She’d thought to start with that he was just another chancer, pretending to be her long-lost kid – she’s had more than her fair share of that shit over the years. And let’s face it, what were the odds on that baby ending up in bloody New York, for fuck’s sake? She’d chucked the letter, guessing – wrongly, as it turned out – that he’d just give up. Only he didn’t. He was stubborn, he wouldn’t let it go. Yeah, well, she knows now where he got that from. But even in that last letter, with its barely veiled threat, there was nothing that proved he was legit. So why not offload him on her fucking parents? Let them sort it out. After the way they’ve treated her, they deserve all they get. At least, that’s what she told herself. And if things wound up getting a little heated, well, that was hardly her fault, was it? She never harmed that kid in the first place, and she hadn’t harmed him now.
And now she’s free and clear and not looking back. Sullivan said that with fifteen years done they’d have struggled to send her back anyway. Maybe she’s right. Maybe she’s not. But why the fuck take the risk.
She reaches for the radio and flicks it on. It’s one of those 1980s nostalgia stations. She turns it up and sings along happily to the last few verses of ‘Sisters are Doin’ It for Themselves’, until the next song cues up and she’s suddenly laughing out loud and turning it up as loud as it will go.
There’s a loving in your eyes all the way
If I listened to your lies would you say …
* * *
Adam Fawley
29 October
14.15
‘What’s Sullivan saying?’
There’s a crackling on the other end of the line.
‘Not a lot, surprise, surprise.’
Surrey have clearly escalated this one: the person I’m talking to now is another DI.
‘She can’t produce the passport but claims it must have been mislaid in her house move.’
‘Did she report it as lost?’
‘No,’ he says, ‘but since she still hasn’t unpacked half her boxes it’ll be hard to pin her with that one. And before you ask, I have two uniforms going through those boxes right now, as well as a CSI team on-site. Whose task is being made a sight harder by an irritable old lady badgering them every five minutes about her washing.’
‘So they haven’t found anything?’
‘Nope – at least nothing that ties Sullivan to Rowan. If they’re communicating by text it’s not on her main phone. And if there’s another one we haven’t found yet, we do at least know she isn’t using it where she is right now, i.e. in Elmbridge nick.’
‘Are you checking Sullivan’s finances? If Rowan’s trying to get out of the country –’
‘We’re on it,’ he says, slightly tetchy now. I suppose I can’t blame him. ‘Look, we may not be the Met but we have done this sort of thing before. And rest assured, if we find something, you’ll be the first to know.’
* * *
Importance: High
Sent: Mon 29/10/2018, 16.13
From: NickyBrown@CPS.gov.uk
To: DIAdamFawley@ThamesValley.police.uk
Subject: Camilla Rowan – CONFIDENTIAL
We’ve just had a meeting to review your new evidence, and I agree that there is a prima facie case to answer. The question, of course, is whether a prosecution for attempted murder passes the public interest test, given Rowan has already served fifteen years. However, the judge’s original recommendation was for a minimum of seventeen years, which she clearly has not served, and her release on licence was predicated on the reappearance of the child, which invalidated the original murder charge. Should the public come to learn what Rowan actually did to her baby there is likely to be a considerable backlash, accompanied by calls (informed or otherwise) for her to – at the very least – serve out the rest of her recommended minimum sentence. Taking all these factors into account, we believe there should be a second referral to the CCRC, pending which Rowan should be arrested and returned to custody: she has clearly breached her licence conditions by failing to turn up to the meeting with her probation officer.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Regards,
Nicky
* * *
Adam Fawley
29 October
17.10
The DI from Surrey calls me at five. What he has to say barely qualifies as ‘news’, but it’s just about enough to force me on to my feet to go and update everyone. Just as well, to be honest, because I’ve been sitting at this bloody desk for three hours now and my arse has gone to sleep. And, frankly, the atmosphere in the main office isn’t much livelier. If you graphed the collective mood since we realized Rowan had slipped through our fingers the line would be straight down.
‘OK, everyone,’ I say, raising my voice a little, ‘I’ve just had a call from DI O’Neill at Surrey Police. The team that did the search for Sullivan’s passport also noticed a few cut hairs on the kitchen floor, so it looks like we could be right that Rowan’s altered her appearance to look more like Sullivan.’ I look round the room. ‘I’m assuming there’s still no trace of either Rowan or the Nova?’
Baxter shakes his head. ‘Nothing on ANPR, so she’s probably avoiding motorways. Doesn’t help that we have no idea where she could be going.’
‘Channel Tunnel has to be the most likely, surely?’ says Carter.
‘Also the most obvious,’ replies Gis. ‘And if we’ve learned one thing about this woman it’s not to underestimate her.’
There’s a silence, then Ev sits back in her chair. ‘I think we missed her, boss. I think somehow or other she got out of the country.’
I shrug. ‘Perhaps. But maybe they anticipated this happening and planned for it – they’d have had long enough, after all, and unlike Rowan, Sullivan’s been on the outside and free to do whatever she likes. Maybe she’s fixed it for Rowan to go to ground – hole up somewhere until it all dies down.’
Quinn scowls. ‘And meanwhile she gets a new ID, a new car –’
‘I know. But all that costs money. We’ll have to hope Surrey find something in Sullivan’s financials.’
‘Well, they’ve not found diddly yet,’ says Baxter.
‘No, they haven’t. But she may have other accounts we know nothing about.’
‘Actually,’ begins Chloe Sargent, ‘I was thinking about that –’
She stops. Everyone is looking at her.
‘Go on,’ says Hansen.
‘If Sullivan’s been looking after her mum – doing her washing and that – isn’t it possible she manages her money as well? She could even have power of attorney – I mean, when my gran –’
‘You could be right. Let’s see what we can find in the mother’s accounts. And make sure Surrey are in the loop – we don’t want to piss them off, not if we don’t have to.’ She’s nodding and flushing and making a note all at once. ‘And well done, Sargent. Good for you.’
On my way out I turn at the door; Gis is making a big thing of clapping Sargent on the back in front of everyone. Good for him.
* * *
Transcript out-of-hours 101 call
Essex Police
29.10.2018 18:52:08
Operator: Essex Police, can I help you?
Caller: There’s a car on fire.