Henry laid his hands flat on the two files and pushed them forward in much the same way that FB had done the night before. ‘No,’ he said. ‘You’re right. Nothing has come in overnight — not yet, anyway. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have murders to solve, or prevent.’
The four surly eyes opposite dropped to the thick files, both men now with puzzled expressions on their faces.
‘Two, to be precise,’ Henry went on. He looked at Rik, whose expression changed to one of understanding. Rik had been one of the team working with Henry on Joe Speakman’s mess and obviously knew about the unsolved murders still on file. The expression then became one of horror and Henry said, answering the look, ‘Foisted on me just before I could sneak out last night. FB’s Christmas present — the wonderfully christened Twixtmas Killings.’
‘And how come we’re involved?’ Tope enquired, pointing to himself, then Rik.
‘Because. . because I say so,’ Henry returned petulantly, thinking, I’m a fucking superintendent, that’s why! He could have got narky at that point but instead he softened, not wanting to lose these two guys. ‘Look — you’re two cops I trust to do a brilliant job. . I know it’s inconvenient. . Christ, I’m supposed to be off this week,’ he said, looking into their eyes, expecting and getting no sympathy. ‘The problem is, we — the cops — picked up on it too late that there’s a connection between these two murders and, I know it’s shit, but I want to be in a position to run instantly with anything that comes in this week. .’
‘Disappeared Christmas Eve, turned up dead on New Year’s Day,’ Jerry Tope said. He knew the cases, too.
Henry nodded. ‘Both of them. Hence the name.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ Tope said resignedly.
‘You didn’t work either murder for Joe, though, did you, Jerry?’
‘No. Speakman always used the same crew. . Jenny Goodwin was his usual Intel cell leader.’
Henry understood this. SIOs liked to use people they knew and could trust and work with, breaking in newbies bit by bit. Henry was the same, that’s why for intelligence issues he always went straight to Jerry Tope.
‘It’s a bit hit and miss, though, isn’t it, Henry?’ Rik whined.
Henry’s gaze turned slowly to him. ‘In what way?’
Rik kind of shrugged. From his face Henry could tell he’d had a heavy night and wondered, briefly, if Lisa had fitted in anywhere in the festivities. Henry hadn’t a clue where she’d got to.
‘Well, as I understand it, from what little I know of these two murders. . as Jerry said, they went missing on Christmas Eve-ish, then turned up dead a week later. . so, y’know. . what’s the plan?’
‘To work the cases as they stand,’ Henry said. ‘Two victims related by gunshot wounds and MO. . plus I want us to be on hand to react immediately to anyone who is reported missing from last night up to New Year’s Eve. .’
Rik’s face sagged. ‘Do you know how many. .?’
Henry stepped in and picked it up for him. ‘. . how many people go missing over the Christmas period in Lancashire alone? Funnily enough, I do. Last year three hundred and fifty were reported. . ball park figure.’
‘So what do we do? Check everyone?’ Rik said.
‘No, not quite.’
‘So what is the plan, boss?’ Tope asked.
‘OK.’ Henry sat back — trying to think of a plan. ‘You work from here, Jerry. I want you to look at the two victims we have and see what you can really uncover about what links them. There must be something, and I’m not convinced that Joe did a bang-up job in that respect. He got lazy and distracted because of what was going on in his life.’ Henry knew that a murder investigation rarely came up trumps if the SIO wasn’t fully committed to it. ‘We know some things, but there must be others like. . I don’t know. That’s your job, Jerry. Also I want you to keep an eye on the mispers that come in. Let’s see where we are now, discard any that don’t fit our victims’ profiles and any that are obviously not of interest to us. Rik, you and me will do the follow-up enquiries. In the meantime’ — he glanced at Rik again — ‘we do victim family revisits.’
‘On Christmas Day?’ Rik bleated.
‘Crime doesn’t take a holiday,’ Henry said glibly, like an advertising slogan.
Rik shook his head in despair.
Henry looked back at Tope. ‘I’ve already been into the control room and checked the chief’s daily log,’ Henry said, referring to the record compiled by the FIM that highlighted the most interesting and unusual occurrences in the county over the previous twenty-four hours. It was done primarily for the chief’s information but was also put on the intranet for anyone else to read. ‘There are some mispers who could possibly fit the bill. Check them out first and see what you think, then get back to me. If they’re good possibilities as victims, then Rik or me will have a look. Possibility is, though, that if our killer has taken someone, if there’s going to be another crime, that is, it’s likely that their disappearance won’t be remarked on or reported for a day or two, or even later.
‘And while you’re on with that, start delving into the victims we already have, like I said before.’
‘Today?’ Tope said, still unable to believe he was at work.
‘Yes — today.’
Tope uttered a very hacked off sigh. ‘Till when?’
‘We’ll call it a day when I say so,’ Henry said — and gave him a superintendent’s look.
Tope’s lips twitched as though he’d been wired up to a car battery, but he said nothing, just sighed heavily again, big chest heave, head shaking.
Henry’s eyes returned to Rik, then flicked back to Tope. ‘There’s a coffee machine in the secretary’s office, Jerry. . can you do the honours? There’s coffee and everything, even fresh milk.’
Tope blinked. ‘Me? Get the brews?’
‘Yes, you.’ He raised his eyebrows with significance and Tope got it.
‘Duh — OK,’ he grumbled and left the office.
Henry clasped his fingers in front of him and waited for the door to click shut. He and Rik were left facing each other.
There was an uncomfortable hush.
Then Rik said, ‘Is this the bollocking from big brother?’
‘You know me better than that. . plus, I don’t actually know what’s going on, but it’s obviously eating you up.’
‘We’ve split, OK? It’s over. That’s all you need to know.’
‘Fine,’ Henry said. ‘I’m not a relationship counsellor.’
‘So what’s this?’ Rik made helpless gestures with his hands indicating the office, the location, his presence. ‘Called in on Christmas Day. Is it punishment time? I’ve split with your sister, so you’re pissed off with me?’
It was Henry’s turn to heave a sigh. ‘You’re here because you’re a good jack and I think we need to be ready to move on this. OK, nothing might happen. It’s a waiting game. The killings might be over and if so, good. In the New Year I’ll kick-start both investigations and work from scratch. But if you think for one moment you’re here because you and my kid sister have fallen out of love, then you don’t know me at all, Rik. I’m just surprised it lasted this long in the first place.’
‘Thanks for that vote of confidence,’ Rik mumbled.
‘Your reputation preceded you,’ Henry said. He knew Rik had been a serial womanizer and Lisa was much the same where men were concerned. But Henry had come to think they were a match made in heaven, or thereabouts. They had been scheduled to trot down the aisle next summer, but something had gone seriously wrong. The philandering gene seemed to have resurfaced in Lisa. ‘That said, I’m truly sorry. I honestly wanted it to work out for you both.’
Rik’s shrug was noncommittal. ‘Presume she stayed at yours last night?’
‘Presume wrong,’ Henry said, and looked thoughtfully at Rik. ‘I take it you haven’t heard about our mother. . hospital and all that?’
Rik frowned. ‘No.’
Henry brought him quickly up to speed, adding that Lisa had been visiting their mother when she’d had her heart attack. ‘But I haven’t seen her since, Rik.’