Chapter 25

Chapter 25

‘It's definitely her, isn't it?'

Helen looked up anxiously at Charlie, who nodded solemnly.

‘Certainly matches the description. We know those pink boots were Naomi's pride and joy and the blue hair a recent act of rebellion. It would be a mighty coincidence if it wasn't her, right?'

Helen digested this, but said nothing. She and Charlie were closeted away in her private office, examining PC Beamer's bodycam footage. Helen hadn't liked what she'd seen on first viewing and she liked it even less now.

‘I mean, Reynolds clearly did speak to her,' Helen eventually continued falteringly. ‘And, yes, it could have been an oversight, but if so, it was a pretty massive one. I asked him directly if he'd seen her and he said no …'

Helen looked up at her deputy once more, as if seeking answers.

‘And PC Beamer was there too?' Charlie replied. ‘In the canteen, I mean …'

‘Yes, she was standing right next to him.'

‘And she didn't say anything?'

‘No, but there could be any number of reasons for that, not least the fact that she is a lowly probationer and he is a very experienced officer who's well liked and respected by, well, by pretty much everyone in the building.'

Helen sighed heavily, deeply troubled by this strange development.

‘Look,' she eventually continued, gathering herself. ‘I'll talk to Reynolds first thing tomorrow, see if we can sort this out. In the meantime, I want the team to widen the perimeters of investigation.'

Helen clocked Charlie's look of surprise, but chose to ignore it.

‘Surprisingly, DC Jennings has managed to pull something out the bag. I asked him to go back over recent miss pers cases to see if the circumstances of Naomi's disappearance chimed with any recent cases. And he came up with these …'

Helen crossed to her desk, pulling three photos from the file and laying them out.

‘Laura White, Shanice Lloyd and Mia Davies.'

Charlie took in their innocent, happy faces, feeling a sudden pang of sadness.

‘All female, all aged between fourteen and sixteen, and all living rough when they went missing.'

‘Why do you think their disappearances are connected? Are they from the same part of town, same school, anything like that?' Charlie queried.

‘Nothing specific. Naomi and Mia are from opposite ends of Woolston, but that's not what interests me,' Helen replied briskly, a hint of annoyance in her tone. ‘They're all young teens, similar build, similar backgrounds, all of whom were living rough, all of whom have gone missing in the last year. It's possible that their disappearances are connected, that some guy, some predator, is driving around at night in his Movano van, spiriting them away.'

‘Of course, it's possible, ' Charlie responded evenly. ‘And I know they're someone's daughter, someone's sister and they all need to be accounted for, but I'm not sure I see a clear link to Naomi yet.'

‘Well, I do,' came the terse reply.

Charlie stared at Helen, surprised by her tone. Choosing her words carefully, she replied, ‘Helen, do you not think you're perhaps letting yourself get carried away with this thing?'

‘This "thing"?'

‘You know what I mean. Just because you don't have much time for the Chief Super or for DC Jennings, it doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong. You don't have to escalate this just to make a point.'

‘You think that's why I'm doing this?'

‘I'm just saying that the team are unsettled. They're worried that we're spending too much time on the Naomi Watson case as it is.'

‘And that's supposed to stop me, is it? Divert me from what I think is the right course of action?' Helen shot back. ‘Charlie, it's my job, it's your job, to be a leader to those officers out there, not their friend.'

‘Please don't patronize me, Helen.'

‘I mean it,' her boss continued, undeterred. ‘You can't be swayed by their feelings, their attitude, you have to do what you feel is best and hang the consequences.'

‘But how on earth would we justify it to them? Or to Holmes for that matter? Deploying more resources? More manpower? On the basis of what actual evidence are we linking these other cases to Naomi?'

She gestured to the photos on Helen's desk, pleading with her to see sense, but her superior was having none of it.

‘Say what you like, but I'm sure I'm onto something. And I intend to pursue it, with or without your help.'

Helen stared fiercely at her old friend, challenging her to push back. Gesturing at the photos, Charlie appeared about to do just that, when a sudden knock on the door interrupted her, forcing them both to turn in that direction. Seconds later, an awkward DC Japhet Wilson entered, clearly aware that he was disturbing a heated discussion.

‘Sorry to interrupt, guv,' he said politely. ‘But I've got something you ought to see.'

Smiling awkwardly at Charlie, he crossed the room, handing Helen a mug shot and rap sheet.

‘I've been going through the list of employees at the car pound and this guy jumped out at me straightaway. Ryan Marwood. I didn't even know he'd been released, let alone that he'd be working at a place like that. There's minimal supervision there, despite what Chapman says. The ex-cons pretty much do what they like, so I was wondering if maybe he'd taken the van?'

Helen stared down at the sheet, stunned into silence. Ryan Marwood was infamous locally, a dangerous and persistent predator, with a beguiling, baby face. Preying on the trust of vulnerable women and girls, he'd posed as a St John Ambulance paramedic, dressing in the uniform, carrying the requisite ID, using the institution's good name in order to persuade his victims to accept his help, before violently sexually assaulting them. He'd targeted drunk teens on the streets late at night, drugged up young women at events and festivals, even homeless girls trying to find a bed for the night at one of the charity's drop-in centres. His crimes were sickening in their ingenuity, their cunning and their depravity, yet here he was, active in the community again, and nobody at the probation service had thought to tell them? It beggared belief.

‘Well, you know what to do, DC Wilson. Find out where he's living, alert the team and as soon as we're ready, let's bring him in.'

Nodding, DC Wilson hurried away. Turning to Charlie, Helen was pleased to see that all sense of hostility, of antagonism, had evaporated. She too had already forgotten their argument, her disquiet replaced by that familiar pulse of adrenaline.

Finally, they had a name.