Go Out With A Bang! (3 page)

The
Chief said, 'You can't see a connection or you don't want to see
one?'

'That,
is a very good question. Both. I don't see the one having anything
to do with the other, and I really wouldn't want to have to go down
that path again.'

The
Chief wasn't entirely happy with that answer. 'Stanley. I know
Poppy was involved in that somehow. I'll tell you something you
don't know. D I Andersen and I actually considered disciplinary
action against you two for withholding information pertinent to the
case.'

Morris
shared a shocked look with Crowe. They didn't know that. Morris
reacted first. 'I would have resigned if you had done that,' he
said.

'Me,
too,' said Crowe.

The
Chief said, 'We figured that. You are two of the best detectives we
have. It was a messy ending and Andersen and I both know you two
held something back. I asked Fred what had happened, just as my
niece's husband. I got stonewalled just like with you two. I just
want you to give thought to the possibility of it being linked
somehow with that case.'

'We
will,' said Morris.

'Right.
Moving on. What's happening with the Petroxel case?'

'We just
need to take a formal statement from Ralph Thorman,' said Morris.
'Not much else we can do until the bodies are removed, when we can
try to identify them.'

'Okay.
I'll let you get on. Lock this place up on your way
out.'

With the
Chief gone, Crowe said, 'Can you believe that? Disciplinary action
against us?'

'The Old
Man's right,' Morris conceded. 'We did hold info back.'

'With
bloody good reason.'

'Come
on. Let's go see Thorman.'

Chapter 6

Ralph
Thorman told his secretary to hold all calls and bring in
refreshments for him and the detectives.

'Damned
unbelievable. Millions that place cost us. Now just
rubble.'

Morris
sipped his coffee then asked, 'Your insurance company covering
it?'

'Playing
their face. Saying we aren't covered by acts of terrorism. I told
them it was just a bunch of criminals trying to extort money from
us. Not terrorists. They say that it is still considered an act of
terrorism. They said that if they paid out on one situation like
this, all buildings underwritten by them would become easy
targets.'

'That's
my understanding of it, too,' said Andersen. 'I doubt if you'll get
anywhere. It'll be pretty clear cut in your insurance
policy.'

'That
won't stop me trying,' said Thorman. 'We have top legal people
working for our company. We'll set them loose on the buggers. No
doubt it will drag on for years. Any closer to finding out who did
it?'

Morris
shook his head. 'We won't know anything until we get the bodies
out. Once we've identified the remains, we can put the case to bed.
There may be a mastermind who wasn't on the actual job. We'll do
our best to establish that and track him down.'

Thorman
asked, 'Any idea when that will be? The information may be a factor
in any insurance claim.'

Crowe
said, 'Because there are bodies in there, even though dead ones, it
isn't just a case of taking the rubble away. It will be a piece by
piece removal until the bodies have been recovered.'

Thorman
sighed. 'I thought that would be the case.'

Morris
asked, 'Mr Thorman. Do you know of any similar threats against your
company, either here or in any other country?'

'Unfortunately, most companies get cranks targeting them with
extortion demands now and then. Just part of life. Petroxel has had
its fair share, but nothing on this scale before.'

Morris
had expected that. 'It doesn't sound like it's anything personal
against the company. It's just money, not terrorists or people with
a grudge. Okay. We'll be off. Thanks for your time. As soon as we
get anywhere, we'll let you know.'

'Can't
come soon enough. Thanks.'

Back at
headquarters, Detective Inspector Andersen was waiting for them.
They told him what had been said at the meeting with
Thorman.

Andersen
said, 'We can move on from that case for the time being. Not much
we can do until at least one body turns up. What I want to do now
is find out what the hell has happened to Ducket. We all know this
isn't like him at all to go off without some kind of reason. It's
the first time I've ever had to ask detectives to find a detective.
But this is from the Chief. This is priority. Find the
Ferret.'

Chapter 7

Morris
and Crowe let themselves into Ducket's office, using the code given
by the Chief. The lifeless equipment gave the huge room the feel of
a modern day museum. It was the prototype for the technological
future of the country's detective force. The very best available
systems were put in place and further enhanced by
Ducket.

'Any
idea what the hell this thing is?' Crowe asked.

'I
wouldn't have a clue. Stop messing with it.'

'It
looks like dinosaurs like us have an expiry date.'

'Speak
for yourself,' Morris said. 'I think we should work it like just a
missing person case and not like a mate gone missing. I'd still
like to try to see if we can get into his computer.'

Crowe
said, 'I doubt if Bill Gates could get in there. Ferret was
training likely prospects to head up similar departments in other
headquarters. I suggest we drag one of those in.'

Morris
agreed. 'The Chief will know who they are. We can pull in a couple
of them. I'll organise that, you check the drawers and filing
cabinet.'

The
Chief considered Morris's suggestion.'He won't like it.'

'I'm
open to alternative ideas,' said Morris. 'We need something to work
with and it seems logical that Ducket might have something on his
computer to put us on the right track.'

'But you
need an expert to help out.'

'On the
Ferret's computer, yes. He hand selected the ones to train up.
People who have had some detective experience, but had strong
computer skills.'

'One
moment.' The Chief pressed the old fashioned intercom button on his
desk. 'Monica. Do you have that list D C Ducket made up of people
he was training? Good. See if you can get a couple of them over
here as soon as possible. No. It doesn't matter which ones, just as
long as they can come over right away. Thanks, Monica.'

'Thanks,
Chief,' said Morris.

'I'm
holding you responsible for this. Keep an eye on them.'

'Understood, Chief.'

Two
hours later, Jordon Fletcher and Trish Bailey were drooling over
the hi-tech equipment. They were two of the Ferret's fan
club.

'I'm surprised they aren't
wearing “We love the Ferret” T shirts,' whispered Crowe.
'And
they
are detectives? How old are they? Twelve?'

Morris
said, 'Young enough to understand their way around this stuff. And
yes. Both are detective constables, both fast tracked. Be nice to
them. A few years from now, we'll be calling them sir.'

The
youngsters were oblivious to the senior officers in the room. They
had fired up the computer and were in deep discussion using words
that may well have come from another language as far as Crowe and
Morris were concerned.

'Think
you can get in there?' Morris asked.

'This is
pretty wicked shit,' said Trish Bailey.

She was
petite and slightly mousey looking. It was hard for the worldly
detective to imagine her being part of fighting crime in the real
world, physically dealing with the lowlife. But he was a dinosaur,
like Crowe had said. Slamming crims against a cell wall when the
duty sergeant was on a tea break. Dodging bullets, playing good cop
bad cop. Surely there was a happy compromise?

It was
what made Ferret special, unique. His forte may be in cyberspace,
but he had a talent for cutting through the crap of a case and
using logical deduction, see answers that were obvious to him but
like a revelation to others when he came out with them. The
equipment, the computers and all the bells and whistles could be
replicated. Gifted young people could get the most out of it. But
to be Ferret's? Not in a million years. They needed Ducket
back.

Fletcher
said, 'He has put codes, security, passwords, unique firewalls and
other things in here we never even saw before. Ferret is a
genius.'

Crowe
snapped, 'I thought you two were bloody genius's, too. Can you get
in there or not?'

Jordon
Fletcher scratched his blue permed hair and said, 'We can do
this.'

Crowe
wanted to slap him. Instead he growled, 'Then bloody get on with
it.'

Morris
dragged the big guy away so the youngsters could work. 'Pull your
head in. Did you find any paperwork that might help us?'

'Ducket had an aversion to the
handwritten word. Like an allergy, or something. You know what I'm
thinking? If he'd wanted us to find him, he'd have left a clue. One
even
we
could understand. It wouldn't be in an obscure teaser. It
would be lit up in neon lights.'

Morris
considered that. 'Are you saying he doesn't want us after him? He
would have known we would be trying to find him.'

Crowe
said, 'The lack of a clue is a clue in itself. It's Ferret's way of
saying back off and give him some space.'

'So we
don't look for him?'

Crowe
shrugged. 'Stan. We have been told by the Old Man himself to find
Ferret. They nearly had us disciplined before. If these kids find
anything, so be it.'

Chapter 8

'Uncle
Bernie. It's been four whole days. Where the hell is
he?'

'Hey.
Calm down. I have Morris and Crowe onto it as a priority. Now, I'm
not taking no for an answer. You are coming to stay with me and
Debbie for the time being. Grab a few things.'

Poppy
shook her head. 'I can't, Uncle Bernie. I have to be here in case
he comes home.'

'He'll
find you, wherever you are. Come on, start packing.'

Poppy
knew her uncle wouldn't be leaving her alone this time. She packed
a case, grabbed her laptop and phone and followed him to his
car.

Debbie
Sefton, Bernie's partner, had moved in with him. She was waiting
with open arms for Poppy.

'Come
on. Oh, you poor girl. You must be frantic. I'll get the kettle
on.'

'Thanks,
Debbie. I'll put my things in my old room.'

They
settled down for the evening meal and Poppy tried to do more than
push the food around on her plate.

Bernie
said, 'You have to keep your strength up, Poppy. You need to
eat.'

To
oblige her well meaning uncle, Poppy ate a few more mouthfuls. 'I'm
full. That was great, Debbie. Thanks.'

Debbie
said, 'Poppy. Fred will be back. You'll see. I don't pretend to
know what's happened to him, but I can tell you this. Fred loves
you more than anything. Anybody can see that.'

'I don't
doubt that,' said Poppy. 'And in a way, that's what scares me the
most. We love each other. He hasn't left me for another woman. I
never thought that for a minute. So what is so terrible he has felt
the need to leave the woman he loves so much behind, terrified out
of her wits?'

Bernie
sighed. 'You've mirrored my own thoughts. Him not even contacting
you...' He was interrupted by the phone ringing and he got up from
the table to take the call. The women stared at him, hoping it was
Ducket. It wasn't.

'Dale.
Oh? But I thought...?' He turned to look at Debbie and Poppy. 'Yes,
Dale. Rope in Morris and Crowe. Right. I'll see you first thing.
Goodnight.'

'Uncle
Bernie?'

'Sorry.
Nothing to do with Fred. There's been another extortion demand for
another building.'

Debbie
said,' But I thought those people were all dead?'

'So did
I,' said Bernie. 'So did I.'

Chapter 9

The
chaos was barely controlled. The daylight had gone half an hour
before the demands had been made. Hancock had his Tactical
Enforcers in place surrounding the Queensway Hotel. It was prime
real estate having had a facelift worth millions. Cleverly
targeted, as was the Petrolex building, it was out of the city
centre, close to the airport, with a private recreational lake
offering unique ways to relax and unwind that other large hotels
could only be envious of.

The two
hundred room hotel had been purchased and the new owners had wanted
it completely upgraded. It was as prime as it got and the new
owners realised that. It was one week away from being reopened.
Huge lights lit up the huge hotel from all four sides including the
rear which backed onto a lake.

Two
police launches patrolled the lake, their searchlights covering the
rear and the manicured lawns, tennis courts and putting green. Liam
Goldstein wasn't prepared to see his beautiful hotel destroyed and
he was telling D I Andersen just that.