‘At least we have her evidence against Ronnie Macmillan and his men. And the Dabkunas brothers,’ stated Claudia optimistically, in an attempt to change the subject.
But Brady knew it was false optimism. They might have evidence against the Dabkunas brothers. But that was all.
‘I’ve got to go,’ he muttered dejectedly.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Claudia, concerned.
She gently rested her hand on his arm.
He looked at her, not knowing what she expected him to say.
‘I mean … I heard … about Conrad.’
‘Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to him. If he hadn’t taken that bullet in his shoulder for me it would be a different story.’
‘How is he?’
‘Out of surgery. The doctors reckon he was lucky it was just his shoulder …’ answered Brady, not wanting to think about what could have happened to his deputy.
He owed Conrad his life. Something he would never forget. He had paced the floor for the past two hours while a team of doctors and nurses had worked to remove the shattered pieces of bone. Only when he knew he was definitely going to be alright had Brady left his side. He still had a job to do. And he knew that was what Conrad would have wanted.
Claudia stared at him. Waiting.
‘Jack?’ she began.
Brady wasn’t sure what she wanted. He wasn’t sure about anything any more.
‘There was nothing you could have done,’ she said, as if reading his mind.
He looked at her.
‘Nicoletta. The Dabkunas brothers have no doubt taken her. Look, if it’s any help there’s a nationwide search on to apprehend them. All airports, ports and docks have been informed. It won’t be long before we get them. And hopefully Nicoletta,’ reassured Claudia.
But her voice sounded as confident as Brady felt.
He knew the chances of catching them were slim. They were ex-militia with an international network behind them. And money. The Nietzschean Brotherhood had successfully eluded the authorities so far. And Brady couldn’t see why that would change.
Claudia’s phone suddenly buzzed. She took it out and looked at the message.
‘Look, I’ve …’ she faltered, unsure.
‘I know. He’s waiting for you outside.’
Her hand limply dropped back to her side.
‘Give Conrad my best,’ she said.
Brady nodded.
He watched as she disappeared through the ICU security doors.
He knew she’d be alright. After all, she had DCI Davidson waiting to take her home.
Brady sat still, very still beside Melissa Ryecroft’s bed.
She had fallen asleep. Her breathing soft and relaxed.
The exertion of telling him what had happened had taken its toll.
As had the sadistic cruelty she had suffered.
At least she was heavily sedated. The drugs working to keep the nightmare of the past seventy-two hours at bay. For the time being, until she woke up. Then she would have to relive the horror of being raped, again and again.
But Brady still had questions he needed answering before her parents would be brought to her bedside.
Unfortunately, questions she couldn’t answer.
She had no idea what had happened to Nicoletta. Didn’t know whether she was alive or dead. The last time she had seen her was in the back of the black Mercedes van hours earlier when they had taken Monika out, leaving her and Nicoletta. They had then drugged them both and when she had come round she had been alone in the van.
The Dabkunas brothers had gone. Taking whatever personal belongings they needed before getting out of the North East – including the women they owned. Melissa had explained that Macmillan and the Dabkunas brothers had kept at least ten girls enslaved, hidden in some undisclosed apartment down by North Shields quayside.
It fitted exactly with what Nicoletta had told him.
But they were gone. Long gone. Dismantled their sick operation when Claudia’s team had gone in, their investigation inadvertently warning the Dabkunas brothers and Macmillan that the police were watching them.
Brady couldn’t help noticing the bruising on Melissa’s pale thin arms where she had been held down. Her face was swollen and covered in cuts from where she had been hit. And hard, thought Brady.
He looked at the tell-tale mottled, purplish bruising around her neck where one of the Dabkunas brothers had choked her until she had passed out.
She had told him how she had tried to escape on the first night; the Thursday night after they had picked her up from the airport.
She had been taken, blindfolded, to the undisclosed apartment where the other girls were held. An apartment that they were still searching to no avail in a desperate bid to find Nicoletta.
Gates had ordered every officer in and had demanded backup from other area commands. But so far, Nicoletta hadn’t been found.
Brady looked at Melissa. He didn’t like to think of what she had suffered. Brutally raped into submission by both brothers. Then taken out of bed for a meeting in the early hours of Friday morning with a prospective punter. One with a distinctive feature – he had a finger missing. And he was part of the Nietzschean Brotherhood. The white platinum ‘N’ signet ring a giveaway.
Brady looked up from Melissa’s resting body and across at Kodovesky. He had asked her to be part of the interview; given the nature of the crimes committed against Melissa he had needed a female copper there. A good copper at that.
Kodovesky caught his eye.
‘She’s a brave girl,’ she observed quietly.
Brady nodded.
They had both listened to Melissa’s account of how she had tried to escape, jumping from the car as it slowly drove along the Promenade. Heading for St Mary’s Lighthouse had been Brady’s guess. And his hunch had been proved right. After the Dabkunas brothers had finally caught her she had been taken, unconscious, in the boot of a black Mercedes, to the lighthouse car park. That was where she had been raped again and again by the passenger in the back of the black Mercedes.
Brady looked back at her as she slept peacefully. It was no doubt the first rest she had had since her abduction.
‘Do you think she’ll be alright?’ asked Kodovesky.
‘Yeah,’ answered Brady. ‘She’s a survivor. She’s already proven that. Come on, let’s go. I think she’s told us all she can remember. Best we let her sleep.’
He looked up at Kodovesky.
‘And by the look of you I reckon you could do with catching up on some sleep as well.’
Kodovesky nodded.
‘At least we got to her in time. It’s not worth thinking about what would have happened to her if you hadn’t been there, sir,’ stated Kodovesky. ‘If it hadn’t been for you we wouldn’t have found her.’
Brady didn’t want to think about Nicoletta. If only they could have got to her sooner. If only …
He rubbed his face. He was tired. Too tired to cope with the reality of what had happened to Nicoletta, let alone the rest of the missing girls.
‘Sir? Are you alright?’
‘Just knackered, that’s all,’ answered Brady as he stood up to leave.
