Acid Row (26 page)

“It fucking sucks,” said Jimmy in disgust. "Why the hell wasn't the kid taken into care?"

Harry sighed. "Because forty years ago people didn't know this kind of thing went on."

“Jesus! How old is this bloke?”

“The father? Seventy-one.”

“And you reckon he's still dangerous?”

"Unfortunately, yes .. . particularly to someone like Sophie. If she's arguing with him and trying to protect herself which is what we think she'll be doing he'll rationalize that whatever happens is her fault."

“Won't he be worried about being done for it after?”

"It depends how excited he becomes, and how far he thinks she's responsible. This isn't a stable personality, Jimmy, or a particularly bright one. The best adjective would be complacent. The fact that he's never been convicted of abuse will almost certainly have persuaded him in his own mind that he has a right to behave as he does. He may even imagine that the police agree with him. A man is stronger therefore a man's authority should be obeyed.“ Harry paused. ”You had it right at the beginning when you called him a moron. Put deviant in front, and you've some idea of what Sophie's dealing with."

Inside 23 Humbert Street Sophie watched the old man writhe on the floor, fighting for breath. If she could move the wardrobe, or persuade Nicholas to move it for her she could get out of that dreadful room. "Let me go downstairs and talk to whoever's in the house,“ she urged Nicholas. ”Now .. . while your father can't stop me. I promise I won't leave. I'll stand at the bottom of the stairs and make sure no one comes up."

He glanced undecidedly towards the door. "You won't be able to prevent them."

"Of course I will, if you give me a chance to speak with them. We must start trying to help ourselves. Can't you see that?"

“It's safer to wait for the police.”

A terrible apathy nudged at her brain, because part of her agreed with him the hesitant part that exists in us all and makes us braver with the danger we can see than with the one we can't. She almost persuaded herself it would be safer to stay where she was cocooned by the spurious protection of four brick walls. Who knew what was going on outside? Was she really so sure that anyone would bother to listen to her? What if she made the situation worse?

She felt Nicholas's gaze on her and remembered how his gentle manner had almost seduced her before. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! She wasn't this feeble! What would Bob say if she told him she decided to take her chances with rape because she was too afraid to walk out of a room .. .

“It's not safer for me,” she countered with spirit, stamping her foot to fire him up. "I have friends out there .. . people who care about me .. . unlike you .. . and this' she jerked her chin at Franck -

'low-grade piece of shitV “I'm sorry.”

Oh, pie-ease! “Find some courage,” she snapped. "If the police were coming, they'd be here already .. . and you really need to ask why the only thing we've heard is a helicopter. Doesn't that say to you that they're trying to find out what's going on? And why do they need to do that, Nicholas, if the streets are full of policemen? You're an educated man, for Christ's sake. Use your brain .. . think .. . work it out for yourself. We're more likely to be attacked than we are to be rescued."

He didn't say anything but watched Franck's movements begin to calm as his breathing steadied.

Sophie spoke more urgently. “Your father isn't going to let me go,”

she said. "We both know that .. . and we both know why. I think you're gambling that we'll be rescued before he loses control completely, but he's already assaulted me twice." She raised a hand to her puffy cheek. "The only reason I haven't got two of these is because you intervened the third time, but he won't let you get that close again. So what's going to happen if we're here for another five hours, Nicholas? Are you going to offer yourself as a punch bag to protect me? Or bury your head in the corner and leave your father to get on with it?"

He put his hands in his pockets and stirred the toe of his shoe in the dust on the floor. “You don't think much of me, do you?” he said.

What answer should she give? Yes? No? Should she be truthful or should she lie? What was his psychology? Schizoid? Paranoid?

Borderline?

"I believe he's abused you so badly that you're terrified to do anything without his permission. I can't pretend to understand it you're a grown man and you shouldn't even be living with him but it is a fact.“ She made her tone as unemphatic as she could. ”So, yes you're right, I don't think much of you." She studied his bent head for a moment. "The danger to you is outside, Nicholas, and hiding in here, hoping we're going to be rescued, is crazy. Do you know anything about the people who live on this estate? You said earlier it was rough area ... so give me your best guess on what they'll do to a paedophile if they catch him before the police do."

He didn't seem surprised that she knew why the crowd was outside. He even looked relieved that he didn't have to pretend any more. "Cut off his dick,“ he said dispassionately. ”I think they're right, too. I tried to do it myself in prison but I was stopped before I did any serious damage. No one's allowed to mutilate themselves these days ..

. not even paedophiles."

Dear God!

“You really do need help,” she said, equally dispassionately. "What the hell is going on inside your head that makes you think it's your dick that should be sacrificed?"

For: DCI Tyler From: Mrs. Angela Gough Taken by: PC Drew Date: 28.07.01 Call timed at: 15.46 Mrs. Gough has settled her daughter Francesca's bill and has arranged for her to be flown home this p.m. A/6 Townsend's original booking was for next Saturday 04.08.01. Mrs. Gough asked for the following information to be given to DCI Tyler.

1. She doesn't want the responsibility of involving Edward Townsend's first wife but is prepared to pass on what her friend has told her re: Townsend.

2. He has been divorced twice. In both instances his wives divorced him. In the case of her friend's divorce (second wife too, she believes) he was represented by Martin Rogerson.

3. The official reason for the first divorce was Townsend's adultery with the woman who became his second wife. The unofficial reason was Townsend's obsession with his stepdaughter (9 at the time of the divorce, now 17). No evidence that he abused her sexually the child denied it but mother was distraught to find video tapes of her daughter in the nude. Similar tapes had been made of the mother before he married her, as Townsend said he liked to watch her when she wasn't with him. She found two other tapes of children she didn't know.

4. Rogerson and the wife's solicitor brokered a settlement that resulted in the video issue being dropped and an agreement of silence imposed. Mrs. Gough believes Martin Rogerson threatened the wife with exposure of the tapes, although her friend has never actually said so.

The wife continues to feel guilty about her silence as she believes Townsend to be a paedophile.

5. Mrs. Gough has seen the photograph of Amy on TV. She says the child looks very like her friend's daughter at the same age.

6. Townsend's second wife had an 8-yr-old daughter. The only knowledge Mrs. Gough has of that marriage is that it lasted less than a year.

7. Mrs. Gough warned Franceses that Townsend had an unhealthy interest in young girls. Francesca accused her of being jealous because she couldn't attract men herself. Mrs. Gough now regrets that she didn't use the word 'paedophile'.

G. Drew  

Saturday 28 July 2001 Hampshire Police Headquarters

MARTIN ROGER SON LOOKED up angrily when DCI Tyler entered the interview room. He had a mobile telephone clamped to one ear, and it wasn't clear whether his anger was directed at Tyler or the person at the other end. With a curt 'goodbye' he snapped the instrument closed and placed it on the table in front of him. Frustration was etched into the aggressive set of his jaw, and Tyler had a glimpse of the bully Laura had described in the early hours. Certainly there was no bluff friendliness in his expression now.

Tyler pulled out a chair and sat opposite him. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, sir,“ he said with a pleasant smile. ”I assumed you'd be halfway to Bournemouth before you received the call, but I understand you asked WPC Anderson to take you to Southampton instead?"

He put an upward inflection into his voice, but Rogerson was in no mood to respond to the question or the smile. "She told me it was extremely urgent something to do with a new lead," he said, his educated accent clipping the words impatiently, 'but it can't be that urgent if you're happy to leave me staring at a blank wall for twenty minutes." He tapped his watch, wielding his finger like a club. The alpha-male attempting to dominate. "You've got my mobile number. Why couldn't we have done this by phone? I have a meeting in Southampton in two hours."

“Then you've plenty of time. It's less than thirty minutes away.”

Tyler studied him curiously, felt the heat of his impatience. "Surely your daughter's more important than a meeting? Your wife won't even take a rest in case something comes on the radio while she's asleep."

"That's below the belt, Inspector. Your sergeant's already told me you haven't found a body, and he said it was a reason for optimism." He made an effort to relax. "I've been a solicitor too long to worry about things until I have to ... unlike my wife, who frets herself sick, and invariably finds it was a waste of energy." He folded his hands over the telephone and leaned forward to bridge the gap between them. "Tell me about this new lead. Of course I'll do anything to help."

“Thank you.” Tyler paused, wondering who Rogerson had been talking to on his mobile, and if the conversation was the reason for both his optimism and his impatience. "I need to ask you some questions about Edward Townsend, sir."

The lawyer's eyes narrowed slightly. “What sort of questions?”

"How would you describe your relationship with him? Is it a personal one or a business one? Or is it both?"

“What does this have to do with my daughter?”

There was no reason not to tell him. "We believe Mr. Townsend may have been involved in Amy's disappearance."

“That's impossible.” It was a very decided statement.

“Why?”

“He's been out of the country since Tuesday.”

Tyler looked at the mobile. "Have you just been speaking to him? Is he part of this meeting that's taking place in two hours?"

Rogerson shook his head. "I'm not prepared to discuss my client's business affairs, Inspector, not without the proper authority."

“So the meeting involves Mr. Townsend's business?”

The lawyer folded his arms but didn't say anything.

Tyler watched him for a moment. "Did you handle both of Mr. Townsend's divorces?"

“Is this relevant?”

“I'm merely asking for confirmation that you acted for him, sir.”

Rogerson didn't answer.

“Fair enough.” The DCI stood up. "In Townsend's absence, the only other person who can confirm it is his first wife, but it'll mean another long wait while I try to contact her, I'm afraid."

Rogerson pointed impatiently to him to sit down. "Yes, I represented him. That's all I'm prepared to say, however. If you have any other questions relating to my client, you must put them directly to him."

“We will as soon as we locate him,” said Tyler, resuming his seat. "Do you know where he is, Mr. Rogerson?"

“No.”

“Do you have a number we can contact him on?”

The man moistened his lips. "No. The only number I have is not being answered."

Tyler wondered if he was lying, but decided not to pursue it for the moment. "The questions relate to you, Mr. Rogerson, and what you knew about your client. Edward Townsend made some highly questionable videos of his stepdaughters which led at least one of his wives to suspect he was a paedophile. As his solicitor, you knew they existed.

Would you care to explain to me why in those circumstances you allowed your daughter to live with him?"

His composure was definitely rattled. He was taking time to answer. "I am not going to comment on that, except to say that your version of events is as questionable as you claim these alleged videos were."

“And why,” Tyler went on implacably, 'you insisted that she be returned to your care if and when Townsend grew tired of her?" He watched the other man's face smooth itself of expression. "Was she on loan, Mr.

Rogerson?"

Rogerson picked up his mobile and tucked it into his jacket pocket.

"You have no grounds whatsoever for this line of questioning Inspector, and I have no intention of answering. I suggest you establish some facts before you attempt to pursue it again."

“I believe I have strong grounds,” said Tyler mildly. "Strong enough to detain you, in fact, should you try to leave." It was his turn to lean forward. "Your client, Edward Townsend, left Majorca at six o'clock yesterday morning and a car similar to his was seen in Portisfield seven hours later with a child matching Amy's description in the passenger seat. Would you care to comment on that?"

The man's mouth opened briefly, but whatever it was he was planning to say remained unspoken. Even to Tyler's unsympathetic gaze, he looked shaken.

"He has a very unhealthy interest in young girls .. . particularly your daughter. We think you knew this before Amy went to live with him. His bent is making nude videos of prepubescent children. He has several e-mail addresses all encrypted with only his legitimate business address being open for scrutiny. He was in Majorca this week filming an Amy lookalike, and someone called Martin telephoned him on Thursday.

Their discussions were so sensitive that the girl with him wasn't allowed to listen, but following the call Townsend returned to England.

Do you want to tell me what you said to him, Mr. Rogerson?

Particularly anything relating to Amy."

Rogerson considered for a moment. "This is absurd. You're on completely the wrong track. Even if I were the Martin he spoke to, how could I have said anything about my daughter when I haven't talked to her in months?"