Buried Secrets: The Freeman Files Series: Book 11 by Ted Tayler (highly recommended books txt) 📗

you need to return the originals of those loose photos Elizabeth Duncan steered you towards. Ask Bob Duncan what he remembers of that Hong Kong photograph. There might still be a missing name.”

“Will do, guv,” said Blessing. “I’ll also ask Bob what he knows of the final few months of his son’s naval career. We didn’t have the dates for those photos when we interviewed him before. Perhaps he can explain the brief gap between holidays.”

“Alan couldn’t say much about what they did on those operations, guv,” said Neil. “It’s a long shot to expect him to have had a heart-to-heart with his parents. Everything we’ve learned about Alan since he died suggests that he had closed that chapter in his life and moved on.”

“He didn’t spend his Saturday afternoon’s regaling Wayne Phillips with stories of life at sea either, guv,” said Alex.

“It won’t hurt to ask, Blessing,” said Gus. “There’s something else you can ask them while you’re there. Were there occasions when Alan came home during his periods of shore leave? Surely, he didn’t go to Dartmouth at eighteen and not return until he was thirty, or did he?”

“I’ll give Bob a call before I drive over to Corsham,” said Blessing. “I’ll try to get as much as I can out of both of them, Elizabeth won’t stay in her bed today.”

“Do your best, Blessing,” said Gus. He phoned London Road, and Vera answered.

“Vera, Gus here, is Kenneth free?”

“Good morning, Gus. Yes, he is. Just a minute.”

“What is it now, Freeman?” asked the ACC.

“Sorry, sir,” said Gus. “Have I called at an awkward time? You know that I only bother you when I’ve wrapped up a case or I need to ask your much-valued advice.”

“I doubt you’ve solved the Duncan case so soon, Freeman, and when you throw compliments around, I know you want something. What is it this time?”

Gus saw the opportunity to turn this conversation in his favour.

“One of my team spent the day in the Hub yesterday,” said Gus. “What a valuable tool the place proved to be in this case. We’ve made great strides thanks to the service the technical staff could provide. Your people helped identify several witnesses that we now have an urgent need to interview. One is a retired naval officer who lives on the Isle of Man. Two others are now at Faslane on the Clyde. Could you liaise with your counterpart with the Ministry of Defence Police so that we can talk to these serving officers without treading on anyone’s toes?”

“Consider it done, Freeman,” said the ACC. “It’s taken you long enough to wake up to my championing of the Hub and what it offers the modern police officer. What would you intend to do, drop into the Isle of Man as part of the round trip?”

“That’s a good idea, sir,” said Gus. “If we get it done in one go it will reduce the costs.”

“Who will you take with you?” asked the ACC.

“One of the lads, sir,” said Gus, “we must book a room. We can’t get it done in a day.”

“I’ll get Vera to phone you back once we’ve made the arrangements with Faslane,” said Kenneth Truelove. “I presume you plan to travel up to Scotland first thing Monday morning?”

“Yes, sir,” said Gus.

“Carry on, Freeman.”

Gus ended the call and congratulated himself on a job well done.

“How long will it take us to get to Faslane?”

“It’s an eight-hour drive via the M6, guv,” said Alex.

“You would need to change trains more than once, guv,” said Neil. “I don’t reckon you would get there any quicker; just less knackered.”

“Did the ACC sanction the trip to Douglas, guv?” asked Luke.

“He did, Luke. If we leave here at eight in the morning, we can interview Hughes and Smith, then drive to Liverpool for an overnight stay in a budget hotel. Get us on the first available ferry in the morning. If memory serves, it’s a three-hour trip, give or take. We can talk to Freddie Watts at lunchtime, catch a ferry back to Liverpool mid-afternoon, and be back here by ten o’clock at the latest. Don’t worry, whoever gets the short straw to accompany me; I’ll not expect you in the office until noon on Wednesday.”

“Will those of us who stay here get to set up video calls with the remaining submariners, guv?” asked Neil.

“I’ll reserve judgement on that, Neil, until I see what we learn from the first three interviews. If they point us toward a particular crew member, we’ll follow it up. It could be a logistical nightmare trying to arrange meaningful calls with Taggart and the others, thousands of metres under the surface of the sea in four corners of the world.”

“Fair enough, guv,” said Neil.

“Have you decided who you want with you, guv?” Lydia asked.

“Alex,” said Gus.

Blessing was ready to leave for Corsham.

“I’ll be off then, guv,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”

Gus gave her a nod as she passed his desk. He was about to speak when his phone rang.

“Freeman speaking. How can I help?”

“It’s Phil Banks. I decided I ought to call you back in person. There’s something odd that I can’t explain.”

The case had moved in several directions since he’d spoken to Phil Banks. It took a moment for Gus to remember what Phil had agreed to look into for him.

“Kyle Ellison,” said Gus when the fog cleared.

“I asked someone to find him,” said Phil. “They got back to me this morning with the news that they can’t find a trace of him.”

“One of my team found him easily enough on social media, Phil,” said Gus.

“Well, my officer verified Ellison’s date of birth. He checked where Ellison went to school and the few qualifications he had when he left. He spoke to the