‘No, I’m sending you the message he sent me. You can see for yourself.’
Whilst he waited for it to come through, Carter went to get his laptop from the sitting room. He fired it up and got into the file on Olivia Grantham.
The message came through from Harding:
I’ll be waiting.
Carter scrolled down until he found what he was looking for – it was the last message Olivia ever received.
I’ll be waiting.
‘It’s our guy, Doctor; it’s the same man who set Olivia Grantham up, I’m sure of it. What do you remember about the people in the car park who trashed your car?’
‘Just a bunch of youths.’
‘You didn’t notice any distinctive dress – gang insignia? Any bandannas?’
‘I didn’t look that closely at what they were wearing, I was trying to stop them dragging me out of the car.’
‘Anyone you’d recognize again?’
‘One face pressed against the window – mixed race, Middle Eastern-looking – Kurdish – that area of the world. He had a dog. The dog was being held back. Having seen what it did to Olivia’s body, I’m feeling grateful now.’
‘Where is your car now, Doctor?’
‘It’s waiting at the Audi garage for a new roof to come from Germany. It’s due in the workshop tomorrow.’
‘Call them first thing and cancel, please, and I’ll alert Sandford and get him to look at the car. You really should have mentioned this before. Tomorrow, we’ll need to see if we can persuade the Dogger to answer a new message from you. Until then, Doctor, can I please suggest you don’t meet anyone else for now. We’ve just come back from looking at the body of another of Ellerman’s women from the list. Please be vigilant and please stay safe. I’ll see you in the morning.’
As she was going to bed, Harding got a text:
I’m still waiting.
Chapter 39
DC Zoe Blackman parked up in the Faith and Light hostel car park and checked her watch – she had ten minutes to wait till ten o’clock, when her mum, Diane, was due to finish her shift. Zoe’s boys were staying with friends tonight and she didn’t want Diane to have to get a taxi or a bus home from an area she didn’t know well, even though she’d said she’d be fine. Zoe was going to surprise her and take her home. She was just about to get out of the car and go in when she saw Simon Smith. She sat back in the shadows and watched him cross the car park, then she saw him stop and look back… Mahmet Balik walked up behind him, leading his dog on a chain. Blackman stayed where she was. She looked at Smith and wondered how he would handle it. She couldn’t hear the conversation. She was trying to work out how she was going to disarm Balik and not get mauled by the dog. She was also praying that Diane would not walk out just at that moment. Zoe watched and waited. Simon seemed to be in control. The dog stayed where it was and Balik’s arm gesturing didn’t seem to bother it. It stayed calm. Simon was nodding. Zoe watched as he took something out of his pocket and handed it across to Balik. Zoe didn’t dare breathe or move. Then the hostel door opened and her mum, Lyndsey and Sheila walked out, chatting.
Shit!
Now she had no choice but to get out of the car.
‘Mahmet Balik?’
He stood his ground as she walked towards him.
‘Correct.’
The dog growled at her.
‘You’re wanted for questioning at Archway Police Station about a death that happened on Parade Street.’
‘Yeah, sure.’ He started walking. Zoe shouted for him to stop. He stopped with his back to her. She stood a few feet from him and the dog, which had resumed its snarling. Balik slowly turned to face her.
‘What’s the problem, Officer?’
‘I already told you. You need to present yourself at Archway Police Station for questioning. What is your current address?’
She got out her notebook.
‘My current address is no-man’s land. I’m everywhere you won’t find me.’
‘Mahmet Balik, I am placing you under arrest.’ Zoe took out her handcuffs and took a step towards him but stopped immediately as five other youths appeared in the car park and one of them stepped up and blocked her way. She pushed him hard.
‘Get out of my face. Stand back.’ She held a pepper spray where he could see it.
One of the lads opened his jacket, to show her he was carrying a knife.
‘You spray that – you will take one of us out but then you’ll be dead,’ said Mahmet. ‘After you, then I’m going to cut these people. No one’s going to leave here unless you back off.’ Zoe held up her hands. ‘And tell Toffee and his mates we will find them.’
They turned and walked out of the car park. Zoe called on her phone for back-up.
‘They’ve got to be stopped,’ said Lyndsey. ‘Can anyone stop them?’ The three women were visibly shocked by the confrontation.
‘We will.’ Blackman was just very angry. She didn’t like having to back down. ‘I’ll make sure that something’s done about it.’
‘They’ve been coming around here, intimidating people, for long enough,’ said Sheila. ‘That dog will kill, sooner or later: he can’t control it—’
Simon interrupted: ‘We’re bound to get it, living this close to an estate like the Hannover.’
‘So this isn’t the first time he’s been round here?’ Blackman turned to Sheila and Lyndsey.
Simon turned to go past the women and walk inside.
‘It’s since the murder – it’s got worse,’ Sheila said.
Simon held up his hand to silence Sheila.
‘Let’s not get carried away with this. He’s a mindless thug, that’s all.’
‘Sheila – what have the clients said to you?’
‘Martine, Mason, Spike, they’re all too scared to come here. They saw something that night. People are staying away – too scared to come here for food. Shameful the way they behave, these gangs. It’s a disgrace.’
‘Sheila – it’s okay,’ said Simon.’ I’m going to be keeping an eye on things tonight. Any trouble and I won’t hesitate to call the police.’
‘Has anyone seen Toffee’s friends?’ asked Zoe. They shook their heads.
‘But Lolly’s been killed and they definitely did it,’ said Sheila.
‘We don’t know that, Sheila,’ said Simon.
‘Yes, we do. They were bragging about it to Lyndsey when they stopped her the other day; weren’t they?’
Lyndsey nodded. ‘They said they raped her and then injected her with corrupted heroin just for a laugh. She died in agony.’
Zoe was keeping one eye on Simon as Sheila talked. She wanted to ask him what he gave to Balik but decided she’d bide her time and talk to Carter first.
‘I can get extra protection here. I will make sure the search for Balik is stepped up,’ she said. ‘Okay, Mum, you ready?’
‘Thank you, Diane. You’re a great help,’ Simon said as they walked towards Zoe’s car.
‘I’ll be back tomorrow,’ Diane said. Simon looked surprised. ‘Well, you’ll need me, I’m sure.’
‘We certainly do,’ Sheila called out. ‘We need all the good help we can get. Thank you, Diane.’
Zoe waited until the patrol car had come and then dropped her mother home – she was too adrenalin-fuelled to go home herself and sleep.
Martine was waiting at the station ticket office, to see if her friend would be working there tonight. She pulled her shawl up over her head, against the bitter wind.
‘Spare some change,’ she asked a man walking through the station.
‘No, sorry.’
She was waiting for Larry to appear on the other side of the ticket barrier and let her in, but there was a new face.
‘Where’s Larry?’