Jack had been held up in traffic due to an accident. An ambulance had crashed through a barrier as a cyclist had veered out of the bike lane into the main road, and Jack had witnessed it, so had to stop at the scene to give his details.
When he finally got to the station, eager to talk to DCI Clarke about the warrant, he found out from the CRIS Centre that Clarke and Anik were both in court that morning and would not be back until lunch time. Swearing under his breath, he sat down at his desk and wrote up his meeting with Amanda Dunn at Euston Station. He had already placed the bracelet in an evidence bag and wanted to show it to Sara before it went into the lockup. Laura walked in, carrying a takeaway coffee. She leaned against the side of his desk.
‘Did you read the memo that came in for the DCI yesterday morning? Apparently, he was really pissed off and was going to have a go at the know-it-all legal aid who’s in court this morning.’
Jack frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Rodney Middleton is going to get bail, and . . .’
Jack pushed his chair back angrily. ‘You are bloody joking?’
‘No, that’s why Anik is in court; he’s got a similar situation with his case. There’s a massive backlog and they’re putting trials back weeks.’
‘Has he got bail or is it under review?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve only just read the memo myself.’
‘Shit! Which court are they in?’
‘Kingston, I think, but double-check on CRIS.’
Jack spotted Sara and called out to her to join him.
‘Morning, sarge, hope you had a nice restful Sunday off.’
‘I need you to do something for me urgently.,’ Jack said, ‘I met up with Amanda Dunn yesterday.’
Sara followed Jack back to his desk as he quickly explained what Amanda had told him, and then held up the plastic evidence bag.
‘I need you to contact Jamail’s family and check if she ever owned this bracelet. Then I want you to look into the other two girls she identified to see if they were using the Christian names Trudie, Nadine or Naomi. You’ll need to go back to the missing persons reports.’
Sara took the evidence bag and the three photographs, then hurried to her desk whilst Jack grabbed his leather jacket and briefcase, before leaving the incident room together.
Kingston Crown Court was in the new annex. The old courthouse was rarely used so Jack parked up there. The old car park had been used for Covid testing and there were still lots of old signs indicating where cars and pedestrians needed to wait. Jack showed his ID to the parking attendant, saying he was due to give evidence.
Jack went in through the court’s side entrance and made his way along one corridor after another before he came out into the large reception area. There were numerous lawyers, clerics, probation officers and uniformed officers standing around in different groups, as the court was not yet in session. Any defendant being brought to trial would not have been brought up to the court yet. He looked around, searching for his DCI, but could not see him anywhere. He spotted Anik having a heated discussion with a female barrister and made his way towards them. He tapped Anik on the shoulder.
‘Where’s DCI Clarke? I need to talk to him urgently.’
Anik looked at Jack, then back to the woman he’d been talking to. ‘This is Detective Sergeant Jack Warr, Miss Georgina Bamford. I think the DCI is in one of the consultation rooms, but I don’t know which one.’
‘Is he with Rodney Middleton’s lawyer? I really need to speak to him. That fucker cannot make bail.’
‘Detective Sergeant Warr, please mind your language,’ Miss Bamford said in an offended tone. ‘I am representing Mr Middleton, as his lawyer isn’t available. Mr Middleton isn’t appearing here today and is still at Brixton. His trial will not take place for another month, perhaps even longer.’
Jack ignored her and went off to try and track down Clarke. He headed towards the area where there were small interview rooms for lawyers and their clients, knocking and then peering into one room after another.
He was just turning back when Anik came down the corridor towards him.
‘That was well out of order, Jack. You were very rude to Miss Bamford, not to mention the fact that you interrupted our conversation. If you’d had the manners to wait until she had finished speaking, she would have told you that Middleton has been granted bail, pending a court appearance and probationary appointments. He’ll be released either later today or tomorrow morning’.
Jack wanted to hurl his briefcase at him he was so angry, but Anik stepped aside as DCI Clarke approached.
‘Morning, sir,’ Anik said. ‘I’m due in Court any minute. I did have words with Miss Bamford who’s a barrister in the same chambers as Colin Marshall. He’s a junior legal aid lawyer and she’s acting for him whilst he’s off sick.’
Jack was leaning against the wall gripping his briefcase with both hands. DCI Clarke listened, tight lipped, and glanced at his watch. He then looked at Jack.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I really need to talk to you. It’s urgent.’
Clarke turned as two people walked out of one of the interview rooms. He gestured to Jack.
‘Right, we have ten minutes before I have to go into court.’
Clarke shut the door behind them, as Jack stood by the small interview table. He took a deep breath and outlined, as briefly as he could, his suspicions regarding Rodney Middleton. He explained about his meeting with Amanda Dunn and her identification of three missing girls. Clarke remained expressionless, glancing at his watch. He waited until Jack had finished telling him about his meetings with the firefighter and probation officer, then he pinched his nose and frowned.
‘You have been very diligent, Jack. I agree that this new development, alongside your misgivings about Middleton being granted bail, is serious. However, that is now out of our hands. The harsh reality is that you have found no real evidence to back up your theory that something criminal happened in Middleton’s flat.’ He held his hand up before Jack could protest. ‘But before you interrupt, I agree to a search warrant relating to the missing girls. Get over to the magistrates’ court and they’ll sign it this morning for you.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
Clarke turned to the door, then paused. ‘In future, detective, please dress appropriately when you attend court, whether or not you’re making an appearance. Your tie is halfway round your neck. And you need a shave and a haircut!’
Jack sighed as Clarke walked out. He had been so eager to make an early start that he had not shaved or combed his hair. He adjusted his tie and hurried out to the car park.
By the time he returned to the station, having been granted a search warrant at the magistrates’ court, Sara had contacted Jamail’s family. She hadn’t been able to speak to Mrs Brown, and Mr Brown was in prison, but his brother had finally agreed to talk to her.
‘All he could recall was that Jamail’s father used to bring her gifts from abroad. A beaded necklace and some earrings, but he could not recall any silver bracelet. On the off chance, I looked into one of the other missing girls, Trudie, possible surname Hudson, and managed to get through to her mother. Trudie has been reported missing for over two years. I described the bracelet in detail and wanted to send her an email with a picture of it, but she said she had no laptop, computer or mobile, just a landline.
‘But she did recall that her daughter had a silver charm bracelet. This is where it gets to be really interesting . . .’
Jack swore and told her to get to the point.
‘She could only remember one charm in particular – a small silver St Christopher. I asked the size and she said it was no bigger than her little fingernail, and. . .’
Sara held up the plastic evidence bag containing the bracelet.
‘There it is, it’s a small St Christopher just by the broken clasp.’
Jack clapped his hands. It was a major breakthrough. Jack told her they needed to double-check with missing persons regarding Trudie, but they now had a surname, as well as more detail on Jamail Brown.
‘I think I did a thorough check already,’ Sara said.
‘Do it again. I want a DNA swab taken on the bracelet. We have a search warrant, but I need as much evidence as possible.’
Jack went off to the gents to use his electric shaver. He could also have done with some deodorant but didn’t have any, so he settled for a basin wash, using paper towels under his armpits.
When he returned to his office, Jack updated his report, ready for DCI Clarke, then went to the canteen to get some lunch before returning to his desk. Laura approached and stood in front of him.
‘Do you think I should accompany you with the search warrant,’ she said. ‘After all, Sara is just a probationary officer. As I told you earlier, I’ve cleared the case I was working on.’
From her desk at the back of the room Sara was clearly listening in, but then became distracted by her phone. Jack shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to get into any pecking order issues, but agreed that Laura could accompany him, asking her to check when Rodney Middleton was being released. Sara finished her call and approached his desk.
‘I’m on my third call and not having much success, I’m afraid. In Jamail’s case this is due to the length of time she’s been missing. Trudie’s files are more recent, but the person dealing with her report in Liverpool isn’t in the office. I’ve reprinted everything off for you, anyway, as well as the photographs.’
‘Thanks.’
‘You haven’t actually met Rodney Middleton, have you?’
‘No, not yet.’
‘Did you get the time he would be released on bail from Brixton?’
‘I’m waiting on it . . . and Laura will be accompanying me.’
‘Oh, I would have liked to be there, considering I was with you at his aunt’s house.’
Jack did not have time to reply as Clarke had walked into the incident room, gesturing for Jack to join him in his office. He left the door ajar. ‘Did you get the search warrant for Rodney Middleton’s flat?’
‘Yes, sir, I’ve only just got back.’
Clarke asked if Jack wanted any back up uniforms to accompany him. Jack told him that Laura was going to be with him and he felt they could do a thorough search between them.
‘Well, you got what you wanted, so let’s see what you come up with.’
*
Laura had confirmation that Rodney Middleton’s bail had been granted. His aunt had agreed to act as surety, which meant that she would be responsible for ensuring that he followed his bail conditions and attended court for the trial. If he didn’t, she’d be liable for a substantial sum of money or risk having her property forfeited.
‘When’s he due to be released?’ Jack asked.
‘Probably late afternoon or early evening.’
‘Let’s get on our way then.’
Jack and Laura left the incident room, whilst Sara sat with her arms folded, feeling thoroughly pissed off. She had found Laura quite friendly at first, but she never failed to pull rank.
Leon gave her an understanding raise of an eyebrow, before returning to his pursuit of Sandra Raynor.
‘I’m still not having much luck either,’ he said.
‘Actually, as it happens, I’ve got a good result on the bracelet,’ she told him. ‘What are you working on?’
‘Trying to track down this woman called Sandra Raynor for the sarge.’
‘Is she a missing person?’
‘No, well, I’ve not had any bites from them. I’ve been through births marriages and criminal records and not got anything, or from the Holmes database’
‘Jack’s never mentioned her name to me,’ she said. ‘Do you want me to have a go? Could be in deaths?’
‘No, it’s OK. I’m going back a few more years next and maybe I’ll get lucky.’
*
Jack spoke briefly about his suspicions whilst Laura listened, silently. They had not worked together for a while, and she had missed being with him. She no longer fancied him, though, and had concluded that dating fellow officers was not a good idea anyway.
‘Do you ever hear from that guy with the DEA in New York?’ Jack asked.
‘No, we e-mailed and had a couple of calls but then I moved on. I don’t seem to be able to find Mr Right. I’ve been thinking about joining a dating agency or going to one of those speed-dating sessions, you know, where you sit opposite a guy and talk to them and a bell rings, and you move on to the next one. But it costs a hundred quid, so I think I’ll try online dating first.’
Jack laughed but told her that she had to be careful, especially being a Met officer.
‘Well, I know that! I’d use an assumed name. As soon as you mention you’re a policewoman you get the same old jokes about wearing your uniform and your police hat.’
‘Ah, so you’ve tried it?’
Laura laughed. ‘Yeah, did a phone-in date app, bloody boring. What can you tell from a voice at the other end of the phone? They could be any age, really fat, or even a criminal.’
‘I’m sure you’ll find someone when you least expect it; you’re very attractive. And the best thing about you, Laura, you make me laugh.’
‘Thanks for the compliment.’
‘OK, Laura, we’re here. It’s the basement flat. I’ll call Mrs Delaney, the caretaker, to give me the keys. No one has been occupying it for quite a while, and I’d like to have a good nose around before Middleton’s released.’
Jack parked the car and took out his briefcase and mobile phone. Laura went to the railings of the basement.
‘Jack, there’s someone there. The lights are on.’
‘Shit, he couldn’t be out yet, surely?’
Jack led the way down the steps, past the array of over-flowing bins. The same empty milk bottles were still there. He rang the doorbell, waited and then knocked. After a while he loudly said that it was the Police and please could the door be opened. He sighed, not wanting to have to carry out any theatrics by kicking open the door. Instead, he went back up the steps to the main entrance of the building. Laura remained waiting in the basement courtyard, wrinkling her nose at the foul smell of rotting food waste and rubbish spewing out of bins.
Above her, Jack kept his finger on the front doorbell. Eventually he heard footsteps and the door was inched open.
‘Mrs Delaney, its Detective Sergeant Jack Warr. I spoke to you recently. I want access to the basement flat.’
‘He’s not there, and I can’t let you in,’ she said firmly.
‘Yes, you can. I have a warrant.’
Jack showed her the warrant and she peered at it.
‘Well, ring the basement doorbell then.’
‘I have done, but no one answered. If Mr Middleton isn’t home, who’s living there?’
Jack suddenly knew without her telling him. ‘Is it his girlfriend, Amanda?’
‘Yes, she’s expecting him home. He called me to say she could go in and wait for him. I need him here as my husband’s back is worse and I can’t get the bins up the steps. We missed the collection this week.’
Jack had stopped listening and hurried back down to the basement courtyard to join Laura.
‘His bloody girlfriend is in there.’ He banged on the door.
‘Open the door, Amanda. OPEN THE DOOR!’
He heard the chain lock being removed, and then the Yale lock clicked. Very slowly, the door opened and Amanda peered out. She was still dirty and was wearing the same old coat. Her face looked grey and the cold sore on her lip seemed to have spread almost to her nostril.
Jack held the warrant out as he pushed his foot inside the door frame to wedge it open.
‘Stand away from the door, Amanda. This warrant gives me the right to enter and search the flat, so you need to move.’
She inched back, and he pushed the door open wider. She was wearing socks, but no shoes, and the smell of damp was over-powering. It was also freezing cold.
‘It’s cold in here, Amanda. Is there no heating?’
‘I don’t know how to switch it on. It’s a meter thing with dials. I know it does the hot water but it’s not on.’
‘Right, let me put some more lights on. It’s very dark in here.’
They were standing in a narrow hallway, with a rubber-backed strip of carpet over stone flooring. The walls were painted in a faded cream colour and there was a small wooden cabinet close to the door. There was no other furniture or pictures. It felt empty.
Jack looked over to Laura, and then back to Amanda. He asked her to show him the bedrooms and the rest of the flat, suggesting that she should go and put on some more clothes as she was shivering. Amanda hesitated and then said that the first door was the main bedroom, but she was sleeping in the back room. Laura took her by the arm and asked her to show her where she was sleeping.
Jack checked the drawers in the wooden cabinet. There was a directory, a lot of pizza delivery leaflets, Check-a-Trade advertising leaflets, and a central heating instruction book. There were also various warranties regarding a microwave, a cooker, and washing machine. The other drawers were empty.
Jack went into the main bedroom. There was a large double bed with four pillows, and a stained duvet with a fake fur rug slung halfway across it. The wooden floor was bare, apart from a cheap rug on one side of the bed. There was a pine chest of drawers with one drawer partly open. Jack methodically searched each of the drawers, finding a neat stack of t-shirts, underpants, vests and socks, as well as old worn jeans, folded neatly but unwashed. He checked the pockets and felt around the base of the drawers, but there was nothing of interest.
A narrow wardrobe had a lopsided door on one side. It contained a denim jacket, a raincoat and a duffle coat with plastic shoulder pads, as well as two pairs of black trousers folded over a wooden coat hanger.
At the bottom of the cupboard there were four pairs of worn trainers, a pair of heavy boots and some thick-soled canvas boots. It smelt of moth balls. Jack bent down to look beneath the bed. There was an old newspaper, along with a lot of dust. He then carefully stripped the bed, searching every inch of it. He found nothing, not even a tissue. The bedroom, like the hall, had no photographs or pictures. The walls were the same cream colour, and the curtains were drawn over the barred window, which looked out into the yard.
Jack had never searched a room that was so devoid of anything personal, apart from the clothing. It felt like a prison cell. He went back out into the hall as Laura was coming out of the room that Amanda was using.
‘There’s just a sleeping bag, a cupboard, a hard-backed chair, and a rope-handled chest containing tools. Amanda has her holdall with a few dirty items in it. The other clothes are folded on the floor next to the sleeping bag. There are some dirty ashtrays, a bottle of water, and an empty bottle of vodka.’
‘Does she have a mobile?’ Jack asked.
Laura passed it to him. It was an old flip-style model and had a low battery signal. Jack told Laura to ask Amanda for a charger so that they could see what was on it. He then went into the kitchen which was situated at the rear of the basement. The window in there was barred, but the surfaces appeared to be clean. The lino flooring was a dark red with numerous indentations, as if from high-heeled shoes. A Formica-topped folding table was leaning against a wall with two pine chairs with plastic seat cushions. Together they searched through the cupboards. One contained china, with plates and mugs neatly lined up, and another cupboard was filled with tinned food, mostly soups, tuna, and baked beans. There was also an open packet of crackers.
Beneath the sink were various pots and pans and there was cutlery in the drawer next to it, as well as on the draining board. Jack examined the sharp-looking carving knives that were being stored in a wooden knife-holder.
Laura grimaced when she opened the fridge. It was full of rotting food, including some lettuce and tomatoes that had gone watery and mouldy, as well as a bottle of curdled milk and some very out-of-date yogurts.
‘Amanda obviously doesn’t cook for herself,’ Jack observed. ‘What’s she doing now?’
‘She just put on an old pair of joggers and got back into the sleeping bag,’ Laura said.
‘This place gives me the creeps; it’s like nobody’s living here, even though he’s been renting it for years. Right, we do a clean sweep first then look for secret hiding places.’
Laura nodded. ‘The bathroom, apart from needing a good clean, has only a few toiletries in it: shampoo, deodorant and some cologne. Amanda’s washbag is in there, very nasty. The towels look dirty as well, but there’s nothing else. I even looked to see if the bath panel came away, but the nails are rusted, so it doesn’t appear to have ever been taken out. I also ran a test over a few tiles in case there was any blood . . .’
Jack was about to walk away when Laura took his elbow.
‘But I want you to see something.’ She led him back to the bathroom and pointed to a modern shower unit with new tile surrounds. ‘That must have cost a fair bit!’
Jack nodded. She bent down to what looked like an old electrical box attached to the wall. She eased the small door open as Jack watched over her shoulder. On the small shelves were rows of plastic containers filled with pills, as well as bottles with cork stoppers, all labelled.
‘I’ve photographed everything on my mobile; he’s got a virtual pharmacy in there.’
Jack nodded, unimpressed. He went into the sitting room which contained a worn sofa, two covered armchairs, and a frayed rug over the threadbare fitted carpet. There was a reasonably modern gas fire, and a small coffee table with an ashtray full of cigarette stubs as well as numerous candles with pools of wax around them. There were two dirty glasses and some well-thumbed magazines next to an old-fashioned computer. On the wall was a very large plasma TV with a DVD player and a stack of DVDs and CDs. There was also a fancy-looking stereo system with enormous speakers either side of the room.
Jack bent down to look through the CDs, which were a mixture of heavy metal, rock and new age music. Many of them looked new, and they were arranged in alphabetical order.
‘I think he must have an obsessive streak, these all look new, maybe nicked,’ he said. ‘And this equipment must have cost a bundle, especially for someone living on benefits. He certainly likes his comforts, and this is a top-of-the-range computer. Right, we’re going to take this in. There are plenty of mobile charging cables, but I haven’t seen a mobile other than Amanda’s, have you?’
‘No, just hers. It’s just like all the other rooms in here, with no pictures or photographs. Doesn’t feel as if a young guy was living here, never mind his girlfriend.’
Laura was sifting through a waste bin that was filled to the brim with old takeaway food cartons and McDonald’s containers.
Jack removed the cushions from the sofa but found nothing. He then did the same with the two armchairs, only finding a couple of cigarette stubs and a few coins.
‘OK, let’s step back and think about this. He has to have some mail or documentation regarding his benefits. I’m going to talk to Amanda because this doesn’t feel right.’
‘A lot is done online nowadays to save on paper,’ Laura said. ‘But I’ll go back through every room and move all the furniture around to double-check for any hidden storage.’
Jack was feeling very frustrated at not finding anything that could confirm his gut feelings about Rodney Middleton. But oddly the fact he had uncovered nothing incriminating, combined with the strange living arrangements in the basement, only fuelled his suspicions. He could not believe that someone would not have any memorabilia, photographs, or anything personal like letters or bills. The equipment in the sitting room proved that Middleton had spent a considerable amount of money, and Jack was hoping that Rodney’s computer would yield something useful.
As Laura re-visited the main bedroom, Jack went and knocked on the door of the back room that Amanda was using as a bedroom. He didn’t wait for her to answer and walked in, closing the door behind him. Amanda was huddled in the sleeping bag with her coat on, smoking.
‘We need to talk, and you had better be straight with me this time,’ he said brusquely ‘You lied about going to Liverpool; you never intended to catch the train with the money you got from me, did you?’
Amanda dragged on the cigarette and shrugged her shoulders. Jack fetched the hard backed-chair and placed it near the sleeping bag.
‘I am never going back there,’ she said. ‘Why do you think I ran off in the first place? She don’t want me . . . her so-called husband is a bastard . . . tried it on with me and she never believed it, jealous, that’s why.’
‘Did Rodney get in touch with you?’
‘Yeah, I went to Brixton to see him. He told me he’d tell Mrs Delaney to let me in. But I had no money, so . . .’ She shrugged and stubbed out the cigarette in a saucer full of fag ends.
Jack leant towards her. ‘You had better give me some straight answers now, Amanda, or I could take you in for questioning at the station, do you understand? Look at me when I’m talking to you, please. Look at me.’
Amanda leaned back slightly and looked up at him, chewing her swollen lip.
‘Right, the silver bracelet – did you do a trade with your friend Trudie?’ He was making a guess that she was her friend.
‘I never stole it; I gave her a ring in return.’
‘So Trudie was a friend of yours?’
‘Sort of, but the clasp was broken so I only wore it a few times.’
‘You also picked out Trudie’s photograph when I showed you the pictures of the girls.’
‘Yeah, and I gave you the bracelet. I wasn’t lying.’
‘So, when did Trudie come here to the flat?’
Amanda looked down and chewed at her fingernail.
‘Look at me, Amanda. When did Trudie come here?’ Jack snapped.
‘Long time ago. I can’t remember. Maybe a year or more.’
‘How did she contact you?’
‘She was at the station. We saw her there. She’d done a runner like me.’
‘So, you and Rodney used to go to the station together?’
‘Sometimes. They got shops open at night, and a food stand.’
‘Tell me about the time you met Trudie.’
Amanda sighed, shrugging deeper into her coat.
‘Like I said, we was there and she was hanging out, had no place to go, so he said she could come back and stay with us.’
‘How long did she stay here with you?’
‘Maybe a couple of weeks, but she was starting to piss me off. She was after Rodney all the time and we had big rows about it. He locked me up in here.’
‘Was Trudie sleeping with him?’
‘Yeah, why do you think I was pissed off? She was a right slag and never give me my ring back. I swapped it with her for the bracelet. It had a little ruby, a real one, but the clasp on her bracelet was broken.’
‘How long were you locked up in here?’
‘A few days and nights. He said it was my punishment, but then he said he’d kicked her out and she wouldn’t be back, so we were alright again.’
‘Did the same thing happen when Jamail was here?’
She nodded. ‘I got no right to argue with him. I mean, he looks after me. I got no job or nothin’. I was always scared I’d be found and taken back to Liverpool.’
‘Were you with him when he met Jamail?’
‘No, he just brung her back one night. She was alright to start with, but she’d never clean the kitchen the way he liked it, and she messed up his CDs, so . . .’
‘Wait a second. Did you get locked up in here again?’
‘She said it was me that left the grease in the frying pan, but I never done that. We had a fight and so he promised to get rid of her, like Trudie.’
‘You didn’t answer my question, Amanda, did you get locked in here when he said he would get rid of Jamail?’
‘Yeah, but I got a box of Krispy Kreme donuts.’
Jack leaned back as she lit another cigarette. ‘On the nights both Trudie and Jamail were told to leave, did you hear anything? Maybe an argument, or shouting, or even screaming?’
‘No, just his music. He always had it on loud and then it was back to normal, just the two of us.’
‘So, they just left? What about their belongings? Did they leave anything behind?’
‘Not really, and anything they did we tossed into the bins or into the clothes and shoes recycling bins in the Sainsbury’s car park. Oh, apart from her socks; Jamail left a pair of thick socks, and I got them on now. My bed socks.’
Jack picked up the chair and placed it against the wall. He went over to the rope-handled chest and bent to open it. It contained coils of rope, reels of duct tape, screwdrivers, hammers and paint strippers. There were also some oil-stained rags, two sets of headphones, and a tape player. He examined the hammer, which was very clean. The screwdriver had been sharpened and had a lethal razor-sharp edge.
‘Whose tools are these?’
‘They belonged to Rodney’s dad; he used them to repair things.’
Jack decided that they should have the tools checked for any bloodstains, although he doubted they would find any. They looked very clean, as though they had never been used. He decided he had questioned Amanda for long enough. He walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar.
Laura was searching behind the cabinet in the hall.
‘Find anything?’
‘Nope, nothing – and I’ve shifted anything that could be moved.’
‘Did you search the sleeping bag?’
‘Yes, the entire room. I even took out all the pans and tins from the kitchen cupboards, and searched them thoroughly, but there’s nothing. One odd thing I found, which I’ve photographed, though: two gallon containers of bleach, and some wire-cleaning brushes. Did you get anything out of Amanda?’
‘Yeah. I want us to take the tools that are in the chest in her room back with us, to get forensics to check them over.’
Laura pushed the cabinet back into place as Jack made a final search, lifting what carpets he could, testing floorboards and looking up to the ceiling to see if there were any access points to some sort of storage space.
Laura filled two large evidence bags with bedlinen and all the tools, as Jack carried out the computer. He then instructed Laura to fetch the sleeping bag as it might have evidence of the other girls inside it. There was a loud screech from Amanda as Laura got her out of the sleeping bag and rolled it up before walking out, with Amanda yelling abuse behind her. Jack almost dropped the computer as he heard footsteps descending the basement steps, followed by voices. He hurried into the hall to join Laura.
The front door opened, and Harold Miller looked shocked to see them. He then explained that he had just collected Rodney. He held up a small holdall bag as if by way of an explanation. ‘Joyce sorted out his bail for him, and . . .’
Before Jack could say anything, Rodney Middleton walked in, all smiles. Even though he had seen photographs of him, Jack was still taken aback.
Rodney was slender but muscular, wearing a denim jacket, white t-shirt and jeans. He was also good-looking, with his thick, curly hair cropped close to his head. He had an angular face with amber brown eyes and perfect teeth and seemed both youthful and yet mature at the same time.
Rodney was carrying two bags of food shopping and carefully put them down on the floor.
‘I am Detective Sergeant Jack Warr, and I am here with a search warrant,’ Jack told him.
Middleton nodded affably. ‘Yes, Mrs Delaney said you were down here, and Amanda . . .’
There was a screech as Amanda came running down the hall and did a flying jump into Rodney’s arms, curling her skinny legs around him. She kissed him, clinging to him like a little monkey, showing off the dirty pink bed socks.
Middleton gently pushed her away. ‘That’s enough now . . . go and put the groceries in the kitchen for me, sweetie, there’s a good girl.’
Amanda picked up the two bags and hurried down the hallway into the kitchen. Harold was still hovering by the front door.
‘If it’s alright I should be off. Joyce will be needing me. It was nice to see you again detective, and . . .’
He nodded towards Laura who was standing pressed against the wall holding the evidence bags. Harold handed Middleton the holdall, clearly eager to leave.
‘Can you just wait one second, Harold?’ Middleton said. ‘We should have a look over the search warrant. Is that alright with you, Detective Warr?’
Jack felt very uneasy as he took out the warrant and handed it over. Middleton smiled again and suggested they go and sit down in comfort. They trouped into the lounge, Harold sitting next to Middleton, as they looked over the search warrant.
‘I will need to take in your computer, Mr Middleton, and we have also removed some tools.’
‘What do you want them for?’
‘We’re just investigating a possible connection to some missing girls.’
Rodney frowned and looked puzzled.
‘Girls, plural? I mean, I know Amanda was reported missing, but she’s here of her own free will and she’s almost eighteen years old. Is that your problem?’
To Jack, Middleton seemed almost over-confident, appearing to be very relaxed and completely at ease with the situation.
‘You can search wherever you want,’ Middleton said breezily. ‘I have nothing to hide. I’ve been held awaiting trial for some time, but I am sure you must be aware of that, so I’ve not been home since I was arrested.’
‘I appreciate your cooperation, Mr Middleton, but we were just about to leave.’
‘Why are you taking my computer? I mean, what do you expect to find? Is it legal, Harold?’
Harold frowned. ‘Yes, it is.’
‘What have I done that gives them the right to take it?’
Jack responded. ‘I just explained to you, Mr Middleton, I am investigating the whereabouts of certain missing girls and I believe that you may be implicated in their disappearance.’
‘What missing girls?’
‘I am not prepared to discuss it any further with you right now, but l may require you to come to the station to answer some questions.’
‘Why don’t you ask me now?’
Jack glanced at Laura, who stepped forwards.
‘Thank you for your time, Mr Middleton. This is an ongoing enquiry that may not actually involve you, and we need to continue our investigations before we ask you any questions.’
Middleton shrugged and smiled again. ‘OK, just take whatever you need. Do you want my computer password? It’ll save you wasting time trying to get into it. It’s my date of birth. All you’ll find on there are games, and my internet search history is mostly for Amazon purchases and looking up some further education courses. Oh, and there’ll be some medical searches, plus I think my probation diary dates are on there.’
Jack jotted down the password in his notebook whilst Middleton thanked Harold for collecting him. He asked him to make sure his aunty Joyce got a big thank you from him for signing the surety.
Middleton stood up and took off his denim jacket, tossing it over the arm of the sofa. He was taller than Jack and reached out to shake his hand.
‘I best get cracking in the kitchen. Amanda’s not a very good cook. If it’s not in a tin, she isn’t sure what to do with it.’ He gave a boyish laugh but Jack sensed he was now eager for them to leave.
‘I’ll help you carry the computer out,’ he said. ‘I’d like to get a laptop, but my finances don’t run to that yet.’
Jack led Laura down the hallway and opened the front door. He stopped and turned, smiling at Middleton.
‘Just one more thing before we leave. I want to take a look inside the coal hole. It’s just outside in the basement yard, isn’t it?’
He caught the look in Middleton’s eyes. It was just a flicker, but the friendly demeanour had briefly vanished.
‘It has a padlock on it,’ Jack continued. ‘Mrs Delaney said you helped her out with a rat infestation. If you have the key, we can have a look in there before we leave.’
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I don’t have the key, and it’s not part of my property. That’s right, isn’t it, Harold; they can’t open it, can they?’
Harold looked flustered as he scrutinised the search warrant. ‘He’s right, detective, this search warrant is for a search of Mr Middleton’s basement flat, but not any external buildings.’
Harold, explained, almost apologetically, that in his previous job he’d gained some knowledge about search warrants and citizens’ rights.
‘Never mind,’ Jack said, managing to disguise his fury. ‘It was just a thought and I doubt it will be necessary anyway. Thank you again for your time, you have been very cooperative, and we really appreciate it. I’ll leave you with a copy of the search warrant.’
Laura and Jack headed out, carrying the bulging plastic bags, with Harold carrying the computer nervously and looking as though he was afraid he was going to drop it. Jack opened the boot.
‘So, your wife came to her nephew’s assistance. That was very kind of her.’ Jack took the computer from him and placed it in the boot, closing it afterwards.
‘Yes, well, blood is thicker than water, isn’t it?’ Harold said. ‘Rodney was frantic to get home, as he worries about that anorexic girlfriend of his.’
Jack got in the car and watched Harold walk off. He sat for a minute, gripping the steering wheel hard.
‘Christ almighty! We were had, Laura. There was nothing in his fucking basement, because – I would put any money – he has all his personal stuff stashed in the coal hole. He was all sweetness and light until I mentioned that. I want to organise surveillance ASAP to monitor what goes on until I can get another warrant to go in there. I’m pissed off at myself – all the time we spent searching inside and we should have just kicked the door down and gone into the coal hole.’
‘I don’t know, we could have got into a lot of trouble,’ Laura said. ‘If Middleton is as devious as I think he is, he had to know we were there, but he didn’t care. He probably got his uncle to stay just to confirm the fact that we couldn’t get access. Is he that clever, do you think?’
Jack nodded as they drove towards the station. ‘He lives on benefits and uses his mental health issues and sympathetic probation officers to get what he wants. And that stick insect of a girlfriend is totally under his control, or at least she was until she brought up the bracelet.’
Laura leaned back in the passenger seat, tugging at her safety belt. ‘You know, Jack, you haven’t actually told me why you have been pushing this investigation. I think I have some idea, but please tell me.’
‘OK,’ he said. ‘I think Rodney Middleton picks up young runaway girls from mainline train stations. He acts the friendly, helpful, guy then takes them back to that basement flat, with his supposedly innocent girlfriend. They move in and after a time he gets rid of them – and I mean permanently.’
‘My God, do you think Amanda’s directly involved?’
‘She is definitely compliant and accompanies him to the station,’ Jack said. ‘But when he’s getting rid of them, he locks her in that back room. We need to find out what happened on the night he was arrested. He walked out of that basement flat, gave himself up, and passed over the offending weapon. We need to find out if a girl went missing in that time frame.’
‘Do you think Amanda is in danger?’ Laura asked. ‘She’s identified three girls, and we don’t know if he’s aware of that, or about her giving you the bracelet.’
Jack pulled into the station and parked in his allocated space. He instructed Laura to get surveillance set up on Middleton’s flat and to organise a search warrant for the coal bunker. He said that he would take the computer and the tools into forensics and the tech officers.
‘I’ll be in after I get a result from the labs.’
‘OK, will do. I’ll get cracking straight away and I’ll write a report on what went down this afternoon. And I’ll print off the photographs and call you with an update.’
Jack smiled at her as he backed out of the car park to take the items to the labs. He was feeling worn out but at least now Laura understood what was driving him.