Gone (23 page)

‘Freeman,’ she said, still looking around, sure she’d find something.

‘It’s Gardner. You rang?’

Freeman tried to ignore the sarcasm in his voice. She knew she was pushing her luck a little, but needs must. ‘Thanks for getting back to me,’ she said. ‘I need you to try Jenny Taylor again.’

‘She still hasn’t called?’ he said.

‘No. And I’m starting to think she’s avoiding me.’

‘You think she has something to do with Emma’s murder?’

‘I don’t know,’ Freeman sighed. ‘But Lucas Yates has been creeping around, visited her parents, trying to find out where she is. I don’t know if she’s involved or in danger.’

‘All right, I’ll see what I can do,’ Gardner said.

‘Thanks. Just make sure things look all right. I’m going to try and come down in the morning, speak to her myself.’

‘Okay. If you like, I could meet you at the station. Take you over there.’

‘Great,’ Freeman said.

‘In the meantime I’ll head over, see what’s happening.’

‘Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

She hung up and flicked through Lucas’s wardrobe, wondering how an arsehole like Yates could smell so nice.

Chapter 51

16 December 2010

Lucas stood on the platform, shivering. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at the few passengers scattered about at the other end of the platform, all studiously ignoring each other. None of them were carrying any proper luggage. Nothing he could lift, no chance of a better coat or another fucking jumper. Maybe when he got into Newcastle.

He didn’t have any money yet. He reckoned he could get away with no ticket from Morpeth to Newcastle but they were starting to get picky once you got on the major lines. That didn’t bother him. A station the size of Newcastle always had plenty of opportunities for snatching a wallet.

He watched his breath fog in front of him and looked at his watch. The train was due three minutes ago. He reached in his pocket and took out the picture. It hadn’t been hard to swipe the file. A quick nudge of the cold cup of tea on the table next to him and Angie Taylor was shrieking about her good carpet. Took what he needed, the rest went in the bin.

He stared at the photo. She hadn’t changed that much. Brown hair instead of blonde but other than that she was the same girl. Anyone else might not have recognised her between the disguise and the shoddy photography. But he did.

He heard the train approach and tucked the photo away. He got on and moved to the far end of the carriage. He was watching the ticket inspector. Sometimes they tried to catch you out by starting at the other end.

Lucas sat down low in the chair and closed his eyes. He could hear a kid yammering a few seats behind him. After a couple of minutes he felt the presence of someone standing over him.

‘Ticket.’

Lucas opened his eyes. The sleeping passenger ploy never worked. He sat up and dug into his pocket.

‘Newcastle, please,’ he said.

The ticket guy pressed buttons on his machine and the ticket spewed out. ‘Four-ten,’ he said.

Lucas continued to search his pockets, giving the inspector a smile. He made a show of it, patting himself down.

‘It’s in here somewhere,’ Lucas said and the inspector just stared, unimpressed. Lucas stood and frowned. ‘Shit,’ he muttered. ‘I’ve lost my wallet.’

The inspector raised one eyebrow and leaned one arm on the back of the seat. ‘It’s four-ten or you’ll have to get off at the next station.’

Lucas shrugged. ‘I’m sorry. I’ve lost my wallet.’ He looked on the floor around him. The inspector just shrugged back.

‘Get off next station then,’ he said and turned to the old woman on the seat opposite him.

‘Newcastle,’ she said and looked at Lucas. ‘And for the young man.’ She smiled at Lucas like old people do.

‘Oh no, I couldn’t,’ Lucas said.

‘Don’t be silly. Two to Newcastle,’ she said to the inspector, who just shook his head. As he walked away Lucas returned the smile.

‘Thank you,’ he said and thought maybe his luck was turning. If he’d known beforehand that he could rely on the kindness of strangers he would’ve asked for the fare all the way to Middlesbrough. Still, it was better than nothing.

‘That’s all right. Where’re you off to?’

‘I’m going to see an old friend.’

‘Oh, that’ll be lovely,’ she said and Lucas grinned.

If only you knew.

Chapter 52

16 December 2010

Freeman stood against the reception desk, waiting for someone to come out. She needed to go back to Morpeth, make sure it was Lucas who’d been at the Taylors’, but something had made her stop as she drove through the town. Someone had broken into the clinic. They might’ve been looking at the personnel files.
Might’ve
. Maybe it was just a junkie searching for anything worth money. But it didn’t feel right.

‘DS Freeman? Back again?’

Freeman looked up as Jessie came out into the reception area, pointedly looking at her watch. Clearly Jessie was nearly done for the day. Lucky her. Another woman, the blonde she’d seen last time, followed, looking nervous.

‘I’m not sure what else I can tell you about Ben.’

‘I’m not here about Ben this time. I was just wondering if you recognised this man,’ she said and slid a picture of Lucas across the desk.

Jessie shook her head but the other woman let out a breath.

‘Andrea?’ Jessie said.

‘You recognise him?’ Freeman said. ‘He’s been here?’

Andrea nodded and burst into tears. Freeman looked to Jessie, who just shrugged.

‘What’s the matter?’ Jessie asked.

‘I’m sorry,’ Andrea said. ‘I know I should’ve told you before but I didn’t tell him anything. I swear.’

‘Excuse me,’ Freeman said, taking the picture back.

‘He came here looking for Ben a few days ago. We never told him anything. But then I saw him in the pub. I recognised him and started talking to him and then the next thing . . . he’d sweet-talked me into bed with him.’

‘Lucas Yates did?’ Freeman asked, pointing at the photo, her brain struggling to keep up with Andrea’s teary confession.

‘Wanker,’ Andrea said. ‘He kept asking about Ben. I didn’t think. I thought he liked me and then the next thing he just buggers off.’ She wiped her eyes, her mascara crawling down her cheeks.

‘What did you tell him?’

‘Nothing. He wanted to know where Ben was.’

‘And did you tell him?’

‘No. I don’t
know
where he is. I haven’t talked to him since he left. I just said he went back to Alnwick to look after his mum.’ Andrea looked at Freeman. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Freeman ignored her. So Lucas was looking for Jenny
and
Ben. Why? Did they both know what’d happened to Emma? Was he trying to get to any witnesses before they could tell her what’d happened?

She walked out, trying Ben’s number. ‘Why would Lucas Yates be trying to find you?’ she said as soon as Ben picked up.

‘I don’t know,’ he said, his voice a whisper.

‘Mr Swales? You did know Lucas Yates, didn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ Ben said. ‘Well, no, not really. More by reputation.’

‘So why would he be trying to find you?’ She waited for Ben to talk but all she heard was a faint buzz on the line. ‘Ben?’ Freeman said. ‘You clearly know a lot more about this than you’re telling me. So, I’ll ask again. Why is Lucas Yates looking for you?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe he found out what I did for Emma. I don’t know.’

‘Well, he obviously knows something. He’s going to great lengths to find you.’ Freeman sighed. ‘Look, I don’t think Yates knows exactly where you are yet but he’ll probably keep trying. So just be careful.’

‘Thank you,’ Ben said and hung up.

She had no idea why Lucas wanted to find Ben or how he was involved. But whatever was going on, she knew it couldn’t be good.

‘Excuse me,’ Angie said, hand on hip, drink in the other hand. ‘I’ve had enough of you lot. I’ve got nothing else to say to you.’

Freeman stomped past Angie, through to the Taylors’ living room. She was already in a bad mood without Angie Taylor’s attitude problem. She was sick and fucking tired of this case.

‘This won’t take long,’ Freeman said. She took out a picture of Lucas Yates and held it up in front of Angie. ‘Recognise him?’

‘Yes. It’s your mate, McIlroy,’ Angie said.

‘Wrong.’ Freeman shoved the picture into her pocket. ‘It’s Lucas Yates.’

Angie was about to argue but instead turned to her husband who was sitting quietly on the settee. Angie turned back to Freeman.

‘Lucas Yates was an acquaintance of both Jenny and Emma Thorley. I believe he had something to do with Emma’s death and I think Jenny knows something about it. So I need you to tell me everything that was said earlier. What he wanted, what you told him, everything.’

Freeman looked from Angie to Malcolm and back. Angie stood gawping, almost as if she were going to cry. Freeman let out a breath. Maybe she’d been too harsh. Angie Taylor was a pain in the arse but she obviously had some shred of feeling left, and now she’d come bounding in telling her that she’d probably been entertaining a killer. Perhaps she could’ve been gentler.

‘Why would he pretend to be someone else?’ Angie said, her voice softer than before. ‘What’s he want Jenny for?’

Freeman sighed. ‘I don’t know, to be honest. Maybe Jenny knows something about Emma’s death, knows that Lucas killed her. That’s why I need you to tell me everything.’

Freeman listened to Angie and Malcolm tell their tale, overlapping and interrupting each other. When they’d finished she asked how much they remembered from the file Yates took. Not a great deal – the locations of some of the girls this investigator had found, little else. But clearly he hadn’t traced their daughter, so what else was in the file that Lucas found so interesting?

‘Was there an address in Middlesbrough in there?’ Freeman asked.

‘Yes,’ Malcolm said. ‘I think so. Why?’

‘I found an address for Jenny in Middlesbrough,’ Freeman said, watching as the Taylors’ faces changed in unison.

‘You knew where she lived and didn’t tell us?’ Malcolm said.

‘I had someone drop by but there was no answer.’

‘I don’t bloody believe this,’ Malcolm said, animated for the first time.

‘Look, it’s starting to look like she’s not even there any more. But,’ Freeman continued, trying to placate them, ‘you said there were photos in the file. Obviously your daughter wasn’t one of the girls but is it possible this guy got it wrong? How much do you know about him? Was he legit? Maybe took pictures of the wrong girl?’

Angie and Malcolm exchanged glances. ‘It’s possible,’ Malcolm said. ‘Bloody cowboy.’

Chapter 53

16 December 2010

Lucas stepped off the train and looked around the station. So this was Middlesbrough. Unfortunately he’d found no sweet old ladies to con at Newcastle Central station so instead he’d had to lift a couple of wallets. But that was fine. One paid for his ticket. The other, well, the owner of that one wouldn’t miss it. Anyone who carried two hundred quid around with them didn’t need it that much. He wondered if he should find somewhere to stay for the night but he needed to make his move. If Freeman was on the same track he needed to get it done fast.

He walked down the steps, through the subway. He had no idea where he was going so he followed the small crowd who’d got off the train with him and found himself on the other side of the platform. He walked out into the cold night air and tried to decide what to do. There was no chance he’d be able to find the address by himself so a taxi was in order. He walked across the gravel, found one idling and climbed in the back.