Hidden ( CSI Reilly Steel #3) (29 page)

‘
Because she sang?’ Kennedy asked sceptically.

‘
No, no, not just that but the way she acted. It’s hard to explain really, she just wasn’t like any other girl I knew, kind of innocent, you know?’

‘
Until you came along like Prince Charming.’ Chris said, guessing that they’d made an unexpected breakthrough in finding not only the father of Sarah’s baby, but also the reason she had decided to fly the nest.

Dan
shook his head. ‘It wasn’t like that. When the genny broke I spent a couple of weeks back and forth working on it. So anyway over the course of that time I’d call and sometimes she would answer the buzzer to let me in. I thought he must be out, delivering his sculptures or something, but didn’t pay much attention. So instead of talking to me from behind the fence, this time she would come out and sit on the grass beside the generator while I worked, asking me constant questions like a three-year-old – where did I live, could I dance … all sorts of random stuff. I enjoyed it and she was funny; not all self-obsessed like most of the girls you meet nowadays.’

Chris could hear genuine fondness in his tone.

‘
Go on. I’m guessing we’re getting to the part where you tell us how you showed her to tango.’ Kennedy was clearly getting impatient.

‘
Look, what do you want me to say? I’ve got a steady girlfriend, it was a mistake, it just happened.’

‘
You’re saying she came on to you?’

Dan took a deep breath. ‘Kind of. I went out there one day and again she opened the gates, and sat beside me while I worked, but saying nothing this time. It was unusual, because she’d been getting chattier each time I called. I asked her why she was so quiet, and she just burst into tears.’ He moved away from the bench that he was resting against. ‘I felt sorry for her, I put my arm around her to calm her down, she was in quite a state, talking about how she wanted to leave and would I take her with me. I asked her what was stopping her from leaving herself and she started talking about being afraid that the beasts would get her and all this weird stuff. Anyway, she was shivering, so I gave her my jacket and told her she could sit in the van if she wanted. She asked me to sit with her for a while and I did, I was just finished working anyway…’ Dan took a gulp of air. ‘So we were in the van still talking, when out of the blue she just plants one on me. One thing led to another and it just … happened.’

‘
Did you use protection?’ Chris asked, already guessing the answer.

‘
No offence but I don’t bring condoms out on jobs with me. I’m not some kind of Casanova …’

‘
OK, so you had sex. Then what?’

‘Well, i
t’s not everyday a girl like that  throws herself at you, but then right after we got into it she got all crazy, started sobbing and yelling, telling me to get off her, calling me weird names and stuff. I stopped straight away, honestly, I would never rape anyone, you have to believe me…’ he said, sounding desperate.

‘
Is that why you think we’re here, because you’re being accused of rape?’

‘It wasn’t like that, I swear. She ran back in and I didn’t see or hear from her again. I was shitting it, but then when nothing happened after a few weeks I started to forget about it. Then when the next service call from there came in, I gave the boss some excuse and he said he’d get one of the other lads to do it. I didn’t rape anyone, I swear.’

Chris exhaled deeply.

‘OK, Dan, calm down, that’s not why we’re here,’ he said, putting the man out of his misery. ‘But the information you’ve given us may prove very helpful with our investigation. What else can you tell us about the property? And how many children were there?’

Chapter 28

‘So now we know for sure that it’s the right place,’ said Chris. The team had reconvened in the incident room for a meeting with O’Brien to update him. ‘And more importantly, we also know that this guy is holding more kids captive.’

             
Following extensive questioning of the engineer, and based on his account of events, they’d learnt of the existence of at least three other children at the property, all redheads.

O’Brien peered at the image on his computer screen, then scowled. 
‘Last thing we want is a stand-off like at Ballycastle.’ He was referring to an incident from a few years back whereupon some local detectives had called to ask a young farmer a few questions about a recent fracas outside a nearby pub. Taking exception to their presence on his land as well as their questioning, the farmer had threatened them and tried to force them off with a shotgun. The armed response unit were called out, and a long stand-off ensued, resulting in the farmer being shot dead after firing a bullet into the air in a fit of rage. There had been a huge outcry and it had all ended up a public relations disaster for the force as a result. The ensuing internal inquest had changed the manner in which all similar investigations had been handled since.

Reilly, Chris and Kennedy stood in a semi-circle around
O’Brien, looking over his shoulder.

‘
We have no reason to believe that there are any weapons there, sir,’ Reilly pointed out.

‘And no reliable
intel to say that there aren’t either,’ he growled. ‘Everyone seems to be armed these days, and if this guy is as serious about security as you say… I mean someone like this, who has created his own little fortress – we have to assume he is armed. So what
do
we know about this guy?’

‘Land Registery details just came back,’ said Chris. ‘He’s a self-employed sculptor, headstones mostly but some bespoke pieces too.  Tax records are minimal as he’s a registered artist and benefits from tax exemption, so has remained out of the net for the most part.’

‘
He’s originally from Glasgow, but has been living here since the late eighties,’ Kennedy added. ‘But the big news is that his family died in a car crash a few years back.’

And this crucial piece of information, Reilly thought, was what made this farm most likely to be the place
.

‘A
ccording to the locals, they were a family of redheads,’ she said, ‘so Knight may well be spot on about our guy trying to recreate such a situation.’

‘So this McAllister sounds like our man then.’  O’Brien stood up and gazed out of the window. ‘I read Knight’s report too. Someone like this can be unpredictable.’

‘For what it’s worth
, sir, he doesn’t sound like some Fritzl-type who keeps kids locked up in a cellar; in fact he seems more your garden variety psycho, fencing them in with fear instead of walls.’

O’Brien nodded. ‘Knight mentioned
that the abductor may himself have come to believe these scare tactics he’s using on the kids to keep them in check.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘
So I don’t want us to go knocking at the door with a bunch of uniforms, getting him all riled up.’

‘
We have reasonable cause though, based on what the engineer told us about there being kids in there,’ Kennedy pointed out. ‘I vote we bring the Armed Support Unit and get in and out before the guy knows what’s happening. It’ll be like pulling off a plaster.’

O’Brien glared at
him.  ‘I think you’ve been watching too many Jerry Bruckheimer films, Detective. There are children there, we don’t know the layout, and certainly don’t know how this fella will react. The last thing we want is him holed up somewhere in there, the kids held hostage, and the press all over it.  Before we know it, we’ll be the stars of Sky News’s latest reality show. No,  initally we’ll just have to make a low-key approach and see if we get a response.’

‘
I can’t see him opening up for us if he’s already had four opportunities,’ Kennedy argued. ‘The locals reckon that he’s a bit of a recluse. Incidentally there are no kids from that address registered in any of the local schools.’

‘
No surprise there,’ Reilly said.

‘
Makes you wonder how he’s pulled this off for so long though, doesn’t it?’ Chris ventured. ‘What happens when the kids get sick?’

‘Maybe they don’t,’ Kennedy said. ‘My two only started picking up bugs when they started school. And clearly these kids don’t mix.’ He was distracted by an incoming call on his mobile.

Chris shook his head
. ‘I don’t know. The more I think about this, the stronger I’m leaning towards tactical forced entry.’ 

             
‘Absolutely not,’ O’Brien retorted. ‘I say we give McAllister one more chance to talk to us, but no uniforms this time.’ He looked at Reilly. ‘You don’t look anything like a cop, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. What would you say to approaching via the front gate with Detective Delaney to see if he’ll talk?’

‘
Happy to,’ Reilly agreed immediately.

Chris looked
horrified. ‘With all due respect, sir, that is not in the GFU’s remit. A direct approach could be risky, especially when we don’t know what we’re up against.’

O’Brien shushed him
into silence. ‘Steel’s not in the least threatening, and it would be good to get an idea of who we’re dealing with before we go barging on in there.’

‘
And what if he doesn’t take too kindly to us?’

‘Chris, I’ll be fine. I’m happy to do it
,’ Reilly insisted, eager to be a part of the action. She turned back to O’Brien. ‘Sir, how about if ASU back us up  but stay back, and out of sight? They could discreetly inspect the surrounding area in the meantime, and see if they can confirm the presence of any children inside. Then if McAllister does decide to get hostile, we’re covered.’

O’Brien looked at them all
then slowly nodded.  ‘All right.  But don’t foul it up.  I don't want this to turn into a stand-off, you hear me?’

Kennedy hung up the phone. ‘That was the station. Seems one of the neighbors in Clondalkin called in this morning with a tip
-off on the van from the other day.’

‘The one from the abduction attempt on Jade Carney?’ Chris asked. ‘Did the neighbor get the registration? Was it McAllister?’

‘Seems she only got a partial on the plate, but they’re checking CCTV cameras for around that time, see if they can find anything that matches the description. With luck, we might pick up the reg then.’

He looked at O’Brien. ‘Still want to go ahead with a softly softly approach
, sir, or should we wait until we get confirmation on the van?’

The inspector was thinking hard. ‘I think we go ahead now,  see what the response is.’

‘And what’s the plan if McAllister answers?’ Chris asked.

‘
I think you’re going to have to play it by ear, see if it feels threatening or not.’ The inspector looked back out the window.  ‘We’ll move first thing in the morning, give me a chance to  get ASU into the mix.’ He nodded, indicating that the meeting was over. ‘And good luck,’ he threw at them as they closed the door.

‘We’re going to need it,’ muttered Kennedy.  ‘There are so many ways this can go wrong…’

Back at the GFU, Reilly was heading towards her office when she heard footsteps behind her in the hallway. Hanging up her coat, she turned around to find Lucy waiting in the doorway.

‘
Come in,’ she said, guessing what was coming.

Lucy slipped into the room, and closed the door be
hind her. ‘I heard about tomorrow and—’

Reilly cut her off.
‘I know what you’re going to ask, and I’m not sure it’s a good idea.’

‘How do you—’

‘
You want to come up there tomorrow – to the McAllister place.’

Lucy gazed at her hands, restlessly rubbing at
them. ‘But what if—’ she whispered softly, unable to get the words out.

Reilly exhaled
. ‘Lucy,’ she said gently. ‘I understand that this has all been very difficult for you, and has brought back a lot of painful memories but the chances—’

‘I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not stupid,’ Lucy interjected. ‘I don’t think Grace is there. For one thing the age profile is all wrong…’ But Reilly guessed that there was still a tiny part of her that held out a faint glimmer of hope, futile or otherwise. ‘It’s just … I’ve practically memorized every missing children’s file there is since all of this began. If there’s a chance that even one of those kids is in there, and could be saved … ’

Reilly looked at her dark, intense eyes and understood. ‘The operation is strictly limited in scope,’ she said. ‘It’s just a small team going out there to make initial contact. We have no idea how this guy is going to react. If our information about this place is sound, and McAllister is holding kids in there, then things could get messy.’ She looked at Lucy.