Vanishing Point

‘Look at this,’ he muttered to Conrad as he pointed out the distinctive mark at the bottom of her spine.

Conrad nodded, puzzled.

‘What do you think it is?’ Brady asked as he gently touched the newly puckered, burnt flesh with a white latex gloved finger, lightly tracing the shape of the mark. It was two inches in diameter and seemed to be a scorpion. Below it were the bold letters, ‘MD’.

‘I don’t know, sir. It doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen before.’

Brady took out his BlackBerry and photographed the burnt flesh.

He didn’t like what was coming to mind and knew that Gates would like it even less.

He stood up and turned to Conrad.

‘Let’s see what Wolfe has to say. He is carrying out the autopsy?’

‘I believe so, sir.’

‘Good, that’s something then.’

They were going to need all the help they could get with this case. And he trusted Wolfe. He was a cantankerous old bugger who drank too much, but he knew his job. He was the best Home Office pathologist the force had ever had, and they’d had a few. Even Chief Superintendent O’Donnell was aware of Wolfe’s foibles, but since he was the best pathologist around, everyone turned a blind eye.

‘Come on, let’s get out of here. I think we could both do with some fresh air.’

Chapter Five

‘So why didn’t the DCI ring me himself?’ Brady quizzed once they were outside.

He already knew that something wasn’t right.

‘He’s busy,’ Conrad replied uneasily.

Brady raised his eyebrows.

‘He’s dealing with another incident that happened last night,’ answered Conrad.

‘What? Involving Madley’s nightclub?’ asked Brady.

‘Yes, sir.’

That came as no surprise to Brady. He had noted the police tape sealing off the premises and the two uniforms stationed by the entrance as he had crossed the road heading for the beach that morning, and had assumed it was another early morning drugs raid. The nightclub belonged to Martin Madley, reputed to be the boss of the local mafia. Not that the police could ever finger Madley. It was rumoured that his main business was drugs. But right now Madley was the least of Brady’s concerns. He’d leave that to Gates.

‘Sir,’ Conrad said, trying his best to hide the apprehension in his voice. He was acutely aware that Brady still didn’t have any idea about what had happened in Madley’s nightclub. ‘We need to talk … before we go back to the station.’

‘Can it wait?’ said Brady distractedly.

He had only one thing on his mind right now and that was the mark burnt into the victim’s flesh. There was one person he needed to talk to and he needed to do it immediately.

Conrad didn’t answer him but his expression was enough for Brady to know something was troubling him.

‘Meet me back at the station. Then we’ll talk,’ assured Brady. ‘Just let me sort this out first. Alright?’

‘Yes, sir. But I need to speak with you as soon as you get back.’

‘Yeah, no problem. Just give me five minutes,’ Brady replied absent-mindedly. The last thing he wanted to do was make that call, but he had no choice.

Conrad nodded, realising that now perhaps wasn’t the best time. Not that there was a right time for what he had to tell Brady.

He reluctantly turned and walked across the beach back to the steps leading up to the lower promenade. He shoved his hands deep in his trouser pockets as he tried to figure out how to handle the fact that Brady still didn’t have a clue. The problem was, Conrad didn’t know how Brady would handle the news. He didn’t want to be the one to tell him, but perversely, he would rather it came from him than someone back at the station. In particular, someone like DI Adamson, who would take great relish in throwing it in Brady’s face.

Conrad decided the best thing to do was get back to the station and wait for Brady. He had no choice.

*

Brady watched Conrad leave. He had a bad feeling about that look in Conrad’s eyes. It couldn’t be good news.

But it would have to wait. Right now he had bigger problems to worry about.

He needed to make that call. And then he’d have to face the rest of the team back at the station. All hell would have broken loose there. It wasn’t every day that a girl’s body washed up on the shores of Whitley Bay. Never mind a headless one.

He hoped to God that somewhere, someone would be missing the victim. The problem he had was finding that someone. The odds at this moment were stacked high against her.

Brady sighed heavily he searched his jacket for his pouch of Golden Virginia tobacco. He then took a sheet of Rizla paper and placed some tobacco in the paper with a filter before delicately rolling it tight. He lit it with trembling fingers as he closed his eyes and allowed the smoke to clear the decaying, sickening air from his lungs. He inhaled deeply a couple more times until it was enough to quell the desire to retch. He had tried to give up smoking and had failed, swapping chemical-filled cigarettes for roll-ups. It was an easy cop out. Too easy.

He cast his eyes up at the sky. The day was already changing. The angry, crimson ball of sun was nowhere to be seen, blanketed instead by the heavy, mournful, gunmetal-grey clouds rolling in off the horizon.

It was an all too familiar sky. The North East of England was well known for its continuous grey drizzle, regardless of the seasons. The only difference was the temperature. Brady found he was either freezing his bollocks off during the winter months when the Arctic winds whipped in from the North Sea, bringing snow and treacherous plummeting sub-zero temperatures, or sweating during the humid summer months. But hot or freezing cold, there always seemed to be grey drizzle. Regardless, Brady loved the place. It was in his blood. He knew that no matter what, he’d never leave the North East.

Brady took his BlackBerry out. He needed to make a call. One that he didn’t want to make.

He scrolled through the names listed until he came to the one he wanted. Reluctantly he pressed call and then waited. And waited. And waited until she eventually picked up.

‘For God’s sake! It’s not even seven o’clock on a Saturday morning! This better be good!’ finally answered a familiar voice.

Brady could hear a man’s deep voice in the background asking who was on the phone. A man’s voice that Brady recognised.

‘Who do you think would call at this time?’ came the muffled answer as she covered the mouthpiece.

‘Claudia?’ interrupted Brady, trying to control his voice.

He had heard the rumours but hadn’t wanted to believe them. Now he had no choice.

‘This is work,’ he stated. ‘Nothing else.’

He heard her sigh heavily. ‘Go on …’

‘A girl’s headless body has washed up onto Whitley Bay beach.’

‘Alright … but what’s that got to do with me? You know my job profile. I deal with sex trafficking victims, Jack. Remember?’