The Taken Girls

by G D Sanders

  ‘What do you mean then?’

  ‘If you’d just let me finish, Nat.’

  Ed welcomed enthusiasm but Nat’s pushiness was beginning to annoy her.

  ‘I think it was only when the perpetrator planned to abduct Teresa that he realized access to the disused and neglected minibus would be useful. It was kept well away from the main buildings. Anybody using it was unlikely to be noticed.’

  Nat cut in. ‘That’s why it was easy for Grieves to get away with it.’

  ‘Grieves isn’t our only suspect,’ said Jenny. ‘Don’t forget Drakes-Moulton is the owner and Podzansky has access to a set of keys.’

  ‘But he only has a scooter!’

  ‘As far as we know, yes,’ agreed Jenny, ‘but we also know he has a full driving licence and that he used to drive a van for the Gas Board.’

  Ignoring Nat’s growing annoyance, Ed gave Jenny a brief smile before continuing her argument.

  ‘My point is that the abductor would be more conspicuous when driving the school minibus. So if he’s bright, and I think he’s very bright, he’d restrict his use of the vehicle. He’d use it only when he needed to snatch and dump the girl.’

  ‘So at other times he would use his own transport,’ said Jenny.

  ‘That’s my hypothesis. The first three abductions were years apart. If I’m right, we should be able to match the MOT mileage against the journeys the perpetrator made to abduct and return the girls.’

  ‘That could work but, if it’s ten miles, the hideout could be anywhere on a 60-plus-mile circle around the city.’ Nat spoke with grudging appreciation, showing he was on top of Ed’s reasoning.

  ‘I like your maths,’ said Ed, ‘but we can do better than that. The girls were abducted from different parts of the town. Teresa was taken from the southeast; Kimberley from the northeast; Lucy from the southwest; and Tyler from—’

  Mike cut in before Ed finished her sentence. Upright in his chair, he leant forward enthusiastically as if his brain had slipped into overdrive.

  ‘If his hideout is to the north the journeys for Kimberley would be shorter than those for Teresa. On the other hand, if it’s to the south …’

  ‘Exactly, if it’s to the south the journeys will be shorter for Teresa than for Kimberley.’ Ed paused and looked round the table.

  ‘Let’s get moving. Back to our desks and bring me info as you get it. Remember, two days ’til the bastard starts using his syringe.’

  Jenny was first with data from the DVLA, which she spread in front of Ed. Bubbling with excitement she pointed to the dates covered by tax discs and those covered by SORNs when the vehicle was off the road.

  ‘The pattern exactly matches the dates when the girls were abducted. Look.’ Jenny pointed to the bottom line as an example. ‘The tax and MOT were last renewed in May 2012, which covers Lucy and now Tyler.’

  ‘That’s great, Jenny. Now we need the mileage data for each MOT period.’ Ed called across the room. ‘Nat, how are you getting on with the garages?’

  ‘Zilch with the places in Canterbury but bingo with a small place off the Ashford Road near Chartham. The minibus was taken in earlier this year for a service and MOT.’

  ‘Good work, Nat. Mark the garage location on the wall map and drive over there. Get as much as you can. Don’t worry about a full MOT history. Jenny’s got the V5C number. We can get the annual mileage data online.’

  Mike was writing on his notepad with the phone held between his ear and shoulder. He stopped speaking, put the phone down and called across the desks.

  ‘Grieves used a high street brokers in Whits—’

  ‘Grieves!’ Ed felt a rush of animation and relief. ‘They know it was Grieves?’

  ‘Sorry,’ said Mike, ‘I should have said the perpetrator used a high street brokers in Whitstable. They’ve no record of cheques or credit cards. Whichever one of the three it was, he first insured the minibus in February 2002. Then let it lapse for five years before renewing it in December 2007. He next re-insured it in June this year.’

  Ed’s disappointment was fleeting. They were moving forward.

  ‘That’s great, Mike. It’s an exact match with the tax discs and MOTs.’ Ed turned to Jenny. ‘Download the MOT data and bring the annual mileages to the map in the Incident Room.’

  Ed and Mike were at the map when Jenny joined them. She was carrying a printout.

  ‘In 2002, which covers Teresa’s abduction, the minibus covered 26 miles. In the 12 months covering Kimberley, it was 31 miles.’

  ‘Assuming the garage trip was the same each time,’ said Ed, ‘Teresa was abducted closer to the hideout than Kimberley.’

  ‘But how does this help us locate the hideout?’ asked Jenny.

  She was interrupted by Nat returning from the garage. He let the door swing closed behind him and stomped to a chair.

  ‘What took you so long?’ asked Ed.

  ‘First, I had to wait for the manager to get back from a test drive. Then it turns out she’s the daughter of the owner and a waste of space.’

  ‘Someone had to visit the garage,’ said Ed. ‘We need the driver identified and corroboration of their involvement. Didn’t you get anything useful?’

  ‘Did I hell! The daughter couldn’t remember and nor could the mechanic. She told me to check with her father.’

  ‘And …?’

  ‘He’s on a cruise and not back until the end of next week.’

  ‘Shit!’ Another setback thought Ed.

  ‘What’s the problem?’ asked Mike.

  ‘We know Grieves was the registered keeper, but we need confirmation the driver was Grieves and not Drakes-Moulton or Podzansky posing as Grieves.’

  ‘I guess so,’ acknowledged Nat, noticeably calmer. ‘Did the mileage data help?’

  ‘It fits with the hideout being somewhere to the south,’ said Ed.

  Mike pointed to the wall map. ‘If you go along the Nackington Road, passing the spot where Teresa was grabbed, there’s a choice of woods that would fit the MOT mileage.’

  ‘What about CCTV?’ asked Nat. ‘We know he’s using the minibus, CCTV pictures would confirm he’s leaving the city via Nackington Road.’

  ‘There’s no CCTV from the time of Teresa’s abduction,’ said Jenny, ‘and the tapes from Kimberley’s time will have been wiped. When we checked for Lucy the Nackington Road camera was down.’

  ‘What about the Nackington Road tapes for the time of Tyler’s abduction?’

  ‘Great idea, Nat.’ Ed looked at him appreciatively. ‘You and Jenny get those tapes from the evidence room and check them as fast as you can. See if you can confirm the minibus left town via the Nackington Road.’

  As the two DCs left the room, Ed joined Mike at the wall map.

  ‘In this area south of the Nackington Road, where is the most likely spot for a hideout?’

  ‘The route south crosses the A2, continues onto Faussett Hill, and into Stone Street. Given the mileage, I’d say that Whitehill Wood is too close to the city so that leaves three possibilities, Bursted Wood, Gorsley Wood and Upper Hardres Wood.’

  ‘Are buildings shown in the woods?’ asked Ed.

  ‘Not here but older maps might show buildings.’

  ‘Let’s think of it from the perpetrator’s point of view. With an unconscious victim he’d want to get to his hideout before they’d recovered. Say a 10- to 15-minute drive, which fits with the MOT mileage.’

  ‘He’d want a building that’s well hidden,’ said Mike, ‘but he’d not want to carry an unconscious girl too far. He’d need an access road.’

  ‘Come on, let’s see the Super and get uniform organized. I want them searching the perimeters of the woods while the four of us wait nearby to investigate any likely access roads they find.’

  Chief Superintendent Addler authorized two teams to operate under the direction of DI Ogborne. Ed’s only concern was that they were going to the right location. CCTV confirmation of the route the abductor took out of town wou
ld be good. On leaving the Super’s office, Ed and Mike went straight to Nat and Jenny.

  ‘Any luck?’

  ‘No sign of the minibus on the Nackington Road tape as yet,’ said Nat, his eyes glued to the screen. ‘Given the time we saw the vehicle coming back into the city via the Whitstable Road he should be here by now.’

  Ed’s heart sunk but Mike was still hopeful.

  ‘Remember we lost him after Westgate Towers and assumed he turned off through back streets. That would take longer than a main road.’

  ‘There’s also heavy traffic after the Olympic Torch Relay,’ said Jenny.

  ‘Got him,’ cried Nat.

  Ed felt a surge of adrenalin. ‘Grieves, Podzansky or Drakes-Moulton?

  ‘Impossible to say, he’s driving away from the camera.’

  The others crowded round the screen as Nat reran the tape. There was no doubt it was the school minibus heading south along the Nackington Road.

  ‘Let’s get moving,’ said Ed. ‘We may not know who he is but we’re closing in on the bastard. I want us all at the Upper Hardres Wood by 15.30. We’ll take two cars, Nat with me, Jenny with Mike.’

  65

  The uniformed officers found entrances to five tracks in the first wood. When Ed and the team checked, two led to ruined buildings but nothing that could have been used as a long-term hideout. By 17.30 they’d moved on. Bursted Wood had three tracks but only one led to a building, which was in a good state of repair. The team approached it cautiously but it was empty. Ed prepared to shift their focus to Gorsley Wood. The hideout had to be there; all they had to do was find the entrance to the right track.

  A new thought struck her.

  ‘Mike, you said something about buildings being on older maps. If the tracks are old then wouldn’t they be shown on old maps?’

  ‘But we’re not looking on maps for the tracks,’ said Nat, ‘we’ve got uniform out looking for the entrances where the tracks join the road.’

  ‘But if an old track has been unused for years perhaps the entrance will be obscured.’

  ‘Or the perpetrator may have deliberately concealed the entrance to the track he’s using.’

  ‘Good point, Jenny.’ Ed turned to Mike and repeated her question. ‘Old tracks, like old buildings, they’d be on older maps, wouldn’t they?’

  ‘If we had the right map, I’m sure they’d be marked.’

  ‘Take Jenny and get down to the Reference Library. See what you can find. I’ll have the Station call the librarian to make sure there’s somebody to meet you.’

  While Mike and Jenny were at the Library, three entrances were found to Gorsley Wood. Ed and Nat explored all three but found only one ruined building. By the time Mike and Jenny returned, the sun was down and the light was fading rapidly.

  ‘There’s two tracks we didn’t explore in Upper Hardres Wood and one in Bursted. Here in Gorsley Wood there’s a total of five tracks.’

  ‘We’ve already checked these three,’ said Ed, pointing at the map. ‘The other two must be hidden. Where should we start, Mike?’

  ‘The nearest is about half a mile back up this lane. Watch out for the ditch on the left when you turn the car round.’

  Jenny dabbed her brake lights and rolled to a stop. Nat pulled in behind her. Mike walked back to say that Ed and Nat should start looking from where they were parked. He and Jenny would go 200 yards further on and work backwards. It was now dark but Ed specified no torches. When they met in the middle, neither pair had found anything that looked like a concealed entrance among the holly bushes and briars which formed a natural hedge between the wood and the lane.

  ‘I’m used to searching urban streets, Mike. What exactly should I be looking for?’

  ‘The verge around these woods is scrubby – there’s no lush grass to be flattened but the hedge must be thinner. He must move that part of the hedge to get in and out, so there shouldn’t be even a modest bush.’

  ‘Even if he’s concealed the entrance, the track must be clear inside the wood,’ said Nat.

  Ed smiled. ‘Right, Nat, over you go and take a look from the other side.’

  With great difficulty and quiet cursing, Nat followed Ed’s instruction. He started at Mike’s car and two-thirds of the way back to Ed’s car he signalled success but scrambled back out into the lane.

  ‘That’s where the track is but it’s completely overgrown, no chance he could’ve used it.’

  They drove to the second spot Mike had marked and began a similar search with Nat on the inside from the beginning. As they approached a dog rose, Nat signalled excitedly and moments later the hedge began moving out towards the lane. Mike went to help and soon a section of the brambles, supported by wire and floating fencing posts, swung open like an improvised gate to reveal a rough but drivable track.

  ‘This must be it.’ Breaking her own order, but shielding the beam with her hand, Ed examined the ground. ‘Look, multiple tyre marks. This must be the one. Mike and Jenny, make your way along the track but stop and wait out of sight 10 to 15 yards from the building. Keep pace with us because we’ll be slower in the woods. Nat, you go 20 yards to the left and I’ll go right. We’ll approach the building in a line but when Mike and Jenny stop, Nat and I will continue to the rear of the building and then make our way round to the front. If nothing happens, we’ll go in and try to take him by surprise. Remember, no torches. We don’t want him to be spooked by approaching lights.’

  Mike thought they should be cautious. ‘He might be armed and dangerous.’

  ‘We should go in en masse,’ said Nat, excited by the chance of some action.

  ‘I’m sure he’s deranged but I don’t think he’s dangerous.’

  ‘What about the pound of flesh, boss?’

  Since her miscall, Ed had tried to forget the blood-soaked parcel but Jenny couldn’t.

  ‘When Nat and I are at the door, Mike and Jenny come up quickly and follow us in. Jenny, you look after Tyler. Mike, I want you ready to help whoever is confronting the abductor. We’ll start by taking it gently and try to take him by surprise.’

  There were mutters of agreement and the four officers entered Gorsley Wood.

  By the time Ed had gone ten yards into the trees it was so dark she couldn’t see Mike or Jenny on the track let alone Nat in the trees on the far side. Movement was difficult. The uneven ground and vegetation made progress slow. She tried lifting her feet clear of exposed roots but stray briars repeatedly snagged her legs and she was pleased she had swapped her skirt for a pair of trousers. After what seemed to be a very long 20 minutes the trees began to thin out, and ahead she could see a cleared patch of ground and the shadowy outlines of a building.

  Alongside the building was a smaller outline of an open-fronted shed with the indistinct form of a vehicle parked inside. Ed wanted to punch the air in victory and relief. She’d got it right. It must be the abductor’s car. There was a muffled curse from Nat. Ed winced. Don’t blow it now! Fortunately, there was no responding light or sound from the building. She glanced at her watch. It was nearly 23.00. Perhaps the perpetrator and his victim were asleep. Nat was waiting for her at the back of the building.

  ‘What was that bloody noise?’

  ‘Sorry, boss, I nearly slipped into his shit hole. From the smell I’d definitely say he’s here.’

  ‘His vehicle’s parked in the shed on the other side. There’s only one entrance to the main building, directly opposite where we’re standing. In case we’ve missed something we’ll circle again. You cover the side I’ve just done and I’ll take yours. Wait at the door so we can go in together. If it’s unlocked, we’ll go in quietly, leaving the door open for Mike and Jenny. Once inside, you go right and I’ll go left.’

  ‘If they’re not together and I get Tyler should I leave her and come to help you?’

  You will get Tyler, thought Ed, can’t you remember the girls’ descriptions of the place?

  ‘I’m a fully trained police officer, Nat, and I work ou
t regularly in the gym. I can handle it. What can a lone abductor possibly do to hurt me? If you get him, no excessive force. If you get Tyler, show your Warrant Card and signal no noise. Remember, go quietly and gently. I want him taken by surprise with a minimum fuss.’

  ‘But what if it’s Drakes-Moulton or Podzansky? They could be real trouble.’

  ‘If it’s either of them, it will be good to know you’re close at hand.’

  ‘Shout if you need me.’

  ‘Okay, but don’t come unless I call you.’

  66

  Ed and Nat met at the entrance to the building without further incident. She turned to locate Mike and Jenny, but was unable to see them in the darkness beneath the trees. Assuming they could see her, Ed raised her arm to indicate she and Nat were about to enter the building. The door was unlocked and it opened silently into a dimly lit central room. The first thing Ed noticed was a lamp casting a pale glow onto a table where a few plates, mugs and glasses were neatly stacked beside a plastic washing-up bowl. Between Ed and the table was an armchair turned to face a chain-link partition to her right. The room beyond the partition, where she assumed Tyler was held prisoner, was in darkness. The only other light came from under a door to her left. Ed tapped Nat’s arm and signalled ‘Go!’

  Ed crossed to the closed door to her left and quietly pushed it open. She appeared to have entered a small research lab at a time when the scientists had finished and gone for the night. The room was narrow and she faced the outer wall of the building, against which ran a white bench with cupboards and drawers. Items of glassware were arranged in orderly rows on the bench and, behind it, a bank of shelves housed bottles and jars, their shapes defined by glinting reflections. The only illumination came from a lamp which threw a bright circle of light onto the surface of the bench and a nearby stool. The remainder of the room disappeared into deep shadow. Ed had involuntarily looked at the light and could see nothing in the dark extremities of the room. She was forced to pause, waiting for her eyes to accommodate.

  Where was their man? Ed was sure he was in the building. Was he in the other room with Tyler behind the chain-link partition? But if he were, surely she would have heard something from Nat, yet neither he nor Tyler had made a sound.