Tompkins lays it out for them. ‘Almost a week ago, DI Baker sat in this same room and told you that she believed Caitlyn Lock and Jake Timberland had been on their way to Stonehenge when he was killed and she was abducted. We have information that now seems to confirm that. And we think we know who is responsible. Incredible as it seems, there is good reason to believe that an ancient pagan cult may be behind the abduction.’
‘Unlikely,’ says Willis. ‘We have reliable intelligence that an international crime syndicate has Lock. Ransom demands have already been made.’
Tompkins holds her ground. ‘I’d ask you to stay open-minded, sir. What DI Baker is about to tell you is going to sound fanciful but I assure you that there is strong circumstantial evidence to support it.’
Gibson is starting to think it was a mistake to consent to this confidential meeting. ‘Jude, why didn’t you take this to John Rowlands or your own Chief?’
She knows she’s on thin ice. ‘Sir, there is a possibility that my own force may be implicated. Physical and electronic evidence has already been tampered with. The inquiry could be compromised from within.’
‘Those are very serious allegations. You put me in a difficult position.’
‘I do, sir. And I apologise. But given the circumstances, I believe it is entirely appropriate that we seek your guidance as senior external officers heading this major investigation.’
‘Point made.’ He turns to Megan. ‘So, Detective Inspector, what’s the story?’
Megan knows she’s only got one shot at maintaining her credibility. ‘While investigating the suicide of Professor Nathaniel Chase, a published archaeologist and world-renowned expert on Stonehenge, his son Gideon made me aware of diaries written by the professor about a secret cult dedicated to the stones of the henge.’
‘Druids?’ interjects Willis.
‘No, sir. This society predates any druid movement. If you need a comparison, think of the Freemasons. I believe we are talking about an ancient craft-based order that has matured over centuries and wields considerable power and influence.’ No sooner have the words crossed her lips than she regrets them. If either Willis or Gibson is a Freemason, her case is dead in the water. ‘Sir, coded diaries discovered by Gideon Chase suggest that the cult derives some form of blessings and protection from Stonehenge providing human sacrifices are periodically made to their gods.’
The two men are looking at each other, thin smiles on their lips. ‘I find this very hard to believe. Human sacrifice is unknown in modern day Europe,’ says Gibson. ‘Even in America, where they have more than their share of extremists, there are only a few documented cases over the past hundreds of years. I’m really struggling to buy into this theory of yours.’
‘I was too, sir,’ says Megan. ‘But certain events have changed my mind.’
Willis glances impatiently at his watch. ‘And they are?’
‘It all seems to come back to Stonehenge. It is at the centre of all our recent major cases. Nathaniel Chase, an expert on the henge, commits suicide. Lock and Timberland are attacked while visiting the stones. Sean Grabb, one of the men we wanted to interview about those attacks, is found dead in Bath. He was working security at Stonehenge. And all of this happens around the summer solstice.’
Gibson seems interested. Or maybe amused. It’s hard for Megan to tell. ‘Sir, I’ve checked the medical records of Gideon Chase. He told me he had cancer as a child and the stones cured him. According to the records, his claim seems to be true.’
Willis frowns. For him, it’s just not credible. ‘Are you telling me that his medical records say he was cured of cancer by a ring of stones?’
‘No, sir. They say he had an incurable form of cancer and was cured. They give no explanation, simply because they couldn’t find one.’
Gibson lets out a sigh of exasperation. ‘DCI Tompkins said evidence had been tampered with. What evidence and what tampering?’
Megan realises his patience is wearing thin. She summarises as tightly as possible. ‘Someone broke into and set fire to the home of Nathaniel Chase. But not before trying to recover or destroy something of value. We think the intruder was after the secret diaries we now know the professor had written about Stonehenge and the cult connected to it. His son Gideon managed to take a camera-phone snap of the burglar. Our facial recognition software produced a match with a local man. And we also recovered physical evidence from the break-in. Tools in a kit bag that had been left behind. When I last checked, sir, all that evidence was missing from the property store. All trace of it had been wiped from the computer log. As had the electronic bulletin sent to my mailbox about the facial match. Everything had been erased from my files.’
Gibson makes notes then looks up at Tompkins. ‘We need to talk separately about this and how we handle it.’
She nods.
The Met Commander sits back and weighs up Megan. As crazy as everything sounds, she seems a first-class officer and not the type to get carried away on flights of fancy. He is also aware that she is supposed to be in Swindon setting up a new cold case unit. What she shouldn’t be doing is speaking confidentially to him behind her chief’s back.
He leans forward and clasps his hands on the desk. ‘You’re an experienced officer, Megan, so I’m sure you’re aware that our investigation is on a knife edge. We have the FBI, Interpol, private investigators and most British police forces all chasing leads. The strongest of inter-agency evidence demonstrates that an international crime syndicate has taken Caitlyn and is extorting money from her parents. The asking price is currently twenty million dollars. I respect the manner in which you came to us, but at the moment I cannot risk deploying resources to investigate your claims, I—’
‘But sir—’
He stops her. ‘Let me finish.’ A stern pause. ‘I need proof. I need to see the coded diaries you mentioned. I need evidence that there have been human sacrifices in the past. I need something forensic before I even think about switching precious time and people away from where I have directed them. Bring me that and you’ll get a different response.’
Tompkins pushes her chair back. ‘Thank you, Commander.’ She nods to Willis. ‘Chief Superintendent. I’d like the assurance that this conversation remains confidential for the moment. For obvious reasons.’
‘You have it,’ says Gibson. ‘But only for the moment.’
135
The day before the ritual is the start of a holy period. A time of reverence. The Master, the Inner Circle and all Followers begin a devout fast. They do it out of respect for the sacrifice. They drink only water. They abstain from any sexual acts of any kind, either practised or witnessed, until the first evening twilight after the completion of the ceremony.
The Henge Master explains the pursuit of purity to Gideon as they sit in his chamber. ‘The ritual of renewal is sacred to us. But that does not mean we are barbarians. No. The most important person among us right now is the one who will be sacrificed.’ He rests his left hand on the four diaries. ‘I believe that through your father you may well have learned more about the sanctity of life and its meaning in death than most.’
Gideon is unsure where this is leading. ‘All I know is, he was willing to give his life to save mine. To give me the chance to raise children of my own.’
‘Exactly. A single sacrifice for the greater good of the many.’ The Master studies the young man opposite him. ‘It is our practice that one of our Followers, usually a member of the Inner Circle, spends the last stressful hours in the company of the sacrifice. To give moral and spiritual support until the very last moment. And to ensure that nothing can happen to them before the ritual begins. This is a role, Gideon, that I would like you to perform for us.’