HWSNBN (He Who Shall Not Be Named)

Chapter 14

There was tea waiting for us on Gavin’s desk. I sat down and spooned our sugar in. Gavin waited for one of the mugs, picking up the top report, Jenny had brought in, from the pile of Charlie’s faxes. He sat in the other chair and read through it, before saying, “That cocaine was top quality, Jane – hadn’t been cut with anything, and the purest forensics had ever tested, in our neck of the woods.”

“Worth a packet, then?”

Gavin smirked and said, “Not surprised they couldn’t string two words together if they sampled that; fucking hell. By the time it was cut with whatever they use these days, it would’ve been worth a mint, not a packet.” I laughed at him.

Phil came in and put the statement down on Gavin’s desk. “He’s back in the cells, Gavin. He told Rod he’d have his own solicitor from now on.”

Gavin answered with loads of sarcasm, “I bet he’s really worried about that?”

I’m in tears, you bugger!

“Bring your tea in here and Beth. Grab some tea Phil and come back in if you want, only leave the door open, please, I hate it closed.”

“Claustrophobic?” Rod asked when he came in with Beth and a smile on his face.

“A bit, hi Beth. Before I was turned, something must have happened to me, not that I can remember what, being so young. I feel weird at times and can’t stand closed doors, Rod.” They found seats and pulled them up to Gavin’s desk.

I pushed in, “Perhaps Alli could sort that out for you, as well, Gavin?”

“Maybe she could. We’ll definitely have to go down there.”

Rod said, giggling, “Back up a bit, we’ve missed something here?”

I laughed at him, “I see ghosts, as you know, but I also smell their stench, Rod. Gavin suggested that Alli could possibly hypnotise me, to stop it. That’s all.”

“I hope she can, too. I didn’t realise you got all that.”

“Brooks had the full dose this morning.” I laughed, remembering it.

Rod grinned at me. “He did look a bit green after he’d sprawled on the floor. Now I know why.”

“I’m surprised he wasn’t sick, Rod – she was ripe. If he hadn’t lied about killing her, I wouldn’t have had to show him; his fault.” I looked at my watch. “Suppose we better crack on, Gavin?”

After glancing at his watch, Gavin said, “You’ve been on hot bricks, all day, Jane, what’s up, love?”

“I don’t know, apart from a horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen. I couldn’t tell you what.” He looked concerned, got up and gently pulled me up for a cuddle. “I’ll be all right, Gavin; just being daft.”

“I don’t call that being daft. Gina has premonitions and they’ve been spot-on. I spoke to Harvey last night when you were asleep. Gina dreamt the new case they’re on, and Alli, the one they’re half way through, so don’t disregard anything, Jane. Please tell me when you know, whatever it is? You shouldn’t keep anything bottled up.” He gave me a little squeeze. “All right? Now your tea’s cold.”

I’m making tea, I’ll do more for you lot.

“Thanks, Jenny,” Gavin answered her. He held my head in his strong hands and kissed me so tenderly. “We’re in this together, Jane. Your worries are my worries.”

I didn’t get a chance to answer him because Jenny came in with a tray of steaming tea.

Through the window of the interview room door, we could see that remand hadn’t stopped ‘Goldilocks’ thinking he was God’s gift. Not a hair out of place on his bleached mop, although his roots had grown out. Shame. Gavin raised his hand to the handle. “Wait a minute, Gavin?” I vanished and opened the draw in my desk. I took out three strong elastic bands and jaunted back to Gavin. “I’ll sort him out or he can stay on remand for the rest of his bloody life. We’re not talking through that curtain again.” Gavin giggled and opened the door.

Rod smiled when we walked in and he glanced at the 'mop' covered body who’d moved his head. We had no idea if he could actually see us. We sat down and before anything was logged on the tape, I said to him, “Mr Richardson, I have elastic bands here and if you don’t pull your hair back and keep it off your face, then we’ll have no other option. I’ll shave your head myself!” He physically flinched. I didn’t care and heard Gavin and Rod giggling in my head. I carried on. “We have no intention of talking to your hair. Do you understand me, and don’t just nod?”

He opened one of his hands for the bands, although he didn’t speak. I dropped them into his limp looking hand and wondered if he’d ever done a hard day’s work in his life.

Oh, of course, you have; cutting cocaine – now that’s taxing! The boys were still laughing in my head and Gavin tapped my leg, under the table, with his. I glanced at him and then we heard ‘Blondie’ push his seat back. We watched him as he bowed his head forward, making a meal of gathering the whole lot in one hand, and then he put the bands on together. He looked a right idiot with it sticking up like a peacock, on top of his head. But I wasn’t going to tell him, although when I saw his face, I nearly told him to drop it again. I’d never seen anyone look so gaunt in my life and I wasn’t sure if he was alive. I supposed that shoving that shit up your nose, for years, stopped you even thinking of eating properly. God help those poor bloody kids. They didn’t stand a chance with them as parents.

Rod said silently: You’re right, Jane.

Gavin switched the machine on and we went through the rigmarole of logging us in for the machine. When that was over, Gavin asked him the first question. “Could you state your full name, please?”

Richardson glanced at Rod, who in turn nodded back to him. He took his time and turned to us, saying, in a very lah-di-dah speaking voice, “Michael J. Richardson and I don’t know why you’ve kept me on remand. I have funerals to organise – can’t you see that?”

Gavin couldn’t stop the smirk that left his lips, before he replied, by saying in a clipped tone, “You didn’t think of your kids when they were alive, so why would you now?” Richardson glared at Gavin.

“I don’t think you know who you’re addressing. I have connections!”

“Good for you,” Gavin almost yelled at him. “Are they public school drug-dealers as well? In the old-boys network?”

Richardson yelled, “NOW YOU LISTEN H…”

I cut him off. “NO! You listen!” His skeletal gaze moved from Gavin and landed on me – right where I wanted it. “I don’t know who you think you are, but whatever you were, you certainly aren’t now! The first thing on my list would be a decent parent to your kids.” He opened his mouth to speak. I soon changed his mind. “Post-mortem reports on your kids, apart from what they died of, showed that they were malnourished. So, tell me, how do you explain that when you were worth a small fortune and that bloody gnome had two kilos of cocaine stuffed inside it?”

Richardson looked horrified, throwing me entirely with his question. “What do you mean, were?” I could bloody swing for him.

Gavin put his hand on my shoulder and jumped in to answer, “Is that all you’re worried about, your fucking money?”

Richardson bellowed, “You can’t talk to me like that!”

Gavin calmed down and explained, “You’ll have all your wealth confiscated, as it was gained dealing in drugs. You won’t have a say in the matter, and just so you’re under no illusion, you’re in for a long stretch for that alone.”

Richardson huffed at Gavin and turned to Rod, who smiled and nodded to him. We both chuckled in Rod’s head when Richardson turned even paler if that was possible.

I started on him again. “Now we’ve got all that out of the way, I want to know where you bought the iPods for your kids?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Did your wife buy them or was it one of the two cronies who were in your house that day?” I knew he was wringing his hands in his lap. “It was one of them, wasn’t it? Who were they? The music on those iPods is what made your kids kill each other.” His eyes nearly left their sockets with my last sentence, they bulged so much. “Well?”

“I don’t know them. They were just the runners from my supplier.”

“You better tell us who your supplier is, then? Your kids aren’t the only two that are dead and we have to stop him. I need a name and I want no bull-shit. If you don’t tell us, I’ll look inside your head for it, and if you’ve had dealings with anything else that’s dodgy, I’ll see it, from your whole life.”

Richardson turned to Rod, “That’s ridiculous – tell her!”

Rod said to him, loaded with sarcasm, “Perhaps you lost the power to hear when your hair was over your eyes? Detective Hanson said she was a psychic for the tape. She works for the police because of that very gift. She’ll do exactly what she said she’d do, and no one would be able to stop her, especially you.”

He blasted Rod again, “That’s not allowed. I know my bloody rights!”

Rod had the faintest of smiles when he spoke back to him. “Listen to me, and if you’d taken notice when I explained things to you before the interview even started, you’d have heard me say that things had changed across the country. Gone are the days when the police are on the back foot. They have different resources now and they aim to use them to the fullest, therefore, changes have had to be made. You’re actually fortunate you’re in the thick of it and these two people opposite you have powers that you couldn’t comprehend if you took a millennium to figure it out. Now, do you understand?”

Richardson didn’t believe Rod as he’d been caught with the drugs. The idiot didn’t know that without us we’d never catch who killed his kids. He was gobsmacked, obvious to us, as he hadn’t stopped staring at us before Rod had finished his penultimate sentence.

Gavin broke him out of his reverie, saying, “Shall we get on?” Richardson nodded to Gavin, which surprised me and Gavin voiced in my head: Perhaps it’s sunk in now, Jane? I glanced at him and smiled.

If it hasn’t, he’ll see what his kids looked like, very soon. He made his wife check on them, and when she said they were dead, he wouldn’t go up there. The cowardly bastard made her go up and check again. I’ve already been inside his head when Rod was talking to him. His wife will tell all, Gavin. He’s knocked her about since they were together.

I think you should show him, then, Jane. Why shouldn’t he see what they were like? I wouldn’t have thought he’d have the strength to hit anyone, though?

Try a baseball bat, Gavin?

That’s fucking annoyed me. Show him – don’t wait! Gavin would’ve felt my emotions leap a few notches. I folded my arms and closed my eyes. I heard all the commotion Richardson shouted in protest when the vision filled his head, but I wasn’t in the mood to listen to him. I kept sending the sight that Gavin and I’d looked over: Charlie and Luke in Tristan’s bedroom, crouched on either side of him and his sister, cuddling each other…flesh hanging out of their mouths from the other sibling’s neck. I hoped like hell that that vision stayed in Richardson’s head for the rest of his days.

I nearly made it happen and changed my mind. I stopped pushing it, opened my eyes and asked, “Do you want to see that again?”

He was like a gibbering idiot, his arms and head lying on the table, twitching. When he finally lifted his body there were tears in his eyes. That didn’t wash with us, especially me. “I’m waiting for an answer or you’ll see it again, I promise you that!”

He managed to make his mouth move, although what came out pissed me off even more. “What was the question?”

Gavin jumped in before I did. “Who’s your supplier, Richardson, or you’ll go on remand for life, and believe me I’ll make damn sure it happens. The queens must love you in that prison, especially with your accent and section 43 will be denied, until I say so.”

“What the hell are you people?”

I yelled, “Your worst bloody nightmare! I could make you see that for the rest of your life, I’m warning you. You don’t give a shit your kids are dead – an inconvenience and why you beat your wife.”

How the fuck does she know that?

Rod jumped in, “Have you been listening at all? Shit, he’ll know I’ve read his mind.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to?” Richardson asked Rod. It hadn’t clicked.

I couldn’t help answering Rod. No bloody brain cells left. He smiled at me and Richardson noticed.

Before Rod was blasted again, I said to him, “Right, let’s cut all the fucking time wasting, shall we? I want a name, now!”

“I don’t know his name. That old hotel they pulled down had cellars. You’ll find him down there at some point.”

I stopped him, saying, “We were there last week, no sign of anyone alive. All I saw were the ghosts that still frequent the place.”

He looked back to his hands, fiddling with one of his nails and out of his mouth poured, “He kept saying it was haunted. There’s a track that leads into the woods, behind where the building used to stand. Follow it for half a mile and you’ll find an entrance to the old mushroom cellars. It’s mounded over with soil and disguised like a bank, covered in grass. If you come at it from any direction other than the track, you’ll miss it because briars have grown over the top. There are two green metal doors and inside you’ll find steps that go down underground.”

Something was bugging me. I said to him, “How come you know all this? Be very careful. If you lie, I’ll know.” I felt him squirm in his head.

He looked up before he spoke. “I used to own that hotel. It was left to me in a will, but it was so run-down, I didn’t have the money to put it right. I sold it.”

Gavin jumped in, “Is that what set you up with the drugs?”

“Yes,” slithered out from between his lips.

I asked, “Who bought the hotel?”

“The people who built the housing estate that runs along one edge of the grounds. The second phase of building hasn’t started yet. Mitchell and Sons are the builders.”

“We’re getting nowhere here,” I said to him. “I don’t believe you don’t know who’s using that cellar; in fact, I don’t believe there’s a cellar. You’ve made all that up to throw us off who’s supplying you. Sling him in the cells, Gavin and we’ll talk to his wife instead.”

“She’s not well, you can’t interview her,” blasted out of Richardson’s mouth.

For a split second, he thought of something different to his wife. I smiled at him and said, “Oh, now I’ve got it. You know about a cellar; played there when you were a kid.” We could feel his stomach hit his boots, knowing what was coming. “Yes, I’ve seen it all now. You were left that monstrosity as a joke. You were the naughty secret in the family. No wonder they sent you to boarding school – had to lose you for a…”

He stood up and screamed at me, “FUCKING SHUT UP!”

Gavin yelled, “SIT DOWN, NOW!”

Rod put his hand up and on Richardson’s shoulder, almost pulling him down into the chair again and said, calmly, “You don’t want to be on more charges, do you, Mr Richardson?” He turned to Rod and shook his head.

Phil, could you come in, please?

Right there, Gavin.

We only waited a minute and the door was tapped. Phil came in and Gavin turned to him, “Could you take Mr Richardson back to the cells, please?” I heard Phil before I saw him with handcuffs in his hand.

He said to Richardson, “Do I have to use these?” All he got was his head shaking.

“Interview terminated at eleven twenty-six,” Gavin said before he switched the machine off.

While he was escorting Richardson out, Phil asked silently: Do you want his wife up now, Gavin?

We’ll have some tea first, and see that his wife gets a drink, would you, please?

I will. I heard what Jane said, poor woman.

I was glad to relax when we arrived home with Rod, Beth and the two lads. We’d interviewed Chloe Richardson and she told us everything we wanted to know, about his dealings with his supplier that she knew of; who he used to sell the stuff through and more than we thought we’d find out. When the interview was finished Gavin asked her if she had any family she could stay with because she wouldn’t be prosecuted, as it was obvious that he ran the whole show. I explained that I knew he’d beaten her since she’d been with him and that’s when she broke down and cried. I got up and cuddled her, saying how sorry we were about her children and that we were doing our utmost to catch who supplied those iPods as other kids had died, not only Summer and Tristan. The names she gave us would go to the drug squad. We were only interested in what had happened to the kids. She had a cousin in Leeds so we waited with her until she came to pick her up at the nick.

Gavin handed out glasses of wine each and he’d only just sat down when his phone rang. I expected him to blow his top. Instead, he looked at it and smiled before he pressed the green button to put it to his ear. “Hello, Harvey – any joy?” The five of us were waiting for a clue from him. All we saw was his smile growing wider with the seconds ticking by and he’d blocked me from reading his mind, the little bugger.

When he finished the call he looked at me and said, “We’re being picked up in half an hour for a night with Harvey and Alli.”

“Oh, my God! How did you organise that?”

Gavin laughed at me. “I told you I spoke to Harvey – clue, Jane – bit slow on the uptake?”

I elbowed him, “I’ll give you slow, you bugger. What the hell do I wear?”

“What you’ve got on – trainers and jeans – casual. We’re going to Lucas’s climbing centre for a bit of fun, and swimming, so it won’t matter what you wear. Alli’s going to see if she can stop you smelling the ghosts and me about the claustrophobia.”

I put my glass down and gave him a cuddle. “Thanks, love. Didn’t think you’d sort it that fast?”

“It wasn’t me. I mentioned it to Harvey. He told Reese and he’s organised another town to cover us for the next twenty-four hours.” Gavin looked at the others. “That means all of you, too. You’re on a day’s leave, Beth. Phil and Jenny will be here in a couple of minutes.”

Beth couldn’t believe her ears…expecting to go home. “Thanks, Gavin.” She looked into Rod’s eyes. In that glance, we knew how much she liked him and such a shame they couldn’t be together. Rod was so in-tune with us, on a different level to Beth; feeling what we’d hoped for them. He didn’t need a glance or words with us…he knew. He put his arm over her shoulder and gave her a hug. Charlie and Luke had cottoned-on, wishing they could be as happy as we were.

Rod’s deepest thoughts filled our heads: Can’t happen – thanks though, guys.

The excitement began to build in me. Gavin gave me a hug and then we heard the front door being knocked. We both got up to let Phil and Jenny in.

The chopper put down on their nick roof and we hurried off it, ducking until we were away from the blades, which couldn’t be stopped we were told; something to do with weight. Harvey and Alli were waiting for us on the roof and once we were outside the building, Lucas and Andy were waiting in their separate cars, to ferry us all home. When we turned into their road, their house was more like a mansion, filling half the street. Harvey pulled onto the forecourt at an angle, joining a line of cars along the front of the building. I grabbed Gavin’s hand. Once out of the cars, we were taken in through the front door and on into a room on the left. The rest of them were waiting to greet us in a beautiful sitting room, and what a greeting. Hugs went on for a while. Rod was introduced to them. He’d missed their visit to us and I couldn’t think why now. He glanced at me: I was away, Jane, in Manchester.

I smiled back and then Harvey cleared his throat to speak, “We’re eating first, folks. It’s ready, in the conservatory, and if you’re not starving, we are.” A lot of giggling and chat started up and we followed them through the hall door into the rest of the house. My eyes clocked everything hanging on the walls down a long hall, and then we were taken straight through a studio, where someone was good at art, according to the canvases I saw near the easel. Lucas turned to us, “This is Andy’s studio. The bugger didn’t tell me he could paint; Harvey found out.” We heard Andy laughing ahead of us. He turned around and flashed his eyes at Lucas.

We were through a pair of French doors before we knew it and inside a conservatory. Wow! That’s all I kept thinking until we heard the giggling. I looked down and they were laughing at us. Alli asked, “Neck-ache, yet?” I laughed at her.

“We’re the same as everyone else, aren’t we?” I was laughing when the last words left my mouth. Alli was doubled up, laughing. Lucas and Andy left by a door at the end of the room. “Oops, I’m helping them.” She ran off.

Harvey pulled a chair out, opposite us, “Grab a seat. The food will be here and we’ll still be looking at that fucking roof.” Amongst the laughing and bustle we all found a chair and then the two boys and Alli brought out large dishes of curry and trimmings, enough to fill an army. I suppose we were. Harvey grinned at me, from across the table, hearing my thoughts.

While he waited for a bowl from Olli, he asked, “How did the interviews go, this morning, Gavin? Come on, Jane, help yourself, or you’ll end up with nothin’ with this lot.” I wasted no time, listening to them chat, whilst filling our plates.

“We have a few leads to chase up. I’ve got a surveillance team watching a certain house and hope to God that’s our man. It’s one of the two people that were missing when we got there and the reason their kids died upstairs. He’d given the iPods to the kids when he delivered the cocaine. Richardson’s wife was extremely helpful. She’s with her cousin now.” He noticed what I was doing. “Thanks, Jane. I won’t prosecute her. He was a right bastard to them all, Harvey.”

Once the meal was over, we helped to clear up and then we were driven to the climbing school that Lucas had just opened. We were so excited to be with them and Gavin kept squeezing my hand as we waited for Lucas to open up the building. We weren’t prepared for what was inside and to be honest I didn’t know what to expect. When all the lights flickered, eventually illuminating the vast expanse of the actual climbing area, we gasped. One-half was a massive climbing wall, with different coloured blocks staggered all over it for people to use. On the opposite wall, it looked like the side of a mountain you’d see on any program about the Andes.

We’d only been there a few minutes when Reese and Chris came in to greet us. While we were chatting to them, I noticed some of our friends were already climbing the wall of blocks and playing tag. It was hilarious to watch them, cheating like hell. Some vanished and appeared behind the person chasing them and all done at break-neck speed that left me breathless and then giggling, it was so funny.

“Why don’t you have a go, Jane?” Reese coaxed me.

“I couldn’t do that, Reese, I’d fall off.” Gina took hold of my hand. Come on, I’ll show you, Jane. Reese showed me. I looked at her, laughed and we ran over to the wall.

We were there for three hours, and it seemed to fly by in a moment, we’d had so much fun. When we got back to the house, most of them retired for the night. Reese and Chris stayed, along with Harvey, Alli, Andy and Lucas, to have a drink with them and talk. Alcohol was handed out and I had tea with Alli. The first one to ask a question, once we were settled, was Beth. Her question to Alli shocked the pants off us all.

“Alli, I would like you to turn me, please?”