Chapter 49
FORTY-NINE
Gina sighed as she drove down yet another street and followed another dead end when it came to finding Justine and Lindy.
‘I’m thinking that Justine had a five, maybe ten-minute head start on us, that’s up to three miles potentially given the type of roads available and the time it would have taken her to run to her car. ’
Jacob nodded in agreement and ended his phone call. ‘No one has seen her and her car hasn’t been caught on any ANPR cameras. A couple of cars have been cruising the scenic routes but no one has come across her.’
‘While they keep looking, we need to head to Pia Yates’s house, see if Justine has tried to contact her.
As far as we know, Justine doesn’t know about the affair so she might try to confide in Pia.
We need to find out what else was on that laptop so let’s hope that Garth manages to get through all the files soon.
Justine also hid his laptop, knowing we were going to end up searching her house. She’s got a lot of explaining to do.’
‘It’s frustrating, isn’t it, guv?’
She nodded as she accelerated along the road. ‘Did you manage to update DCI Fraser?’
‘Yes, I messaged him.’ Jacob paused. ‘They’re also probably going to be letting Fabien Stone out in a short while. They’re charging him with the assault against you and his solicitor is pushing for bail.’
‘I guess it is what it is.’ She sighed. Her face still ached and it was definitely going to swell considering she hadn’t managed to ice it.
‘He was in custody when Lindy was taken and Briggs attacked and however much I don’t like him, everything he said stacks up.
There was a solid link between him, Craig, Kain and Zavier, though.
I’m struggling here. Do you have any thoughts? ’
‘I keep coming back to the friendship group and mostly Craig. Seeing that video has confused the situation more and has added his son to the mix.’ He frowned. ‘Danny Crawford hasn’t been seen for a while?’
‘Are you wondering if he’s been taken too? I know he’s assaulting Kain in that video but again, we need to think outside the box here if we’re to make all the links. Although, it is logical that he’s on the run and his father is in on it, or protecting him.’
Jacob shook his head. ‘I just don’t know. All I know is the next line of questioning is taking us to the only member of the friendship group who isn’t missing, Pia. She had an affair with Craig and they parted under bad circumstances. She said he hurt her.’
Gina scrunched her brows. ‘All debts must be paid in full. That’s what Briggs’s attacker said to him.
’ She paused as she mulled that over. ‘I’m coming back to the teddy bears.
The killer is using them to send us a message or mark their territory.
It’s one person or two people working together.
If there’s two, they’re both on the same page.
Can you call Kapoor, chase up if they’ve found out any more information on the backgrounds of the friendship group?
This has to go back a long way. To when Briggs, Zavier and Kain all worked together.
Pia has known Craig for years, since they were teens.
Could this be a part of her past as she is clearly connected to Craig?
We can’t rule that out until we know for sure but we don’t have anything else to suggest she’s involved.
She was with Craig and they were happily having an affair until recently.
Maybe the guilt she feels for sleeping with Justine’s husband might cause her to help Justine hide from us. I’m clutching at straws here.’
‘It’s something else to bear in mind,’ Jacob replied.
‘Equipment was used for Zavier’s murder.
Pia also had access to Craig’s shag pad where she could have pinned all those photos to the wall, and she’s friends with Justine, she’d have access to her house to plant the evidence under his bed, framing Craig.
She could have easily got hold of his hoodie and Justine’s card being in the pocket could have been a coincidence.
A witness saw a man vomiting in a lay-by after Kain’s murder, could it have been the hoodie and cap that made the witness think it was a man?
We need a break in this case. Better still, we need to find all the missing persons of interest. Can you send Kapoor a quick message, ask her if there are any updates? ’
Jacob nodded and began typing out a message as Gina drove in silence in the direction of Pia and Simeon Yates’s house. Justine had to be somewhere and their house was a good place to start.
Jacob shifted in the passenger seat and faced her as he spoke.
‘Kapoor has replied already. The two murder victims and DCI Briggs were all working at the Kidderminster station alongside each other thirty years ago. The newspaper clipping we found under Craig’s bed was dated a year before.
The same three worked there together for five months, July to November.
We don’t have any more information about their time there, again, that’s an issue with records.
Kapoor said that she found something that connects two of them. ’
‘What’s that?’
‘The mistreatment of a suspect in custody, Zavier and Kain were mentioned but nothing was done.’
‘Do you have the name of the person who made the allegation?’
‘Carol Tayne. She accused Zavier and Kain of spitting at her and pushing her but there was no proof. Briggs wasn’t mentioned. Maybe we’re on the right track.’
Gina found herself exhaling on hearing that Briggs wasn’t mentioned. She thought about him in hospital and she hoped that his brother had arrived to be with him.
‘I don’t recognise the name Carol Tayne at all.’
‘She died of a drug overdose three years later. She was originally arrested for possession of heroin.’ Jacob blew out a breath.
‘Great, I guess she can’t help us then. Can you request backup, just in case we find Justine? We can’t lose her again if she’s here. We’ll be a laughing stock if she’s there and we lose her twice.’
After pulling up on the road, Gina knocked twice on Pia and Simeon’s door. Pia answered and inhaled sharply while glancing over her shoulder as a man joined her. Her eyes widened. Gina knew exactly what Pia was thinking. She didn’t want her affair to be brought up in front of her husband.
Simeon smiled. ‘Hello.’ He glanced at his wife.
‘Err, this is DI Harte and DS Driscoll. I went to the station and spoke to them about Lindy.’
‘Please come in. Have you found Lindy?’ Much to Pia’s dismay, Simeon chatted as he led them along the wide hallway into a huge open-plan family room.
He gestured for them to sit on the couch that had the best view of their sprawling garden.
Darkness was falling and bats flew around their mature trees. ‘Take a seat.’
Gina sat on the couch with Jacob. Simeon pulled up a couple of chairs that had been placed against the back wall.
‘Please don’t leave us in suspense. My wife told me what happened.’
Pia stood behind Simeon and shook her head gently as if to say she hadn’t. ‘About going to Lindy’s and the blood, and her not being there.’
Simeon broke the silence. ‘Is she okay? We’re really concerned. Pia has been so worried.’
Gina listened for a moment, trying to fathom if anyone else might be in the house but there wasn’t a single creak. ‘I’m afraid we still haven’t found them but, Pia, could you talk to us again, down at the station.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s nothing, just need to go over a few things.’
Pia didn’t need too much convincing. Gina knew she’d want to talk there, rather than in front of her husband.
‘Err, of course. I can drive and meet you there?’
Gina checked her phone messages. Backup had arrived. ‘It’s okay, we have a car outside.’ She couldn’t force Pia into that car but she didn’t need the last woman in the friendship group going missing.
‘Pia has been through a lot. Her friend is missing. We’ve arranged to meet some of the community to search for Lindy. Does this really have to happen now?’ Simeon frowned.
Gina knew he was confused. ‘It would really help us with our enquiries. First, there is something I need to ask you both.’
Pia raised her brows.
‘Have you seen Justine Crawford today?’
‘Justine? Is she okay?’ Pia began to bite one of her manicured nails. ‘I can call her. She can’t be far. I messaged her to ask if she wanted to join the search but I haven’t had a reply.’
‘Her phone is off,’ Gina replied.
Pia began to shake. ‘Where could she be?’
‘That’s something we also need to talk to you about. You know her better than we do.’ Gina let out a silent sigh under her breath. She couldn’t see that Pia had any involvement but with Lindy missing and Justine on the run, she hoped that Pia would just go with them.
‘I’m coming to the station, too,’ Simeon said. ‘I’ll drive the car and wait for you. Surely my wife won’t be there for long.’
Pia exhaled slowly. ‘Why don’t you give me an hour then come? I’m sure this will take a while.’ Pia raised her brows at Gina.
Gina nodded. ‘There could be a bit of waiting around but you’re welcome to sit in the family room when you get there.’
Again, Gina could see that Pia didn’t want Simeon to be there. Hiding her affair had become Pia’s priority. The clock was still ticking for Lindy. If Pia was hiding anything when it came to seeing Justine, she was going to get it out of her at the station.
‘I’ll do that. I’ll be right behind you, love. Okay?’
Pia placed her head against her husband’s chest and he hugged her like she was the love of his life. Gina felt for him. It was going to bring his world crashing down when he found out about the affair.
While Pia hurried through the house putting her shoes on and looking for her coat, Gina tried to picture Pia hoisting Zavier up and dragging Kain’s dead body down a flight of stairs and loading him into a car, and she couldn’t. This was all about finding Justine, then finding Craig and Danny.
As Gina and Jacob led her to the police car, she left Jacob standing outside with her. Gina leaned in and spoke to the PC. ‘Can you call for another car to be here? I want the house watched in case Justine Crawford turns up.’
‘Already on it. Another car will arrive shortly.’
Gina stood and saw Pia wiping her eyes as she showed her phone to Jacob. She hurried over. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘I got this message from an anonymous Instagram account from someone called BustYourAss. I didn’t want to mention it in front of Simeon. I know it’s Craig and he’s angry. He hurt Lindy because he said I’m next.’ She passed her phone to Gina and Gina read it.
Bitch. You don’t know what I sacrificed to try to make a life with you. Start looking over your shoulder because I’m coming for you next!