The DC smiled. ‘I didn’t mean that, Mrs Ross. What was his ethnic origin?’
‘Ah. He was white; he had quite a pale face, although he was one of those men who always look as if they need a shave. . in fact maybe he didn’t have a moustache; I’m not sure now. That might have made me think he did. He was Scottish, of course; maybe not from Edinburgh, but Scottish.’
‘That’s good. How about the rest? Spectacles?’
‘No. He was heavily built, thick chest, bit of a tummy on him. It hung over the belt of his jeans.’
‘What else was he wearing?’
‘A check shirt, mostly red on a white background, and one of those sleeveless quilted things. What do you call them? Puffer jackets. That’s it. Blue, unzipped. His whole appearance, he reminded me of somebody, and I’ve just realised who it is. Desperate Dan.’
It was Montell’s turn to look bewildered. ‘Who?’
Mrs Ross stared at him, then chuckled. ‘Of course, you’re not Scots, are you, so you didn’t grow up with him, like us. Desperate Dan’s a cartoon character in the Dandy comic, a great big cowboy. That’s who the van driver looked like.’
‘When he brought her in, did he speak to you first?’
‘Yes. He told me that he’d almost knocked her down when she’d staggered in front of his van, that he hadn’t hit her, but that she still needed attention. He said she was ill, not drunk.’
‘What did you think?’
‘She was barely able to stand, her eyes were all over the place and we couldn’t get a word out of her. My first thought when he half-carried her through that door was that she was totally plastered.’
‘And Nurse Chetty confirmed later that she had taken alcohol.’
‘Did she? I didn’t know that.’
‘No reason why you should. Sorry, I was thinking aloud, that’s all.’ He frowned. ‘What happened after that, Mrs Ross, after he’d told you what had happened?’
‘I came round from behind the desk, and got the girl into a seat, then I called for Sonya Chetty.’
‘And the man?’
‘He stood there and watched.’
‘For how long?’
‘Hardly any time. As soon as I’d taken charge of the girl, and called for Sonya, he said that he had to get on with his deliveries, and he left.’
‘I don’t suppose you got a look through the window at his van, did you?’
‘No, but when he went out the door, he turned right, and there isn’t much of a view to that side.’
‘OK. That’s just about it, Mrs Ross. Only one more thing. When this happened, was the waiting area busy?’
‘No, it was empty. You’ve only got me as a witness, I’m afraid. Me and the driver, that is.’
Which could be a problem, he thought, as he thanked her and walked back towards the consulting room. Alice Cowan was waiting in the corridor, just outside the door, with another woman, short and stocky, with greying hair. ‘This is Dr McNulty,’ his colleague told him. ‘She’s just completed the examination.’
‘What’s the score?’ Montell asked as he shook the doctor’s hand. ‘How’s she doing?’
‘She’s going to be all right, but I’m going to send her to the Royal. She needs to be kept under observation for a couple of days, and I’d imagine you’re going to need to talk to her when she’s able. We’ve got nowhere else to send her anyway; we don’t know where she lives, or anything else about her.’
The woman looked up at him. ‘You were right about her, Detective Constable. Whatever was in her stomach’s been absorbed into her bloodstream, but she has taken a drug, or more likely had it administered to her, along with alcohol. It might have been flunitrazepam, or Rohypnol, to give its commercial name, but it probably was GHB. Given to her for the usual reason as well. There’s no indication of forcible intercourse, not physically forcible at any rate, no violent rape, but she has been sexually active recently, and probably quite frequently. I’d suggest that you take her underwear for lab testing. Whoever’s done this to her has signed his name, good and proper.’
‘We’d want her clothing automatically, Doc, in a case like this.’
‘Sorry, of course you would,’ Dr McNulty conceded. ‘I’ve had it put in sterile bags for you.’
‘Thanks. Anything else you have to tell us?’
‘Two things. First I don’t believe this is a one-off experience. This girl has all the hallmarks of a regular drug user, she’s under-nourished, she’s dehydrated, and she’s physically weak. The first thing I’d look for in someone like her is heroin use, but I don’t see any sign of that. . no needle marks, or any such. Blood tests will confirm this, and I’ve taken some for you, but I believe that she’s been on this drug over an extended period.’
‘And the other?’ Cowan asked.
The doctor hesitated. ‘Understand,’ she said eventually, ‘this isn’t a medical opinion. It’s subjective, but looking at her features, I don’t think this girl’s Scottish, or British at all. She’s had some dental work, so maybe a specialist could give you a more informed view than mine, but me, I’d say this kid’s eastern European.’
‘If you’re right, I hope she speaks English when we get to interview her.’
‘Should one of us go with her in the ambulance?’
‘Not unless you want to sit looking at her for a day or so, till she gets her wits back. I’ll handle her admission from here. I’ll let you know what ward she’s in and you can send somebody up to keep an eye on her.’
‘Thanks, Doctor,’ said Montell. He took a card from his pocket and handed it to her. ‘Those are my numbers, office and mobile. . although I’ll stay at my desk till I hear from you.’
He let Cowan lead the way outside, through the waiting area, which had gained a few patients, and into the cold dark evening outside. ‘What do you think?’ he asked her as they reached their car.
‘The phrase “sex slave” comes to mind,’ she muttered, grimly, as she slid behind the wheel. ‘Looks to me as if some sicko bastard’s been keeping her under the influence of that stuff and using her as a toy.’
‘So how did she escape?’
‘Maybe she didn’t. Maybe the sicko bastard was the so-called van driver, having a crisis of conscience.’
‘That’s possible.’
‘Should we put a public appeal out for him, do you think?’
‘We should do something, even if it’s only to have the media ask him to get in touch with us.’
‘How about a description?’
‘We might even be able to issue an artist’s impression.’ He grinned as he told her of his interview of Sally Ross.
‘Nice one,’ she laughed, as she started the engine. She made to engage gear, then stopped. ‘Do you want to carry on with that heart to heart we were having earlier?’
‘No,’ he replied. Her expression tightened, not quite imperceptibly. ‘Instead,’ he went on, ‘how about we pick up where I left off a couple of weeks ago? Ray Wilding told me that he and Becky are going to her divisional dance on Friday. Would you fancy the two of us joining them? It’s an open event.’
‘Let me think about it.’ She steered the car out into the traffic. ‘Right,’ she said, ‘I’ve thought about it. OK.’
Fourteen
‘Uruguay?’ DI Becky Stallings exclaimed.
‘That’s what the man said, boss.’ Haddock grinned. ‘I don’t suppose. .’
‘No, you don’t. If the need for a trip out there did arise, you are right at the back of the queue.’ She glanced at McGurk. ‘As for you, Jack, you’re too tall ever to be comfortable on a plane, so. .’ The Londoner frowned. ‘Where is bleedin’ Uruguay anyway?’
‘East coast of South America,’ Haddock volunteered. ‘Jammed in between Argentina to the south and Brazil to the north.’
‘Hardly a day trip, in that case. Just as well this is an i-dotter.’
‘A what?’ McGurk drawled.
‘An i-dotter, a t-crosser, a routine inquiry allowing us simply to tell the procurator fiscal that Tomas Zaliukas partially decapitated himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed.’
‘Ah, but the problem is,’ the sergeant pointed out, ‘we can’t tell him that with any authority. Professor Joe says that he was in perfect physical health, apart from the bit of him that’s still spread over the hilltop. Also, I’ve discovered that he hasn’t been near his GP in seven years, since he and Valdas Gerulaitis had inoculations for a foreign trip.’