Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
As soon as the main building was cleared and the coat bagged for evidence, Gina followed a PC to where a large set of double doors led to the warehouse.
‘We found the keys in the suspect’s office upstairs,’ the PC said as she pushed the doors open.
All Gina saw was a long, dark corridor with an oil-stained threadbare carpet that gave off a musty whiff as she stepped on it.
‘This doesn’t look like a debt collector’s office.
’ She caught a glimpse of an old car calendar dated nineteen eighty-seven with a Ford Cosworth on the front and next to it was a huge photo of a shiny exhaust pipe. ‘I wonder if this used to be a garage.’
Gina waved an arm to gather the team around. ‘I don’t know what we’re going to find in here but I’m hoping it’s Lindy. Check that everyone is in position. We are still looking for Craig.’
A PC spoke into her radio quietly and nodded. ‘All ready to go, guv. Every entrance and exit is covered.’
Gina stepped deeper into the dark corridor, her soles slapping on concrete where the old carpet had completely worn away.
She nudged three doors open and all were full of what she could only guess looked like Fabien’s personal items. Each was piled up with furniture, some of it broken down into pieces.
She followed the sign to the warehouse. ‘Why would a debt collector need a warehouse?’
Jacob followed closely beside her. ‘I don’t know. Could he be a high court enforcement officer also?’
‘Maybe, although I don’t recall that being mentioned.
’ They reached the end of the corridor and the PC used another key to unlock the next set of double doors which opened out into another room.
‘Police,’ Gina called, expecting to hear some sort of commotion.
She shone her torch ahead, cutting through the darkness – nothing.
She flinched as she heard a scuttle to her right.
The shaft of light pointed at a rat’s tail.
Jacob shuddered. Gina knew he wasn’t keen on rodents but they were going in regardless.
She reached for the light switch but it didn’t work.
Either the strip light needed replacing or there was no supply.
There was another room ahead. She led the way and shivered, leaving Jacob a little further back.
He flinched as a squeak pierced the silence.
The deeper into the building they got, the chillier it was and the lack of light was eerie.
She inhaled the smell of mould and damp. ‘Lindy?’
No answer.
Gina nodded to the PCs, gesturing for them to take the room on the left as she stopped at a set of three steps that she knew must lead to the back of the building.
After stepping down while avoiding getting caught in the old carpet gripper, she heard dripping coming from behind the door.
‘I hear water. Stand ready.’ She pushed the door open and pointed her torch ahead.
‘Police,’ she shouted but there was nothing but what looked to be a huge electroplating bath positioned against the wall.
She ran over to it, grabbing an old wooden box to step up on and peered inside and let out a long breath.
Jacob flashed his torch around the rest of the room but it was empty.
There was about an inch of murky water that must have gathered from the drips coming from a leaky pipe above them.
‘There’s no one here.’ Gina sighed, knowing they were still nowhere near finding Lindy and time was escaping them.
‘Guv,’ a PC shouted as he ran towards them. ‘We’ve found something in the front room, near the roller shutters.’
Gina ran through the maze of a building keeping up with him and Jacob followed.
The PC flashed his torch at the only item in the room, a cardboard box spilling over with an entanglement of items. She peered in and pulled out a smashed wedding photo of Sheena wearing a wedding dress.
Underneath it was a jumble of musty clothes and battered CDs.
‘There’s something else, guv,’ Jacob said as he reached in and pulled out some torn-up photos. He placed them face-up on the concrete floor and laid a few out.
‘These are photos of Kain, and what’s that?’ Gina pointed right to the bottom of the box.
He shone his torch directly at it. ‘It’s a piece of blue metal. It looks like a piece of racking and it has what looks like dried up blood on it.’