Missing Believed Dead (6 page)

Chapter Nine

Kate held her ID up to the constable, lifted the blue tape and ducked under it. Grasping her hands behind her back, she surveyed the top storey of the car park.

The place was large, gloomy, and smelled of fumes. She could hear rustling noises and footsteps and even the sound of her own breathing. It was the kind of place where even the smallest sound would bounce off the bare walls. She looked up to the ceiling to check out the CCTV cameras, and made a mental note to acquire the tapes.

Most of the cars were gone, although the ones nearest to the shadowy corner, where the dirty white van was parked, were still there. The van’s rear doors were open and a white-clad scene of the crime officer was busy working on them.

Outside the tape, in the opposite corner, two boys were guarded by a WPC. One of them was crying.

She hesitated before going any further and, turning back to the policeman, said, ‘What’s the story?’

The constable pointed to the two boys. ‘Those two kids found the body, ma’am. They’d been going through the car park looking for unlocked cars and they opened the back doors of the van.’ The policeman grinned, although his eyes remained cold. ‘The brats got more than they bargained for though, and they were about to scarper. But they didn’t know they’d been spotted on CCTV and they ran right into me.’

‘I see. Who else is here?’

‘The SOCOs are here, ma’am, one of them is inside the van with the doc, and the other is dusting for fingerprints. They reckon there’s been too much coming and going in the car park to find any trace evidence outside the area where the van is parked, but they still wanted this level sealed off. Constables Hastie and Douglas are standing guard down below and Adams is over at the lift. It’s causing havoc with the folks who’ve parked here. Some of them are pretty annoyed. Then there’s myself and Constable Burns. She’s the one looking after the kids until someone from the Child and Family Support Unit turns up.’

‘And you are?’

‘PC Corbett, ma’am.’

‘Well, Corbett, I was expecting Detective Sergeant Murphy to join me. I don’t suppose he’s arrived yet?’

‘No, ma’am.’

Kate compressed her lips and walked to the rear of the van where the SOCO was dabbing powder on the doors with a brush that reminded Kate of the one she used to apply make-up. He stopped and looked at her. Kate held up her ID and he nodded before turning back to the task in hand.

‘Any prints coming up?’

‘Lots,’ he said. ‘Whether they’ll be any use though is another matter.’

A man reversed out of the van. Kate stepped back but was not quick enough and he stood on her toe.

‘Sorry,’ he said, ‘didn’t see you.’ He pushed back the hood on his white paper suit to reveal a bald coffee-coloured head.

‘I hope you were careful not to contaminate the crime scene when you were in there,’ the SOCO said without looking up.

‘Of course, I was careful,’ the man replied testily. ‘But it’s just as important to ensure the victim’s dead as it is to gather evidence.’

The SOCO laughed. ‘I could have saved you the trouble and done your job for you, because I never saw anyone more dead than the guy in there.’

Kate’s toe throbbed and her annoyance at being ignored showed in her sharp tone when she said, ‘Just when you’re finished.’

The man glowered at the SOCO, and turned to Kate. ‘I’m Doctor Malik, and you are?’

‘Detective Inspector Rawlings.’ Kate held her ID up. ‘What do you have for me?’

He wrenched the front of the paper suit open and shrugged one arm out of it before he answered her. ‘Well he’s certainly dead, but we won’t know what he died of until after the autopsy. There’s a syringe stuck in his arm though, I suppose it could be an overdose.’

‘Accidental?’

‘I doubt it, considering he’s tied to the floor of the van. Oh, and something’s been pushed into his eyes. I doubt he would have done that himself.’

‘His eyes?’ She moved towards the open doors.

The SOCO put a hand on her arm. ‘You’ll have to wait until the crime scene’s been processed.’

Kate shook the hand off and turned back to the doctor. ‘What’s in his eyes?’

‘How do I know? I’m not doing the autopsy I’m only confirming death.’

Kate clenched her hands so hard her fingernails dug into the palms. ‘What about time of death?’

Malik laughed. ‘Impossible to say with any certainty, but the autopsy might be able to pin it down.’

‘Would you care to hazard a guess?’ The ice in her tone was wasted on him.

‘Not really.’ He turned his back on her and started to peel off the paper suit. ‘But I think you’re looking at days rather than hours.’

* * * *

Bill snorted with disgust. ‘For fuck’s sake. What am I supposed to do with the blasted car if you won’t let me drive up to the next level?’

‘Sorry, sir. I have my instructions.’

Bill turned off the ignition. ‘Well, I’m leaving it right here and if it’s in the way that’s too bad.’

He got out of the car, slammed the door, and strode up the ramp. His bad mood did not improve when he spotted the new DI talking to Doc Malik at the back of a van. He groaned inwardly. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn’t it have been Sue?

‘You’ve arrived,’ she said.

Bill did not have to hear her say, ‘At last,’ but he was damned sure that was what she was thinking.

‘Sorry, ma’am, I was in the middle of an interview when the call came.’

‘Well, now you’re here, you can get the CCTV tapes for the past week. As soon as I’m finished here I’m going to talk to the boys.’

‘Wouldn’t it be better to wait until they have a parent or responsible adult present?’

Kate made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. ‘I’m perfectly aware of procedures,’ she said, ‘besides, if I’m not mistaken the officer from the Child and Family Support Unit has arrived.’

Bill glanced over to the boys. His heart did a back-flip when he saw Louise. He had thought she was still off on sick leave after her experience in Templeton Woods in January.

‘Yes, ma’am. That’s WPC Walker. She worked with CID on our last big murder case,’ he said.

Resisting the urge to go over and talk to Louise, he turned back to look at Kate who had said something to the doctor while he was slipping off his plastic overshoes.

‘That’s it,’ Malik said, straightening up. ‘I’ll arrange for the body to be taken to the mortuary, and once the autopsy’s been completed there should be more information about time and cause of death.’

Bill saw Kate’s frustrated look as she watched the doctor walk away. ‘I’m afraid that’s Malik for you,’ he said. ‘He’s never very forthcoming.’

Without waiting for her reply he stepped to the side so he could see into the van. The SOCO in the front seat was leaning over it, and snapping photos.

The body of a man was spread-eagled on a mattress on the floor of the van. His clothing, which had been removed, was piled neatly beside him, and his hands were secured to bolts in the floor.

‘What d’you make of it, Colin?’ Bill asked the SOCO with the camera.

‘I’ll be damned if I know? If he hadn’t been tied up I’d have said he was a druggie who’d taken an overdose. But I don’t see how he could have got that needle in his arm when he’s stuck to the floor – looks like he’s been crucified.’

Colin laid the camera on the front seat and slid over its back into the rear of the van. ‘Make yourself useful, mate, and get me some evidence bags from the boot of my car so I can get finished up.’ He counted the garments in the pile beside the body. ‘About six should do it.’

Bill returned with the bags and Colin started to put an article of clothing into each one.

‘Is there a wallet?’

Colin didn’t look up. ‘Nope. No sign of one.’

‘Anything else to identify him?’

‘Not a thing. The only thing we found was a bottle of chloroform in his pocket.’

‘Interesting. Wonder what he planned to use it for?’

Colin backed out of the van and stood beside Bill. ‘Yeah, I thought that was weird, but there’s something that’s even weirder, and that’s the green beads stuck in his eyes. At a guess I would say they were jade, but we won’t know for sure until we get them out to examine, and that’ll be after the post mortem.’

Chapter Ten

Emma closed the document and shut down the computer in the time it took for the front door to open and slam shut again. Hurrying out of the study she was concerned to see the look of distress on her mother’s face. Emma looked at Ryan and raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question, but he shrugged and refused to meet her eyes.

‘Mum,’ she said tentatively. ‘Are you all right?’

Diane handed her coat to Ryan. ‘Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be all right?’

‘It’s just that you looked a bit . . . ’ Emma couldn’t find the word to describe what she saw.

A fleeting look of something indescribable passed across Diane’s face. ‘Ryan told me about the policeman. I think they may have news of Jade.’

‘I’ve told her it’s to do with a reinvestigation, but she’s convinced they’ve found her.’

Emma felt sorry for Ryan when she saw his misery, but that could not quell her annoyance with him.

‘Jade’s not coming home,’ she said. ‘She’s not coming home ever again.’

‘I know you think she’s dead,’ Diane snapped. ‘Everybody thinks she’s dead Well she’s not. She can’t be.’

‘For goodness sake, Mum! Face up to it. Jade’s dead. D’you hear me, she’s dead.’

‘She must be alive. She has to be. How could she send me a birthday card if she wasn’t alive?’

Emma shrugged. Why wouldn’t her mother accept what was so obvious to everyone else?

‘I told you before, it’s someone playing tricks on you.’ She avoided looking at Ryan. He hadn’t known about the card. ‘You have to accept it. After all this time Jade must be dead.’

‘I’ll never believe that. Never. Not until you show me her body.’ Diane raised reddened hands to her face and ran sobbing into the living room.

‘Now look what you’ve done.’ Ryan ran after his mother and Emma heard his voice soothing and reassuring her.

Emma sat on the bottom step of the stairs and buried her face in her hands. She wanted to help her mother but how could she when Diane refused to face up to facts? In her mind she cursed Jade for putting them all in this position, but she couldn’t deny the empty space in her heart where her twin should be.

After a time Emma went into the living room determined to apologize. However, she knew this would feed into her mother’s fantasy that Jade would come home. But, before she could say anything, Diane vanished into the kitchen, leaving Emma frustrated.

The smell of spices filled the house. Diane always made curry when she was most upset, even though, or maybe because, it gave her the most horrible indigestion. Emma was convinced her mother was intent on punishing herself for Jade’s disappearance.

She tried to talk to her mother while they ate the chicken korma but Diane ignored her, eating quickly and returning to the kitchen to scrub the pots and dishes. It was always like this. It was as if her mother resented her because she was not Jade.

It was a relief when she left the house to go to work in the club. At least she would have pleasant company who would not look at her with accusing eyes.

* * * *

Ryan watched Emma go. Her shoulders were slumped and an air of despondency surrounded her. It made him feel miserable as well.

‘You need to talk to Emma,’ he said to Diane. ‘She’s hurting too.’

‘Since when did you care what Emma feels. The pair of you are always fighting.’

Ryan didn’t respond because his mother was right, and only he knew how much he wished it had been Emma who had gone instead of Jade. But nothing could change what had happened and Emma was still his sister.

Diane sighed and wiped her hands on a towel. ‘I’ll maybe talk to her when she comes home,’ she said, ‘I’ll see how I feel.’

Ryan nodded. ‘I have to go to the club to take photos for the web site. I’ll have a word with her when I get there.’

‘Don’t tell her I’m going to talk to her,’ Diane said. ‘I might change my mind.’

The disco was crowded when Ryan got to the club, and Emma was busy behind the bar. He waited until she had a moment free and beckoned her over.

‘How’s Mum,’ she said, pulling him a pint.

‘Not good. When I left her she was scrubbing out the bathroom. She’s got a thing about toilets, always wanting to clean them even when they’re already clean.’

‘I think she’s been getting worse over the past few months.’

Ryan sipped his lager. ‘You two need to speak to each other.’

‘I know, but it’s difficult. When she looks at me, she sees Jade.’

‘Probably,’ Ryan gulped the rest of the lager. ‘I’ve got photos I need to take, but after I’m finished I’ll wait around and drive you home.’

‘OK,’ Emma said, turning to hurry along the bar to serve a bunch of clamouring students.

Upstairs had a different atmosphere. Most of the customers were engrossed watching the girls dancing on the glass stage in the middle of the room. The girls wound their bodies round silver poles in a series of sinuous movements, and caressed the poles as if they were lovers. Later they would come off the stage to lap dance in close proximity to any man who could pay the price. Ryan found the whole thing decidedly sleazy.

‘You’ve come back.’

Ryan turned to find Phil bending over him. The man’s breath wafted hotly over his neck.

‘Don’t be shy,’ Phil murmured, ‘you’re such an attractive little thing.’

He was so close Ryan could smell his aftershave and the mint chewing gum Phil was never without. Ryan’s stomach turned over and he was surprised to find himself wanting Phil to reach out and touch him. But it was a momentary urge and he shook it off, turning his face away from Phil’s hypnotic gaze, knowing if he kept up the eye contact, he would be lost.

‘Which one is Angel? Tony wants me to video her for his web site.’ He hoped his voice was not shaking.

Phil straightened. ‘The blonde one,’ he said, gesturing towards the stage. ‘But I’m sure your tastes don’t run in that direction. I know a potential queen when I see one.’ He laughed. ‘I’ll be here when you’re ready.’

The evening passed quickly for both Ryan and Emma, and when they got home Diane was scrubbing the kitchen floor. Ryan went into the kitchen while Emma ran upstairs to put her coat away.

‘It’s time to stop, Mum.’ Ryan put his arm round Diane’s shoulders and helped her to her feet. ‘It’s after midnight, you must be tired.’

‘Not really,’ she said, ‘but I have to keep busy.’

‘I know, but you have to stop sometime. Besides, you were going to have a word with Emma.’

‘Not now. In the morning. I’ll talk to her in the morning.’ Diane’s voice was heavy with exhaustion.

‘OK. You go to bed and I’ll bring you a mug of Horlicks.’

‘I won’t sleep. I’m too wired.’

‘Take a pill, Mum. It’ll help.’

‘I don’t want a pill. They make me heavy the next day.’

‘It would help.’

‘You’re a good lad, Ryan. Just bring me the Horlicks.’

Emma’s bedroom door slammed and he could hear her descending the stairs.

‘Goodnight, Ryan,’ Diane said, shuffling out of the kitchen. ‘I’m not in the mood just now,’ he heard her say to Emma, ‘but we’ll talk in the morning.’

‘What was that all about?’ Emma said when she came into the kitchen.

‘I was trying to persuade Mum to take one of her sleeping pills but she was resistant. I’ll slip one into her Horlicks. She’ll never know.’

Ryan set out three mugs. ‘The milk’s on the boil. I’ll take mine upstairs.’

‘Sounds a good idea.’ Emma watched as he poured the milk. ‘I’m beat, I’ll be glad to get to bed.’

Ryan mixed the Horlicks and dropped a pill into his mother’s mug. ‘Not a word, mind,’ he said, and lifting two of the mugs he climbed the stairs.

He tapped on his mother’s bedroom door. ‘Here you are,’ he said, ‘drink it while it’s hot.’

Emma was on the landing when he came out and, after saying, ‘Goodnight,’ he went into his room and shut the door. He laid the mug on his bedside table, went to his wardrobe and rummaged for the carrier bag at the back. The one he kept hidden from his mum and Emma. Pulling out the sheer, cream silk pyjamas embroidered with roses he held them up to his face, feeling the luxury of the material caress his skin. He shed his clothes and put them on. Pure bliss. At times like this he could imagine he was the girl he was meant to be.

* * * *

She had found the ideal hiding place, and had perfected the art of stillness when all she moved were her eyes. None of them suspected she was here. It was better they did not know. But now the house was wrapped in silence, brooding and dark, Jade decided it was safe enough to surface.

She stared into the darkness – a darkness as deep as the one inside her – trying to remember who had taken her and what they had done. But the memories were dormant, pushed into the depths of her subconscious. The only thing left was the sense of horror.

Moving first a finger, next her arm, then her legs, she stood up, and cat-like slid from her hiding place. She stretched. It was good to be out in the open, although the time was not yet right to reveal herself.

Inside the house she moved silently on the landing, tempted to open their bedroom doors and look at them. But she had waited so long before her return she could not risk giving herself away now.

Tiptoeing through the darkness she collected the laptop, glided down the stairs – carefully missing the creaking one near the bottom, picked up her mother’s car keys from the hall table, and quietly left the house.

She drove down Brantwood Avenue, turned left at the junction with Byron Road, followed it until she came to Derby Street, where she turned to access the quiet parking area behind the multis. There was always sure to be an unprotected wireless hotspot where there were lots of houses. It did not take her long and she was soon online in a private chat room, reeling in her next mark.

When she was done she drove to the club and, using Diane’s keys, let herself in the back door. It wouldn’t do for either the family or the police to find the laptop. She had to hide it and she knew the perfect place.