‘Clever idea, Mr Pitt.’ Orac took the picture, scanned it, and brought up the image in the identification program. ‘Now, talk to me about your man.’
It took only ten minutes to arrive at an image that Alan Pitt declared to be “as near as damn it.” Jackman stared at a serious-looking man wearing glasses with fashionable dark hipster frames. His long, ash-blond hair was tied back in a full ponytail. He looked vaguely like a footballer.
‘And that is all I can tell you, I’m afraid.’ Alan seemed quite sad that his session with the enigmatic Orac was coming to an end.
‘You’ve helped us a lot, Mr Pitt. It’s the first time we have had something to go on.’ Jackman was already inching towards the door. ‘Uh, and thank you, Orac. Much appreciated.’
‘Anytime, Detective Inspector. Anytime. It’s my pleasure.’
Jackman almost ran to the door.
‘Wow! She’s quite something, isn’t she?’ Alan Pitt shook his head in wonder. ‘Are those eyes for real?’
‘I’m told she is blind in one eye. She hides it with those weird lenses.’
‘She likes you, doesn’t she?’
Jackman coughed loudly and muttered something like “utter nonsense.”
Alan Pitt grinned, but wisely dropped the subject. ‘Do you think those men were involved in that woman’s disappearance, DI Jackman?’
‘Possibly. The timing fits perfectly.’
‘How will you use the EFIT picture?’
‘We’ll circulate it to all forces, get it into the local and national newspapers, and on the TV too.’
Alan Pitt exhaled. ‘I hope I’ve got it right then. I’d hate for someone to be wrongly accused because I didn’t give a good description. It was a long time ago.’
‘I think your description was excellent, sir, and we are very grateful to you.’ He stopped. ‘By the way, if you ever see that man again, maybe close to your home, please contact us immediately.’
‘Of course, but I hope that doesn’t mean you think he’s dangerous?’
‘No, I was thinking more that he might be local. If you saw him once, there’s a possibility you could see him again. He could be completely innocent, in which case we need to talk to him and eliminate him from our enquiries.’
Alan Pitt nodded. He seemed to be fighting for breath.
‘Are you alright?’
‘Get a bit breathless. I’ll be fine in a minute.’
Jackman thought Pitt looked far from fine. He waited with him, and walked him slowly out of the station. ‘Take care, sir, and thanks again.’
‘Will you let me know if you find him?’
‘We might need you to identify him, if that’s okay with you?’
Pitt nodded. Then he said, ‘Just don’t leave it too long, if you catch my drift?’
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Carter looked up from his desk. Through his half open door, he watched Marie stride into the CID room. He had known her for many years, but she still made him look twice. She was one of the most striking people he had ever seen. Tall and strong, with beautiful chestnut hair and an air of absolute confidence. She lived as she rode that damn great motorbike — assured and controlled, but with a dash of daring.
But not now. He watched her talk to Robbie. Her usual energy just wasn’t there. She wasn’t lethargic, she just lacked her spark.
She looked up and gave him a brief wave.
He lifted a hand in acknowledgement. After a while she came into his office.
‘Safely home, and in a much better frame of mind.’ She flopped into the only other chair. ‘She’s a nice kid. I like her.’
‘Nothing like Ruth Crooke, thank heavens. So, no more funny goings-on in the flower beds?’
‘Nothing so far.’
‘Good.’
‘What are you working on?’
Carter pushed a pile of paperwork across the desk. ‘Oh, it’s still the Cannon case. But we are getting there. I’ll soon be looking for something else to occupy my time. I can’t see this taking more than a day to wrap up.’ And knowing that he would be moved to another case set him wondering whether Laura would visit Jackman in person, or ring him. Whatever, he hoped it would be soon.
Before he could continue, his desk phone rang.
‘She’s gone! McLean! Leah has been snatched!’
‘Ma’am?’ Carter pressed the loudspeaker button so Marie could hear the conversation.
‘Slow down! Marie delivered her back safely just now, and uniform are still on obo outside. Are you sure she’s actually been taken?’
‘I’m not bloody stupid, Detective! I’ve just got in. The French window has been forced, and there’s a broken mug on the floor of the conservatory. There are signs of a struggle, and Leah is gone. Get yourself over here, now!’
Carter stared at Marie. This could not be happening!
Together they ran from his office. Marie hurried off to find Jackman, and Carter raced to the staff car park.
By the time he had brought the car round, Marie was waiting for him.
‘This is all wrong!’ he stammered. ‘I don’t understand.’
Marie stared at him. ‘Hell, Carter, she’s had a stalker breathing down her neck for days! We knew this might happen. Why so shocked?’
He drew in air between his teeth. He couldn’t answer her.
‘Because you got it wrong? So what? We all get it wrong sometimes. Just calm down.’
Carter’s mind was racing. He needed to get to the super’s place and see for himself.
*
Ruth Crooke’s house was a modest four-bedroom property. No two houses in her road were the same, but they all had long back gardens and a rear entrance out onto a narrow leafy pathway that led to a children’s recreation park.
Uniform were already there. Ruth Crooke had radioed in as soon as she realised what had happened.
‘We spoke to Leah about five minutes prior to the super turning up,’ said a breathless PC Connor Waite. ‘And we’d done a walk round of the gardens a few minutes before that. He must have been watching from somewhere, but heaven knows where.’ He looked around and shook his head. ‘We haven’t relaxed for a minute. I just don’t get it.’
‘And you never heard anything?’ Marie asked.
‘Nothing, skip.’
Marie grimaced, and turned to Carter. ‘Time to go face the music.’
*
The superintendent was incandescent. She began by declaring that she had made a serious error of judgement in asking Carter McLean to find the pervert who was threatening her niece.
Marie watched Carter, ready to jump in if the old animosity boiled over again. But Carter just seemed bemused.
After a while, he simply said, ‘I’ll get her back, Ruth. I swear to God, I’ll get her back.’
The super stared at him. She didn’t seem to know how to react to this. She left them and went back out to the uniformed officers in the garden.
Marie took Carter’s arm and gave it a shake. ‘Talk to me, Carter.’
He looked at her long and hard, apparently incapable of uttering a word.
Marie followed him out of the hall, through the lounge and towards the conservatory.
A young WPC stood at the door, blocking their entrance.