THE GUILTY ONES a gripping crime thriller filled with stunning twists Page 26

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Marie rode back to Saltern feeling that, for once, she had really made a difference to a life. Even if that life was drawing to an end. Several times she had needed to lift her visor to wipe away her tears.

  Marie had told Sheila as much as she dared, and she had listened with shining eyes. By the time Marie left her, Sheila Symons looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

  Yvette hugged Marie as if she had just delivered a cheque for a million pounds. Dale and Liam appeared to be on the verge of tears, and Kenny and Susie looked at each other and smiled in utter relief.

  Marie had made sure they understood that the recorded conversation could not be used in court. But she assured them that when this present murder investigation was brought to a close, she would do her best to see that Brendan’s case was reopened, using the information they now had, and new forensic techniques. She couldn’t make a firm promise, but they had her word that she would try.

  * * *

  Still smiling, Marie entered the CID room to be met by a sea of grave faces.

  ‘Okay? What have I missed?’

  Robbie spoke quietly. ‘It’s Jackman. He’s had to go to his parents’ home. His brother James never turned up for a work meeting. He’s missing, Marie.’

  All her hope and elation faded. Marie looked across to Jackman’s office and saw that the door was open. She hurried over and found Laura still staring at all the sheets of paper.

  ‘Is it possible? Could Alistair have targeted James?’

  Laura looked up at her. ‘Oh yes. In fact very possible. It confirms what I was saying earlier about justice.’

  Marie sank into Jackman’s chair and stared at Laura across the desk. ‘Explain.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking about this man, and his terrible history — all the things he witnessed, and what he has done himself. I’ve come to the conclusion that he could never hurt a child.’

  ‘Surely, psychopaths lack all empathy, and wouldn’t that extend to children too?’

  ‘He’s not a textbook case, Marie. He wasn’t born with a mental impairment, he’s the result of what he suffered, and somewhere inside, there’s still that little boy who craved love.’

  ‘But what about the boys’ suffering when their mother died?’ asked Marie.

  ‘He knows people can overcome that kind of hurt. He did, after all. He might even believe that he is helping them to achieve greater inner strength through suffering and loss.’ Laura took a breath. ‘What I meant was, he couldn’t physically injure another child. Which means, if my theory is correct, that Ryan and Miles are relatively safe.’

  ‘But why James? He’s been almost a shadow all along. Jackman has done more for the children than James.’ Marie paused. ‘Oh, of course.’

  Laura nodded. ‘If Alistair is killing with the aim of restoring justice, then James is the perfect candidate. He’s never been there for his boys in their hour of need. He puts work before his children. He is therefore guilty of neglect.’ She puffed out her cheeks.

  ‘Once again, Alistair is prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner.’ Marie groaned. ‘But where is he? Where has he taken James?’

  ‘That’s the big problem. I don’t think James has much time left. We heard that recording. Alistair has a short fuse and his anger is escalating. One wrong word from James, and that would be the end of him.’

  Marie sighed. ‘Oh, those poor children.’

  ‘And poor Jackman,’ Laura said. ‘The task of finding this killer is resting squarely on his shoulders.’

  ‘You really like him, don’t you?’ Marie had blurted this out before she could stop herself.

  Laura smiled almost apologetically. ‘’Fraid so.’

  Marie grinned broadly. ‘I think that’s the best thing I’ve heard in years.’

  Laura looked at her through her eyelashes. ‘I’m not treading on your toes, then?’

  Marie snorted. ‘Me? No way! He’s my boss, my friend, and I’d lay down my life for him, but anything more . . . no, Laura. The field is clear.’

  Laura shook her head. ‘Not exactly. I don’t think I’m the only one who cares about him.’

  Marie straightened up. ‘Excuse me? I can’t have this! Something going on I don’t know about. Who?’

  ‘Ella Jarvis,’ Laura said. ‘I was watching her when we went to talk to the boys.’

  ‘Really? Well, all I can say is I happen to be pretty good at people watching myself, and I’m dead certain Jackman feels the same about you. So I’d go for it, if I were you.’

  Before Laura could answer, Jackman’s desk phone rang.

  ‘DI Jackman’s extension, DS Evans here. Can I help you?’

  Orac sounded almost excited. ‘He asked for a trace on properties purchased by Ashcroft, possibly under another name. I’ve discovered a small firm of solicitors that he’s used, and found out that he has recently taken a long-term lease on a place. The solicitor wouldn’t give me any details, other than a rather handy email address for his client. I’ve accessed his in-box and found several documents regarding the lease. And the rest, as they say, is history. I have the address of the rented property right here.’

  Thanking Orac profusely, Marie scribbled down the address. ‘Sorry, Laura, we have a possible location for Ashcroft. I’ve got to get some men out there.’

  She ran from the office, calling for Robbie and Max. ‘Get uniform! And we might need a firearms unit. We may have just found Ashcroft, and we know he has a gun. So get out there, fast!’

  ‘And you, Sarge?’

  ‘I’ll liaise from here. Just keep me in the loop, all the time, okay?’

  Next, she ran upstairs to the superintendent, who immediately authorised the use of firearms officers.

  ‘Where is this place?’ Ruth asked.

  ‘A small farmhouse, off the road to somewhere called Chapel Rise. I’ve just Googled it. It’s secluded and pretty remote.’

  ‘He’ll hear us coming.’ Ruth’s face formed lines of worry. ‘Nowhere to hide out there.’

  ‘I’ve requested softly, softly. No blue and twos. We can’t do any more than that.’ Marie looked at the superintendent. ‘Should we tell Jackman?’

  ‘Not immediately. He’s doing his best to hold his family together. We’ll ring when we know whether this place really is Ashcroft’s bolthole.’

  ‘And whether his brother is there,’ added Marie, leaving out the dead or alive part.

  Back in the CID room, Laura asked her why she hadn’t gone with the others.

  Marie paused. ‘Because I don’t think he’s there. I’m sure it’s his temporary home, but — don’t ask me why — I just think he won’t dirty his own backyard.’

  Marie’s mobile rang — Jackman.

  ‘How are things?’ she asked.

  ‘As grim as you’d expect. But I’m coming back shortly. There’s very little I can do from here, and there are several officers with the family.’

  Marie understood that. ‘Okay, we’ll see you soon. And drive carefully.’

  As she ended the call, she saw Laura’s face. ‘He’s on his way back, and before you ask, he sounds like shit.’

  ‘Was that the boss?’ Gary approached, his face drawn with anxiety.

  ‘He’ll be back soon. Gary? What’s the story about James? What do we actually know?’

  ‘As far as I can gather, James was working from home in the morning, and he left around lunchtime to go for a meeting. At two thirty his secretary phoned to see if there was a problem, as he hadn’t arrived. He never did.’ Gary pulled a face. ‘His phone was switched off, something he never does. Jackman’s father drove the route to his office, just to see if he’d broken down or had an accident, but zilch.’

  ‘Did they check Rainham Lodge?’ Marie asked.

  Gary nodded. ‘Jackman got a crew out there straightaway, but he wasn’t there.’

  ‘So he’s not been missing for long, has he? Ashcroft likes his dramatic settings, as w
e know. He likes to stage his murder scenes carefully. It isn’t his style to capture his victim and then just kill him. He would need his subject to be fully aware of what was happening and what the charges against them were, don’t you think?’ Marie turned to Laura.

  Laura nodded. ‘He needs them to be aware of how powerful he is, and to admit to their failures, how they have failed their loved ones. He wants them to admit that his accusations are justified.’

  ‘So James could still be alive?’ Gary looked into space, then jumped at the sound of Marie’s mobile.

  Robbie sounded hyped up. ‘It’s his place alright, Sarge. But he’s not here. The firearms unit went in first, but there was no sign of anything untoward. No one has been held here. It’s neat and tidy, nothing out of place. There’s no gun either, or a motorcycle, although there are bike tyre tracks outside the property.’

  ‘How about a car?’

  ‘One vehicle, a Nissan, around the back.’

  ‘Okay, Rob, seal it up. I’m going to need every scrap of paperwork, every document, every receipt, every letter, anything to get a handle on where his real home is, or what he’s planning. And, Robbie, I want several uniforms there round the clock, just in case he comes back.’

  ‘So you were right.’ Laura looked impressed. ‘Nice one.’

  Marie walked over to a big map of the area pinned to the wall, and looked at the position of Ashcroft’s rented farmhouse. It was secluded alright, ten minutes’ drive from several main roads. So where was he now? And how had he managed to kidnap James? If indeed that was what had happened. She looked around. ‘Laura?’

  Laura hurried over.

  ‘Any chance that James has had some kind of “episode?” You know, been overcome with grief, and just taken himself off for a while?’

  ‘Possibly, if it all got too much for him. It does sound like they are under a kind of house arrest at the stables, doesn’t it? He might have needed some time out.’

  ‘And turn off your phone? When you have little children and a whole family under threat?’ Gary interrupted. ‘I doubt it.’

  ‘If he’s in turmoil, he might. He wouldn’t necessarily be thinking straight,’ Laura said.

  ‘We’re thinking it’s Ashcroft because we are waiting for his next move, but what if James has just cracked?’ Marie mused. ‘Anyway, we still need to find him, no matter why he disappeared.’

  They waited for what seemed like an eternity, unsure of what to do next. Then one of the desk phones rang. Gary answered it.

  ‘Traffic have picked up James’s Toyota on a link road to the Lincoln Avenue. It was parked in a layby, undamaged and locked.’

  ‘When was this?’ The sound of Jackman’s voice made them all turn round.

  ‘A few minutes ago, sir, and the officer reckons it’s been there for a while. Cold engine.’ Gary put the receiver back.

  ‘CCTV on that stretch?’ Jackman barked.

  ‘Only at the town intersection on the main road, and he didn’t show up there. If he turned in from one of the side roads there are no cameras for miles.’ Gary looked at the scribbled memo. ‘However, an attendant in the petrol station close to the layby did notice a Toyota pull up to help another motorist who had broken down. The description fits James.’

  ‘They must have CCTV. It’s a bloody garage, isn’t it?’ Jackman sounded edgy.

  ‘Uniform are looking at it now, sir. They’ll report in if they find anything.’

  ‘Looks like that’s how Ashcroft caught him. The old breakdown trick,’ Marie murmured. ‘But, sir, we need to fill you in on one development that happened while you were out.’ She told him about the rented farmhouse.

  Jackman nodded. ‘So, we’ve prevented him from returning to his lair. That’s good. But where the hell is he now?’

  In the ensuing silence, Gary tactfully went off to make everyone a hot drink.

  Jackman went into his office, and Laura followed. Marie was about to join them but thought better of it. It was the worst of times, but she hoped that Jackman and Laura would get a chance for some happiness when all this was over. But what state were any of the Jackman family going to be in when the final curtain came down on this terrible case?

  ‘Sarge?’ Gary hurried back into the room. ‘Uniform have just confirmed that the man on the garage CCTV, the one that James was assisting, fits the description of Alistair Ashcroft. I’m just going to break it to the boss.’

  Marie felt her heart sink. Okay, they had already decided that that was what had happened, but the positive confirmation made it real. She needed to think, and fast! She tried to imagine what she would do if she were Alistair Ashcroft. Where would she take James?

  She sank down in her chair and closed her eyes. If I were Alistair Ashcroft . . .

  * * *

  Alistair Ashcroft looked thoughtfully at his victim, his prisoner on remand. The culprit, in custody, pending trial.

  Alistair Ashcroft had chosen DI Rowan Jackman to be his adversary and he had found him to be a worthy opponent.

  He looked at the brother.

  He would never have chosen this man for anything. What he was doing to his sons was beneath contempt. He wondered what on earth the dear departed Sarah had seen in him. Ah, Sarah! He smiled to himself. She had been far stronger than he’d expected, and had shown great courage. Few knew it, but she’d suffered from a morbid fear of crowds and high buildings. Ever since they were children, both she and her friend had avoided going to big cities. It had been fitting that they should end their lives in a place that terrified them. He saw again her face when she made her final leap to oblivion. He hoped never to forget it.

  James wasn’t a pretty sight. He was slumped in a chair, his ties preventing him from sliding off. A trickle of saliva dribbled from the corner of his mouth and made a dark stain on his pale blue shirt. It wouldn’t be long before he woke up, and then Alistair could proceed.

  He stood up and stretched. Certain of not being discovered, he was in no hurry. He had a few small adjustments to make to the scene, and then the trial would begin.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  What if? Marie’s eyes snapped open, she hurriedly pushed back her chair and made for Jackman’s office.

  ‘Sir? This might be nothing, but I’ve had a thought.’

  Jackman and Laura looked up expectantly.

  ‘I don’t want to send uniform barging in, all guns blazing, but what if Ashcroft has taken James home? To Rainham Lodge?’

  Jackman frowned. ‘It is empty, isn’t it? Uniform checked it earlier, and no one was there, but he could have waited for them to leave, then gone inside. You could be right, Marie! And if Ashcroft is holding my brother there, he’ll kill him if we race in mob-handed. I want to check this out myself. James’s only chance is for me to try to talk to Ashcroft.’

  Laura looked horrified. ‘You can’t reason with a psychopath, Jackman. He plays by his own rules.’

  ‘But I could buy us some time. Marie would be waiting in the wings, and if he is there, we bring in the heavy mob, but under the cover of darkness, on foot and silently.’

  ‘It’s too dangerous.’ Laura looked ready to throw herself against the door to prevent him leaving.

  ‘We have to go, Laura.’ Jackman reached out and Marie noticed him touch her arm gently.

  ‘We will be back. I promise you,’ Jackman said.

  ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’ Laura’s voice trembled.

  ‘We will be back.’ The words rang out.

  Wishing she felt half as confident, Marie nodded.

  Outside the office, Jackman pulled her to one side. ‘I know this is not correct procedure, in fact far from it, but I can’t risk something happening to James because I’ve sent an armed squad in there. You know as well as I do, these things don’t always go to plan.’

  He looked distraught, and Marie felt for him. ‘What if I tell Robbie, and get him and an armed unit to tail us at a distance? If he hears from me, then he can send them in, as yo
u said before, softly, softly?’ She looked him in the eyes, ‘And don’t try to keep me out of this, I know the risks, but I happen to agree with you. Let’s do it your way.’

  ‘Okay, then talk to Rob and let’s get out of here. The more I think about it, the more I think you’re right.’ Jackman was about to throw her the car keys, but she held up her hand.

  ‘You drive and I’ll follow on my bike. You say Ashcroft is a biker, so if he decides to make a run for it, I’ll stand a much better chance of keeping him in sight if I’m on two wheels.’

  ‘Good point. You follow me. We’ll park up before we get to Water Lane and approach Rainham Lodge on foot, okay?’

  She gave him a thumbs up, spoke to Robbie, then hurried to the locker room to get her gear.

  * * *

  The Landrover pulled over and disappeared into the gloom as the lights went off.

  She cut her engine and coasted in behind it. She pushed off her helmet and hung it over the handlebars. Rainham Lodge was a short walk away, over a bridge and then up to the house itself.

  ‘The front of the house is in darkness,’ whispered Jackman, ‘but I can see a glimmer of light coming from an upstairs window.’

  Marie scanned the dark shadowy driveway. ‘I can’t see a car, can you?’

  ‘No, but he’s had plenty of time to hide it. Or he could have brought James here, then taken the car back and returned on his motorcycle. After all, if he kills James, he won’t be needing to chauffeur him anywhere afterwards, will he? Then he can make that fast getaway you were talking about. People might notice the make of a car, but very few can identify a motorcycle.’ Jackman fished in his pocket. ‘Luckily I always carry a spare key, just in case Ella or the boys need me.’

  They crept closer, keeping to the damp grass to one side of the gravel drive. They waited outside the front door and listened. Marie could hear nothing, but she was certain they were not alone. She felt a tremor of nervous excitement. Get this right, and Alistair Ashcroft would soon be in custody. Get it wrong . . .

  Jackman slipped the key into the lock and turned it.

  Still no sound. They eased themselves into the hallway and Jackman closed the door behind them with a faint click. He led the way to the bottom of the stairs. He had been right, there was a dim light coming from the far end of the landing.