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

‘You collected a parcel, something purchased from the internet?’

Kelly was surprised by the question. ‘You know a lot. Yes, I collected it for Abid. He sent for that after he’d had the tattoos. He wanted me to collect it. It was a kind of medal. He showed me, held it to my chest and told me I deserved one for putting up with a loser.’

‘What happened to it?’

‘A day or two after, Abid didn’t come home. He went missing but then it seemed as though he wasn’t missing if that makes sense?’

Paula nodded. ‘Perfect sense. Go on.’

‘I was riding with Quasim and he informed me that Abid had asked for the medal. He was away for a couple of days. We went to my flat and I got it and gave it to him. He said it was urgent, that’s why we went home on the bike, something we’d normally never do unless I was on my own.’

‘You didn’t see Abid again after that?’

‘No. The items never really crossed my mind until I saw the report with the disc, the medal and the body. At first, I thought it was Quasim, but I saw him again when he was riding. I knew deep down that the body was Abid’s. The image I saw in the paper was awful and I had to look away. I was really scared. I asked Francis – he’s the nice man married to that fucking cow, my landlady – if he’d look after Abid’s laptops and a box of our stuff. I really was frightened that something was going to happen to me.’

‘What was in the box? Do you remember?’

Kelly picked up her cup but it was empty. ‘Do you have more?’

‘Certainly, but first tell us about the box you left with Francis.’

‘It had one of his computer things, a memory stick, some jewellery I had, not much but one of the rings was special, and I think there were three pieces of card that Abid told me referred to a place, an important place. What with his recipe and the medal and the cards, I never knew what to think. He talked in riddles at times, things I didn’t understand. He was acting so strangely, probably the worry over the money. He said they’d called him a traitor. I understood that.’

‘I’ll get the coffee.’ Paula left the room, requested coffee and took her mobile from her bag. She rang the Liverpool extension. It was Brad who answered and he revealed that April was in a meeting. He did not go into details.

‘Sorry to bother you. I’ll try her mobile.’

‘You could do but I can see her mobile’s sitting here on her desk. I can give her a message for you.’

‘Tell her we have Sadiq’s address.’ She read it out and Brad scribbled it down. ‘We also believe the three cards found in the box refer to a location. That’s it. She’ll understand. I’ll send a full report later but the girl’s being very co-operative.’ On putting down the phone she realised she had not asked for the officer’s name.

Brad returned the phone and left a note regarding the information he had received on April’s desk before collecting a mobile from his drawer and making a call. He glanced at the poster of the silhouetted figure set amongst the Post-it notes. How he would love to be walking on that beach right now. There was only one place he could be – the Incident Room.

The three officers working in there turned and smiled. He reciprocated as he turned to stare at the words pinned there: COURIER, TRUCK, RADIO. ‘An important place,’ Kelly had told Paula. Walking to the nearest computer he tapped in his ID and password before Googling, find places with three words. He was surprised to see a number of sites in the search but the main one was What3Words.com. He went to the site and read.

The company had assigned every part of the world’s surface to three metre squares; each square had been given a unique three-word address that would never change. The example showed a location in London. He typed in the three words in the order in which they appeared on the board adding a full stop between each. It immediately showed No Result. Looking carefully at the website, he realised he had added a space after each word, the example did not. Retyping he quickly had three addresses, two in California and one in Dumfries and Galloway. He rearranged the words: TRUCK.COURIER.RADIO. This time he had Alaska, Essex and California. How many bloody combinations could there be? he thought as he tapped the table with his fingers. RADIO.TRUCK.COURIER. An address in Bootle appeared. ‘Bingo!’ he called out involuntarily causing those in the room to turn.

‘Lottery win?’ one said and the others laughed. Brad joined them.

‘If I had, people, I’d keep it quiet and just bugger off,’ he sniggered.

Clicking on the box it brought up the exact three metre square. It was a warehouse positioned between Millers Bridge and Effingham Street. He sat back and stared at the map. ‘Well, well, well. Who would have thought it? The wonders of modern science.’ Removing his phone, he made a call before moving back to the office to find Lucy.

‘Come with me. A tip off.’

Lucy looked up. ‘Where, and what?’

‘Tell you on the way. Just need to call DCI Mason.’ He lifted the phone receiver on Lucy’s desk and it rang twice.

Mason answered. He listened as Brad described the conversation with Paula before asking for clearance to check out the location. He thought bigger guns would be needed at the designated address knowing an inappropriate action could jeopardise the chance of surprise.

‘Just look and make discreet enquiries. If you think you’re on to something get it secured. No heroics. Understand?’

It would take DCI Mason forty-five minutes to receive the necessary clearance, check the address and plan the tactical assault. Nothing was taken