Time to Play (North East Police) (11 page)

Any morning that began with rocket fuel and food from heaven was bound to be a good one.

He unfolded the foil, inhaling deeply as his mouth started to water at the smell. There really was nothing quite like it. Grinning like an idiot, he closed his teeth over the bread and bit down, sighing as he tasted the tang of brown sauce under the meaty strips.

‘Crap,’ he muttered, his mouth full as the phone rang on the desk beside him. Glaring at it, he chewed and grabbed the receiver. ‘McKay.’ Listening, he finished the bite and sat back in his chair.

‘Gov, it’s Inspector Monaghan from the control room. The call handler’s still taking the details but it looks like we have a murder coming in. It’ll be log… 331 when you have a second. As I say it’s still being updated. The caller’s said the victim is a foreign woman. She’s in the river not far from the big pond at the Washington Water Fowl Park. I’ve got a colleague on with Sergeant Sharp from the dive team. He’s assessing the log. Can I put you down as attending?’

‘Yeah, no problem. Where’s the RV point? ‘

‘I’ve tagged the car park near the visitor centre. Looking on the mapping at the location, there’s only access to the river either on foot or via a 4x4 vehicle. I’ve got marked units travelling with blues and twos. First on scene will set the cordons.’

‘Thanks, oh and make sure Sharpie has my mobile number.’

Replacing the receiver, Ali brought up the log on the system. It was pointless leaving until he knew what was happening. He remembered a case when he had not long been qualified as a detective, and a call had come in from a hysterical woman screaming that she had found a head in a bag. He had raced down to the scene, only to find it was the head off a mannequin. Now, he waited.

God only knew when he’d be back in the office so he picked up his sandwich and took another bite. But it felt like cardboard on his tongue. Silently he wrapped it back up and dumped it in the bin beside him.

5
^th
November, 0820 hours – Dive Team HQ, South Shields

‘OK guys, the body’s in the river to the rear of a pond in the waterfowl park at Washington. Just like the one at Durham the other day, it’s caught in the debris from the flood in a small weir. Bravo Team have been called off their training to assist down near Tees Barrage in Darlington with a search so this one’s all ours. I want us geared up and on the road asap. Mac, you’re lead diver. Marlo, you’re standby. Connor, Doc, you’re on the tanks. Let’s go,’ said Sharpie.

Once at the park, they exited the van and Sharpie was pulled aside by Mac. After nodding his head, he motioned Marlo over to listen.

‘Can I swap with Marlo? My chest feels tight today. Don’t know if I’m coming down with something.’

Sharpie glanced at Marlo who nodded her agreement. They both watched as Mac hung his head slightly, and went to help Connor with the equipment.

‘He OK?’ asked Marlo.

‘Not sure, he looks pale. Could just be the hangover, like. Him and Doc hit the bottle last night. I’ll keep an eye on him. Go suit up.’

Sharpie made his way over to Ali who was also just walking up the footpath back to the car park.

‘What’ve we got, boss?’

‘Can’t see clearly from the bank. Looks like a female, naked.’

‘Second water recovery in a few days. Gotta love this weather, definitely makes people act nuttier.’

‘Aye you’re not wrong. You guys ready to go in?’

Sharpie looked back at the 4x4 which was just starting to manoeuvre with the RIB towards the water. ‘Yup. Hope the weather holds out ’til we’re done. Those black clouds don’t look too friendly.’

‘You’re not wrong. The temperature’s dropping too. Winter’s definitely on its way.’

‘God I hope not! It’s only just November. I’ll let you crack on.’

5
^th
November, 0935 hours – River Wear, Washington Wildfowl Park

‘Mac, steady off and hold. We’re close enough,’ said Marlo, leaning over the RIB and looking at the female.

She was almost fully immersed, her head face up into the water with her dark hair spread around her like a large feather. She was petite, very young, and the bumps of her ribs were visible just below the water’s rim. Her torso was caught under a thick branch, and it was the tree that held her in place. The girl’s face was bruised, her nose bent at an awkward angle. Her glassy eyes stared up at Marlo.

The girl’s left leg floated on the surface of the water, being buffeted by the flowing river. It was completely bare, the same as the rest of her body. A dirty bandage was wrapped around the ankle but Marlo could see the bruising at the top.

It didn’t look good.

‘Doubt we can free her from the branches without you going in the water. You ready?’ asked Sharpie from beside her.

Marlo nodded, and moved position so she could enter the water. Because the body was on the surface, she didn’t need the air hoses or her breathing gear. Sharpie followed suit and they both lowered themselves into the brisk cold of the river. They pulled themselves to the body using the tree and pulled her free from its grasp. Working together, they manoeuvred her into the body bag. Marlo pulled her glove off with her teeth so she could get a grip on the zipper and fastened it quickly.

They then swam, dragging the body bag between them, towards the waiting RIB.

Suddenly, it pitched and veered sharply, the hull swinging round and narrowly missing hitting Marlo on the head.

‘What the hell, Mac?’ she yelled. Both she and Sharpie paused in their movement towards the RIB, waiting for one of the team to tell them what the hell had happened.

Connor’s face appeared over the side, ‘It’s Mac, Sharpie, he’s collapsed. Doc’s checking him now.’

‘Can you hold the body?’ Sharpie asked Marlo. She nodded, and watched as he swam to the side. Connor pulled him over the edge, and he vanished from view.

Seconds later, Connor jumped into the water beside Marlo. She heard Doc shout to the shore from the RIB, ‘Call an ambulance!’

Connor sounded shaky as he spoke, ‘Doc doesn’t know what’s wrong. His pulse is thready and he’s not breathing right. Sharpie says can we tow the body to the bank.’

It seemed like hours before they made the riverbank, but in reality it was only a few minutes. The RIB had already arrived, and as eager hands from Ali and Charlie, one of the detectives, pulled the bag up onto the grass, Marlo dragged herself from the water. Ignoring the shooting pains in her fingers from the cold, she looked at Ali. ‘One sec.’

She jogged over to where Sharpie and Doc were leaning over Mac’s inert form.

‘He’s OK,’ said Sharpie, ‘He’s breathing and his hearts still going. Ambulance is en route. We’ll stay with him. Go deal with Ali.’

Marlo nodded, emotion clogging her throat. They were a close-knit team, and when a strong ox like Mac went down it was harrowing. Pushing it back, though, she turned back to Ali.

‘Sorry, Ali. I had to –’

‘Say no more, I understand.’

Ali’s hand on her arm made her pause momentarily and she glanced at him. Breaking contact, she knelt down beside the body, fiddling with the zip in an attempt to open it.
My fingers are bloody freezing. Stupid Kevlar gloves. They should invent heat-giving gloves for when you’re in the water.
Grumbling to herself, she put her fingers to her mouth and blew hard, before rubbing them together vigorously.

‘I’ll get the zip,’ said Ali, kneeling down and opening the top of the bag so the girls face was on view. ‘Put your fingers under your armpits, it’s warmer there.’

Marlo glanced at him in surprise. She knew that but it wasn’t the normal kind of thing a cop would say. Most of them would wait until she’d warmed her hands up to see what was inside the bag. Shrugging slightly, she did as ordered.

‘She’s a kid, Ali,’ said Marlo. ‘No more than about sixteen I’d say. From her bone structure, I’d say she’s Asian. East of here but not as far as China. Completely naked, bruising to her face and ankle. Looks like burn marks around her mouth too. There’s nothing in the river that would cause those kind of burns. They look chemical.’

Ali leaned in, and she watched him frown. ‘Pathologist will be here shortly, maybe he can shed some light on it. She is just a kid; I’d be surprised if no one’s missing her. Bonnie wee lass too.’

Marlo saw Ali’s eyes become haunted, and she wondered what demons he saw when he did it. She’d noticed him do it at the last water body too.
None of my business. But whatever it is, it hurts him.

‘You OK?’ she asked, putting her hand on his arm this time.

But he didn’t reply. He got to his feet and walked back towards his team silently.

‘He just blanked you completely,’ said Connor, suddenly appearing beside her as she re-zipped the bag.

‘He’s got stuff on his mind, is all.’

Marlo didn’t even realise she’d spoken aloud until Connor said, ‘Oo aye, and you’d know that how?’ He nudged her with his hip, ‘You and him an item?’

‘What? No. Bog off, Connor,’ said Marlo with a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She turned towards the place where Mac had been lying just in time to see the paramedics wheel him off on top of the trolley.

Chapter Ten

5th November, 1055 hours - River Wear, Washington Wildfowl Park

Elvie felt like she had been walking for days. Her feet ached, the thin plimsolls doing little to prevent the undergrowth from feeling as hard as large rocks. Her side was a constant throb that pulsed with every step she took, and the cold had seeped through to her bones. Several times she had stopped, wanting nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but she pushed herself on.

She had found a small stream and taken a long drink of the icy cold water, splashing a little on her face. And had then started walking again. The stream had joined a river, one too wild to even consider crossing. So she walked alongside it instead, hoping it would lead her into civilisation.

Though what she would do when she got there she didn't know.

A noise caught her attention, something drifting down in the wind. It sounded like people talking faintly somewhere in the distance.

Maybe it's them. Maybe they've found me.

She was almost tempted to turn and go the other way, but she knew she wouldn't be able to walk forever. Noni had always said to face her demons head on, as the only way to fight a demon was not to show fear.

Determined now, she cautiously moved closer to the noise.

People were milling on the river bank. There was a boat hooked up to a large car, and slowly she realised the people were police officers. Her heart thudded in her chest.

They'll send me back, they'll give me to her and then she'll kill me. Or worse they'll send me home. And the men will come and take me in the middle of the night again. Why didn't the village help me, Noni? Why did you leave me and let them take me?

She held a hand over her mouth as an anguished cry threatened to escape. She'd barely had time to even begin to cope with grandmother passing on and so much had happened to her in the short time since. Her senses were on overdrive, her emotions acutely honed to the verge of absolute panic.

But she managed to rein it in just enough to function. Even if they couldn't help her, she was sure they would be heading to the nearest town; she could hitch a ride and get out there.

She edged closer to the people and then suddenly saw her opportunity. Creeping forward, she pulled herself onto the boat, crept underneath a large piece of tarpaulin, and lay as silent as a mouse.

The tarp acted like a blanket, the plastic trapping heat from her own body and breath. Unable to help herself, Elvie fell asleep.

5
^th
November, 1220 hours - Dive Team HQ, South Shields

Marlo and Connor put the last of the equipment away in silence, both lost in their thoughts. Sharpie had gone to the hospital with Mac and Doc, leaving them to drive back and unload. They hadn't heard from them yet so were both worried about Mac's condition. At the time the paramedics took him off in the ambulance they suspected a heart attack, but he had been breathing. That was at least a small mercy.

A sudden burst of static in the radio hooked to Marlo's belt made them both jump, and it rapidly turned to the beeping sound that indicated a private call. The radios were primarily used by the dispatch controllers to deploy but if they needed a private conversation that didn't tie up the network, then they gave the handset a private call as if it were a mobile phone.

'Hello.'

'Buck, it's Sharpie. You with Connor?'

'Yeah. How's Mac?'

'Conscious and feeling a bit of a prick. It's not a heart attack. Mac is suffering from a case of alcohol poisoning.'

'Sorry, did you say alcohol poisoning?'

'Apparently so. Him and Doc were shooting straight vodka last night. Turns out Mac's body doesn't like vodka. He'll be fine in a few days. They're keeping him in for obs. We're heading back to HQ now. Everything OK?'

'Yeah we've just finished getting everything put back. Tell Mac I said to get well soon. About time for lunch, like.'

'He can have hospital food. Me and Doc will grab lunch on our way back if you're OK to wait for us?'

'Yeah sounds good to me. See you in a bit.'

She clicked the radio back onto her belt and turned to Connor. 'Alcohol poisoning. Just wait ’til he comes back. I'm gunna put him on granny watch! Who knew vodka would react that way. You OK going and putting the kettle on? I'll go park, cover the RIB then I'll be up.'

Connor nodded and headed towards the stairs.

Marlo made her way outside to the 4x4 and climbed inside. Sometimes, on days like this, she used the vehicle as a safe haven. Somewhere she could go to just be alone. Mac collapsing had scared her. The team was essentially her family, and for all she would poke fun at Mac when he came back to work, she was pleased he was going to be OK. She took her phone out of her pocket and sent a quick text to Deena asking if she wanted to go out for tea after work. Marlo didn't fancy being in her own tonight, it would give her too much time to dwell on what ifs and maybes.