda nodded. “Which is why there’ll be a full assessment.”
“Will Kelsey be allowed to take Lucy home today?” Jess asked.
“That’s a delicate matter. We’ve broached it with her, but she’s sworn to make trouble if we don’t allow it. You know, tell the press, get them on her side. We can’t afford a witch hunt against the department. All we want is for the child to be safe. Initially, we will go down the close-monitoring route. Don’t worry, we know the score and our people are on the ball.”
“We’ll need to know what’s happening with the child,” Harry said. “We’d still like to try and talk to her at some point.”
“What will you do about the man in prison, the one who took her?” Rhoda asked.
“Allegedly took her. He’s in hospital,” Jess said. “He was seen in the park that day, and he’s admitted to taking and subsequently killing Lucy, which is obviously a lie. We’ll speak to him again and hope he tells the truth this time.”
Chapter Three
“Can we get something to eat before we check in at the station?” Harry asked.
“I thought you felt sick.”
“That was then, Jess. Now I’m starving.”
“Café in the shopping mall? Fancy going there?”
“Good choice. They do a neat bacon butty.”
“Where’s the kid been these last weeks, then?” Jess asked.
“Given how well she looked, I’d say nowhere near her mother.”
“I don’t like Kelsey Green much either, Harry, but she’s still the kid’s mother and her sole guardian.”
“No father?”
“He’s dead. He and Kelsey never married but he did live with them for a while. Roddy Barrett, remember him? Got on the wrong side of a dealer and ended up in the canal,” Jess said.
“Poor kid,” Harry said. “How we continue with the case will be down to Rodders now. He might even put the other team on it.”
‘Rodders’ was Superintendent Roderick Croft, who led the two teams at the station.
“You know what he’s like. He’ll say we’ve had our chance,” Jess said. “After all, Sykes did confess, so he’ll be keen to pass it on. Which isn’t fair. In any case, I’d like to re-interview the other people who were in the park that afternoon.”
“But first we’ll speak to the folk who were there today, and the woman who spotted Lucy,” Harry added.
Ryebridge shopping mall was practically empty. High rents and unemployment in the area had led to at least half of the shops closing down. It was market day too, so folk preferred to wander around there, and the detectives had the café to themselves.
They were regular customers and Elsie Pike, the owner, had come to like them. She looked Harry up and down and gave him an approving smile. “You look sharp this morning — interview or something?”
“No, Elsie, just trying a different look,” he said.
“You should make the effort more often. Nice clothes make you look as if you know what you’re doing.” She laughed. “I’ll bring the food over. Usual, is it?”
“That one’s got the measure of you, Lennox,” Jess said. “And you’d better watch the suit. Don won’t want it back covered in brown sauce.”
He nodded and then pulled a face. “He’s a good mate for letting me borrow what I need, but I’ll have to get my own stuff back off Anthea. I’ll nip round to the house later, see if she’s in a better mood.”
Jess shook her head. “Good luck with that one.”
Harry and his partner had split a month ago. Anthea had a vicious temper and seemed determined not to give an inch. But despite what Jess thought of the woman, she felt she had to suggest a compromise. “Have you considered making things right with her, giving your relationship another go? At least then you’d have somewhere to live.”
“We can’t go back to how we were, and anyway, I was getting tired of living at her place. She made me feel like a kept man. Something had to change, Anthea made that crystal. She told me in no uncertain terms that I couldn’t keep the job and her. So, what was I supposed to do? The job’s my life, my independence. I can’t just jack it in, not for her or anyone. Anthea reckons another woman would have been easier to deal with.”
“Anthea knew what she was taking on. Why the ultimatum now?”
“The night-time call outs were what finally did it, and we’ve had a lot recently. Can’t do without her beauty sleep, you see.”
Anthea was a selfish bitch. All she cared about was herself. She’d no idea what she was putting Harry through. Making him choose between her and the job was just cruel. Underneath the untidiness and his chaotic lifestyle, Harry was okay, and he was easy on the eye. Any girl would give her eye teeth for those chiselled cheekbones and blonde hair.
They’d worked together since his transfer from West Yorkshire two years ago and got along well. Apart from the way he was currently living, the only other thing that irritated her about Harry was his reluctance to talk about himself. Jess couldn’t understand why. He’d worked in Bradford, but he had a Scottish accent, so that was obviously where he came from, but he refused to say anything about his background.
“You can’t live on Don’s drive for much longer,” she told him. “You’ve no washing or cooking facilities. If you and Anthea are really over, you have to get yourself a place of your own.”
“Says the thirty-year-old who still lives with her mum and dad.”
Jess cuffed him lightly across the head. “That’s how it is these days. I’m saving for a house. It won’t be long now.”
“You serious?” he asked.
“Absolutely. My parents are helping me with the deposit, I’ve got savings, I’ve spoken to the bank and got a mortgage in principle. Basically, I’m all set to go.”
“So, what’s stopping you?”
“Finding the courage to make the leap,” she admitted. “I’ve looked at those new-builds at the back of Cheetham Park in the ’bridge. They’re within my price range and quite spacious for new houses.”
Lennox was impressed. “Been inside one yet?”
“Last weekend. The one I’d go for has a view over the park and towards the hills. There’s a small garden front and back and a garage.”
“I’m well jealous now,’ he said. ‘No way I’ll be able to save enough for a deposit. Looks like I’m going to have to rent for the foreseeable.”
“Try harder,” she said. “Give up the booze for starters, that’ll save you a packet. Problem sorted.”
“I don’t have the temperament for saving.”
“You can’t continue the way you are. What about your parents, Harry? Mine are helping me, aren’t yours able to help? At least, loan you some money?”
It was a casual enough question, but it seemed to upset him. His face fell. “I’m on my own, I’m afraid.”
“I’m sure if you explain the circumstances,” Jess persisted, “they’d do their best.” He looked away. Talking about his parents was making him squirm. Why was that? Why was he so reluctant to discuss any aspect of his family life? “You’ve never said much about your family, where you come from or any of it. We’ve been together long enough, you know plenty about me. One could be forgiven for thinking you were hiding some dark secret.” She smiled.
“You’ve found me out.” He grinned briefly, then his face fell again. “I haven’t had a happy past, Jess.” He held up his heavily scarred hands. “These injuries on my fingers are the result of burns. I’m incredibly lucky to still have the use of them. The incident that caused them belongs to my past, and I don’t like to drag it up. All I want is to forget, start again. So, drop it, Jess. Please.”
This was always how it was whenever she brought up his history. Harry Lennox was determined to remain a mystery, and Jess had a feeling that it wasn’t just about what had happened to his hands.
“When are you taking the plunge and moving ou
t then?” he asked, changing the subject.
Jess shook her head. “It’s not that easy. Getting the mortgage is one thing, but will I be able to afford the bills? I’ve been doing my sums and it’s quite an amount. At the mo, I bung my mum some housekeeping each month and that’s that. Go it alone and I’ll be responsible for the lot.”
“You know what you need, Jessie, don’t you? A lodger.”
Chapter Four
The police station was housed in a large Victorian red-brick building on Ryebridge’s main road. Impressive from the outside, in reality the high ceilings and the antiquated heating meant the rooms were like ice in winter, and very draughty. The roof leaked and there wasn’t a window in the place that didn’t rattle in the wind. But on the plus side, it wasn’t far from where either of them lived, and was handy for the shops.
One day they might build a new one, but Harry wouldn’t hold his breath. Ryebridge was a small northern town with little in the way of industry and an economy rapidly going downhill. Completely unremarkable, it was simply a dot on the map, to the right of the M1 going south. Its one redeeming feature was its position in the crook of the Pennines, which could be seen from most properties in the town. Ryebridge was a perfect place to run to, the perfect place to hide. Which is why Harry had chosen it.
As he and Jess entered the main CID office, they were met by Superintendent Croft. “Good of you both to show,” he snapped. “I tried your mobile, Lennox, no answer. Do us both a favour and turn the bloody thing on, would you?”
Only then did Harry realise that in the rush to see Lucy he’d left it in the camper van. “Sorry, sir. What’s so urgent?”
“We’ve got Caroline Sutton in the soft interview room. Her husband Nick has disappeared.”
Not about Lucy Green then. Harry caught his breath. Nick Sutton was what passed for a big-time villain round here. They’d never been able to pin anything on him, but he was behind at least half of the crime, including most of the drug dealing, that went on in their area. The rest was down to his arch-rival, Andy Marsh. His disappearance, if true, should be celebrated, not investigated. Ryebridge might be unremarkable but it still had all the problems of the modern world, and its poverty exacerbated them.
“Caroline Sutton? And you want me to speak to her?” Harry was puzzled by his super’s request. “Is that a good idea, sir, given our last encounter? Had I convinced her to come clean about that man who was beaten black and blue, we might have Sutton locked up now. As it was, she accused me of bullying and made an official complaint.”
Harry was thinking of a case he’d handled a few months ago. He’d been within a spit of getting Sutton under lock and key, but his wife had refused to speak out against him. Instead, she gave him the alibi that kept him out of prison.
“Which wasn’t upheld,” Croft said. “Anyway, all that is irrelevant now. For some reason, Caroline Sutton has asked for you by name. Tread carefully, keep it polite and report back to me when you’ve finished, got that?”
Harry Lennox nodded. He had no choice.
“Be very careful, Harry,” Jess warned him as soon as Croft had gone. “That woman is as sly as they come. She’s asked for you for a reason, don’t get sucked in.”
“Odd though, don’t you think? Nick Sutton’s wife walks into a police station and asks for help. You couldn’t make it up.”
Caroline Sutton was seated on a sofa sipping coffee. She was an attractive woman of about forty, with dark hair cut in a bob. Her clothes were immaculate and top of the range. Harry had seen those shoes in a boutique in Manchester when he’d been on a shopping trip with Anthea. She’d pointed them out, and the price had made his eyes water. Caroline looked up and smiled when he entered the room. She patted the seat next to her.
“I owe you an apology, DI Lennox,” she said. “I shouldn’t have sounded off like that the last time we met. Very ill-mannered of me.”
“I’ve got broad shoulders,” he said, choosing to sit on a seat opposite her. “I believe Nick’s gone missing?”
“Yes, and I’m really worried. It’s not like him to just disappear without saying anything. We’ve not had words, and he had no plans. I have a bad feeling about this.” She took another sip of her coffee and frowned. “I’m not going to pretend. We both know what Nick is, and because of that, he has enemies. Recently he’s had a couple of serious run-ins with Andy Marsh.”
Harry knew what that meant — a possible new turf war. Sutton and Marsh had maintained an uneasy truce for months now, but it was never expected to last. The pair were bitter rivals after all.
“So, you think Nick’s disappearance is down to Marsh?” he asked.
“They’ve been at it again lately, sniping over the phone, threatening each other. Nick was genuinely worried this time. Marsh told him he was making a play for the Baxendale and Nick knew that would mean carnage. The opposing gangs would fight, and heaven help anyone who got in the way.”
The Baxendale was a sink estate on the edge of Ryebridge. Built in the fifties as an overspill for the Manchester terraces that were being cleared, it had had a bad reputation from the start, which only deteriorated down the years. Today all the houses on the estate — hundreds of them — were rundown, as were the four blocks of flats. Most of the tenants didn’t work, surviving on their wits or dealing drugs. A lot of them worked for either Sutton or Marsh, running errands in the parts of the estate they controlled.
“Did Nick do anything about Marsh’s threats?” Harry asked.
“I had a word with him, told him it wasn’t worth it. We don’t need the hassle. I don’t know if Nick took what I said seriously but the last time they spoke was the day before he disappeared, and they were still at each other’s throats.”
“Is any of his stuff missing — clothes and the like?”
“No, his wardrobe was the first thing I checked. I’ve tried his mobile and it’s dead.”
“How long has he been gone?” Harry asked.
“Since yesterday morning. He should have been back by five, but there’s been no word and no sign.”
“Sorry to ask this, Mrs Sutton, but could Nick have gone off with another woman, do you think?”
Her expression froze. “Our marriage is solid. Nick has never strayed, and he never would. He’s a lot of things, Harry, but he’s not unfaithful.”
“And you’ve really no idea where he might be?”
“Do you imagine I’d walk in here, ask to speak to you, if I had a choice? You’ve had dealings with Nick, you know him. He’s missing, and I’m terrified that something dreadful has happened to him. In ten years of marriage, not once has he left me overnight without telling me exactly where he was going and when he’d be back.”
“The problem we have is that Nick is an adult, and as such, he’s free to come and go as he chooses. In cases like this we don’t usually class a person as even missing until they’ve been gone forty-eight hours. Unless we have evidence that he’s come to harm or is in danger, there’s not a lot we can do until that time has passed. Do you have any evidence that he’s in danger?”
Harry half expected the woman to launch a torrent of abuse at him and flounce out, but that’s not what happened. Instead, she shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. Caroline meant every word. She was genuinely worried. Harry finally accepted that Nick Sutton was missing.
Chapter Five
It was dark and there wasn’t much lighting on the Baxendale. Advantageous for some, but Kelsey Green was scared. She wouldn’t normally risk going out at night, not round here, but she had no choice. She had to find someone, some young bloke who could help her. Give her what she needed.
She spotted a hooded figure pass by. “Hey!” she hissed. “Over here.”
“What’s up, Kel? Be sharp, I’ve got stuff to do.”
He knew her but she’d no idea who he was, just a face who sold drugs for one of the dealers. “Have you got summat — you know, calm my nerves? It’s been a rou
gh few days.”
“Got money?”
“No, but I’ll be getting some soon. The papers’ll give me a fortune for my story when I’m allowed to speak out. I’ll pay you then,” she said.
The lad shook his head. “Sorry, Kel. No can do. I have orders off the boss — no money, no gear. Come back when you can pay.”
Kelsey watched the lad shuffle off into the darkness. She swore. She needed a fix or she’d go mad. What right had that stupid copper to order her to keep quiet? Lucy was her kid and it was their story. Kelsey would tell who she liked.
She heard someone call to her from the gloom. “Kel!” She looked around but could see nothing. “Kel. Over here.”
Kelsey made out a giant of a man standing in one of the passageways that ran between the rows of houses. She’d seen him around but didn’t know his name, neither did she know which dealer he worked for. Smiling nervously, she walked towards him. “Hi. I need something. Can you help me?”
He fished in his pocket and took out a handful of small packets. “As much as you want. Here, have them all. Pay me when you can.”
Kelsey Green couldn’t believe her luck. “You sure? You won’t get into trouble?”
“After new customers, aren’t we? Got a different boss now. Instructions are to get new trade. Fill your boots and tell your friends.”
She didn’t need telling twice. Kelsey stuffed the bags into her pockets before he had a chance to change his mind. “I won’t forget this. You’ve saved my life.”
* * *
Harry yawned. “Time to make tracks. Think I’ll get a takeaway on my way home and have an early night.”
Jess shuddered. “I don’t know how you sleep in that camper thing. God knows what’s lurking in the cupboards or crawling about in the seating. You have to find somewhere else. Why don’t you go and speak to Anthea, see if she’s feeling a bit friendlier?”
Harry was about to answer when the door opened and an excited-looking uniformed officer burst in. “We’ve found the kid’s shoes, sir! We were searching along the path that leads from the playground back to the road, and her shoes were there. They looked as if she’d just stepped out of them. We’ve had them sent over to forensics.”
THE GUILTY MAN an absolutely gripping crime mystery with a massive twist (Detectives Lennox & Wilde Thrillers Book 1) Page 2