Mike made sure his earphones were working as his phone began to ring constantly. He used a microphone attached to his earpiece to relay messages to the teams, which were still arriving. The police helicopter, India 99, was on standby at its base in Lippitts Hill, Essex, all ready to take off when required, although the thermal image sensor on board would not be of much use unless Oates had recently buried a body. But even after five years they would be able to identify from the air possible ground disturbances in the open parts of the quarry and the Nitesun high-powered searchlight would also help the officers on the ground.
‘Is Langton going to show?’ asked Barolli, who’d just arrived.
Anna smiled and said she doubted that he would miss such a big event.
‘Well he should watch out for himself, this place is lethal – there’s potholes everywhere and the clay makes it like an ice rink.’
‘Yeah, but at least the rain is holding off.’
A large tent with rolled-up sides and a tarpaulin floor had also been erected for the forensic team and they were unpacking boxes of equipment inside. At the same time officers from the POLSA support van began taking out the huge arc lamps.
‘Well it looks like everyone’s here except the star of the show,’ said Barolli. He looked around, impressed: this was a major operation. ‘Eh, look who’s driving up – his nice shiny BMW’s gonna be caked.’
Adan Kumar was showing his identification to the uniformed officers standing by the cordoned entry to the parking area and was directed to park alongside Anna’s Mini. They watched as he got out and looked at the ground. He was wearing his cashmere coat and toggled leather shoes.
‘Silly bugger’s not got wellington boots, and it’s a pity we don’t have any extra protective gear to help him out.’ Barolli grinned.
Mike glanced at his watch. ‘He made good time, I only gave him the location an hour ago, woke him up. Mind you, I never mentioned it was gonna be a mud bath.’
They laughed as the elegant Kumar threaded his way across the potholed muddy ground, side-stepping and hesitant. The hem of his beautiful coat was already covered with white splashes of chalk and he drew it up to avoid a really slithery area as he reached the duckboards set down around the catering van.
‘Do you have any extra boots?’ he demanded.
Mike shook his head and apologized. ‘I regret to say they’re all allocated to the officers. I suggest you sit in your car, Mr Kumar – nothing will be happening for a while, as we’re waiting for your client.’
Kumar asked for a black coffee and brown toast. He then did a tripping dance back to his car with his breakfast balanced on a paper plate. By now the back of his coat was covered in stains as well.
‘Well, that’s him out of the way,’ Barolli said and then he looked up.
‘That’s not ours, is it?’
Mike and Anna followed his gaze skywards. A helicopter was making a slow circuit around the perimeter of the pit.
‘It’s not fucking press, is it?’ Mike said angrily.
‘Can’t see, but it’s moving off.’
‘Can we check with air traffic control if there’s clearance? If it’s press it’ll be a bloody pain in the arse.’
‘I don’t think you need permission to fly at certain heights, but it’s moved well off now.’
Their attention was then drawn to the black-out armoured wagon surrounded by police motorcyclists. It was held at the cordon and they saw an officer gesturing for it to drive on towards the coaches. Behind this was an armed response vehicle, with two armed officers on board. Oates would be handcuffed at all times and the armed guards would be close at hand.
Oates looked clean and well in a police-issue grey track-suit. He had asked to have a shower and for clean clothing before leaving the station on what he referred to as his big day out. He was asked to remain in the wagon and given hot chocolate with, as he requested, four teaspoons of sugar. The marine unit had warned that the climb down into the pit would be very hazardous. They had attached abseiling ropes to deeply buried anchor poles, but it was a steep drop down to the bottom of the quarry. As more ropes, harnessing and descending equipment were laid out it began to look like a mountaineering expedition. The last vehicle to enter the cordon was an open-backed Land Rover with a high-powered rear winch. The winch was to be fitted with a stretcher and body bag, ready to be lowered when required. It was also decided that the winch could be used alongside the abseiling ropes to lower officers down into the quarry and speed up the descent time. The forensic archaeologist had told them that bodies buried in chalk for a year or more would be badly decomposed due to the limestone content, but the bones themselves should remain in good condition. They felt they had covered every possible problem that could occur and Mike didn’t want any further delays.
It was almost seven when the operation began. Anna and Mike joined the armed officers in their van and were driven along the dirt road leading to the wooded area. They drove for almost two miles, half the perimeter of the quarry. The officers with Oates radioed back to warn them they were close and to slow down as the prisoner thought he recognized the area where he had usually pulled over. The wood had become much more dense and they could see that the wired fence had a break in it.
‘This is it,’ Mike told them. He turned to look back as the prison van stopped. Their own vehicle backed up a few yards to halt directly in front of the police wagon, which was now parked between the armed officers and the backup team of six more men.
Anna and Mike got out, and the armed officers followed as they took their positions by the rear doors of the prison van. Oates had now been given an all-in-one protection suit and wellington boots.
‘Can you step down, please, Mr Oates.’
Oates, with an officer either side of him, his hands cuffed in front, was helped down the steel steps of the wagon.
‘I was gettin’ claustrophobia in there,’ he said irritably.
Mike apologized and with himself and Anna either side of Oates they all turned towards the ditch and the wood.
‘You see that big tree there, one with the black marks up it?’
They did.
‘That was from me setting light to the Jeep, so I know I’m in the right place, it’s been my marker, but mind the ditch, it’s wider than you think.’
It was. Anna jumped over, and Mike helped Oates steady himself before he too jumped to the other side. Oates stood peering at the trees, then he pointed.
‘Just a bit further up, there’s a gap between two firs.’
They made slow progress as the ground was very uneven, but after a short distance they found themselves on a narrow path covered in thick rotting leaves and branches. There were thick brambles with sharp thorns on either side, making it necessary to walk in single file. The wood was becoming increasingly dense and Anna was growing suspicious, it seemed impossible that Oates could have come this way carrying a body.
‘You sure you’re on the right track?’ Mike asked Oates, who was now leading them.
‘Trust me, I can be certain in a few minutes. All right, everyone halt.’
Oates held up his handcuffed arms and everyone behind him stopped. It would have been comical if the reason for their being there hadn’t been so dreadful. Oates turned around, squinting upwards, but the branches were so dense they could only see glimpses of the sky.
‘No, not yet, forward.’
Mike threw Anna a look and she shrugged.
They continued walking slowly and whether or not Oates knew where he was going they could do nothing but follow in silence. He was like a little sergeant major and obviously enjoying himself as he kept on stopping and looking up, before ordering them to get going once more.
‘How much further?’ Mike asked.
‘Not sure, but I’m on the right track. I’ll know for certain in a minute. See, the trees are wider apart now.’