Syn (The Merseyside Crime Series Book 2) - Malcolm Hollingdrake (world of reading TXT) 📗

‘Take a seat. I’ll add music and get the coffee. How do you like it?’

Brian looked around the room. It was well-designed, if not a little dated in his eyes and non too clean. His mother would not approve. The music, however, was perfect. He liked Snow Patrol.

Within minutes, Lloyd returned. ‘Hope this is okay for you. I’ve brought a brandy too. I’ve enjoyed your company, Carlos. Let’s hope we can do this again. It was good to chat. I’ve been under quite a bit of stress lately. A confidence thing. Possibly too friendly, that’s my problem.’

‘I don’t think so.’ Brian sipped the coffee. It was stronger and not as hot as he would normally take it but it was coffee, and he drank it quickly. Moments later he paused. Suddenly his head began to swirl. ‘I’ve suddenly gone very dizzy, bloody Campari and soda coming back to haunt me,’ he chuckled before falling back into the settee.

Lloyd sat and checked his watch. It should take fifteen to twenty minutes for the desired effect to take place. Brian’s eyes closed. Standing, he went to the hall door and left the room for a moment returning with a wheel chair. ‘Carlos, Carlos. Stand a minute. Let’s get you on your feet and into some fresh air.’

Putting on the chair’s brake, he moved and helped Brian to his feet. He swayed unsteadily, his eyes now intermittently opening and closing. His arms were by his side and a dribble of saliva ran from the corner of his mouth. Lloyd turned him whilst holding Brian’s weight beneath his armpits before gradually lowering him onto the chair. He tossed a blanket over his legs. Brian was now just where he wanted him to be. In twenty minutes, he would be in the garage and there he would stay.

Gaskell looked at his watch as the intercom bell rang. He had just put bread into the toaster and poured his coffee. On hearing it was the police, he reluctantly released the door lock, turned off the toaster, and taking his coffee, went to wait and watch as the two officers ascended the stairs.

His smile was false as they took the last of the steps. One officer who seemed overweight and constantly wiping his brow, was carrying a small travel case.

‘To what do I owe this early morning pleasure?’ His sarcasm was direct.

The officers explained the reason for the call and informed Gaskell that they neither needed a warrant nor any other legal documentation to copy certain specified contents from his phone. They also pointed out that the process could be done at the station in Liverpool should he have any objections to co-operating in his own home. They handed him a pamphlet detailing his rights.

‘Now?’ Gaskell’s voice had changed from being defensive as he showed them into the lounge area.

‘It won’t take long I can assure you. I believe you’re in possession of two phones, Mr Gaskell. Would that be correct?’

Gaskell’s face flushed. 1984 came immediately to mind and that the monitoring state was more in evidence than he had imagined.

‘I do, a business and a private one. Which do you need?’

‘Both, sir, thank you.’

Whilst one officer observed Gaskell, the other unboxed the equipment he needed. The download time suggested forty-three minutes.

‘What exactly are you taking from there without my consent?’

‘Your contacts and your photographs including those stored within the cloud or any others linked digitally to external storage facilities. After that, we’ll see.’

Gaskell returned to the kitchen and slammed the toaster back on. He had the face of a worried man.

Chapter 24

Skeeter was at her desk early even though she had run that morning. She watched as April walked through to her office. It took two minutes before she heard her name called. On entering, April was waving Michael’s note.

‘He was at one of the parties.’

‘It’s on file. Checking the system, it’s all there, pics, the lot. The tech guys are at Gaskell’s and Taylor’s as we speak.’ She paused as April continued to sort her desk, uncertain as to whether she was actually listening. ‘Brian Briggs did not return home last night.’

‘What?’ She stopped immediately and looked directly at Skeeter.

‘It’s come straight through to us. His mother called this morning. He would normally ring if he were staying out overnight no matter what the time. He didn’t. The recorded phone call suggests she only called us early because of the killings and the fact that Carla had gone missing before. I’ve requested CCTV for the area he was supposed to be in, and the surrounds. That should be coming in soon.’

Skeeter went around the desk and logged onto April’s computer, bringing up the relevant file and recording of the call. They listened to the conversation. It had to be said Mrs Briggs was calm and controlled until the very end when she mentioned Carla. She told them what she knew of his plans for the evening.

‘I want a member of the Family Liaison Team round there pronto. I also want both Rodgers and Sutch in here as soon as. Send a car, and I need the images from Gaskell and Taylor on this computer within the hour. Once you have finished get people into the Incident Room by nine.’

Skeeter moved quickly and went straight to Control, passing on a list of the requirements she had just received. ‘Let me know a time for Sutch and Rodgers and call me when we have any CCTV footage.’

April called Mason explaining Briggs’s disappearance and the planning she had put in place. She would have needed a sharp knife to cut the immediate silence.

‘Get his photograph out there. All media channels now. High Risk disappearance. I’ll be there as soon as.’

Skeeter’s phone rang before she had reached the briefing. Sutch and Rodgers would be there within twenty minutes. There was also a message to say Nicola from the beauty salon had arrived at the front desk demanding Carlos be found; she was in an irate