Chapter 107

Chapter 107

‘OK, guys, the clock is ticking here, so give me something …'

Charlie was pacing back and forth in front of the board, surrounded by the rump of their team. Losing three officers at such a crucial time in the investigation was a disaster and might well cost them dear, but they'd had no choice but to exile Jennings and his cronies, meaning Charlie had to work with the core of decent, hard-working officers who remained.

‘Reynolds is admitting nothing, will presumably "No Comment" all the way until he's charged, so we need to work out where he's keeping those girls. Are we any further on with triangulating his recent movements?'

‘We've double- and triple-checked,' DC McAndrew responded gravely. ‘His phone position shows him as either being here, on the beat, or at home. Nothing else. Certainly nothing out of the ordinary, nothing suspicious.'

‘What about his family?'

‘Their movements are even more contained. Home, school, shops, that's it.'

‘What about wider reports of suspicious activity, unusual noises, cries for help. Have uniform reported back on that front?'

‘We've had lots of reports since the newspaper article about Naomi,' McAndrew continued. ‘But they've all been dead ends. Trapped cats or hoaxers having a bit of fun …'

‘Strange bloody idea of fun,' Charlie cursed. ‘What about our property search? Large buildings in or around the Midanbury area that are lying vacant or have been mothballed or are awaiting development …'

‘We're still compiling a list,' DC Malik said, looking visibly stressed. ‘But because of the economic downturn there are lots of developments that have been shelved, or leases that have been given up. We're working our way through them, but—'

‘Can we link any of these properties to the suspects connected with Reynolds, people we already have in custody?'

Malik paused, caught off guard.

‘Well, we've only just started cross-referencing them.'

‘OK, well, drop the other stuff and focus on that,' Charlie demanded. ‘It might be a blind alley, but it's probably our best bet. I'm assuming Armstrong doesn't own any property? Somewhere he could have secreted the girls?'

‘Not that we know of.'

‘What about Eric Bateman, the magistrate entrepreneur guy? He's got resources, so—'

‘I had a look at him,' DC Wilson offered quickly. ‘He owns three properties, one here, two abroad. We've already turned over his house here though, no sign of anything.'

‘What about James Peters? The council guy?'

‘No, just a two-up, two-down in Shirley Warren that's already been searched.'

Frustrated, Charlie was about to move on to the next suspect, when she paused.

‘Remind me, what does Peters do for the Council?'

There was a brief pause, then DC Wilson's face seemed to light up.

‘He works in housing, with special responsibility for the council's fixed assets, properties they either own or have a long lease on.'

‘So, presumably, he'd have an overview of which council properties were being used, which were awaiting development or sale?' Charlie replied, suddenly excited.

‘Absolutely. But it's a very long list, dozens, possibly scores of properties …'

‘I don't care,' Charlie replied, turning to face the rest of the team. ‘I'll talk to Peters when they bring him in, see what I can screw out of him. In the meantime, I want the rest of you to work through those vacant council properties one by one, concentrating on those in the Midanbury area. If Naomi is being held in one of those buildings, it's in our gift to find her now, so we do not rest until every single one has been properly investigated. Understood?'

A sea of faces nodded purposefully out her. Charlie felt suddenly moved, buoyed up by the realization that the remnants of the team were honest, hard-working and true.

‘Then let's get to it. Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. We have to find those girls. You're their only hope now.'