Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6) (23 page)

'I've never heard of him.'

Bannister closed the door. 'I'm not surprised, but we think he's the one responsible for your friend’s disappearance.'

When the tears slid from her eyes Lasser encircled her in his arms, he could feel the sobs shaking her body.

Bannister slid past them. 'I'll put the kettle on,' he said.

59

'Are you sure this'll work?' Boris asked nervously.

Norvil flicked a salted peanut into his mouth and chewed noisily. 'It'll have to fucking work,' he said before taking a swig from a can of Fanta.

'But how do you know we can trust him, I mean, he's a fucking
copper
for God's sake?'

The yard was in darkness, the bulldozer silenced for the day; even Bella was snoring in her kennel. Inside the office, the Calor gas heater was on full blast the air oily with gas fumes.

'Yeah, but he's a copper with a coke habit, besides, he owes us over three grand and it's payback time.'

'Yeah but...'

'For fucks sake, Boz, give it a rest. Our guy has told me they have two plods watching us, that's two plods in one car do you understand what I'm saying?'

Boris looked at him blankly.

Norvil shook his head and tossed another nut into his mouth. 'It means they can't keep tabs on both of us. I also know that it will be me they follow when I drive out through the gates, me they follow as I give them the fucking run-around, leaving you with ample opportunity to get over to the lockup and empty the goods.'

Boris still didn't look convinced. 'But how do you know they'll follow
you
and not
me
?'

'Because I am the one with the brains you are the one with the monkey wrench.'

Boris frowned.
'Piss off.'

Norvil grinned at his brother. 'Besides, I've arranged it with our bent friend, so there'll be no problem.'

'And what do you want me to do with the gear?'

'Take it over to Johnny Carmichael’s yard.'

'
In Liverpool
?' Boris made it sound as if it were the other side of the world.

'Yes, you dumb prick, he's got a forty foot container in the yard you park the van inside and then get your arse back over here.'

'But how will I get back without the van?'

'Show some leg at the side of the road and hitch a lift.'

Boris frowned unsure if his brother was being serious. 'I...'

'Johnny's got a car ready and waiting for you,
dickhead
, and you take your time, no breaking the speed limit and getting pulled, is that clear enough for you?'

Boris nodded. 'Yeah, yeah, Norv, I got it.'

Norvil held his brother's gaze for a few seconds before pushing to his feet. 'Right I'm off, you don't fucking move until I give you a call.'

'No problem.'

Norvil grabbed a battered old leather jacket from the back of his chair and wrestled his arms into the sleeves. At the door, he stopped and turned. 'Don't fuck this up, Boz, or we're both in deep shit.'

'You can trust me, Norv.'

'
If only
, Boz,
if only
,' he said as he went through the door.

60

When Sharon started to twitch Albie frowned. One minute she'd been sprawled on the sofa, her lips sticky with semen, the next minute her arms and legs began to jitter and her eyes rolled back until only the whites were visible.

Sliding off the sofa Albie stood up fastening the buttons on his jeans with nervous fingers.

Sharon groaned, her head lashed left and right and then her body got in on the act, huge spasms that arched her back as if she were caught in the middle of a mind-shattering orgasm.

Albie licked his lips. '
You all right, Shaz
?'

Sharon's mouth yawned open, her tongue darted forward and then her teeth snapped together severing half an inch of pink flesh.

'Fuck!'
Albie leapt backwards his eyes locked on the piece of tongue as it rolled down her chin.

Sharon jerked again and fell off the sofa, her left leg shot out, the shin slamming into the wooden leg of the coffee table splitting the skin. Albie scuttled away from the thrashing form on the floor, he could see the dark blood slick on her chin. Her teeth continued to snap like a rabid animal.

'Fuck me,'
Albie hissed in awe.

Sharon's head came up off the hard wood floor and then slammed back down again with a sickening thump that made Albie Ross cringe.

When she started to wail Albie felt like covering his ears, she sounded like a little kid who suddenly finds themselves locked in a nightmare without an escape route. Her voice was shrill and building, Albie moved nervously forward.

'Shush, Sharon, it's OK, girl,'
he whispered in a trembling voice.

Sharon never even heard him, her body continued to jitter across the floor, then her head whiplashed left cracking against the fireplace, blood sprayed upwards landing on the electric bar fire with a vicious hiss. The room was suddenly full with the stink of the blood boiling as it hit the fire. Her feet drummed on the floor, her eyes rolled up and down, white blue, white blue.

When the fingers of her left hand grabbed the wire grill that covered the fire, Albie winced as she screamed in mind-bending agony.

Any second now there would be a knock on the door as the nosey bastard next door came to see what all the racket was about.

In desperation, Albie grabbed a cushion from the sofa and moved forward, he had to shut her up, had no choice.

As he leant down, Sharon gave one final heave, and then she lay still, Albie felt like throwing up when he saw her fingers still gripping the hot bars, the digits seeping as stinking smoke bloomed from the burning flesh.

Reaching forward, he plucked at her sleeve pulling her hand away from the fire.

When he looked at her face, he felt the bile slither its way up his gullet. Both eyes were open, the left one shot blood red, the right had twisted inwards.

'Christ,'
he gasped as he sunk to his knees.
'Shaz, are you OK, sweetheart?'

Sharon Cliff didn't answer. When he caught sight of the tip of her tongue lying on the floor, he bolted across the room heading for the toilet bowl, he didn't stand a chance.

61

'So, what happens now?'

The three of them were in the lounge, Bannister stood in front of the radiator warming his backside, coffee cup in hand.

'We're already doing it, Medea; all the details have been uploaded to the system...'

'But what does that actually
mean?
' she asked, her fingers twisted together in anguish. 

Lasser placed his hand over hers. 'It means everyone is aware of what's happened and they'll be on the lookout...'

'
But
...'

'It means if anyone tries to draw money from her account then we'll know where and when.'

Medea nodded slowly before pushing her hair from her eyes. 'You think he's holding her against her will?'

Bannister eased down into the springy IKEA chair, 'Nothings definite yet, Medea.'

'But that's what you think isn't it?' she asked looking back and forth between them.

'It's a possibility but...'

'Oh God he's going to kill her isn't he?'
Her hands fluttered in the air, her face creased with horror.

Lasser reached out and turned her face towards him. 'Listen, Medea, we have no reason to believe that Emma is any kind of danger.'

'But how can you say that, how can you be sure?'

'Think about it, if Forbes did come all the way up here with the intention of harming her in any way then why bother taking her away from the house, he could have done it here and then driven away.'

'I...'

'After all she was alone in the house, he could have forced her back inside, but he didn't.'

Medea licked her lips and swallowed. '
So you think she's OK
?'

'It all points to the fact that she left here on her own two feet and that has to be a positive.'

She gave a half-hearted smile before turning to Bannister. 'And what about you, Alan, what do you think?'

Bannister held her gaze. 'I think Lasser's got it right, though obviously, we want to find her as soon as possible...'

'Because you think he must be unstable in some way?'

Bannister took a sip from the coffee cup. 'It's an option that we have to consider, Medea.'

She slumped back on the sofa as if all her worst imaginings had just been brought to life, her oldest, closest friend was out there somewhere and she couldn't reach her, couldn't help her. The realisation forced the tears from her eyes and she swiped them away with the back of her hand.

'Is there anything I can do?' she asked.

'Not at the moment,' Bannister answered. 'Just make sure you keep your phone on, you never know she might try and get in touch.'

'And if she does?'

Lasser leaned forward. 'Don't talk, just listen...'

'But...'

'You have to think clever, Med, if she does get in touch then chances are she'll just want you to be there to gather information for her.'

'You mean she won't have the time to talk, don't you?'

Lasser nodded slowly. 'If she didn't feel threatened then she would have already contacted you, as you said she's not the kind of woman to simply do a runner without saying anything.'

Medea chewed at her fingernail. 'So, don't waste time asking how she is or where he's keeping her?'

'She'll tell you all that herself, so make sure you give her the time she needs.'

'No dumb questions?'

'Just let her know you're taking it all in and if I'm not here then as soon as you come off the phone you write it all down before you contact me.'

'
Write it all down
,' she repeated as if she were a schoolchild learning something of importance by rote.

Lasser took both her hands in his. 'Another thing in our favour, Med, is that this Forbes character seems to be a bit of a loser.'

She looked at him nonplussed. 'And how is that in our favour?'

'We've done some background on him and it was Emma who was making all the money, he works at a recruitment agency and as far as we can see he makes bugger all...'

'I still don't understand, how can that be a good thing?'

'I think what Lasser's trying to say, with his usual clumsiness, is that Forbes isn't the one with the power, he knows it's Emma Drake who has the real earning potential...'

'So, he won't want to harm her, he'll want to talk her round persuade her to go back with him?'

'That's about the size of it, Medea.'

For a few moments she felt awash with relief, it all made sense; he wouldn't dare risk hurting her because without her, he was nothing. Medea blew out through pursed lips and gave Lasser's hand a squeeze to prove that she understood the situation.

'Right then, I'd best get going or Suzanne will think I've done a runner,' Bannister said as he pushed himself up from the chair.

Medea stood up and gave him a hug. 'Thanks for coming, Alan, it means a lot to me.'

'Not a problem,' he replied with a smile. 'And remember these sorts of things normally work out OK.'

'I'll try and keep that in mind.'

They stood at the front door watching as Bannister climbed into the car; Lasser hooped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

'Don't worry, we'll find her,' he whispered into her hair.

Somewhere in the growing darkness, a dog began to howl.

62

Boris kept flicking his eyes towards the speedometer, making sure he kept to the speed limit as he made his way out of the town centre. After ten minutes, the traffic began to ease and he risked a little more gas. As promised, Norv had called and told him the plan was working perfectly, he was being followed by an unmarked cop car, that according to Norv, stood out like a turd in a swimming pool. He'd already taken them through the drive-in McDonalds and was now heading toward the town centre where he would have a wander around the few shops that were open for late night shoppers.

Boris had grinned in the darkness. 'Pick me up one of those shirts I like while you're at it.'

Norv had laughed at the quip and Boris had felt a surge of pride.

'Right, Boz, you just concentrate on sorting the gear and don't forget - ring me when you get back home.'

'Will do, Norv,' he'd replied before cutting the call.

Heading over the motorway bridge Boz indicated right before pulling onto the country lane, as the streetlights vanished he flicked on the main beam, taking his time as the road snaked left and right.