On A Dark Sea (The DCI Dani Bevan Detective Novels Book 2) (14 page)

Chapter Twenty Eight

I
n the cold light of day, Bill’s reservations had returned. Something was making him hesitate to contact DCI Bevan. She’d told him repeatedly to stop sticking his nose into police business. The Riddell girl was still missing and he didn’t like to bother her.

              But Michelle’s sickening story was imprinted in his mind’s eye. At breakfast time, all he could visualise was that long red corridor, with doors leading off either side. Then he remembered the girl he saw in the kitchens of the Fisherman’s Bar. The thought of her being shut up behind one of those doors was almost more than he could bear.

              Bill rushed into the study and located his address book. He flicked impatiently through the pages. Bill knew that Andy Calder thought he was a crackpot. DS Boag had been more patient with him, but he sensed the man didn’t hold him in much higher regard. Bill paused for a moment when he found the entry he was looking for. He briefly prevaricated over the extravagance of making an international call at this hour of the morning, but quickly dismissed his concerns, remembering that the fate of those poor girls was a stake. Bill went out into the hall, lifted the receiver and placed the call.

              ‘Hello,’ said a distant, sleepy voice.

              ‘Oh, I hope I’ve not woken you up Detective Sharpe. It’s Bill here, Bill Hutchison.’

              ‘Is everything okay, Bill? Is Dani alright?’

              ‘Yes, as far as I am aware, she’s absolutely fine.’

              ‘Then what can I do for you?’ His tone was puzzled but not unfriendly.

              ‘I’ve got a problem, Detective Sharpe. You were the only person I could think of who might be able to help me.’

*

Dieter had stocked Dani’s cupboards with food. He was busily preparing proper pancakes, with fresh blueberries and maple syrup. The DCI carried across a large pot of coffee, clearing a space on the table and setting it down. She padded back to the kitchen area and rested her head on Dieter’s shoulder.

              ‘When have you got to go home?’

              ‘In a couple of days. You could always take some leave and come back to Norway with me? You’ve hardly seen the best parts of my country yet.’ Dieter turned round and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

              ‘I can’t do that in the middle of a case. I’m a man down as it is, with Phil suspended from duty.’

              ‘It seems crazy to have such a good policeman stuck at home, twiddling his thumbs.’

              ‘Well, he
has
stepped over the line. Withholding evidence in a murder investigation is incredibly serious.’

              Dieter said nothing, carrying the frying pan to the table and sliding a couple of pancakes onto a plate. ‘Are you still checking out the clubs where Maisie worked as a singer?’

              ‘Yes, Andy and I are liaising with Vice to come up with a list of the most likely venues. The problem is the people who run these places are impossible to find in the daytime. The clubs are boarded up and the owners simply disappear off the face of the earth.’

              ‘They are nocturnal animals,’ Dieter said with a grin. ‘The sunlight doesn’t agree with them.’

              Dani leant forward and touched her hand to his face. ‘I will miss you.’

              He locked his fingers through hers and brushed his lips against her palm. ‘I’ll come back again - if you want me to.’

              She smiled. ‘You know I want that very much.’

*

Sam Sharpe sat in the passenger seat of Bill’s car. He unzipped his padded jacket and gratefully received the take-out cup of coffee handed to him. ‘I’ve got no more authority to be doing this than you have,’ he stated wryly.

              ‘Yes, but you have got the training and the expertise,’ Bill replied.

              The American gave a thin smile. ‘I’m flattered you’ve got so much faith in me.’

              ‘I do appreciate you coming all this way to help.’

              ‘If there’s a chance of nailing Erskine, I’m not gonna pass it up. I’m here on my own time, but if my boss knew about it, he’d be behind me a hundred percent. The fact that Richard Erskine got off after killing a US citizen still rankles in my department.’

              It was getting dark. They were watching the exterior of the Fisherman’s Bar, at the dockside in Aberdeen. Several men had already entered the premises, but it was still early.

              ‘I believe that Erskine discovered Terence Sinclair was in the business of exploiting young girls. That’s why he killed him. Erskine was meting out some kind of primitive justice against a man that mistreated vulnerable women,’ Bill said quietly. ‘Just as his grandmother had herself been abused.’

              Sam shifted round to look at his friend. ‘Don’t make the mistake of glorifying what Richard Erskine’s done. Mackie Shaw hadn’t harmed anyone, yet he was murdered in the same, horrible way. Erskine’s developed a taste for it. He enjoys the killing, but now he’s manufactured some kind of justification for what he does. That’s all, pure and simple. I’m not saying Terence Sinclair was a great guy, but he should have been put on trial for his crimes and his operation shut down. With Erskine’s method, these shitbags are quickly replaced by someone else – nothing changes.’

              ‘I see your point, Detective Sharpe.’

              ‘Now, when did your hairdresser lady say that she saw the girls working the top floor of this joint?’

              ‘It was back in the winter of 2009, the January or February she thinks.’

              ‘That’s a long time ago, Bill.’

              ‘I know. But I saw that young woman here last week. The landlady called her Anita. I don’t believe for a second that was her real name.’

              ‘Right. Here’s what we’re gonna do. You’re gonna go in there and order a drink. Chat to this landlady for a while. Drop a few hints that you might be interested in a little female company this evening. She already suspects that you may be up for it. Don’t say anything directly, let her do the talking. I’ll be waiting round the back. If she leads you upstairs, make sure you assess what’s going on up there and then say you’ve left your cash out in the car or something, and you’ll be back in a minute – just get the hell out of there. Once we’ve got our proof, we can take it to the local cops. Let them do a raid.’

              Bill’s face was ashen. ‘I’m not sure I can manage that.’

              ‘Sure you can.’ Sam slapped him on the back. ‘I’ll be just outside if you think you’re in any danger.’

              The older man nodded his head and swung his legs out of the car. As he walked towards the entrance, Bill felt his resolve wavering. Then he thought about that bewildered young girl working in the kitchens, and he stood up straighter, pushing his way through the heavy door.

              Liz recognised him. As he approached the bar she’d already poured him out a beer. ‘Sorry, I’ve forgotten your name. But you came in asking about Terry?’

              ‘That’s right. It’s Bill.’

              The bar was gradually filling up. A game of pool was in full swing in a dark alcove in the corner. Several clusters of men sat at the small tables dotted about the room, staring at the muted television set attached to a wall. It suddenly struck him as surreal to imagine there was a brothel operating just upstairs. He nearly downed his pint and bolted for the car park. But something made him stand his ground. If they were wrong, the worst that could happen would be his short-term humiliation. But if they were right, he couldn’t leave those girls in that awful situation.

              Bill turned back towards Liz, playing with the pint glass in his hand. ‘Terry talked to me about this place a lot.’

              ‘Oh yes, all good I hope.’

              ‘He said you catered for all kinds of tastes here.’

              Liz stopped arranging the bottles on the back of the bar and turned to face him. She leant her arms on the counter, her sparkly top clattering against the wood. ‘And what are your particular tastes, Bill?’

              ‘That girl I saw the other night, Anita. Is she still here?’

              Liz pursed her lips. ‘Anita had to go home. But there are others like her. You can’t be too choosy Bill.’

              He nodded. ‘Of course. Maybe you could make a selection for me? I think you’d be good at that.’

              Liz glanced over his shoulder, eyeing her clientele closely. She lowered her voice. ‘We’ve had some new faces in recently, hanging around and asking questions. Finish your drink and leave out the front. I’ll meet you by the back door in five minutes.’

              Bill dipped his head in acknowledgment. Liz hurried off to serve another customer. He supped up and lifted his coat. As he slipped off the stool it almost felt as if his legs had turned to jelly. It took the most monumental effort for him to reach the door without them buckling. Once Bill was out in the fresh air, he gained a little strength. Glancing over to the car, he saw that Sam wasn’t in the front seat. He ducked around the side of the building. The alleyway was just as Michelle had described it. Bill reached the back door and waited.

              ‘Sam! Are you there?’ He whispered into the shadows.

              ‘I’m here,’ he rasped in reply, not showing himself. ‘As soon as you’ve seen what you need to, get the hell out of there, okay.’

              At that moment, the door was wrenched open. Liz peered through a tiny gap and gestured for him to enter. The red carpet was gone, replaced by an equally cheap looking linoleum.

              ‘Straight up the stairs,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘Stevie will sort you out.’

              Bill solemnly climbed the steps, like a condemned man ascending the gallows. What was disconcerting him was the eerie quietness. He wasn’t quite sure what kinds of noises he expected to hear. At the top of the flight he turned right.

              There was the corridor.

              At the end of it sat a weasel-like little man at a desk. The corridor seemed to go on for ever, Bill’s legs felt like lead weights as he dragged himself along it.

              He finally reached the man. ‘Liz sent me up,’ he explained weakly.

              ‘Door two,’ the weasel replied, not even glancing up from the tabloid he was reading.

              ‘Shall I pay now, or after?’

              ‘After.’

              Bill noticed then that the doors were all numbered. The second door was back down the corridor again. He stopped in front of it, feeling as if his heart might explode out of his chest. Bill knocked gently, twisting the handle at the same time. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The girl was sitting on the edge of an unmade bed. Some effort had been made to make the room comfortable. Chintzy curtains hung at the window and there was a nice wardrobe and bedside table.

              ‘Do you speak English?’ He whispered.

              ‘Yes,’ she replied.

              Bill went straight to the wardrobe and found it was actually full of clothes. He picked out a top and some trousers and handed them to her. He was gripped with a strange determination. Bill knew it wasn’t part of the plan but he really didn’t care.

              ‘Would you mind putting them on?’ He said decisively. ‘I’m going to get you out of here.’

Chapter Twenty Nine

‘H
oly crap, Bill. You’ve sure got a problem with using official channels.’ Sam turned up the heating as they raced out of the car park of the Fisherman’s Bar. A young girl sat shivering in the back seat, wrapped in the detective’s padded jacket.

              ‘I couldn’t just leave her there.’

              Sam twisted round. ‘What’s your name, sweetheart?’

              ‘Freya,’ she muttered, through chattering teeth.

              ‘We’re gonna take you to the police station, is that okay? They’ll find a decent hostel for you to spend the night in.’

              ‘I would like to go home. Coming here was not as they said it would be.’

              ‘Where is home, Freya?’ He asked gently.

              ‘Lithuania.’

              ‘How many other girls were with you in that place?’

              ‘There were six of us. Will you get the others out too?’

              ‘I hope so,’ Sam replied. He shifted back to face the front. ‘Although, they might be long gone by now.’

              ‘I realise I acted rashly, Detective Sharpe. But the man guarding them was engrossed in his newspaper. I was able lead Freya out of the room and down the stairs before anyone noticed. Even if I had bolted on my own, they would still have known something was up.’

              ‘Let’s head straight to the station. This DI Lyons might still be able to get some incriminating evidence from the scene.’

              Bill grunted. ‘I’m not sure that DI Lyons would know what to look for.’

              ‘Hey, not all of us detectives are incompetent,’ Sam gave a chuckle.

              ‘Speaking of which, I should really give DCI Bevan a call and tell her what’s happened.’

              ‘Well, if you do, please don’t mention that I’m here.’

              Bill shot him a puzzled look. ‘Danielle would love to see you, I’m sure.’

              ‘That’s as maybe, but we have an arrangement. It doesn’t include dropping in on one another unannounced – particularly when there’s a big case going down. I don’t want to put Dani under any pressure. That’s not how our relationship works.’

              Bill nodded, not really understanding this modern sounding situation. ‘If that’s what you want, I won’t say a word to her.’

              ‘Great. That’s what I want.’

*

DCs Calder and Mann travelled together in the lift to the Serious Crime Division.

              ‘It’s like we’ve hit a brick wall,’ Andy lamented.

              ‘Well, very few people are going to admit to employing an underage girl. The club owners don’t want us to know they’ve had fourteen year olds on the premises.’

              ‘But you’d think one of the guys who Maisie performed with might actually give a crap what’s happened to her.’ 

              Andy strode towards DCI Bevan’s office, ready to give her the lowdown on their trip to the west-end. Dani waved him in. She had a perturbed look on her face. Before Calder could say anything, his boss explained, ‘I’ve just had a call from Aberdeen. Bill Hutchison has uncovered a child prostitution racket operating out of the docks there.’

              Andy took a seat, even though he’d not been invited to. ‘Good old Bill, I didn’t know he had it in him.’

              ‘When Bill thinks he’s onto something, he’s like a dog with a bone,’ Dani muttered darkly. ‘The man could have got himself killed. Apparently, he smuggled a young Lithuanian girl out of the place single-handed. Bill took her straight to the police station and reported the gang. DI Lyons authorised a raid and they’ve managed to round up all the girls. They’d been bundled into a van, ready to transport to some other anonymous hell hole.’

              ‘Will they be making arrests?’

              ‘Only a couple, the others had scarpered. But if Lyons can get one of them to talk, they could bust the whole operation.’

              ‘I’m not even going to ask how Hutchison pulled that one off on his own. He’s certainly done better than me and Alice. Nobody’s saying anything about Maisie working the club scene.’

              ‘Not many folk are going to invite a storm to come down on their heads.’ Dani walked back over to her desk.

              Andy remained seated. The words that Dani had just spoken were circling around in his head. ‘Do you recall Alex Ritchie?’

              ‘Maisie’s next door neighbour, the boy with learning difficulties?’

              ‘They used to play music together, before Maisie was doing it for real. Only Alex mentioned they had this favourite band, called the Storm. They must be some indie group, because I’ve never heard of them.’

              ‘Do you want to check it out? It’s a long shot, but you never know.’

              Andy nodded, he stood up, ready to return to his desk.

              ‘Hold the fort for me will you?’ Dani asked, ‘I’m going to pay Phil a visit and see how he’s doing. I want to be sure to catch him alone.’

              ‘Of course, Ma’am.’

              It took about half an hour for Bevan to drive to the Boags’ house in Pollockshaws. When Phil answered the door he looked tired.

              ‘Hello Ma’am, come in.’ He led her across an impressive hallway into a spanking new kitchen. The marble worktops were dazzlingly white and seemed to have sparkling stones worked into them. Dani did her best not to gawp, as Phil put the kettle on.

              ‘How are you?’ She asked tentatively.

              ‘I haven’t slept much. I told Jane about me and Fiona last night. We’ve not said anything to the girls yet.’ He perched on a stool next to her.

              ‘I’m really sorry.’ Dani placed her hand on his arm. She found herself strangely curious to know how Jane reacted to the news. ‘Do the girls need to find out?’

              Phil shrugged. ‘We aren’t at the stage of deciding stuff like that. I don’t think Jane has absorbed the information properly. When I was telling her, it actually seemed like she didn’t believe me.’

              ‘It is quite out of character,’ Dani commented. ‘But the fact your wife didn’t see it coming shows how much she was taking you for granted.’

              ‘Do you think?’ Phil got up to make the coffees. ‘Now everyone at work has found out, it’s like I’ve woken from a dream. I can’t imagine why I ever did something so reckless and stupid.’

              ‘But Fiona seems like a nice woman. She was on her own and so were you. I can see exactly why you did it.’

              Phil brought the mugs over and sat by Dani again. ‘I’m not on my own though, am I? I’ve got Jane and the girls. We have a system, it isn’t always perfect, but we make it work for us as a family.’

              Dani sighed, taking his hand. ‘It obviously wasn’t working for you, Phil.’

              ‘Does that matter? When you’re responsible for the happiness of others you’ve got to forget your own needs.’

              Dani thought about what Andy Calder had said. ‘Your girls are growing up. You can’t forfeit your happiness for their benefit forever. If you still love Jane, fair enough, try and make it work. But she’s got to meet you half way.’

              Phil nodded, his eyes glassy with tears. ‘Isn’t it weird how things appear so clear from the outside. When you’re wrapped up in the situation yourself, it’s really hard to know where you’re going wrong.’

              ‘You’ll find a way. I know you will.’

              ‘However this whole thing turns out,’ Phil added with determination, ‘I certainly won’t be telling any more lies.’