Catch as Catch Can (The Merseyside Crime Series Book 1) by Malcolm Hollingdrake (popular books to read .TXT) 📕

here. They’re checking the other side. Hopefully we’ll know more once she’s been moved. Apparently, they call the gates cells, the bit where the turnstile is. According to my colleague at the other side there’s a stone plaque built into the wall and considering the gate was built in 1885 it’s quite prophetic. One of the names on it is a G Stabb.’

Brad frowned. ‘Right.’

Within forty minutes the police doctor, another CSI van and the press, like bees to honey, had arrived.

Lucy had taken Sarah Mott’s statement and she had been cleared by the paramedic. There was little point in her staying. She was assured that she would receive a call from police liaison to ensure she was supported. Finding a corpse, particularly someone so young and in such dreadful circumstances, could have long-lasting psychological effects. There was nothing more they could do once door-to-door enquiries of the immediate area had been organised.

Brad glanced at the parked vehicles both along Arundel Road and Lancaster Avenue before turning to the officer.

‘Just as a matter of interest, walk a couple of hundred yards along both sides of this road up there and the immediate ones linking. The killer got here somehow. It’s a wild card but on the off-chance they did, check to see if any car is unlocked. Use gloves too, please. I’ll check this way.’

Both men set off in opposite directions. Within fifteen minutes the officer called after Brad.

‘We have one!’

Brad returned and saw him standing next to the Peugeot 207.

The Dawn Lady, a medium-sized cruise liner returning from the Caribbean, entered the Mersey. For the first time in a few days, the weather heralded sunshine and a break from the showers. To those on the river’s banks watching the maritime ballet, the vessel appeared toy-like as it manoeuvred mid-point in the Mersey. A fine mist hugged the river’s surface like a thin skin. From on board, passengers witnessed the nautical link and the architectural splendour of the maritime city with some relief. The news of a sudden outbreak of food poisoning on two cruise liners had brought a degree of disquiet amongst not only the passengers but also the crew, bringing uncertainty for the majority of the holidaymakers. So close to home and yet … For two passengers in particular, it would not be the news they wanted to hear.

For Arthur and Lynn Brinkman it was the end to their twenty-one-day holiday but they had spent the last week in a state of anxiety. They had a deadline to meet and cargo to deliver. The final twenty-four hours of the journey had been particularly stressful for them and for those awaiting delivery. Leaning on the balcony of their cabin they watched New Brighton pass to the starboard side. The lighthouse, a solitary white finger, rose out of the water signalling they were finally home. It had taken them longer than anticipated to navigate from the river entrance. The pilot had come aboard over thirty minutes previously and progress had been slow, but as Arthur had pointed out, it was safe and not the easiest of things to park.

The liner pirouetted mid-river watched over by three tugs. Once the turn had been completed the ship began the slow sideways push towards its berth. The Brinkman looked across at the riverside buildings. Gulls screamed and dived at the churning water so far below, created by the ship’s powerful thrusters. The water seemed to boil into a beige froth that lingered in wriggling lines on the river’s surface. The birds were desperate to scavenge any flotsam that surfaced.

‘The pleasure ceases and the work begins here,’ Arthur mumbled with a degree of resignation in his voice.

Lynn moved inside and collected the crutches. ‘The thespian in me is rekindled once I have the correct props.’ She smiled before modifying her facial expression.

Although falling down the stairs had been planned, she had not bargained for the injury to be so severe. The doctor had strapped the ankle and given her pain killers. X-rays had shown it not to be broken. She had also bumped her face and her left eye was bruised.

‘To say we weren’t going to draw attention to ourselves we’ve done the exact opposite. In the minds of some, I, your husband, might now be a suspected wife beater when we leave The Dawn Lady after an idyllic cruise. That’ll bring unwanted attention’ They both laughed. ‘Let’s just hope we receive the sympathy vote as anticipated.’

Their cases had been taken during the night leaving only their one piece of hand luggage. It was now a matter of waiting, staying normal and trusting to first time luck.

The reports Skeeter had received were direct and to the point: three staff, their names, their National Insurance details and their addresses. The business was licensed to Malik, as Tony had presumed, for the food trade. The licence did not include any living accommodation. There was also no mention or link to a Flamur, the angry bastard from the back of the shop. Skeeter smiled. ‘You’ve given me the perfect opportunity to ask more questions, you arsehole of a man.’

Within five minutes she had sent a request to Liverpool Council Environmental Health for a full inspection of the premises on the grounds she believed it was being used for illicit accommodation of possible illegals. It should take twelve hours to process. She also requested she be present during the visit.

Lucy scanned the front cover of the latest newspaper. The report of an aircraft carrier, shortly to dock on the Mersey, seemed to fill the local pages. Aircraft were to be positioned on the sea front and this would attract large crowds. It could be a security nightmare, what with the latest spell of terrorist activity and the motor cycle attacks. Tossing the paper to one side she scanned the report on her screen. She was shocked to read the initial findings from the morning’s crime scene, realising that the teenager was, in