Chapter 28

Wednesday 16 March

20:00

T – 13 hrs 30 mins

‘High five!’ Saunders held his shovel palm up.

‘No, thanks.’ Nasreen didn’t want to encourage any physical contact after the way he’d humiliated her in the reception. He’d made it clear he was in charge now, and that this was a series of tests. Trials to put her through. This was as close as she was going to get to a well done, or even just a thank you.

‘Suit yourself.’ He wound his hand back and pop! Punched the air. He was pumped from the interview, his energy levels increasing as the day drew on. Nas was exhausted. She put the folder between her knees to tie her hair back up. She’d have to try and get some sleep in the car. If she could stop seeing either Lottie or Burgone every time she closed her eyes.

‘Cheer up, Cudmore.’ Saunders clapped her on the back. ‘We got a prize idiot there. Like taking candy from a baby.’

‘Easy for you to say,’ she said, her voice thin. ‘I did all the work.’

Saunders stopped bouncing and smiled. A dark, uncomfortable smile. ‘We found your use, Cudmore.’

This was just another form of resource management. Cudmore’s female, she can handle the educational work and the flirting.

‘You’re riding with me,’ he added.

Great: more dance anthems and racing line bends. So much for that power nap. Saunders leant into the staff room and slapped the wall. ‘Chips, we need to get back to the station. You all right to come with us? I want to cross-reference what we’ve got on the Alex Black guy.’

Chips was pulling his jacket on. ‘Yup.’

‘There’s a load of it in here.’ Freddie held up the printouts from Are You Awake. Her face was flushed and her voice fast. ‘At one point he tells another of his “chosen warriors” that he’ll send them details of “a present Chloe can pick up at the Galleria.” That must mean something?’

‘The Galleria is the shopping centre Chloe stopped at on her way to Wildhill Wood, the day she killed herself,’ said Nasreen. That had to be a reference to the heroin. ‘Nothing used to cook the heroin was found at the scene – she could have been picking up the drugs?’

‘She’s on the security cameras at the shopping centre isn’t she?’ Freddie was stuffing the papers back into her bag.

‘The footage has been sent over to us,’ Nasreen said. ‘I could get Morris to get onto it?’ If they could trace the drugs back, they might be able to work out who this Alex Black is. The name Apollyon’s Revenge tugged at her again. There were too many links. These instructions were all being sent online. Again she thought of the Hashtag Murderer’s prison officer’s denials that communication could be getting out.

‘Where’s Green?’ Saunders sounded irritated. He was swinging his car keys round on his finger.

‘Gone with one of the constables to put Alex Black through the PNC,’ Chips said. ‘Give us a bit of a head start.’

Saunders caught his keys in his palm and pointed at Freddie. ‘Civvy Street, you’re with us. I want to know what else is on that site. Just make sure you wipe your shoes before you get into my car.’

Freddie rolled her eyes. Nasreen tried to smile. She was pleased they’d caught Liam, and he’d given them vital intelligence, but an end still wasn’t in sight. The Alex Black lead might go nowhere. It might not even be a real name. She’d been here before with investigations: teetering on the edge of what felt like a major breakthrough, only for it to all crumble to dust. In her mind she wrote the word Apollyon in the dust.

‘He’s like a Svengali. Or a cult leader,’ Freddie was saying. ‘All this chosen warrior crap – he’s manipulating them into doing what he wants.’

‘Not getting his own hands dirty, more like,’ Saunders grunted.

‘Looks like he might have supplied instructions on how to inject heroin to one of his goons,’ Chips said. ‘The kid then boasts about sending it to Chloe’s phone.’

Poor Chloe. A fresh wave of anger rolled over her. They’d made the girl’s life a living hell. They’d harangued her into killing herself. And it all led back to the mysterious Alex Black. ‘I’d like to talk to the prison guards of the Hashtag Murderer again.’

Freddie made a small gasping sound. Turned it into a cough.

‘Too many links for your liking?’ Chips asked.

‘Something like that. I think we should speak to him.’

To her left Freddie emitted a small ‘No’. Nasreen talked over it. Covering up for her friend.

‘I want to make sure this isn’t him. Sending these instructions, puppeting this from inside.’

Saunders looked thoughtful.

‘Worth it to definitely rule him out,’ Chips said. ‘Otherwise we’ve been looking in the wrong direction.’

‘Get on it when we get back,’ Saunders said. ‘Let’s focus on Alex Black for now.’

Outside the sky was dark, weighty. The first drops of rain fell. Freddie pulled her hood over her head and Saunders kicked up a light jog to the car. Nasreen pulled her gloves from her pocket and fell into line with Chips.

‘You did a good job, lass.’

The praise took her so by surprise that she forgot what she’d been meaning to say. ‘Thank you, sir.’ Had he been telling the truth before? Liam hadn’t accused anyone of assault. With a new lead there was no time to rake over it again. She had to trust Chips.I’m sorry about before. I know you were just doing the best by the guv.’

‘And you were just doing your job. I see why he brought you in now.’ Chips kept his eyes fixed ahead. ‘You’re a straight arrow. Diligent. A good choice.’

Tugging at her collar, Nasreen felt very hot. The focus was shifting to Alex Black, but Saunders and Chips now wanted to know all about Chloe’s case. She knew they’d be looking for similarities, links that could tie the two girls and the shadowy Alex Black together. She knew what the link was, or she had a fair idea: it was uncomfortably close to pointing right at her and Freddie. The discovery of the Apollyon’s Revenge account reinforced that. The name couldn’t be a coincidence; she had to eliminate him for herself. ‘Have you spoken to the guv?’

Chips nodded, his lips pursed. ‘He’s holding up. His parents less so: the doctor’s had to give his mother a sedative.’

Nas couldn’t imagine what it was like to know your daughter had been taken by someone who planned to hurt her. You’d feel powerless. She felt powerless. Thrust the painful thoughts aside. They were almost at the car now. She had to do it before she’d be overheard. ‘Sir,’ she said quietly and quickly, ‘I’m sorry to ask this, but do you mind if I sit in the front? I get travel sick.’

‘Course, lass.’

‘And do you mind if this is our little secret?’ There was no way she wanted DI Saunders to know.

Chips raised his eyebrows, but it was playful. ‘He’s all right you know. He just likes to push people’s buttons.’

‘I noticed.’ He enjoyed it. It was a game. He was like a bored cat, toying with you till he’d had enough. Then he’d leave you eviscerated to die slowly. Any hint of what had happened with Burgone and she had no doubt he’d destroy her. Saunders liked finding a person’s weakness and exploiting it. Nasreen wouldn’t let him see hers. Not when they were so close. Not while there was still a chance they could save Lottie.