Altered Egos (7 page)

Nash nodded. ‘They obviously feel they’ve something inside that’s worth protecting, but as to what it is, and who they’re protecting it from is another question altogether.’

‘The fact that military intelligence has become involved in trying to block our investigation might give some clue,’ Clara suggested.

‘True, although it could equally be industrial espionage they’re concerned about.’ As Nash was speaking, a white Transit minibus pulled in behind their car. ‘Here we go.’ Nash signalled to the others to follow him.

One of the guards stepped out of the gatehouse as they approached. ‘What do you want?’ he demanded.

Nash turned to Mironova. ‘That’s what I like, good old fashioned courtesy.’

The guard was either immune to sarcasm or failed to recognize it. He stared at the police officers with thinly disguised hostility.

‘I’d like to speak to Dr North please, Dr Richard North.’ Nash’s tone was polite.

‘Nobody here of that name.’ The guard’s reply was as quick and as curt as the receptionist’s had been.

Nash took out his warrant card and held it up in front of the man’s eyes. ‘I’ll ask you again. May I speak to Dr North?’

‘And I told you, there’s nobody here of that name.’

‘Very well, in that case I’d like to speak to the director.’

‘You may want to, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to.’

‘Couldn’t you at least ask?’

‘No, I couldn’t. Clear off.’

Nash sighed. ‘That is very disappointing.’ He nodded to Binns, who’d joined them. ‘OK, sergeant.’

Binns pulled a pair of handcuffs from his uniform pocket and began to administer the caution. As he reached the phrase, ‘Anything you say’, he snapped one cuff over the guard’s wrist. At the same time, one of the uniformed constables, who Nash knew to be a rugby player, took hold of the guard’s other hand and pulled it behind his back.

‘Hey, what are you doing? You can’t arrest me. I’m only doing my job. What’s the charge?’

‘Obstruction.’ Nash watched as they started to lead the man towards the Transit.

The gatehouse door opened and the second guard stepped out. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Your colleague’s been arrested. He’s to be charged with obstruction. Now, do I get to speak to someone in authority, or not?’

‘There’s nobody here wants to speak to the police. And you can’t arrest him.’

Nash smiled sweetly. ‘Yes, I can. Jack,’ he called.

Binns pulled a second pair of handcuffs from his pocket. Causing Clara to wonder how many sets he carried. As he stepped forward beginning a second recital of the caution, the
guard swung his fist and aimed a punch at Binns. The sergeant swayed out of the way and clipped a cuff over the man’s wrist.

‘Make this one obstruction, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest,’ Nash told him.

He watched as the uniformed men led their prisoner away to join his colleague.

Clara nudged him. ‘Look there, Mike.’

Nash followed her pointing finger. Four more security men had emerged from the office block and were walking towards the gates. ‘This should be fun,’ Nash said dryly. ‘You know what you’ve to do, Jack?’

‘On my way.’

Nash waited until the Transit, complete with prisoners, had pulled away. He turned to look at the approaching guards who formed themselves into a line inside the gates. ‘What’s going on here?’ one of them asked.

‘Your colleagues have been arrested for obstruction and assault. I’ve asked, quite civilly, to speak to someone in regard to a murder investigation I’m in charge of. Nobody seems to want to talk to me. If you want your men back, I suggest someone starts doing a bit of a rethink.’

‘You can’t do that,’ the man protested.

‘I’m getting a bit tired of people telling me what I can and can’t do,’ Nash said quietly.

‘We’ll get our solicitor onto this. They’ll be free within the hour.’

Nash smiled. ‘Well, good luck to you.’

He swung round to Pearce. ‘Viv, will you drop me off at home please? Then, you go off too. I don’t want you back at the station tonight. We’re off duty as of now. Clara, you OK?’

Clara nodded, then watched as Nash and Pearce drove off. She wandered over to her car and drove a discreet distance from the laboratory. She turned the car so it was facing the main gates and parked.

On the journey back into town, Nash told Pearce what he wanted. ‘Go straight home, or go for a meal, whatever you want, as long as you don’t go near the station. I’m going for
something to eat. Later, I’ll take over from Clara. Tomorrow morning, I want you both to go straight out to Gorton. I want you to do another search of Dr North’s house and the grounds. See if there’s anything that got missed in the first place. We were only looking at it as an accidental death then. Now it’s probably murder.’

‘You’ll be in the office, will you?’

‘No, I’ll be out all morning, things to do. Your search will take at least as long. That means there will be nobody available to order the release of those men until tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps the people in charge of Helm Pharm will have had time to think things over by then.’

‘Clara said earlier that you’re a devious bastard,’ Pearce smiled. ‘Now I see what she meant.’

It was almost dark when Caroline and Dr North reached the house, a semi-detached in a row of similar properties, but there were no lights showing. ‘That’s strange,’ she said. ‘I’d have thought they’d have switched on by now.’

Across the road, hidden in a dense shrubbery alongside a path leading to a park, a figure watched with interest as they emerged from the car. The watcher raised a powerful pair of binoculars and studied the new arrivals. He couldn’t see their faces in the half-light.

North stretched, easing his back after the journey. Although the worst of his injuries had been to the head, the force of the collision had caused severe bruising – stiffness was a natural after-effect. They walked the short distance to the front door where Caroline knocked on the glass panel. The door swung open. ‘Something’s wrong.’ She pushed the door wide.

They went through the ground floor. There was no sign of life. ‘There were two of our men guarding her. I can’t understand what’s happened. Let’s check upstairs.’ In the largest of the three bedrooms they found the two men. Both were alive, both unconscious. They were bound, hand and foot with duct tape. They checked the other bedrooms. The second double room showed signs of female occupancy. But Jessica was missing. ‘I’ll have to ring our people,’ Caroline told him.

She looked across the room. Richard North was standing by the dressing table. He was clutching a teddy bear and staring at a photograph. It was a family group, mother, father and two
young children. His family in happier days. Now, two of them were dead, a third missing.

Caroline went downstairs and began phoning. When she returned, North was still staring at the photograph. ‘Security are on their way,’ she told him briskly. ‘Give me a hand to cut the guards free.’

He gave no indication that he’d heard. ‘Richard,’ she said sharply.

‘Sorry,’ he put the photo down and followed her from the room. At the door she saw him turn and look back. As if it was the last time he’d see them.

Both men were beginning to regain consciousness. When they were fit enough to speak, they told their tale. ‘I heard a knock at the door and went to answer it. I looked out first; thought it was you, Dr Dunning.’

Caroline blinked in surprise.

‘The car was similar to yours,’ the guard explained. ‘When I opened the door there was a man standing there. I remember thinking, I know you, then I felt a pain in my arm and that’s the last thing I knew, until just now.’

They looked at the second man, who took up the tale. ‘I heard a voice, thought it was him,’ he gestured to his colleague. ‘I can’t be sure, but I thought he said, “Are you there, Frank?” So I came out of the lounge. That’s the last I knew.’

They were interrupted by the sound of vehicles pulling up outside. Caroline crossed to the window. She turned to the guards. ‘Your boss has arrived. This should be fun.’ The expression on their faces told Richard her idea of fun and theirs differed greatly.

When they’d re-told their tale, the head of security questioned the second man. ‘How certain are you that he used your name?’

‘I’m not really sure,’ the man admitted. ‘But I thought he did.’

North watched with increasing bewilderment as the team of security men went from room to room. Quite what they were searching for, he wasn’t certain. Outside, more men were using ladders to ascend a street lamp and nearby tree. The security chief drew him to one side and explained. ‘Don’t
worry, Dr North. The man who abducted your daughter won’t be aware that we had every room in the house bugged, and that we positioned surveillance cameras to cover every aspect of the building. Between them there’ll be plenty of evidence to identify him. We’ll be able to get a recognizable likeness of the kidnapper, plus the cameras outside the front will tell us what car he’s using and the registration number. We’ll have a name and address within half an hour and have your daughter back safe and sound in no time.’

‘Shouldn’t we inform the police? Isn’t that what usually happens?’

‘Hardly,’ the man’s scorn was apparent. ‘A bunch of country bobbies would have no chance of any success compared to the resources we can command. Leave it to us. We’re the experts. We’ll sort it.’

A man appeared at the door. ‘There’s nothing from the room bugs. Just one sentence, when the man called out. Frank was wrong. He didn’t use a name. After that, nothing but vague muttering, then rustling noises, and the sound of the duct tape being pulled out. But we’ve retrieved the tapes from the CCTV cameras. The ones at the back are blank, but there’s some footage from those at the front. It’s all set up, ready to view.’

The leader beckoned to Richard and Caroline to follow. In the lounge they stood in a semi-circle in front of the TV. The tape started, showing an excellent image of the drive. After a few seconds a car pulled in. Caroline frowned. ‘That’s my car.’

‘I don’t think so, Dr Dunning,’ the security chief stated. He pointed to the screen. ‘Look at the time. That’s a couple of hours before you got here.’ He turned to the other security man. ‘Stop the tape and zoom in on the number plate, will you?’

The man operating the remote control pressed a couple of buttons. Gradually the image enlarged and centred on the rear of the vehicle. As he adjusted the focus, the letters and numbers became clearly visible. ‘I told you that was my car,’ Caroline exclaimed. ‘That’s my registration number. You must have the time set wrong on the camera. If you run the tape on I bet you’ll see Richard and me getting out.’

The assistant pressed ‘play’. As the tape moved forward, they saw a man climb out of the driver’s seat and close the door. ‘Who’s that? And what’s he doing with my car? That’s impossible. The time must be wrong. I was in Sheffield collecting Richard then.’ Caroline was mystified.

There was no reply; although North noticed the security man’s lips tighten as if he was in pain. They watched as the man knocked on the door. One of the guards opened it. After what seemed only an instant, they saw the guard collapse across the threshold. The intruder glanced round. ‘Stop it there,’ the chief ordered. ‘Zoom in on his face.’

The close-up image was frustratingly unable to pick up little more than a silhouette. ‘I’m sure I know that face from somewhere,’ the head of security muttered. ‘No matter; let the tape run on. We’re sure to get a better image when he leaves, he’ll be head on to the camera then.’

The intruder scooped the guard up, seemingly without effort, before carrying him indoors. There was a long pause, whilst the screen showed nothing more action-packed than an image of the house door. Eventually it opened, and the intruder emerged, carrying a large bundle, wrapped in a blanket. ‘Now we’ll get something,’ they heard the security chief mutter.

The kidnapper walked to the rear of the car. He shifted the bundle effortlessly over his shoulder into a fireman’s lift, then opened the car boot. He placed his burden gently inside, before closing the boot lid. ‘That must be Jessica,’ North said in a low tone.

They watched the man walk to the driver’s door and open it. Before getting into the car he turned, directly facing the camera. He made no effort to avoid recognition. They watched as the man raised two fingers in an unmistakeable gesture of contempt and defiance. ‘Cheeky bastard. Zoom in. Let’s see who he is.’

All four viewers stared at the close-up image in astonishment. ‘I don’t fucking believe it,’ the security man said. North continued to gaze at the screen. If the camera was to be believed, his daughter had been abducted by the late American President, Ronald Reagan.

‘Now, will you involve the police?’ North demanded.

‘We can’t. Believe me, I know. We’ll just have to sit tight. See what this guy’s demands are.’

‘My wife’s dead. My son’s been murdered. My daughter’s been kidnapped. And you’re asking me to sit around and wait. Wait for what? Wait until Jessica’s body’s found? Wait, while in the meantime that lunatic could be doing God knows what to her?’

‘What makes you think the police will have any more success than we’ll have?’

‘They couldn’t have any less. Could it be that you’ve an ulterior motive for not involving them?’

‘If I have a motive, apart from your daughter’s safety, you know what it is, Dr North. The work you’re involved with makes you a prize target for potential enemies of this country. If they’re behind this, how powerful a bargaining tool do you think your daughter is? Apart from that, as you should know, my course of action is limited by the need for secrecy. I simply cannot allow the police to become involved.’

The car drove into a disused quarry. The driver pulled up close to a van. He sat for a few minutes, deep in thought. He got out, walked to the rear of the car and opened the boot. The blanket had slipped, revealing the unconscious girl’s face. He looked at her closely for the first time, struck by her good looks. Better not to go there. Better to concentrate on the job. He lifted her gently clear and carried her easily across to the van. He put her inside and drove the van to a safe distance before he stopped and removed three petrol cans. After dousing the car liberally, both inside and out with petrol, he tossed the empty cans in through the open car window; then pulled the mask off. He threw that into the car, lit a match and flicked it through the window, turning immediately to shield his face from the blast.

There was a soft whoosh of sound and he felt the heat on the back of his neck. He turned and watched the burning vehicle for a few minutes before he was satisfied destruction would be total. Then returned to the van and drove away.

‘One thing you must be prepared for is the unexpected. Be prepared for it, because you can’t plan for it. When it happens, and believe me, soldier, it will happen, you’ve two possible courses of action. Either you continue your mission as you set out in the first place, which will be highly risky, or you find a safe place, go to ground and think out a new plan to cope with the changed circumstances. That’s the wise choice. That’s the choice that marks out a good soldier, places him above the average, understand? You have to be better than good; you have to be brilliant. And that means showing the ability to react to sudden changes in battle conditions. Got it, soldier?’

As he drove, he pondered events. What was that saying he’d heard once? Something about hearts and minds? That was it. ‘When you’ve got them by the balls, the hearts and minds automatically follow.’ Well, he’d got the girl; all that was left of North’s family. North might not regret his wife’s death too much, as she was obviously sleeping with somebody else. He spared a fleeting thought to wonder who the man killed in the fire was; then shrugged it off. A casualty of war, that was all. And North wouldn’t spend too long grieving over his son. A dropout, petty criminal and junkie. No one would miss him. The girl though, that was a different matter. But what should he do with her? That question wasn’t as easy to answer.

Shortly before lunchtime, Mironova’s mobile rang. She and Pearce had almost completed their search of the area surrounding the burnt-out cottage. She glanced at the screen, ‘Hello, Mike.’

‘How’s the treasure hunt going?’

‘Absolutely zilch.’

‘Pack it in when you’ve finished the outside. I doubt if the house itself will yield anything the fire service couldn’t find. I’m on my way to the office. I just switched my mobile on. I’ve got nine missed calls, all from the same number. No idea who it is. Has anyone called you?’

‘Ruth Edwards rang. Apparently that solicitor from Leeds has been bending her ear. She referred him to Helmsdale. She said he wasn’t happy.’

‘The day I start worrying about a solicitor’s peace of mind is when I know it’s time to retire. Particularly if it’s one that’s been messing us about. I’m going to pick up a sandwich. See you later.’

When Nash walked into the reception area at Helmsdale station, Binns was talking to a fresh-faced young man. Or rather, listening to the visitor, who appeared to be delivering a speech. Nash waved to the sergeant as he headed for the door to the CID suite. The young man swung round. ‘Detective Inspector Nash?’

Nash turned. ‘Richardson, Grace and Parsons,’ the visitor announced.

Nash blinked. ‘What, all three?’

The joke appeared to throw the man. ‘Er … no, actually, my name is Drew. Theodore Drew. Richardson, Grace and Parsons is the name of our practice.’

‘And what can I do for Richardson, Grace, Parsons and Theodore Drew?’

‘I represent two men you arrested yesterday evening. Two men employed as security guards by Helm Pharm Laboratories. I’m here to secure their release.’

‘You are, are you? Well, when I’ve interviewed them, I’ll make a decision as to whether to release them or not.’ With that the young solicitor was left watching the door close behind the detective.

After Nash had checked his mail and spent a short while reviewing the sparse facts he had regarding the Adam North murder, he relented. He owed as much to Jack Binns, who he guessed by now must he heartily sick of the solicitor’s voice. He rang through and asked the sergeant to escort Drew to his office.

‘I’ve decided not to press charges,’ he told the young man. ‘Your clients are free to go. Before you leave, however, I must warn you I’m far from happy about your firm’s conduct. I appreciate you are bound by client confidentiality, but you must appreciate that I have responsibilities also.

‘Two members of Dr North’s family are dead. His son was definitely murdered and we are now treating Mrs North’s death as murder. For some time my colleagues believed that Dr North
also perished in the house fire at Gorton, but we now believe that was not the case. Can you confirm whether Dr North is alive or dead?’

‘I’m afraid I can’t, Inspector.’ He saw Nash’s expression change. ‘I’m not being obstructive, but Dr North isn’t one of my clients. I was only asked to represent the two men you’re holding in your cells.’

‘In that case, can I ask you to talk to the partner who looks after Dr North’s interests? Tell him I have serious concerns, not only over Dr North’s safety and whereabouts, but those of his daughter. Now, I’ll sign the release forms for the two guards from Helm Pharm, but I expect contact from someone with news of where Dr North and his daughter are, together with some way of contacting them. Apart from my concerns about their well-being, either one or both of them may have information that would give some clue as to who killed Adam North and his mother.’