Double Dealing (Detective Sergeant Catherine Bishop Series Book Two) (24 page)

46

Mark Cook sat seething as Celia flicked the TV onto yet another soap opera. Why were they still here? It was obvious that Lauren wasn’t coming back, so why didn’t they pack their things and piss off?

  Geoff stood up and smiled at Mark. ‘Think I’ll put the kettle on.’

Mark watched him leave the room and then followed him into the kitchen.

  ‘How are you bearing up?’ Geoff asked as he took the milk out of the fridge. Mark shrugged.

  ‘Okay. I just wish Lauren would let us know what’s happening.’

Geoff stroked a hand over his beard and said, ‘You think she’s left you.’ It wasn’t a question.

  ‘There’s no other explanation, is there? The police would have found her by now otherwise. It’s been over a week, she obviously wants to stay away.’

Geoff winced as Celia’s voice rang out in the other room, telling someone on the screen they were ‘a bloody fool if you take him back.’

  ‘Why don’t we go down to the police station now?’ Mark suggested. Geoff looked at him, surprised. ‘Just one last time. If they send us away again, that’s it, I’ll assume Lauren’s left me and start trying to move on.’

  ‘Won’t they be closed by now?’

  ‘I don’t know. Surely there’ll be someone around?’

Geoff thought about it, then nodded. ‘It’s got to be worth a try. All right. I’ll tell Celia we’re nipping out for a pint.’

Celia’s eyes didn’t leave the screen, she just waved a hand in her husband’s direction. Geoff smiled to himself and closed the door.

  ‘Come on then,’ he called to Mark.

  ‘Are you okay to drive?’ Mark asked, shrugging on his coat. ‘God knows when we’ll get our car back.’

  ‘Of course. If they can’t help us, Celia and I will leave tonight, I promise.’

Mark smiled in spite of it all. ‘Putting your foot down?’

Geoff managed a laugh as they left the house and stepped out into the cold air. ‘I’m not sure I’d go that far.’

 
In the corridor, Catherine waited.

  ‘What is it, Si?’

  ‘I thought you’d want to know – John Worthy owns a house in the middle of town, smack bang in the area where we lost both Keeley and Lauren’s phone signals.’

She beamed at him. ‘Brilliant, thanks. I think the DCI’s got him on the ropes already.’

Sullivan grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t want him interviewing me.’

  ‘Worthy’s none too keen either. A search warrant for this house you’ve found and we might just have him.’ Catherine smiled.

  They heard hurried feet approaching and PC Nathan Collins turned the corner.

  ‘DS Bishop, I’ve been looking for you.’

  ‘What’s up, Nathan?’

  ‘We’ve had a call from Headquarters. They say that there’s a bloke here wanting to talk to someone – he told them he knows where Lauren Cook is.’

  ‘He’s here?’ Catherine frowned.

  ‘Standing outside the main door.’

She stared at him for a second, then began to run.

  ‘Tell the DCI, Si,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘Come with me, Nathan.’

They raced down the dark, echoing corridor, the lights above them suddenly glowing as their movement was sensed.

  ‘What else did they tell you?’ Catherine gasped.

  ‘Nothing. I thought you’d want to talk to him straight away.’

  They ran out into the car park, their breath dancing around their faces in the chill night air. When they rounded the corner of the looming building, they saw him standing there, his shoulders hunched against the cold in his thin jacket. Catherine slowed to a brisk walk as he turned to face them, tears coursing down his cheeks.

  ‘Sergeant Bishop,’ he croaked. ‘I’m sorry.’

She stared at him, not understanding, trying to work out what they’d missed.

  ‘Do you know where Lauren is? Is she okay?’ she demanded.

He straightened his back, wiped his hands over his face and finally met her eyes. ‘We’ll have to be quick.’

  ‘Nathan, we need a squad car.’

47

Geoff adhered to the speed limits, keeping a strict two car lengths between himself and the vehicle in front. In the passenger seat, Mark was biting his nails in frustration. He’d forgotten about Geoff’s driving style - it would have been quicker to walk. Geoff’s car was less than a year old, top of the range, and deserved a driver who knew how to handle it. Mark’s palms itched as he thought about offering to take the wheel.

  ‘We take a left here, don’t we?’ Geoff asked.

  ‘Yeah, then the next right.’ Mark tapped his fingers on his knees. ‘I’m not sure if they’ll be open by now though.’

Geoff didn’t take the hint, slowing down even more as a jogger approached a pedestrian crossing, then changed his mind and ran on. Mark sighed.

  After another minute or so dragged by, Geoff’s mobile phone began to ring in his pocket. Mark hid a smile as his father-in-law’s eyes searched for a safe place to stop.

  ‘I’d better answer, it’ll be Celia. Maybe Lauren’s been in touch.’

He indicated and pulled in at the side of the road while Mark bit back a smart reply. He doubted it somehow.

 
‘Blues and twos?’ PC Natalie Roberts asked again as she gunned the engine.

  ‘Definitely,’ Catherine replied, leaning forward and hitting the button to start the siren and flashing lights. The car leapt forward, onto the main road. Catherine turned in her seat, glaring over her shoulder at Dan Raynor who slumped in the back, his grazed hands now cuffed in front of him.

  ‘So tell me how you fit in,’ she demanded. ‘I can’t think you’re in charge.’

Raynor squirmed. ‘No, I’m not.’

  ‘Well?’ Catherine barked. Natalie executed a sharp left turn and Catherine grabbed the seat for support. Dan wasn’t so lucky and was flung to the side, hitting the car door next to him with a thud.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ Nat muttered. When Dan managed to right himself, Catherine leaned closer.

  ‘Look, Dan, if you want to help yourself, you need to start talking. You’ve made the right decision in coming to us, but now we need all the information you can give us.’

  ‘I just want to make sure Lauren’s okay,’ he sniffed. ‘None of this was meant to happen, no one was supposed to get hurt.’

  ‘Yeah, well someone did.’ Catherine’s tone was brutal and Dan shrank back against the seat. ‘Because you were greedy, because your wages weren’t enough for you, Keeley Pearce is dead and Lauren Cook probably isn’t far off, if she isn’t there already. Tell me who’s in charge, Dan.’

He was crying again, tears and snot mingling on his face as he raised both shackled hands to try to wipe the mess away. Catherine sighed, exasperated. Glancing over the top of Raynor’s head she could see another squad car in hot pursuit, with Nathan Collins behind the wheel and Kendrick’s bulk filling the passenger seat. In the back were most of the rest of the team: Anna, Dave and Simon. Knight was still absent and no one seemed to know where he’d gone. Chris Rogers and more uniformed officers were also on their way, as well as an ambulance. Catherine gritted her teeth.

  ‘Tell us what we’re dealing with here, Dan,’ she urged. ‘Are your friends going to be waiting for us? Will they be armed? John Worthy’s out of action, locked in a cell back at the station, so you don’t need to worry about him.’

Dan looked puzzled. ‘Mr Worthy?’

Catherine clung on again as the car lurched to the right. They were out of town now, heading into the quiet country roads that surrounded Northolme. Hedgerows flew by, illuminated every second or so by the wheeling blue lights.

  ‘Two miles, Sarge,’ Natalie said, her jaw clenched in concentration.

  ‘Why have you locked Mr Worthy up?’ Dan whinged, his voice that of a confused child. Catherine glared at him.

  ‘Because he’s behind all this, isn’t he?’

Confused, Dan shook his head.

 
Mark watched as Geoff pulled his mobile out of his cardigan pocket. It was a battered old thing; Lauren had often teased him about it, asking when he was going to get a smartphone, and Geoff had just smiled. Checking the display, Geoff frowned a little and lifted it to his ear. Mark could hear an agitated male voice, though he couldn’t make out what was being said. He glanced at Geoff, whose expression had changed, his skin seeming paler than it had before. Mark held his breath – not more bad news? He knew Geoff had an elderly aunt that he worried about.

  ‘I’m on my way. You’ll get there first - you know what to do.’

Geoff shoved the phone back in his pocket and stamped on the accelerator. Mark’s head was thrown back and he gripped the door handle, fear pitting his stomach.

  ‘Okay, Geoff?’

Geoff gave a quiet laugh.

  ‘Not exactly, Mark, no.’

  ‘Where are we going? Is it your aunt?’

As the car screeched around a mini roundabout and his father-in-law bent over the wheel, Mark took out his own phone.

  ‘I’ll ring Celia and tell her . . .’

  ‘Turn it off,’ Geoff snarled, wrenching the steering wheel to the right.

  ‘But . . .’

  ‘Do as I fucking say.’

Mark, terrified now, did as he was told. Geoff was almost unrecognisable as the mild-mannered, gentle man he knew. His teeth were bared like an angry dog as he urged the car forward. Mark folded his shaking hands in his lap, not wanting to do anything to further antagonise Geoff. Whatever was going on, he wanted no part in it.

  As they sped along, Geoff leant even closer to the windscreen. He smiled a little, the sort of leer a predator might give its prey.

  ‘Almost there,’ he muttered.

Mark sat up straighter, squinting out into the darkness.

  ‘Almost where, Geoff? I can’t see anything.’

His father-in-law glanced at him, his eyes cold.

  ‘You’ve been wondering where Lauren is for days, haven’t you? Well, it’s your lucky day. You’re going to be reunited.’

48

Catherine gawped, speechless for a second.

  ‘Say that again?’

  ‘It’s nothing to do with Mr Worthy, or Alex Lambert either. Geoff Chantry is our boss.’

  ‘Is that good news or bad news?’ Natalie asked, changing gear. She turned into a single-track lane littered with huge potholes, most of them filled with water. ‘Hold on to your hats.’

  ‘Geoff Chantry? Are you sure?’

Dan widened swollen eyes.

  ‘Don’t you think I should know?’

  ‘But that’s ridiculous. You’re telling me he’s known where Lauren’s been all this time?’ Catherine demanded. ‘He’s her father, for God’s sake.’

  ‘He’s Lauren’s step dad, not her father,’ Dan told her. ‘He married Lauren’s mum when Lauren was ten.’

Catherine shook her head in disbelief. ‘Oh well, that’s all right then. Perfectly fine to offer your step daughter a job as a drug mule as long as you’re not a blood relation.’

Natalie muttered to herself as they bounced over a particularly savage pothole.

  ‘And he does have a connection to Worthy’s  – he was the Financial Director until he retired two years ago,’ Dan went on, wincing as another jolt threw him up in the air.

  ‘And Worthy told us that himself.’ Catherine raised a hand to her face and rubbed her forehead for a second as Natalie swung the car in through an open gate and bumped down a short stretch of concrete.

  ‘This is the place.’

  ‘Thanks, Nat. Right, we need to find Geoff Chantry. He’s been staying with his son-in-law, Mark Cook. Have him brought in please.’

  ‘Okay, Sarge.’ Nat fumbled for her radio.

The other squad car arrived alongside them and doors started opening, the blue lights still whirling over the brick building that loomed in front of them. Kendrick was out of the car and by Catherine’s window, tapping on it.

  ‘Where is she? It’s getting colder by the minute.’

Catherine turned to Dan. ‘Right, you. Out. Show us where Lauren is.’

He couldn’t take his eyes off Kendrick hovering in the window, his face lit up like a Halloween lantern every few seconds. Dan held up his hands piteously.

  ‘Can’t you take the cuffs off now?’

  ‘No chance,’ she snapped. ‘Come on, before DCI Kendrick decides to help you.’

Dan’s eyes widened again and he began to slide towards the door. Catherine yanked it open and he clambered out, blinking in the glare of the blue lights. Kendrick grabbed him by the elbow.

  ‘Show us where she is.’

The wail of another siren cut the air and more blue lights were visible in the distance.

  ‘Sounds like our ambulance,’ Natalie observed. Kendrick gave Dan a shove.

  ‘Come on.’ He marched off, dragging the younger man along with him.

  ‘Guv, Geoff Chantry’s the man in charge,’ Catherine called after them. Kendrick’s step faltered for a second.

  ‘Chantry? As in Lauren’s father?’ His face was a mixture of disgust and disbelief.

  ‘Step father, but yeah, that’s the one,’ Catherine confirmed.

  ‘Jesus. Strange how family ties don’t matter when drugs and money are involved,’ he muttered.

Nathan, Anna, Dave and Simon clustered around Catherine.

  ‘Geoff Chantry? And we never . . .’ Dave exhaled.

  ‘I know. Nat’s putting a call out for him. Come on, let’s find Lauren.’

They caught up with Kendrick and Raynor.

  ‘He says she’s locked in that barn thing over there.’ Kendrick nodded towards a dilapidated building that stood in one corner of the field.

  ‘Lauren’s in that place? I wouldn’t keep a dog in there,’ Simon sounded disgusted. Raynor said nothing and kept his head down.

  ‘She’ll be freezing too,’ Anna added, glaring at Raynor.

  ‘Can we get them to bring the squad cars closer?’ Kendrick asked. ‘We might be glad of the light.’

Anna nodded and spoke into her Airwave handset.

  ‘On their way.’

They kept walking, both squad cars driving behind them. All at once though, another set of headlights sped onto the airfield, the engine screaming.

  ‘Who’s this?’ Dave Lancaster turned and shielded his eyes.

  ‘Any ideas, Dan? Another of Geoff Chantry’s assistants perhaps?’ Catherine gave him a prod. ‘Well?’

Raynor was terrified. ‘It’ll be Sid.’

Blank faces.

  ‘Sid?’ Kendrick said, shoving his huge face close to Raynor’s. The younger man shrank back.

  ‘Sid Benson. He works at Worthy’s as well.’

Catherine groaned. ‘Of course he does. So you and Sid are the muscle and Geoff Chantry’s the brains?’

  ‘You could put it like that,’ Raynor sniffed.

The two squad cars had moved quickly to pen the vehicle in. Between them, Collins and Roberts had wrestled Benson out of the car and were now in the process of handcuffing him. Raynor let out a sigh.

  ‘I thought he was going to kill me,’ he said. No one bothered to reply and they kept walking.

  One squad car was on the move again, Natalie’s vehicle waiting by the entrance to the airfield, Benson now locked into the back seat. Nathan kept driving, reaching the squat building at the same time as Raynor, Kendrick and the others.

  It was built from red brick; a functional, military-style storeroom that looked derelict.

  ‘It’s the other side,’ Raynor nodded.

They crept around and sure enough there was another door set into the brickwork with a bright new padlock hanging from the handle. Kendrick kept a tight hold of Raynor as Nathan brought his car right up to the building, then marched him around to the back of it and shut him in.

  Catherine was at the padlocked door. ‘Lauren?’ she called. No reply. ‘Lauren, can you hear me?’ Nothing. ‘It’s the police – we’re going to break down the door. Stand clear, Lauren, okay? Lauren?’ She turned to the others, her face set. ‘There’s a terrible smell in there.’

  ‘Come away for a minute, Sarge.’ Anna took her elbow as Nathan Collins came forward, gripping the handle of a heavy-duty hammer.

  ‘Where’s that come from?’ Kendrick demanded.

Collins grinned. ‘Thought it might come in handy.’

  ‘Just get on with it,’ Kendrick snarled, standing well back. ‘Where’s that bloody ambulance?’

Collins hit the padlock once and it flew off into the grass. ‘Pathetic,’ he muttered as Simon handed him a torch. He ducked through the door. ‘Lauren?’

Catherine stepped forward. ‘Is she there, Nathan?’

  ‘She is. She’s alive, but she looks bad.’

  ‘I’m coming in,’ Catherine said, slipping on some nitrile gloves. Her shoes touched plastic sheeting, crackling underfoot as she gazed around the freezing room. The smell was overwhelming: urine, faeces and fetid, closed-in air. She swallowed a few times. Collins crouched in the middle of the room, where the plastic had been gathered.

  ‘She’s tried to use it to keep warm I think.’ Collins swallowed.

  ‘For the good it’s done her. Gloves, Nathan.’ Catherine shoved a pair under his nose.

  ‘Thanks.’ He pulled them on as Catherine leant over Lauren. Her eyes were closed, her blonde hair dark with grease and filth. A stench rose from her, unwashed, rotten and terrible. Catherine touched a fingertip to Lauren’s cheek. ‘You’re safe,’ she whispered.

  Both officers looked up when they heard an engine outside.

  ‘The ambulance.’ Collins was on his feet.

  ‘About time.’ Catherine hurried after him, knowing the paramedics would need room to work. As she neared the door she noticed a light switch and flicked it, not expecting it to work. A yellow glow fell across the room, flickering and stuttering. She turned back to glance at Lauren. She hadn’t moved.

  Outside, she didn’t see the ambulance she had been expecting, but a civilian car. As she frowned at it, wondering why Natalie had let it through, the passenger door was flung open and Mark Cook leapt out. Geoff Chantry was in the driving seat.

  ‘Where’s Lauren?’ Mark yelled. Kendrick hurried towards him.

  ‘Mr Cook, you need to calm down.’ The police van had finally arrived and was lumbering over the grass towards them. Catherine saw Geoff Chantry’s eyes flick up to his rear-view mirror as it approached, as though trying to decide what to do next. She wondered why he had approached the building when it was obvious that the police had already arrived on the scene, then realised that on the single-track road with the police van close behind him, Chantry would have had no choice but to keep moving forward.

  ‘Where is she?’ Mark shouted, trying to run past Kendrick, who grabbed his arm.

  ‘Mr Cook, please. Your wife is safe, but we’re waiting for the ambulance. You need to stay out here.’

Cook tried to wrestle himself away.

  ‘I want to see her, let me go.’ He continued to struggle, but Kendrick held him tight. Anna was approaching the driver’s door of Chantry’s vehicle.

  ‘Mr Chantry, please get out of the car,’ she commanded.

Chantry ignored her, still staring at the police van. Nathan Collins met Catherine’s eyes and glanced at his squad car. Catherine gave a tiny nod and Nathan began to move. Chantry’s hands gripped the steering wheel and a strange, beatific expression crossed his face.

  ‘Guv .  .  .’ Catherine warned. As Kendrick looked at her, Mark Cook saw his chance, broke free of the DCI and sprinted towards the building. At the same moment, Geoff Chantry made up his mind and floored the accelerator.

  With a sickening thud, Chantry’s car collided with Mark and flung him to the side. He rolled over and lay still, face down in the grass. Chantry kept going, pulled the car into a sharp turn and sped off in the direction he had come from.

  Uniformed officers spilled out of the van, rushing over to Mark Cook who lay motionless. Chris Rogers ran up to Catherine, his eyes wide.

  ‘What the hell’s going on?’ he shouted. Catherine could only shake her head as the ambulance finally arrived at the gate. She took out her phone and requested another.