Langton pursed his lips.
‘Does Oates know the flat? Has he been there before?’
‘Yes, though Bradford said he’d never actually let him in, but he’s already shown himself to be a liar when it comes to Oates, so he could be helping him.’
Langton took only a brief moment before he decided that another visit would be on the cards. He also added that they would take it very carefully, first question neigh-bours, no uniforms and no patrol cars on show.
‘They know you, right? The mother and son?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good, so you’ll be able to identify Bradford. Now tell me about the time you were there.’
Anna repeated in detail her visit to Timmy Bradford’s and his recollections of his boxing days with Oates, how he had lied to her about seeing Oates just the once and only admitted going to the chalk quarry with him when he was brought into the station for questioning. She added that his mother appeared to be a nice woman.
Back in the incident room they pinned up maps of the Kingsnympton estate, along with enlarged photographs on which the empty boarded-up flats could be clearly seen. It was a very well-maintained estate, but a very large one, with hundreds of flats. They also scrutinized a small row of shops frequented by the residents of the estate. There was an off-licence, a hair salon, a closed-down minimarket, a launderette and a newsagent’s.
Langton suggested they start with a few discreet enquiries before upping the ante and bringing in the SO19 firearms arrest team. He stressed they were just working on a theory, and had no proof yet that Oates was hiding out at Bradford’s, so it was imperative they play a very covert hand.
‘Why take it softly-softly?’ Mike asked.
‘Because if I call in SO19 now the top brass will be all over this after what happened at the quarry. If Oates isn’t there and the firearms go in throwing thunder flashes and waving guns about we’ll look like a right bunch of pricks for not doing our homework, so I want some surveillance on the premises first.’
‘But they searched the flat,’ Mike pointed out.
‘Never saw the mother, though. Oates could have been in the bathroom with her, keeping her quiet or tied up.’
‘Timmy wouldn’t risk his mother’s life to grass on Oates under those circumstances,’ Anna said, looking at them both.
By twelve o’clock Anna, with two members of the surveillance team, was in position in a high-tech police observation vehicle, which had been disguised to look like a painter and decorator’s van. They were able to park unnoticed inside the estate and had a clear view of the balcony and door of Bradford’s mother’s flat. Langton had decided that as Anna knew Timmy Bradford, and vice versa, it was best she was out of sight in case he was assisting Oates and recognized her. If Timmy or Oates came out of the flat she was to notify Langton over the radio. After about twenty minutes’ observation she reported that there appeared to be some movement inside, but owing to the net curtains she could not make out who it was.
Langton, Mike and Barbara were parked up nearby and out of sight in an unmarked police car.
‘Quite eerie, isn’t it?’ Barbara said.
‘What’s eerie about an undercover observation in broad daylight?’ Mike asked.
‘Nothing. It’s just eerie that the last person to drive this car was Oates after he shot Barolli,’ Barbara replied as Anna’s voice came over the radio.
‘Shut up, Barbara, I can’t hear what Anna is saying,’ Langton said.
Travis informed Langton that there was movement in the flat and asked for further instructions.
‘If Bradford comes out, one of the surveillance officers will follow him on foot and keep in radio contact. If Oates comes out I’ve got plain clothes armed officers ready to make the arrest,’ Langton told her, making it clear he was leaving nothing to chance this time.
Leaving Barbara in the car, Mike headed for the offlicence and Langton for the newsagent’s. Langton waited until the proprietor had served a customer before showing his ID and asking him to close the shop whilst he spoke to him. Nervously, the proprietor started to protest that he never sold cigarettes to underage kids, but Langton put his mind at ease fast.
‘This is not connected to your sales unless you want it to be. I need to ask you a few questions about someone who may use your shop, so I’d like your assistance.’
Langton was first to return to the waiting Barbara. He got into the back seat and immediately radioed through to Anna.
‘Okay, the newsagent said they get the Daily Mail delivered every day. Yesterday Timmy Bradford came in and got an Evening Standard, this morning he came back and bought the Daily Mirror and the Sun, plus two pints of milk, which he’d never done before. He also bought a sliced loaf, four packets of biscuits and six cans of Red Bull.’
‘The mother likes biscuits; she offered some to me,’ Anna replied, wondering what was so unusual.
Langton suggested that the extra newspapers could be of interest because Timmy might be following the story of his old friend’s escape, while the extra milk and biscuits could mean they had a visitor.
Mike appeared by the open passenger window. ‘Okay, Timmy Bradford is not a regular, but last night he came in and bought a six pack of beer, plus two bottles of cider.’
Langton rubbed his chin.
‘Well, not exactly throwing a party, are they, but that combined with Red Bull means somebody’s thirsty or needs to stay awake. Okay, round two, we need to speak with the neighbours, find out if they’ve noticed anything unusual.’
‘We can’t go anywhere near them – Oates knows us both. If he’s in there and sees us from the window God knows what he might do,’ Mike warned him.
‘I have considered that, so Barbara here is going to canvas for the Green Party. Newsagent said they visit the estate regularly so they’ll be used to knocks on the door,’ Langton said as he opened a plastic bag and handed Barbara some Green Party leaflets and stickers that he had got from the newsagent’s counter.
‘I thought I was just here to be the driver?’ Barbara replied nervously.
‘I think this is all a bit Miss Marple, for Chrissake,’ Mike said.
‘He’s killed seven women, Mike, he’s a madman. Like you just said, God knows what he could do if he saw someone he recognized as police.’
‘Well you said it, he’s a madman, and I just think this approach is wasting time. What if he’s not in there?’
‘What if he is?’
‘Right, and what if he is there and snatches Barbara round the fucking throat and drags her inside?’
Barbara looked at Langton. Mike had a point and she knew it.
Langton radioed Anna to let her know what the plan was, but it was a while before Anna saw Barbara come into view and walk up the communal stairs and then along the balcony. She went to the next-door neighbours’ flat and rang the bell a few times but got no reply, then moved on to the target flat and rang the bell, stepping back as she waited. No response. She rang again, still no response. She was starting to move away when the door opened a fraction. She was very good; Anna could see her smiling and talking and showing the leaflets, but the door was only open about six inches and she couldn’t make out who Barbara was talking to. Still smiling, Barbara gestured to the neighbouring flat, at which point the door closed. During all of this Langton was constantly on the radio to Anna, asking what was happening.
Langton then received a call from the station telling him that a wiretap on Bradford’s home telephone had been approved and was up and running. It was going to take a little longer to set up a tap on his mobile.