'Sorry, son,' said Frost, 'but I knew you wouldn't want to take the credit for things you weren't entitled to.' Cassidy's eyes flickered at the shaft. 'Anyway, it's your case from now on.' Cassidy still wasn't satisfied and was ready with the next moan, but Frost was spared this by the door opening. 'Radio message, inspector,' called Lambert.
He dashed back inside. PC Collier was on the radio reporting that Cordwell had left the house.
'Which car was he in?' asked Frost, hoping it wasn't the inconspicuous pearl grey Rolls-Royce with the peronalized number plate. They'd have half of Fleet Street following if it was.
'It's a dark green Nissan,' reported Collier. He gave the registration number. 'Shall I follow?'
'Yes, but keep well back. We know he's coming to the store, so you needn't hug his tail. Once he's in the store, park in a side street off the Market Square. We'll contact you when he comes out.' He radioed through to Burton to let him know Cordwell was on his way. 'Should be with you in five minutes.'
'Right,' acknowledged Burton.
Frost was lighting up when Liz came in. 'We've located the pub where Cooper says he and Lemmy went to. It's the Green Dragon. They serve pub lunches. The menu changes every day, but every Friday it's salmon fish cakes, and 6th August was a Friday.'
'I used to like salmon fish cakes,' said Frost, 'but not since I saw them swimming around inside Lemmy's stomach. Funny how little things like that can put you off.' He spun his chair round as the radio speaker crackled, but it was only static. 'Did you check out Custard Cottage?'
'Primrose Cottage. Two sisters, one around forty, the other in her mid-thirties. I haven't spoken to them yet, though.'
'Good. We'll do it together tomorrow morning. Remind me.' His smile died when he saw Bill Wells making his way over to him. The sergeant's face shouted 'Trouble.' Something had gone wrong.
'Were you going to get Tommy Dunn to plant that homing device, Jack?' Wells asked.
'Yes-why?'
'I wouldn't count on him doing it.',
'Why not?' asked Frost, very concerned.
'Tommy's got himself arrested.'
Frost's stomach screwed into a tight ball. 'Arrested?'
'PC Simms is bringing him in. He was caught nicking two bottles of whisky from Savalot's liquor store.'
Frost stared at Wells, hoping and praying he had misheard. 'Stealing?'
'Savalot want him charged. And they want his flat searched. They think he's been making a habit of taking their stock home and they'd like some of it back.'
Frost stared at the ceiling and swore softly. 'Bloody, bloody hell.' He punched his palm with his fist and thought quickly. 'All right change of plan. Tell all cars engaged in the exercise that due to circumstances beyond our bleeding control, we won't have the homing signal, so it's vital we don't lose track of Cordwell's car. Circulate the description and registration number to all mobiles. If they sight it, let me know. And tell all mobiles not in the exercise to stand by. We might have to call them in as well if we lose him.' He groaned audibly as Mullett marched in. 'Oh no!' The bleeding vultures were descending.
'What's this I'm hearing about Tommy Dunn, Frost?'
He obviously knew all about it, so Frost was terse.
'He's been arrested for theft. We won't have the homing device.'
Mullett's eyes glinted and he smirked in self-justification. 'I warned you about using rubbish like him, but you wouldn't listen and now you must pay the consequences. Can we still go ahead with this without alerting the kidnapper? If that child is harmed because of your incompetence '
'We can still do it. What I've done is '
Mullett's hand shot up. He didn't want the details. Hearing them could imply his seal of approval and this would only be forthcoming if everything went off without a hitch. 'Just make sure nothing goes wrong.'
He turned on his heel and marched to the door, spurred on his way with a V sign, behind his back, from Frost who then tapped his desk to get everyone's attention. 'Just thought you'd like to know that Mr. Mullett is one hundred per cent behind us, providing we pull it off. But if we fail then God help us!' He drummed his fingers impatiently and looked pleadingly at the speaker, waiting for the next radio report.
'Subject car in car-park,' radioed Collier. 'Cordwell getting out and entering the mall by the side entrance.'
A few minutes later Burton called in. 'I have Cordwell in sight. He is waiting outside the four phone kiosks.'
'Check the phone bugging devices again,' called Frost. If they were going to go wrong, then now was the time.
The officer with the earphones did a quick check and gave the thumbs-up signal. 'AH working perfectly.'
'Right.' Frost kept the radio channel to Burton open. They could hear the bustle of shoppers in the mall. The Musak had stopped, no doubt by Cordwell's orders so he could hear the phone ringing. The wall clock in the incident room clunked away another minute. The kidnapper was already five minutes late.
'I don't think he's going to phone,' said Liz.
'Don't be a bloody pessimist,' said Frost. 'He's probably in the middle of a long wee-wee. You don't pick up ransom money with a full bladder.' Still only crowd noises from the monitor speaker.
Burton's voice suddenly made everyone sit up. But it was only to report that nothing was happening.
'For Pete's flaming sake!' yelled Frost. He hated people reporting there was nothing to report.
Cassidy came in and stood behind Frost. 'What's happening?'
'Sod all, 'grunted Frost.
'Did I understand you were going to use Tommy Dunn?' Cassidy asked.
'Yes,' said Frost.
'I'd like to talk to you about it,' hissed Cassidy.
'Some other bloody time,' snarled Frost. Cassidy was really getting on his nerves tonight. He was relieved when the acting inspector left the room.
Twenty past eight.
'Are you sure the bloody phones in the kiosks are working?' asked Frost. 'What if Savalot's security men accidentally cut off incoming calls when they cut off the outgoing?'
'You could always try ringing one,' suggested Liz.
Frost dragged a phone towards him and dialled.
A yell over the speaker from Burton. 'Cordwell's moving towards a kiosk. The phone's ringing.'
Frost hastily banged the receiver down. 'I know it was me. Just testing.' This is turning into a flaming farce, he told himself.
Almost immediately Burton was back on the radio. 'Something's happening. A manager from Savalot is running towards Cordwell… talking to him. Cordwell's leaving the kiosks. They're both running back towards the store.'
'Follow him,' hissed Frost. 'Don't let the sod out of your sight.'
Lots of rustling and roars from the radio as Burton barged his way through the crowd. 'Lost him… no, I see him. He's going to the Customer Service Desk. He's picking up their phone… I can't get too near, he'll spot me… He's listening. He's put the phone down… Now he's going through a Staff Only door. Do I follow?'
'No!' snapped Frost. 'He's probably gone to get the money. Has he got to come past you again to get to his car?'
'I don't know.'
Frost's mind raced. 'Right get down to the car-park. Locate his car and let me know when he leaves.' He clicked to Collier. 'Collier, go to the car-park exit and get ready to follow when he leaves… All other units, stand by.'
'What's happening?' Sensing that something was going wrong and anxious to witness Frost's discomfiture when it did, Cassidy had returned.
'The sod's put one over on us,' Frost told him. 'He never intended using the kiosks must have guessed we'd bug them. He phoned direct to the store.'
'So what are you going to do?'
