Convictions (23 page)

‘Been two years since she left. She married a fitness instructor from Spring’s gym, bought a house on Dene estate.’

‘Can you think of any one of us in this job who’s managed to hold a relationship together? Because I can’t.’

Rob shook his head. ‘It takes its toll, that’s for sure.’

Later, as they were mopping up the last of the curry sauce with naan bread, Ruth spoke. ‘Quick, look out of the window,’ she said to Rob. ‘Isn’t that Charlie Gray with one of the young lasses from the church?’

‘Bloody hell, you’re right! What’s her name … Helen …?’

‘Elaine. I remember her from the search we did.’

‘Right, Elaine. Well, a cosy little chat with our PC Gray has got to be pretty high on our “to do” list tomorrow, eh?’

***

‘Hello, Tina.’

Tina froze, her fingers gripping the edge of her tray of food, when she heard Leanne’s voice behind her. She had known the time would come when she would have to face her, but hadn’t been looking forward to it. She took her time, counted to ten, then turned around.

‘Leanne. How are you?’ Her voice cracked slightly and she cursed inwardly for showing weakness.

‘It’s not like the YOI, is it? I miss Mother Mary Mac and her fussing.’

Tina smiled, ever so slightly. ‘Yeah, me too. She drove me crazy sometimes, but—’

‘Have you missed me?’ Leanne asked.

Tina blinked. ‘Maybe a little bit,’ she said honestly. ‘But not so much that I’d want to turn the clock back.’

‘I’m hurt,’ said Leanne, making a duck face.

‘Tina, love. We’re over here.’

Tina looked to see Jackie waving to her. ‘I have to go,’ she told Leanne. ‘My friends are waiting for me.’ She was turning to walk away, relieved to have been thrown a lifeline and to have got through that first encounter relatively painlessly, when Leanne darted in front of her and barred her way. She stroked Tina’s hair, the younger woman unable to stop her, her hands full with the tray of food.

‘I want you back,’ she told her.

Tina stepped back, away from Leanne. ‘No,’ she said, as she skirted around her and made her way to the table where Jackie was waiting. She barely made out Leanne’s whispered, ‘Yes’, as she sat down and started unloading the dishes from her tray.

***

PC Charlie Gray was in Hardcastle’s office and he was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Hardcastle was sitting on the other side of the desk and was looking at him as though he was some sort of pond life. Hardcastle had been sitting looking at Gray like that for what was probably less than a minute, but which felt like a very long time.

‘So, PC Gray,’ Hardcastle said at last, ‘let me get this straight. You are in a relationship with Elaine Telford, who is a member of the Young People’s Fellowship at the Ebenezer Tabernacle.’

‘Yes, sir. I met her when we—’

‘When we searched the buildings and grounds of the church, looking for six missing children and one missing police officer.’

‘Sir, she has nothing to do with tha—’

‘So while your colleagues were searching the premises, focusing on doing their jobs, you were chatting up this young woman?’

‘No. Sir, it wasn’t like that.’

‘What was it like, PC Gray? I suggest you tell me, and make it good, because I am more angry than I can remember being in a very long time.’

Gray looked at Hardcastle. His anger was cold, controlled, but it was there. Gray swallowed. ‘Elaine and I are old friends, although we hadn’t seen each other in ages. A few days after the search she called me and suggested we meet up. We did, and then met a second time last night.’

‘She rang you?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Out of the blue?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘And that didn’t start any alarm bells ringing?’

‘What? No. As I said, we’re old friends, it seemed natural and since nothing had been found to incriminate anyone, I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.’

‘You are very naïve, son, very naïve.’ Hardcastle ran his hand over his chin. ‘Wait a minute. Old friends? Where and when do you know each other from?’

‘Elaine used to go to my church. Then, a couple of years ago, she saw Jason Christopher give testament at a rally, and that was it. She went to the Ebenezer Tabernacle from that day on. She had a …’ Gray looked down at his hands.

‘A what, son?’

Gray looked up. ‘A revelation. She was saved at that rally. She told me she realised that beforehand she must have just been going through the motions, that her experience at the rally made her realise what true salvation felt like.’

Hardcastle felt the corners of his mouth twitch and fought to control it. ‘And what did you make of that?’

‘Well, she was keen to persuade me to go to the Tabernacle, too.’

‘And did you?’

Gray shook his head. ‘I went along to a rally, but I wasn’t as impressed with Jason Christopher as she had been.’ He flicked a glance at Hardcastle. ‘I also didn’t consider my own religious experiences and beliefs to be bogus. I wasn’t saved at the rally. I didn’t need to be. My faith was, and is, genuine and robust.’

‘Did you tell Elaine that?’

‘Yes, I did.’

‘And how did she react?’

‘She said she pitied me, because I wasn’t truly a Christian. I hadn’t been saved, born again in the Spirit. We rowed about it.’

Hardcastle could only imagine the vehemence on both sides in a row like that. ‘And?’

‘And she continued to go to the Tabernacle, and I continued to go to the Chapel.’

‘So you lost touch?’

Gray nodded.

‘And then you just happened to see her as a result of the investigation?’

‘Yes. When we searched the church, she was there.’

Hardcastle couldn’t shake the feeling he was missing something. He scratched his head. Was he being side tracked by the issue of Gray and his relationship with the girl from the church? Did it matter as much as he, Crinson and Winter had originally thought it did? Gray seemed like a decent enough lad, once you put all the religious stuff to one side. There was something else, though, niggling away in the background. It came to him, and he nodded. ‘Charlie,’ he said, ‘who’s this Jason Christopher character?’

***

‘It just seems a shame if we can’t even be friends,’ Leanne said. ‘After all, we were far more than that not so long ago.’

Tina stood in the doorway of her cell, not wanting to let Leanne in. Leanne stroked Tina’s cheek with the back of her index finger, a familiar gesture that brought a pang of longing and a stab of loneliness. ‘I know every inch of you,’ Leanne continued. Tina met her gaze and was surprised to see tears in the older girl’s eyes. ‘I’ve missed you.’

‘You said some nasty things.’ Tina took a step back to break the contact between them. ‘You hurt me.’

Leanne wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. ‘I was hurt too. I was confused. I … I’m sorry. If I could turn back time, I would.’

Tina considered what she was hearing. She almost believed Leanne. Almost, but not quite.

‘I’m sorry, Lea, I can’t cope with this. I want you to go away. Keep your distance. If you’re telling the truth about how you feel, you’ll do that for me.’

Leanne met Tina’s eyes, then looked down at the floor. ‘Okay, then, if that’s what you want.’ She flicked a glance at Tina. ‘I really am sorry, though.’

Tina nodded and Leanne walked away slowly. As soon as she heard Tina’s door close, she speeded up, allowed herself a satisfied little smile. She had seen the chinks in Tina’s armour, knew she was still a soft-hearted girl.
Just a matter of time
, she thought to herself,
just a matter of time
.

***

‘Tell them what you just told me.’ Hardcastle sat back in his chair and Gray spoke to Winter and Crinson.

‘I was telling DSI Hardcastle about Jason Christopher, the Young People’s Fellowship leader at the Tabernacle.’

Crinson looked at Winter. ‘Have you heard of him before? I don’t remember his name coming up.’

‘I understand he’s on retreat,’ said Gray. ‘He hasn’t been at the church for a while.’

‘Who is he?’

‘He’s the leader of the young people. It was Jason who built the fellowship up from just a handful to what it is now.’

‘When was this?’

‘He’s been at the church for maybe ten years. He was just a teenager when he started out there. He worked miracles.’

‘How?’

‘He used to go round Youth Clubs in the area and give testimony. Sometimes he’d speak on street corners. He told people how it was he found Christ and was saved,’ Gray explained when he saw the blank looks he was getting. ‘He came across really well and it attracted people to the church.’

‘Then what?’

‘Then he got the idea of organising a rally. He was barely twenty, but he organised it all himself. Got a marquee on the cliff top at Seaburn Park, arranged guest speakers, put the word out—’

‘I think I remember that,’ said Rob Winter. ‘It was on a few times, wasn’t it? Every year or so.’

‘That evangelical tent thing? That was him?’ said Ruth.

Gray nodded. ‘It was very successful. A lot of people were saved. Not just youngsters, people of all ages.’

‘But Christopher’s interest was young people.’

‘That’s right. That was his main focus. He built the whole thing up from practically nothing.’ Gray shrugged. ‘Well, you’ve seen them now. They’re strong, organised … he did a great job.’

‘But you weren’t convinced.’

Gray looked at the backs of his hands, flexed his fingers. ‘He was a bit … showy for me. I liked the church I was at, I wasn’t looking to change.’

‘I still don’t understand how he didn’t surface earlier. He must have been around when we were looking at George Cotter, but I can’t remember even hearing his name.’

‘Me neither. And he wasn’t mentioned this time around, either. What’s this “on retreat” business anyway? Where is he?’

‘As far as I can tell, he’s in Northumberland somewhere.’

‘Aren’t retreats quite short? I mean, I thought a weekend or a week. He’s been gone for how long?’

‘It does seem unusual,’ said Gray. ‘But he might have got caught up in the work that was going on, or been frazzled by all the work he’s done.’

‘Or he could have been sent out of harm’s way because they didn’t want us questioning him or looking too closely at him,’ observed Hardcastle.

‘Oh, I don’t think—’ began Gray.

‘Because they’re Christians, and Christians are nice people,’ Hardcastle finished for him. He looked at the three people in his office. ‘I want him. Find him and bring him here.’

‘On what grounds, sir?’ asked Winter.

‘On the grounds that he’s a creepy little fucker who’s been hiding from us from day one. Start by interviewing Surtees again.’ Hardcastle snorted. ‘Although no doubt he’ll want Drinkwater in with him, so the chances of us getting anything out of him are pretty slim.’

***

‘Hello, Ruth?’

Ruth took the phone from her ear and looked at the handset in disbelief. She put it back in place. ‘Penny? Is that you?’

‘Yes. I just wondered what was happening. With the investigation.’

‘We haven’t got much further forward, if I’m honest. We’ve been busy, talking to people, following up what leads we have, but it’s not got us any closer to finding Annie.’ She paused. ‘I would have let you know if there was any progress.’

‘I know. It’s just … well, the last time we spoke, things were a little …’

‘Have you told your husband yet?’

‘No, and I don’t intend to.’

‘Tina will be released soon.’

‘I’ll make sure she has money. I can help her find somewhere to live.’

‘Have you spoken to her?’

Penny was silent. Ruth waited her out. She knew the answer to the question, she just wanted to make Penny face up to it. ‘No,’ she said, eventually. ‘But I will. Soon.’

‘She needs you,’ Ruth said. ‘You’re her only family. You’re her mother, for God’s sake. Can’t you arrange to at least speak to her on the phone?’

‘I will. Soon.’ Ruth heard Penny breathing. ‘I have to go,’ she said, suddenly. ‘I’ll keep in touch.’

‘Okay, take care,’ said Ruth, resigned to the woman’s fickle nature.

‘Ruth? Keep looking, won’t you? Find my baby. Bring her home safe.’

***

The preliminaries over, Ruth spoke. ‘Mr Surtees, I want you to tell us about Jason Christopher.’ Once she had asked the question, Ruth sat back to see what response it provoked. She could sense Hardcastle watching from the viewing room. Surtees looked stunned.

Drinkwater picked up on it. ‘You do not have to answer any question you don’t want to,’ he cautioned Surtees.

‘Mr Surtees?’ Ruth prompted.

Surtees shook himself. ‘Ah, Jason. He’s on retreat.’