Dying to Meet You (17 page)

So Calder it seemed was the last one who had been in contact with her. He hadn’t mentioned Mel or said he’d given her a lift home. He made the excuse that his car had broken down, delaying his arrival almost to the last minute last night. So exactly when and where had his car broken down? Because if he meant to take Mel home why hadn’t she arrived there?

Fifty-One

‘How’s Calder now, Trask?’

‘Pretty dicey. He’s in Intensive Care. Still unconscious. They’ve called his father in.’

‘Good. I’d like to see his old man. He might be able to fill me in on some things.’

‘Any luck with Mel Goring? She must have had you worried. Peterson’s been asking about you. Where have you been?’

‘Trying to fix Mel’s movements for yesterday evening.’

‘I guessed that.
Oh, word’s out that Erik Kaufman has skipped the country. I reckon he was the one who informed on Freddie. No brotherly love lost between that pair.’

‘Right
, make an excuse to Peterson if she wants me. I’ve gotta check up on Calder’s movements yesterday evening.’

‘Calder! What are you working on?’

Farmer tapped his nose with his forefinger. ‘The less you know the better for the time being. Just make some excuse to Peterson for me. Okay?’

‘Okay. Will do.’

Farmer went to work immediately on finding where Calder had left his car. Calder had got a taxi to report into the station and Farmer phoned the two main cab offices in the town and asked who had picked up and brought a police officer in to the station at about eleven thirty. He struck lucky with the second office in the town centre.

‘Inspector Farmer here. Can you tell me please where DC Calder was picked up by one of your taxis last night? His car had broken down and he had to report immediately to the station on police business? It’s important,’ he said in the taxi office.

‘Is this a police matter, sir?’

‘It is. He’s had an accident since then. He’s in hospital and we need to pick up his car. Have you got it on your books or can I speak to the taxi driver
personally?’

‘He’s at home right
now, sir.’

‘This is a serious police matter. Can you phone him now or can I go round and speak to him?’

Farmer was directed to the cab driver’s house in Priory Street down the old town.

‘That’s right
, he was one of your boys. A nice lad. Said he needed a cab urgently for police business, he told me. Seemed quite anxious. Met me on the sea front near the swimming baths. Said his car had broken down after an evening out. And couldn’t wait for the AA to help him. Had to get to the police station immediately. Thought it was strange at the time that he didn’t call out them out. But he was in a hurry. Said it was urgent. Is there anything wrong, Inspector?’

‘So where was his car? Did you see it?’

‘He said it was near the lido.’

‘So it’s probably still there.
Thanks. Sorry if I’ve put you out in any way.’

‘
No worries, mate. My boss told me you were coming. Glad to be of help. Is he okay now, your officer? I heard he’s had an accident.’

‘Yes, he’s in hospital
and unable to tell me where he left his vehicle. We need to bring it in. I’d be grateful if you’d keep this to yourself for the moment.’

‘Course no problem. Glad to have been of help.’

Farmer drove his car fast along the sea front, ignoring phone calls on his mobile, to the lido where he found an early traffic warden officiously writing down and placing a ticket on Calder’s blue vehicle.

‘Good morning, sir. Is this your car?’

‘No, it belongs to a colleague of mine. He’s a police officer. DC Calder. I was told where it was parked. He’s injured and is presently recovering in hospital.’

‘And you are, sir?’

‘DI Farmer. I came here to check up on his car. I haven’t got his keys with me so I must have it picked up and taken to the station. No better still I’ll send a vehicle to bring it in.’ He showed his identity card to the traffic warden. ‘Apparently it broke down last night.’

‘Righto, Inspector.
’

Farmer got on the phone immediately and gave the order for transport to pick up Calder’s car.

He found what was he was looking for immediately. There it was - a large tiled square of open aqua blue water with the morning sun sparkling on it. He sprinted round it quickly searching the length of it with his eyes. It was empty. She wasn’t there. Mel wasn’t there. ‘Thank God!’ he said.

He couldn’t think of anyone or anything else at that moment. He was going crazy at the thought of finding
Mel lying in the water. He felt shell shocked. He nearly choked with relief he’d been breathing so hard.

Calder could not possibly be
the cold blooded killer who had killed Linda, Jude Van Hoet and Ellie Cooper. Could he? It didn’t make any sense.

*

Farmer walked slowly into Intensive Care. Calder was the only patient occupying it that morning. He was still unconscious. Trask put his head round the door as Farmer sat down in a chair beside the bed.

‘You’re here then. I managed to put Peterson off. Any news of Mel Goring yet?’

‘None. Bloody nothing. Traced what she’d been doing last thing though. She was with him, Calder, in the Hole In The Wall - the landlord said she’d been a bit shaky when she left there...wobbly on her feet.’

‘In the
Hole In The Wall pub?’

‘Yep
- apparently Calder said he would give her a lift home. Her car’s still in the pub car park.’

Trask stood by the bed looking down at Calder. There was a look on his face now that told Farmer he was slowly digesting what he’d heard so far and didn’t like it one bit.

He said slowly, ‘Calder was with Mel Goring yesterday evening...before he joined us.’

‘He was the last person known to be in her company. What bells does that ring for you?’

‘Christ! I hope you don’t mean what I think you do?’

Farmer nodded. ‘Mel was with him
- no one else, Geoff.’

‘So where is
she? Why did he leave his car by the lido?’

‘He said it broke down. Didn’t say how. It should have been brought into the station by now.’

‘What are you going to say to Peterson? She’s not happy. You turned off your mobile.’

‘I’ll be in touch soon.’

They gazed at the unconscious Calder. ‘You’ll be out looking for Mel?’

‘Yeah.’

The door opened and Ray Calder came in slowly with a cup of tea in his hand. He nodded and smiled nervously when he saw the two police officers by his son’s bedside. ‘Good morning, officers.’

‘Good morning, Mr Calder.’

‘I hope we’ll have some good news soon, DI Farmer.’

‘
We hope so too. We must be going, Mr Calder.’

They left Ralph Calder sitting down beside his son’s bedside. A nurse came in and adjusted the breathing tubes quietly and stayed to talk to Ray Calder.

Fifty-Two

Mel came to feeling
like she was choking and couldn’t breathe. Her head was aching fit to burst. She couldn’t see. Couldn’t open her eyes. They were covered with a tight band of something. Somebody had done a pretty good job on her. She tried to cough and spit out whatever was gagging her mouth and couldn’t. It was sealed up with some kind of sticking plaster. Bile came up into her mouth and she was forced to swallow it.

Her hands and feet were also tied up by something; she was like a trussed chicken ready for the oven. Was she dreaming all this? Was it a nightmare? Would she wake up in a minute or so in her bed with a hangover? She had a strong urge to use the toilet and there was a wreaking smell of oil and petrol coming from somewhere. She could hear voices and noise coming from close by. Could she be being held in a garage?

Whoever had done this to her had been pretty resourceful. The knots were
tightly tied. If Nick could only see her now he’d be splitting his sides. No, he wouldn’t be laughing. Damn him. She could visualise his frowning face. And wished she could feel his arms reassuringly wrap around her holding her safe. She could imagine him saying, ‘I told you so.’

She had gone along with this like a lamb to the slaughter; she had asked for and deserved this. She attempted to think back on the night before. She had gone to the park. Watched the fireworks. Had lingered and waited in vain for the date she’d arranged. Taken off her rose buttonhole. Then watched the fireworks and not seen her parents or Jack
.

After that everything had gone wrong. Her date hadn’t turned up. Or had he? He might
have been suspicious when he discovered it was her. If he recognised her that is. It could be somebody who knew her then. Then what had happened next?

Oh yes, Brian Calder had approached her suggested a drink which she had agreed to. Calder! Now this was making her think. The case he’d been on with Linda. Geraldine Temple’s suicide again came to mind. Why had it troubled her so much since she’d met and spoken to her sister in law?

It had also troubled Calder. She remembered she had mentioned it to him while they were in the pub. Questioned him about it. And now it was coming back to her what Linda had said. Calder had been upset by it more she’d expected he would be at the time. But she had put it down to him losing his mother. Like he’d said - he had gone to his mother’s funeral only days before and was feeling especially low.

Surely it couldn’t be him. He’d always appeared to be a pleasant young man. A good police officer. Appearances were deceiving of course. If he’d killed Linda, she must be his next victim. So why was she still here? Still alive? Was he keeping her as a hostage perhaps? Perhaps he was going to negotiate something or other for her?

There was a sudden noise close by; a ringing sound outside. A phone? Something was dropped on a floor. Someone was swearing. Was it Calder?

She felt her skin crawl. She tried to swallow on her dry throat. Did this mean he was coming for her? He was getting careless if the noise he was making didn’t matter to him. She kicked out hard with her swaddled feet and found the hard side of something. She found she couldn’t move far. It wasn’t that wide.
She must be in a car boot!

Damn it! She wriggled and kicked out again with both feet, tried to scream and rolled over on her side and banged and rattled against the door, felt her nose go into a smelly pile of oily rags or cloths.

She could hear voices, could hear someone talking. Much louder now. Were they shouting to her? She kicked out again hard and tried to make a noise in her throat. She struggled to move upwards and banged her head hard. Tears rushed into her bandaged eyes. Suddenly the boot was pulled open, cold air rushed in and there were loud shouts ringing in her ears. Arms were reaching in and taking hold of her, lifting her upwards, getting her out onto the stone floor in the police garage.

The plaster ripped off her face, she cried out as the gag was pulled out of her mouth and the covering taken off her head leaving her skin stinging with pain and relief as bright lights dazzled her.

Mel looked up and saw three startled men’s faces staring down at her.

‘Blimey! It’s a woman, Ted! It’s that missing journalist Mel Goring! How are you feeling, miss?’

She swallowed and gasped, ‘Where am I?’

‘You’re at the Police Transport garage, miss. Your little boy’s got meningitis. They’ve been calling out for you everywhere.’

‘Get an ambulance straight away, Phil. Let Peterson and Farmer know. He’s been going crackers looking for her. He arranged for this car to be brought in here. Lucky for you, miss, he did. You could have died confined in here for much longer...’

The next thing she knew she was released from the restricting ropes tying her hands behind her back and her feet; the circulation rushing back and as she tried to stand up and fainted.
She came to in an ambulance on her way to hospital. She felt herself floating in and out of consciousness.

They were asking her questions.

‘Can you tell DI Farmer I want to see him, please?’ she said to the woman medic who smiled down at her. ‘And tell him I’m very sorry...’ She burst into tears. And then was gone again into darkness.

The next thing she knew she was awakened by the smell of Nick’s aftershave close to her nose as he was kissing her cheek, his arms around her kissing her like crazy and squeezing her hand tight.

She smiled weakly. ‘Boy, am I glad to see you...’

He grinned back at her. ‘Where have you been? You’ve had us all worried
... God! I thought I’d lost you.’

‘Where have you been, Nick? Why didn’t you find me before? Jack, how’s Jack? Is he all right? Are Mum and Dad here?’

‘They are and Jack’s doing just fine. He had us worried for a time.’

‘I’m so thirsty. Why didn’t you come to find me, Nick?’

‘If you hadn’t given out such barmy instructions to stop me from finding you, woman, I damn well would have. Sending me over to Bexhill of all places.’